As the day drew to a close, the rain stopped and the thick, dark clouds faded into the distance, like shadows being forcibly chased away. The air was fresh again and nature was coming back to life. It was a little chilly, but the air was slowly warming up again. “I think it’s time for dinner. Katelyn, my child, will you invite Marie to join us?” asked Nathaniel. “Of course,” said Kate, and walked across the courtyard towards the guest house, where Marie was still working, trying to arrange the things she had brought with her. They had all spent the entire day at Thorne’s villa, behind the fence that separated them from the outside world. Nathaniel had been locked in his office for a long time because of urgent business matters. Meanwhile, Kate and Vincent had walked around the fragrant garden, under the cover of a giant umbrella, chatting and leaving the newcomers alone. Vincent spoke clearly and consistently about the power that has been in the diamond for centuries. He thought t

The hot summer sun had disappeared under the dark clouds. Somewhere in the distance, thunder was angrily rumbling, as if it were thundering down on the earth’s warm inhabitants. The light rain fell in cold, heavy drops that refreshed and revived the dry grass and caressed the colourful, thin blossoms springing up from the earth. It was the perfect calm before a storm. In contrast to the calmness around her, Megan was in the midst of a real storm of emotions. Sat on the pavement, her whole body was shaking as if it had been electrocuted. What she had just witnessed kept flashing through her mind. Mysterious armed men, Jake’s voice telling her to run, gunshots, and a woman appearing like a bolt from the blue. Megan was sure that she had seen the woman somewhere before, but could not remember where or when. This woman had saved her by jumping on top of her attacker. And she knew her name. How? Why? It was all so hard to take in. And then there was Jake... Megan shuddered even more at t

A beautiful, calm morning dawned. Here and there, the sound of birds waking up after the night was heard. The night sky glowed and the mysterious shadows of the night retreated until they would find their hour again. The last of the visible stars were fading and their yellowish light diminished into the vastness of the boundless universe. A regular summer day was about to begin, but for some, it would be no ordinary day. There was a physically palpable tension in the vast living room of the Thorn Villa. Everyone in the room had not yet slept. Last night, had been for most of them, the worst night of their lives. “Of course. I agree. We have a lot of things to talk about, a lot of…” said Nathaniel Thorne. His face bore the stamp of the night’s dramatic events, and his voice, usually rich and confident, had been replaced by a weak, at times barely audible tone of sadness. “Of course, neither of us will be able to sleep for a while, but I suggest that everyone takes a shower. I would