"Don't worry, my legacy is safe and secure in his hands," Robert said, and James grabbed the remote, tuning to another channel. The same live broadcast was also being broadcast on countless other channels, even on a Channel that is exclusively for kids.
James was forced to watch it till the very end. Soon after, he ordered enough food that he could eat. He grabbed a bottle of red wine and opened it before taking a sip. Just a week ago, he was struggling to make $20 a week and was constantly insulted by his ex-wife and 'ex' in-laws. He never imagined that such a blessing would come his way, not even in his next life. But here he was. James sighed as he removed his clothes and wrapped a white towel around his waist. He walked to the bathroom and took a warm shower. After drying himself off, he slipped into his pajamas. As he lay on his bed, he couldn't quite understand why he felt the way he did, but he knew that tomorrow would be a long day for him and the beginning of his story. The next morning~ James flinched and squinted his eyes, stirring awake when he felt a bright light from the sun hit his tired eyes. A groan escaped his lips as he lifted his fist to his eyes, rubbing it gently to soothe the sting. "Damn it! I thought I pulled down the curtains!" James thought inwardly. James stirred from a deep slumber, his eyelids heavy as he blinked them open. Gradually, his blurry vision began to sharpen, revealing the figure of a woman standing just a few feet away. A woman? James closed his eyes once again to erase the illusion he was starting to see. James was a faithful man and he had never thought of bringing another woman into his home, talk more of having an affair with her. So imagine james' expression and countenance after he had reopened his eyes to see a strange woman standing beside his window, dressed in a suit with her arms crossed. Her presence was striking, framed by the soft glow of the morning light streaming through the window. She had long, wavy hair that cascaded over her shoulders and a pair of glasses that perched on the bridge of her nose. "Who are you?" James asked in utter confusion. How did this beautiful young woman, dressed in a prim and proper manner appear in his room? The woman crossed her arms, her hips moving to the side as she sent a piercing cold glare his way. “My name is Bella Rosewood Harthone, the personal assistant of Mr. Robert Williams" Bella spoke, pointing at the tag fixed neatly at the right side of her black suit. "From now on, I will be your assistant. Not only would I be working under you in the office and other business places, but my job also includes ensuring that you are up and prepared for work on or before 9 am," Bella spoke in a business-like tune while staring at her wristwatch. It was 9:16 am and Bella was hella pissed. James could feel it; this woman was gonna be very difficult. "Oh. Nice to meet you, my name is James...." James trailed off on his sentence, "James Robert Williams." James stood up from the bed, approached the woman, and extended his hand for a handshake. "I know. Nice doing business with you" Bella said as she accepted his outstretched hand, "And please don't ever leave your door open at night, you might not be lucky next time" James thought for a moment, distracted by Bella's constant arguing. He walked to the bathroom to take a bath. After his bath, he put on a simple outfit: a singlet and boxers. Feeling refreshed, he went to his wardrobe to choose his clothes. He reached for a blue shirt and dark trousers, but before he could grab them, Bella pulled him over to the bed and made him sit down. Bella looked at him closely, studying his face. After a moment, she said, "Hmmm, you're not bad-looking." Then she added, "But I think it's time for a haircut and a beard trim." James touched his beard with his fingers, realizing how unkempt it had become. Bella moved toward a black suitcase that was lying on top of his small table. Since when did she bring a suitcase in? Bella opened it after inputting a four-digit code then she pulled out a clipper, a shaving Bic, and an aftershave cream. "What kind of hairstyle do you like?" Bella asked as she brushed the sharp edge of the clipper with a brush to remove any excess dust before turning it on. "Any hairstyle you think would look good on me is fine, just don't shave all my hair off or make me go half-bald." James retorted. "Hmph! I am a woman with countless talents and hairstyling is just one of them" Bella said proudly, "There is no way I could make a mistake" "Alright, Alright. Just do your thing" James sighed. Bella plugged in the clipper, the soft hum filling the quiet room as she prepared to style his hair. With focus, she assessed the texture and length before beginning. She expertly maneuvered it through his hair, creating clean lines and even hair length. And after a few minutes, she was done. She unplugged the clipper and cleaned it before placing it back inside her suitcase. "Tadaa! Told you I was good at this" Bella smiled, moving back a bit to admire her work. James opened his camera and switched to selfie mode to admire his new haircut. Bella had given him a buzz cut that outlined his face perfectly, making him look even more handsome than before. James decided to trim his beard as well, doing it himself. He made sure to leave a decent amount of hair behind before putting down the razor. "Put on this gray suit," Bella instructed, indicating a suit she had personally picked for him. And when he did, she helped him to fix his tie.James stepped out of his apartment. The tailored gray suit Bella had chosen fit him like a glove, exuding a confidence he didn’t quite feel yet. The new haircut and freshly trimmed beard transformed him into someone almost unrecognizable to his former self—a man who looked like he belonged in the world of billion-dollar deals.Bella, waiting beside a sleek black car, held open the door for him. "Let’s not waste any more time. The board meeting starts in less than an hour, and we need to get you prepped."James slid into the back seat, glancing at the folder Bella handed him. Inside were detailed profiles of the board members of XY Corps and a schedule of the day’s meetings.James flipped through the pages and frowned. "So, I just go in there, smile, and pretend I know what I’m doing?"Bella leaned against the doorframe, a sly grin on her face. "Pretty much. Just don’t smile too much—you might scare them. They’re not used to smiles and all that in corporate life."James snorted. "Great
