Arctic stood up and walked out of the room, with Jade walking behind him. They walked down the hall in the big house, giving Jade a glimpse of the duplex.

As they walked he continued his conversation with her. Soon they got to the stairs and headed for a door across the living room.

​​

Virtually everything in the house was painted white or cream. Jade couldn’t help herself asking if such a killer was this obsessed with cleanliness.

Arctic noticed the way her eyes wandered everywhere and decided to put  out  her curiosity and explain to her the reason for such colour.

“I do not particularly like white to this extent, but it was Mr Frost’s idea. This is called the White house, also known as the safe house.”

“Interesting. I never knew father had such a taste.” Jade responded, her eyes still taking in everything.

“Haha, there are a lot of things you do not know about your father. Come.”

By now they were already standing in front of the door across from the living room. He dipped his hand in his pocket and brought out a key then unlocked the door.

Meanwhile, Jade watched in surprise as he used a similar key to the one she used in opening her father’s study, to unlock the door. The only difference was the touch of white in the key head.

“The infinite key. It can open virtually any lock. Frost had it made that way, so that one key could open any door in his house. Each of his buildings had one. For you, he gave the central key…”

“To me as my twentieth birthday present.”

“Correct. He was a man with foresight. He could see and predict things to come, he was really wise.”

He turned the door knob and pushed open the door, stepping aside for her to enter before he joined in and closed the door.

Sitting atop the table in what looks like a study room, was the black and golden small box.

Jade walked over to the table at the far end of the big room and picked up the box, inspecting it closely.

“Father said that if things were to ever go south, I should ensure I take this from his study and flee.”

“Yes, this mustn’t get into the wrong hands. It holds great power within it.”

At the mention of great power, Jade had already thought it held something magical and was eager to open it and find it for what it was.

She removed the keychain on her neck and carefully inserted it into the keyhole. It clicked and he pushed the lid open.

Jade was dazed at the sight in front of her. Rather than something interesting, she found a golden symbol of a phoenix , surrounded in a circle with sharp edges.

“This is…” she peeled her eyes from the symbol and traced them to Arctic who was standing in front of her.

He gave her a quizzical look, waiting for her to spill the bean. That was when she realized that he himself had no clue of what was inside that golden and black box.

She picked it up by the long golden chain attached to it and raised it for him to see.

“The Golden Phoenix, symbol of the ruler of the Western province. Anyone who holds the seal, rules the western mafia world,” Arctic said, his eyes dazed by the sign in front of him as he looked at the symbol in Jade’s hands.

She withdrew her eyes from him and looked inside the box. Inside the small box, towards the top was an inscription.

Jade peered deeper and read out loud. “The Boss’s Seal.”

She picked up the folded paper inside the box and dropped the box on the table so she could open the paper.

When she opened it, she saw another inscription but this time in a coded form. She wrinkled her brows in a frown as she tried but could not decode it.

“Urghh!” she groaned before letting out a sigh.

“What is it, Boss?”

“Here. See if you can decode it,” Jade said, handing over the paper to him. Her eyes were instantly filled with anger.

She was angry that she couldn’t decode something her father wrote irrespective of all the training and teachings she received about all these things.

“I cannot decipher what it means. It would take some time to be able to decode it, but I would surely do so.”

“Alright.”

“For now boss, what do you want to do?”

“I need to leave this city, Arctic. Possibly, change my identity and lie low for now while I plan my revenge in secret.”

“The Anders Family should have flooded everywhere in Mooncrest City with their men and spies, searching for me. It is too risky to continue as Jade Frost.”

“I understand. I will prepare all you need and send you to wherever you want to go.”

“I have my eyes set on Star Cross City. I will start afresh there and when everything is in motion, I will exact my revenge and take back all that was stolen from my family.”

She kept the seal inside the box and locked it back, wearing the key on her neck.

“For now, your orders are to lay low. We will work in the shadows and there you should serve me. Also, fake my death to quiet down the masses. Do your part and I will do mine.”

“Yes, boss.”

*****

At a mansion in Mooncrest city, a young man was seen riding into the compound in a black Ferrari.

He drove in and parked in front of the house then came down. The moment his car came to a stop, several men in black suits raced over to where he was.

The door opened and a pair of legs in black shoes stepped out on the ground. Soon the owner of the car came out.

He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a maroon undershirt and black tie. His black shining hair matched the colour of his shade and outfit.

“Welcome, Boss.”

They all chorused and bowed down their heads lightly in front of him.

“Hmm, where is he?”