The trip to the lawyer's office was cancelled as she hollered a cab to ride her home.All through the ride home, her mind dwelled on Adonis' transformation. The man she'd always bullied, the man she'd cheated on, called names, and even tried to kill, had reappeared a new being, confident, and even with authority. Everything she thought she'd accomplished from thinking he was dead was all gone. No, they were probably never even there anyway. And with his new appearance and title as a prince as he made her aware of, he was capable of ruining her life like he'd threatened.But what she was yet to understand was how? How did the man he'd referred to as father that had saved him from the accident come about? For all she knew, he was an orphan with no one caring for him. But now, all of a sudden when she had decided to get rid of him as he was a numbing thorn in her flesh, this ‘father’ with an elevated status resurfaced and saved Adonis from what he was supposed to die from, destroying her
A cold, refreshing shower couldn't even wash off the tension in his muscles and the frustration coursing through Adonis' veins at that moment as he leaned an arm on the marble wall, the droplets of water descending upon his body.He was vexed. Very vexed, and a new found hatred ran through him as he recollected all that had happened in his life up till now.From the time he'd lived in an orphanage, constantly an object of mockery that he never got adopted, and had to live most of his life in the orphanage till he was of age to start living on his own. But then, when he had started living on his own, a truckload of responsibilities rested on his shoulders like a permanent burden. Jobs were hard to come by, and he found it very difficult living. When he'd then gotten a job, it was very excruciating to pull through it, the reason being multiple insults he received from co-workers and boss. He'd worked like a slave almost all his life, trying to meet up with paying bills and taxes and the
Adonis stepped out of the bus the moment it stopped at the bus station where he was supposed to come off at and headed straight to board a taxi that would take him to the address, not allowing himself to be disturbed by the gazes of people he passed by.When he got into a taxi, he noticed the man's skeptic gaze through the rear mirror observing him. Adonis could guess the thoughts that ran through the man's head at that moment. If it wasn't the thought on how bodily wretched he looked, it was definitely one how he wouldn't be able to pay the cab transportation fee. Adonis said nothing and just ignored it.He told the address of the place he was headed to and got the cab fee amount as $3.50 in reply. The man spoke his words with hinted doubt in Adonis' capability to even be able to pay the meager amount. The car began to move and Adonis made the scenery of the people and buildings being sped past his focus as he mentally encouraged himself on what had happened earlier. He couldn't wa
“Do you think he's inside?” Toria whispered over Harriet's shoulder as they stood behind a wall across the street, peeking from the distance to see if Adonis' house was empty of him. They had just recently been asked by the apartment owner of the apartment they lived to renew their already due rent that they had just a three days to pay him off or he would throw them out of the house, as Adonis hadn't paid the next rent like he was supposed to before everything that happened, happened adding to that, the man was a very impatient person. They (Harriet and Toria) had decided to come over to Adonis' house with the hope of him not being inside, and stay over for a while before Harriet finally carried out the genius plan she was still cooking up in her mind to restore the whole situation to a mild and favorable one.“He's got a title as Prince now, hasn't he?” Harriet uttered, rhetorically. “So he'd probably be in his Royal kingdom, drinking tea and meeting old people to be here. ”The wor
A mellow rock and roll jazz played from the speakers and Oliver bobbed his head in a rhythm to the beat as he wheeled the steering, but he was soon disturbed when his phone blared up a call ringtone.He took up the phone from the passengers seat beside him, wore on his connected earpods, and slid the answer button.“Yes?” he said in a level voice.“Your highness,” the familiar voice on the other line boomed. “There's bad news. ”Oliver glanced into the phone again to properly view what the caller ID was and saw that it was his Richie, his trusted guard who'd always been his ears and eyes whenever he wasn't in the palace. There was an uprise of curiousity in him and he yearned to know what this bad new was, because whenever Richie said there was bad news, there was bad news.“What's it, Rich?” he probed, swerving the car to an empty lane as he drove.“The King found his first son, your highness.” Richie reported. That dropped like a bombshell inside of Oliver.“What?”He knew about it,
The blaring of the noisy, intermittent ringtone of his phone filled the room, pulling him from the warmth embrace of sleep into reality. Adonis let out a groan, disturbed by the phone that wouldn't just stop ringing.“Who is it this early morning?” he croaked as he reached towards the bedside table where his phone was. Eyes closed, he felt his way towards the phone till his fingers finally touched its side, and he picked it up.Holding the phone to his face, he opened his eyes groggily, narrowing it to slits from the refraction of light the phone exuded. The number calling was an unknown number, and Adonis wondered who it was.Sliding the answer button, Adonis held the phone to his ear.“Hello?” His morning voice hadn't cleared off, so it was hoarse and very croaky.“Prince Adonis,” The person whose voice sounded older and deeper, addressed. It took a moment for Adonis to process the words before it dawned on him again that he wasn't the regular Adonis, but he had an elevated status a
