Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

In Mosgravia, Justin was seated behind a sculpted wooden screen in a tea room filled with incense smoke. Dressed in white, he looked elegant, divine, and otherworldly, like he had walked out of a painting. He was in the middle of a chess game with Sheryl.
"Sir, we got news from Solana City. Javier Beckett has completely given up on Betty," Sheryl muttered quietly. "The paternity test result you dropped at the press conference was a huge blow to Mr. Javier."
"That was expected." Justin lowered his gaze. He said indifferently, "Sophia Kirkman was useless. You can't expect much from her daughter.
"I knew Betty wasn't a Beckett many years ago. I was aware of Sophia Kirkman's secrets as well."
"Were you? Why didn't you call them out?" Sheryl looked taken aback. "Sophia Kirkman abused her position as the family matriarch to misappropriate company funds. Weren't you worried about her actions? What if she got her hands on the company stocks or made Javier Beckett her puppet as she took control of the company? Were you not worried that she would be a threat?"
"I was not worried at all." Picking up a crystal chess piece, he calmly captured her knight. "Sophia Kirkman was greedy, but she overestimated her might. Besides, my grandpa was keeping an eye on company affairs. She'd be delusional to think that she could gain control.
"Since I was absent from Solana City, I needed someone to keep Jasper in check. Otherwise, life would be too smooth sailing, or in other words, boring for my dear brother. Too bad, Sophia Kirkman let me down."
Sheryl finally came to understand Justin's strategy of killing with a borrowed knife. Although Sophia suffered a total defeat in the end, her presence ensured that Jasper failed to gain a foothold in the company and contributed to his deteriorating relationship with Javier.
"Call Mr. Schmidt when you're free." Justin gracefully took a sip of tea. "This is the start of a new round of the game. I've offered him enough help. Now, the ball is in his court."
Preston, who had been shot three times, lay in the hospital teetering, on the brink of death. Miraculously, he survived the ordeal and was receiving treatment at a hospital of the police's choice.
Although his wretched actions were unforgivable, he still enjoyed the rights of a citizen after he was arrested at the crime scene. Even if he were to be sentenced to death, for now, the priority was to save his life.
Late at night, a medical staff shuffled down the empty corridor, dressed in a doctor's coat and wearing a mask. He pushed open the door to the patient's room and wheeled in a cart. After that, he locked the door behind him.
Preston remained awake in bed. Intubated, he stared at the ceiling. He was immobile due to being handcuffed to the bed railing.
For a moment, he appeared pitiful and vulnerable, even looking like a victim. One could never tell that he was a psycho who murdered his own dad.
"Preston Harper, it's time to take your meds."
Upon hearing that, he turned to look at the staff who had just entered. Suddenly, he felt his heart racing. His eyes were filled with fear. Preston was about to scream when the man taped his mouth.
Eyes bulging from the panic, he trembled so violently that the bed rattled.
The mysterious figure took off his mask, revealing himself to be Jordan. Jordan had a vicious look on his face. He scoffed at Preston. "Are you scared? I'm surprised that a vile creature like you would be afraid of death."
Preston let out muffled screams. Shaking in fear, he was too weak to even fight back.
"Didn't you set off your plan with the determination to die with Mr. Landon? I thought you wanted death. Why? Did a short stay at the hospital remind you of the beauty of life? Are you feeling cowardly now?"
Jordan took a syringe from the stainless steel tray on the cart. The needle was thick.
Chuckling softly with a murderous look, Jordan teared up. "Preston Harper, you killed my senior. She was to me a sister, and she was family to Mr. Landon.
"I cannot possibly let you live in cowardice or die in comfort. I have five injections prepared for you-all of them highly poisonous. You will experience a unique type of suffering from each injection. Now, enjoy."