(After the Meeting)The board eventually ended, leaving James and Bella alone in the room. James exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “That was... intense.”“You handled it well,” Bella said, handing him a bottle of water. “I am sure this would shut them up for now.”James took a sip. “Let them try. I didn’t come this far to be intimidated.”Bella’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “Robert wants to meet with you this evening. He said something about a personal matter.”James frowned. “Any idea what it’s about?”She shook her head. “He didn’t say, but it sounded important.”---Later That EveningJames arrived at Robert’s mansion. The grandeur of the estate was magnificent and breathtaking. Robert greeted him in the study, a glass of whiskey in hand.“Bella told me about the meeting,” Robert said, gesturing to a chair. “You handled yourself better than I expected.”“Thanks,” James replied, sitting down.Robert chuckled, his expression turning serious. “I wanted
"James, let's get a divorce," James' wife, Lilian, spoke with a hard and cold tone. James froze immediately after he heard those words; his fingers trembled a little as he continued cutting the cabbage that he had placed on a cutting board, trying to act as calmly as possible.A divorce?Why? What could've possibly gone wrong?"You can't be serious, right?" James asked with a chuckle, wishing deep inside of him that what she just said was a joke."I am serious, James. I want a divorce as soon as possible" Lilian repeated, getting seriously pissed off.James paused, dropping the knife before turning towards his wife. "But....why?. Is there anything that you're upset about? You can tell me, and I will try to make changes. I will--""James, I've had enough of this bullshit life we are living! Just take a look around! Does this place look big and beautiful to you? We've been living like this for four years!" Lilian yelled and James flinched. The house that the family of three was living
It seemed like James' punch and the sound of Bill falling to the ground were too loud cause they got the attention of Bill's bodyguards, who were standing outside the house. They all rushed in and attacked James who didn't hold back.But their numbers were just too much. After a few minutes, he was restrained and beaten up before being dragged to the police station, where he was locked up for assault. Bill didn't leave the police station without telling James, "I can give you a chance to get out of prison even though you hit me. All you have to do is bow your face to the ground in front of me and I will show mercy"Bill was just 30 years old but was already amongst the top 20 richest men in the country. He's handsome, popular, and has millions to his name along with powerful connections. James was the very first person to ever have the guts to hit him and it was like a huge slap to his pride. James slipped his hands into his pocket and walked into the prison cell, not bothering to g
Robert handed James a sleek black VIP card. "This is for you, Son. You can withdraw any amount, purchase anything you desire, and take care of your needs. The pin is 6438"James looked at the sleek black VIP card in his hand and then at Robert, "Tell me, what's the limit on how much I can buy with this card?" James asked.Robert smiled. "There is no limit, Son. This card grants you unrestricted access to my wealth."James raised an eyebrow. "No limits? That's impossible."Robert chuckled. "For you, Son, nothing is impossible. This card is linked to my personal account, and I've authorized unlimited transactions."James stared at the card, finding everything that had been going on for the past few days hard to take in. Robert assured him, "And you don't need to worry, the card has state-of-the-art encryption and security measures. You're safe.""This is...incredible."Robert continued, "And there's more. I want you to inherit XY Corps one day. You'll be the perfect successor."James s
"That was quick, not that I am complaining. This is great news!" Mr Robert was a little bit surprised but happy, nonetheless."I am free throughout today, so meet me at the address that I would send to you in a few seconds," He added, and the call ended. Soon after, a message containing the address popped up on James's screen.The address that was sent was the location of a very expensive 5-star restaurant, Celestial Bites. It was a restaurant James had taken Lilian to one day to cheer her up after losing a fashion design exhibition.To put it well, James wasn't the one who brought up the idea to go to Celestia Bites; heck, he didn't even know Celestial Bites existed until Lilian brought it up and coaxed him into going there.He had his suspicions when he arrived at the restaurant to see how large and way up high the building was. And when he entered the building, he didn't need an advisor to tell him that whatever he ordered, even though it was as little as an orange juice would dig
James picked up the document, scanning the words carefully. Each line detailed the terms of his takeover of XY Corps, including his rights and responsibilities and a few clauses that pointed at the immense power that came with the position. His fingers brushed against the crisp pages as he read the final clause."You’ll have full control starting tomorrow," Robert said, leaning back in his chair. "But I have to warn you. The board, media, and even my rivals will watch your every move. Do you think you can handle that?"Before retiring and passing the reins to James, Robert eliminated Rowan Amber, his most influential rival from the Rowan family. Rowan was the one who caused Robert so much grief, and it took Robert 30 years to eliminate them from the business world. Now they were nothing more than lowly rats without influence, a stark contrast to the influence and wealth they had years ago. Even though Robert had gotten rid of them, he knew James would face further opposition in the up