He attempted shaking off the nervous feeling that engulfed him each moment he thought about the tribunal and the fact that it was fast approaching. Even as the king had assured him that he would talk to one of the Kingmakers to excuse him, he couldn't help but worry about it. What if they didn't let him go and then he would have no choice but to go?He wavered the thought from his mind and at that moment, his phone blared up its usual incessant ring beside him on his bed. He glanced at it briefly, noting the caller ID as JESSE as he picked it up.“Hello?” he spoke, expectant on why Jesse had called him. Jesse was one of the palace workers the King used to pass over information to him whenever he wasn't in the palace and there was something important he needed to know. And as every one of Jesse's calls were important, he wondered what important detail Jesse had for him from the king.“You're highness, ” Jesse addressed. “There's news. ”“What news?” Adonis inquired with inspired curios
“I would have loved to go with you to the bank, sir, but I can’t,” The manager told him once they’d gone a distance from the estate’s gate. “I have a work pile I have to attend to urgently.”The expression on his face was pleading, and Adonis had no choice but to let him go.“Just tell me the directions to the bank from here, ” Adonis said. “Then I can head over —”“Oh, it’s just over there!” the manager pointed at something behind Adonis. He turned in the direction of whence the finger pointed and saw it from the distance —It’s tall magnificence and beauty, and it was just straight ahead.“It was nice meeting you in person, sir, ” the manager remarked with a nervous smile hinting on his lips. Adonis nodded in reply and in an anxious movement, he stretched out his hand to Adonis for a handshake, mentally deliberating whether shaking Adonis was wrong or right with the way Adonis just stared at his hand. He eventually shook it and felt the man’s hands shaking as they shook his hand. He
Meanwhile, in the palace, the elders sat in somber silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited for their prince’s return. Jesse's watch seemed to tick louder with every passing second, a constant reminder of Adonis's absence. They all shared the same unspoken hope that Adonis would return safely, that his plan had succeeded.Suddenly, the room was jolted by the abrupt entrance of an excited messenger, who burst into the chamber with breathless urgency. "The prince is back!" the messenger exclaimed, unable to contain his joy.Without hesitation, the elders and Jesse rushed outside, their faces alight with anticipation. Their hearts swelled with relief and joy as they laid eyes on Adonis and Valerie, who walked toward the palace in a regal and triumphant manner. Adonis, his presence commanding, strode majestically with Valerie by his side, a living testament to the successful rescue.Jesse approached them, his relief was obvious as he greeted the prince with a deep bow. Adon
Adonis clenched his fists, his anger boiling over as he continued to listen to Oliver's sinister demands. "You heartless bastard!" he spat, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and desperation. "What do you want with my wife? She's innocent in all of this and you know it! This is not necessary at all!"Oliver's voice remained chillingly composed as he replied, "Adonis, your wife's fate is in your hands. All your protests and shouts won't change a thing. H\You know what you need to do but I will be a darling and just repeat them for you: step down from your position as the heir to the throne. Then, prepare an official statement, one that will be signed by the kingmakers and the tribunal. And this time, that is not all that you will do, let me add one more that I have not added before, Adonis, you will deliver this statement to me in person, and only you should come with it."Adonis attempted to reason with Oliver, his mind racing for alternatives, but before he could make any headway
The next day, as Adonis stood at the crime scene, frustration and weariness washed over him. The weight of the situation pressed heavily on his shoulders, burdening him with unanswered questions. He recalled the call he had received from Oliver during his joyous wedding party, the moment when everything had taken a dark turn.He turned to the acting commissioner, his eyes burning with determination and anger. "Why wasn't I informed about Oliver's escape?" Adonis demanded, his voice filled with frustration. "I trusted you to keep this city safe, to keep my loved ones safe!"The acting commissioner sighed heavily, his gaze filled with remorse. "Your highness, I didn't want to ruin the joyous atmosphere of your wedding day," he admitted. "The truth is, the police station was attacked, and Oliver managed to escape yet again. We kept it from you to preserve the happiness of the moment and also due to the fact that it was just so hard to tell especially since its not his first time."Adonis
