Hollywood Zenith

A country known as the poorest in Europe and one of the least visited places in the continent was often the hub for rampant corruption and a place for criminal organizations to hide. Mainly for its world-class wine, ancient monasteries and unspoiled open countryside - and for its distinct lack of crowds, it was a perfect place to hide!

  Situated 50 km north of Chisinau, Orheiul Vechi is most known for its Cave Monastery - a complex of rooms and tunnels cut into a rocky ridge above a vast River. It was home to an unknown individual who hijacked the place a few months ago out of desperation.

It was a perfect place widely known to be inhabited by hermit monks seeking solitude in its caves since the fourteenth century. There was no way they could find him here, in the god-forsaken country! 

A weak middle-aged man was sitting on his chair sipping cognac, hearing to his subordinate who came out with the result of their investigation. The more he heard it, the angrier he got. His lips were already trembling, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed on his subordinate's face.

" Bastard! You can't even find out where a little girl is? Is this why I am paying you this much?" The weak man exclaimed but immediately started coughing. He was getting more vulnerable daily, and he didn't know how long he would last.

" Lord, We have determined she was somewhere in France after-"

" After you messed up our operation! I can't believe the main family is sitting idly, seeing everything unfolding before their eyes!"

The man grumbled, stuck in this place, unable to move freely. He couldn't understand why they were giving out such orders from the top. He might only be head of the branch family, but he belonged to one of the six powerhouses of the world! It was totally unacceptable!

" Mercy! My lord! Please give me another chance. I will sure bring her before the surgery date!" The subordinate grovelled. He very well understood the meaning of repeated failure; the members are only given three chances of mistake, after which they would be discarded like weeds, and it was already his second mistake!

" My lord, please calm down. It will be bad for your health if you become more agitated." Another person came out from the shadows and urged him. The man looked at him and took a few breaths to steady his heart. Just as he said, his heart was giving out rapidly, and if something was not done within a month, he would be a dead man!

" Alright, I will give you two weeks. You also go with him and find that damn girl! If you can't do it, I will bury you alive!" He gave his orders and sat down, holding his glass again. 

" Don't worry, lord. I have enlisted some help, and the hacker group under the third tail agreed to help me. I will surely complete this task!" The man poured the drink into his empty glass, assuring success.

" Oh? Black collectives?"

" Yes, my lord."

" Good, go now; time is of the essence. You already know what will happen if you fail, right?" The weak man said with a menacing smile.

" Yes, lord." The man didn't flinch, but his heart ached when he heard about the punishment. He walked away after giving him a proper bow.

" These bastards! That fucking stare! I already know what they are thinking: going up against me? If I die, I will tear everyone down, including that fucking brat that dreams of the throne!" The weak man slammed the glass on the floor, shattering it into a million pieces.

He was angry that he couldn't even put his guard down in front of his subordinates; a few years ago, he was living lavishly, but since the time the true heir appeared, everything went to shit for him. Although he wanted to take revenge, he knew better. There was not a single person in this world who could go against such a monster.

With an unfathomable background, he was a master manipulator who turned the world upside down without anyone knowing about him. Seeking revenge was akin to seeking death! But now he had no choice; he had to disobey him to preserve his life!

...

...

...

Meanwhile, in France, Samuel just came home after finishing his business. It was already two o'clock, so he expected the flat to be empty, but he found that everyone was waiting for him. Even the old grandma was here helping them cook.

" Sami~ Welcome back!" Elise came running, tacking his stomach as she jumped into his embrace. Samuel hurriedly dropped his bag to catch her.

" Yes, I am, hope. How is my little girl doing?" He caressed her hair, asking gently.

" I am fine! I played a lot with grandma!" Unexpectedly, she answered without stuttering, leaving her with a scary grandma, which was why he rushed to return home to check up on her, but it looked like he was worried for nothing.

" Good, you are getting along with her, right? Next time, thank the grandma sincerely; she will definitely like it."

" Who said I would like it? Humph."

" I am sorry for not greeting you in the morning. I am Samuel Rothschild, Mayra's college friend."

