Episode 4 – Blackwood’s Dark Profile

Kenny Blackwood stood by the window of his own tall skyscraper, looking out at the city. The evening sky painted the buildings in soft orange light, but behind that beauty, his mind was busy counting numbers, projects, and opportunities.

On his shiny desk, nine framed photos of completed property projects sat in a neat row. All of them were big. All of them were profitable.

"Nine projects in four years," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "And not a single failure... hhh... fantastic."

Behind the expensive suit and calm face, Kenny hid a dirty strategy that not many people knew. He wasn’t just a property developer. He was this city’s executioner. A man who truly understood that progress often grows from destruction. And destruction... can be arranged.

Before people knew his name or praised his company, Kenny was just a young man with big ambition and shady connections. He started his career from the bottom. Not as an architect, not as an investor. But as a fixer from the dark side.

His job was simple but cruel, clearing land by force. He worked with local thugs, using threats, fear, and even secret fires to push people out of their homes.

Then the land, once full of life, was sold cheap to rich investors, who turned it into luxury apartments and hotels.

From each “clearing,” Kenny got a share such money, connections, and a reputation as the man who could handle dirty work cleanly.

He rose fast, loved by big developers who didn’t want to get their own hands dirty. Soon, he wasn’t just the executor, he became the owner of the projects. And slowly, this city became his. Piece by piece, bought with fire, fear, and lies.

**

“Don Blackwood,” his assistant called from the doorway. “We’ve received the land survey report from the north side of the city. The ground is solid, and.......”

“Too expensive,” Kenny cut in. “If the price is still high, we find a way to bring it down.”

The assistant swallowed hard. “Sir… do you want the usual way?”

Kenny turned around slowly and walked toward a big map of the city hanging on the wall.

“Do you remember Wolf Den?” he asked without looking back.

“Yes, of course. The fire… three years ago. Now it’s West Haven Mall, with the hotel, casino, and cinema.”

Kenny nodded slowly. “Back then, that land was worthless. But look at it now. And we got it for half the market price.”

He stared at a small red dot on the map, the former location of Wolf Den.

“People said it was an electrical short. But we know... the power had been cut off for two days because most people there couldn’t even pay the bill.”

The assistant stayed quiet. He knew Kenny’s words were not meant to be answered.

**

Three years ago, Wolf Den was just a row of old wooden houses, packed tightly together and surrounded by piles of trash. But in Kenny’s eyes, it was a gold land waiting to be cleaned.

Now, standing in that same spot, was West Haven Mall. A five-story building with a business hotel on the east wing and a rooftop nightlife center on the top floor.

Kenny never showed up at the grand opening. He didn’t need applause. The only thing he cared about was money. Crowds, speeches, ribbons, those things were for politicians and CEOs who still needed validation.

But Kenny? He had already won the game before the curtains were pulled. Every brick of West Haven Mall was a reminder of what he could do, not of what he wanted people to see.

"Applause doesn’t build empires," he thought. "Control does. Fear does. And if people have to lose their homes for me to build mine… well, that’s just the price of vision."

In his mind, he wasn’t the villain. He was the one with courage to make hard decisions. While others played by the rules, he wrote them.

He took a sip of his drink and turned away from the window. West Haven wasn’t an achievement, it was a test run. Something bigger was coming. Something that would bury the past and redraw the city’s map.

**

In a large meeting room, Kenny showed a presentation to his closest staff.

“I want a new project. Something bigger. Something that could be the symbol of this city,” he said.

The next slide showed a futuristic design. There were a city park, tall skyscrapers, a man-made river, an open-air theater, and a luxury housing complex.

“It’s called Blackwood Dreamland,” he said quietly. “A place where rich people can live without being bothered by the world below.”

One of the staff raised his hand. “Sir, if I may ask… where will this dream be built?”

Kenny gave a crooked smile. “There are a few spots. But our priority is the south side of the city. It’s close to the beach, and… there’s still a lot of land that hasn’t been used.”

“You mean the slum areas?”

“Let’s just call it: future land,” Kenny answered.

Some chuckled quietly, though a few looked uneasy. They knew Blackwood Dreamland wasn’t just another project. It would be a tool to “clean” the city. But it wasn’t dirt they were cleaning, it was people. The small, poor ones who couldn’t fight back.

**

Elsewhere, on the north side of the city, Rae Riveira stared at her computer screen. Her fingers scrolled through the latest news about West Haven Mall.

“This land used to be neglected,” the article said. “Now, it’s a high-class shopping destination.”

Rae clenched her fist.

“Neglected? You don’t even say it used to be someone’s home. A place where people grew up. Where they lived.”

She started writing a script for her next video. But before she could finish, her phone rang. It was Vina.

“Rae... I heard they’re going to build a big project in the south of the city. Do you know anything about it?”

“Not yet. But I have a feeling. Where did you hear that?”

“My husband’s friend works at Blackwood’s company. He said they already have the blueprints. It’s going to be way bigger than West Haven.”

Rae swallowed hard. Her head was spinning with questions.

“Vina, can you get the documents? Anything. Drawings, maps, the name of the project.”

“I’ll try, but I have to be careful,” Vina replied.

“Thank you. Please, be careful too.” Rae ended the call.

She put down the phone, but her mind stayed stuck on one name, Kenny Blackwood. That name alone made the air around her feel heavier. He wasn’t just a businessman.

Behind his expensive suits and cold smile was someone who had no problem sacrificing lives and dreams just to reach his goals.

Every project he touched left behind fire, blood, and tears. Burned land, lost homes, broken families. He didn’t just steal land, he stole futures.

In the silence of the night, Kenny’s image appeared in Rae’s mind like a faceless monster. Cold, cruel, and unstoppable. And this time, his new project meant more victims, more destruction waiting to happen.

She took a deep breath. Rae had already seen too much and gotten too involved. Whatever came next… she had to be ready.