Heril's eyes remained widened in disbelief even when Adonis confirmed what he had just said. He couldn't fathom that his little sister was engaged to the Prince of the city. It all felt surreal, like a dream."Valerie, is this true?" Heril asked, still struggling to grasp the reality of the situation.Valerie nodded, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and pride. "Yes, Heril. Adonis and I are engaged, you still think that I could never get such a man?"Adonis decided to show Heril the depth of their connection. With a gentle smile, he approached Valerie, his eyes locked onto Heril's. He embraced Valerie tenderly, pulling her close to him. It was a silent but powerful gesture that spoke volumes. Adonis was staking his claim, declaring his love for Valerie in front of her brother.As they stood there in that heartfelt embrace, Heril's initial shock began to give way to a sense of acceptance, and perhaps even happiness for his sister. Adonis even went further to gently ra
As they made their way back to the palace, Adonis decided to contact his lawyer to inform him about Oliver's capture and discuss rescheduling his case.He dialed the lawyer's number and, after a few rings, the lawyer answered."Hello," the lawyer said.Adonis replied, "Hello, it's Adonis. I wanted to let you know that Oliver has been apprehended, so we need to reschedule my case as soon as possible."The lawyer, however, had some news that Adonis wasn't entirely pleased with. "I understand your urgency, Adonis, but the city currently has a backlog of cases, and it might take some time before we can secure a new date for your hearing."Adonis, slightly frustrated, responded, "you’re saying that even as a prince, I still have to wait too?"The lawyer, maintaining his professionalism, explained, "It's a matter of protocol, Adonis. We'll do our best to expedite the process, but we must follow the established legal procedures."Adonis, though not entirely satisfied, reluctantly agreed, rea
As Adonis and the elders anxiously awaited news of the police mission's outcome, a sense of unease hung heavy in the air. Adonis couldn't help but consider the myriad of possibilities that could derail their plans. What if Oliver had somehow learned of the police's approach and was lying in wait to ambush them like he had done twice? What if his henchmen had already scattered upon hearing of the police's arrival? Maybe he still had more minions giving him information? Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, and Adonis' patience and hope was starting to waver. Some of the elders began to voice their doubts, questioning whether everything was truly unfolding as Adonis had envisioned. They had been waiting for nearly an hour, and the absence of any updates was gnawing at their patience too. Adonis remained silent, but the seeds of doubt had already been sown in his mind. The uncertainty of the situation weighed heavily on him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that their carefully laid pl
While Adonis stood in the room with the unconscious guard, Jesse suddenly busted in, holding Adonis's phone. The screen displayed an incoming call from an unknown number, which, in their world, meant it was likely Oliver on the line. Adonis took a deep breath and answered, bracing himself for what was to come. "Adonis," Oliver's voice echoed through the phone, "it's time." Adonis couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Who tipped you off about our coming?" he demanded, hoping to unravel the mystery. Oliver's response was far from what he expected. "Oh! I had no idea you were coming, Adonis," he replied, genuine confusion in his tone. "I didn't even know you had been to our previous hiding spot. But it seems even nature is conspiring against your success." The revelation left Adonis perplexed, wondering how Oliver had managed to stay one step ahead without any external information. Oliver continued, hinting at his usual threat. "Get ready, Adonis," Oliver warned. "The second p
The tracker had arrived, and Adonis wasted no time briefing him on the task at hand. They needed to locate Oliver through a phone call, and the tracker assured them that he could accomplish the job. He emphasized the necessity of a ninety-second call to pinpoint Oliver's location accurately. With their plan in motion, they turned their attention to the captured guard, their determination unshaken. They needed him to make the crucial call to Oliver, even though he had deleted all traces of their previous conversations. Initially, the guard remained silent, stubbornly refusing to cooperate. But as the pressure mounted, he finally relented and dialed Oliver's number. The call went through, and Adonis took the phone, speaking calmly but urgently. "Oliver," Adonis began, "we've captured one of your minions yet again." There was a pause on the other end, and then Oliver's voice, cold and calculating, responded. "Who told you those were my minions, Adonis? They were nothing more than tool
Pleasantries were exchanged as they all settled around the table at the casino. Adonis observed the familiarity the elders shared with King Clark, who greeted him with a hint of amusement."Prince Adonis," King Clark said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "it's truly delightful to finally meet the lost but found prince in person."Adonis, though puzzled by the king's words, offered a polite nod. "Likewise, King Clark."However, as they indulged in the various games and distractions the casino had to offer, Adonis couldn't help but sense a subtle shift in the king's demeanor. What had started as a friendly encounter took an unexpected turn when King Clark began to act rudely.He fired questions at Adonis with a mocking tone, each one designed to taunt. "Do you know how to play the 'rich men' games, Adonis? After all, you've just become a prince. Do you know how to act rich, or have you been poor your entire life?"The others at the table remained silent, aware that King Clark was simply