" A friend, you say?" She tried to intimidate me while giving me an angry look, but she looked like that old woman who tried to act cute on the internet. He tried to suppress his laughter, but that was when Elise said something.

" Grandma, you look funny!"

" Hahahaha!" Samuel couldn't control himself and burst out laughing. It was terribly rude, but Grandma couldn't force herself to scold Elise; instead, she focused on Samuel.

" Young man these days! You can't even show me proper respect, and I have been hearing that you think I am a housemaid! Which housemaids wear these types of clothes!?" She reprimanded him, which immediately shut his laughter.

Instead of making a good impression, he was scolded upon their first meeting! The future sure was bleak!

" I am sorry, our housemaids always wear fancy clothes granted by my mother. So I mistook you for one; you also didn't say anything-"

" Grandma, don't you remember I told you about his family earlier."

" That's right, they are a big deal, so his common sense is distorted." Mayra and Kayla came to his rescue, but they made him sound aloof and ignorant, which hurt him differently.

" When two people are talking, don't butt in! You! Are you really just their friend?"

" That's..." Samuel looked at the girls and didn't know how to answer her. He was unsure about their relationship, but he could tell why Grandma was concerned from an outside angle.

" No, they are MY girls, so you can say we are a family!" He declared it so proudly that it shocked everyone.

" Family huh? I guess he is not just messing around with them." Grandma thought, looking into his eyes; she was old but had seen many people in her life. She could feel the young man was not joking when he said it.

" Alright, My name is Frieda. It's nice to meet you; now go wash up. We are almost finished setting up the table." Her words sounded harsh, but they had a subtle, gentle undertone.

" Yes, Grandmother!" Samuel bowed, feeling he was acknowledged a little.

" Humph, I never said you can call me that!"

" Is grandma angry at Sami?" Elise hit her with a cute face that looked concerned. It immediately changed her mood.

" It's not that, we were only talking. I am not mad." Frieda rustled Elise's hair with a gentle smile.

" Ehehehe, Sami, Grandma is not mad anymore!"

"Grandma is the best, so you should play with her more. I will be right back." Samuel dropped her down and headed upstairs.

After a quick shower, he changed into comfortable clothes and came downstairs for lunch. It looked like they were waiting for him; also, didn't the girls have work? How come they are already home? He wanted to ask, but seeing their happy expression, he decided not to ruin the mood.

" You should sit here. It is only fitting since you are the man of the house." Grandma led him to the main seat at the dinner table. Did she misunderstand something? Samuel sat down without protesting; the seat had always been empty since he got here.

" Try these; I made it specially for you. The girls also helped, so you should thank them, too." She presented what looked like a liver dish? He was unsure, but he tried it, and his eyes sparkled as soon as his spoon entered his mouth.

" Wow, it's good. It's my first time eating something like this!"

" Hahaha, I like your expression. Unlike them, I can see you enjoy my efforts more. Eat as much as you want. There are plenty of it!"

" That's not fair! Why are you treating him like that all of a sudden?"

" That's right, you shameless hag! You always beat me whenever I protested about weird spices!"

" Shut up! "

" It's not their fault; it's quite nutritious with different spice blends. Many people don't find it appetizing, but I have eaten many different cuisines since childhood, so I am okay with anything." He came to their defence, but he was startled by the food; it gave him a sense that a fireball had entered his stomach. He was feeling energetic, and with the chillies, his senses were getting intense, too.

" See! You just don't appreciate me enough! Boy, how about being my grandson instead of her? I will treat you to tasty food every day!"

" Grandma! How could you say that when I am sitting right here?" Kayla felt dejected.

" Grandma! I also want to eat it!" Elise was curious, but she ultimately refused.

" I will let you eat if you become taller than me. Alright?" Elise only nodded sadly, but with a little enticement of sweetness after the meal, she forgot about it immediately. 

The meal lasted half an hour as banter continued, mainly a feud between Grandma and her granddaughter. At the end of it, Samuel suggested something important.

" Why don't we go outside shopping? I have meant to do it since I arrived here; I don't have many clothes." Samuel moved her hand, showing how tight the shirt he borrowed from Mayra was.

" That's a great idea. We should go out in the evening!"