(After the Meeting)The board eventually ended, leaving James and Bella alone in the room. James exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “That was... intense.”“You handled it well,” Bella said, handing him a bottle of water. “I am sure this would shut them up for now.”James took a sip. “Let them try. I didn’t come this far to be intimidated.”Bella’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. “Robert wants to meet with you this evening. He said something about a personal matter.”James frowned. “Any idea what it’s about?”She shook her head. “He didn’t say, but it sounded important.”---Later That EveningJames arrived at Robert’s mansion. The grandeur of the estate was magnificent and breathtaking. Robert greeted him in the study, a glass of whiskey in hand.“Bella told me about the meeting,” Robert said, gesturing to a chair. “You handled yourself better than I expected.”“Thanks,” James replied, sitting down.Robert chuckled, his expression turning serious. “I wanted
James stepped out of his apartment. The tailored gray suit Bella had chosen fit him like a glove, exuding a confidence he didn’t quite feel yet. The new haircut and freshly trimmed beard transformed him into someone almost unrecognizable to his former self—a man who looked like he belonged in the world of billion-dollar deals.Bella, waiting beside a sleek black car, held open the door for him. "Let’s not waste any more time. The board meeting starts in less than an hour, and we need to get you prepped."James slid into the back seat, glancing at the folder Bella handed him. Inside were detailed profiles of the board members of XY Corps and a schedule of the day’s meetings.James flipped through the pages and frowned. "So, I just go in there, smile, and pretend I know what I’m doing?"Bella leaned against the doorframe, a sly grin on her face. "Pretty much. Just don’t smile too much—you might scare them. They’re not used to smiles and all that in corporate life."James snorted. "Great
"Don't worry, my legacy is safe and secure in his hands," Robert said, and James grabbed the remote, tuning to another channel. The same live broadcast was also being broadcast on countless other channels, even on a Channel that is exclusively for kids. James was forced to watch it till the very end. Soon after, he ordered enough food that he could eat. He grabbed a bottle of red wine and opened it before taking a sip.Just a week ago, he was struggling to make $20 a week and was constantly insulted by his ex-wife and 'ex' in-laws. He never imagined that such a blessing would come his way, not even in his next life. But here he was.James sighed as he removed his clothes and wrapped a white towel around his waist. He walked to the bathroom and took a warm shower. After drying himself off, he slipped into his pajamas. As he lay on his bed, he couldn't quite understand why he felt the way he did, but he knew that tomorrow would be a long day for him and the beginning of his story.The
James picked up the document, scanning the words carefully. Each line detailed the terms of his takeover of XY Corps, including his rights and responsibilities and a few clauses that pointed at the immense power that came with the position. His fingers brushed against the crisp pages as he read the final clause."You’ll have full control starting tomorrow," Robert said, leaning back in his chair. "But I have to warn you. The board, media, and even my rivals will watch your every move. Do you think you can handle that?"Before retiring and passing the reins to James, Robert eliminated Rowan Amber, his most influential rival from the Rowan family. Rowan was the one who caused Robert so much grief, and it took Robert 30 years to eliminate them from the business world. Now they were nothing more than lowly rats without influence, a stark contrast to the influence and wealth they had years ago. Even though Robert had gotten rid of them, he knew James would face further opposition in the up
"That was quick, not that I am complaining. This is great news!" Mr Robert was a little bit surprised but happy, nonetheless."I am free throughout today, so meet me at the address that I would send to you in a few seconds," He added, and the call ended. Soon after, a message containing the address popped up on James's screen.The address that was sent was the location of a very expensive 5-star restaurant, Celestial Bites. It was a restaurant James had taken Lilian to one day to cheer her up after losing a fashion design exhibition.To put it well, James wasn't the one who brought up the idea to go to Celestia Bites; heck, he didn't even know Celestial Bites existed until Lilian brought it up and coaxed him into going there.He had his suspicions when he arrived at the restaurant to see how large and way up high the building was. And when he entered the building, he didn't need an advisor to tell him that whatever he ordered, even though it was as little as an orange juice would dig
Robert handed James a sleek black VIP card. "This is for you, Son. You can withdraw any amount, purchase anything you desire, and take care of your needs. The pin is 6438"James looked at the sleek black VIP card in his hand and then at Robert, "Tell me, what's the limit on how much I can buy with this card?" James asked.Robert smiled. "There is no limit, Son. This card grants you unrestricted access to my wealth."James raised an eyebrow. "No limits? That's impossible."Robert chuckled. "For you, Son, nothing is impossible. This card is linked to my personal account, and I've authorized unlimited transactions."James stared at the card, finding everything that had been going on for the past few days hard to take in. Robert assured him, "And you don't need to worry, the card has state-of-the-art encryption and security measures. You're safe.""This is...incredible."Robert continued, "And there's more. I want you to inherit XY Corps one day. You'll be the perfect successor."James s
It seemed like James' punch and the sound of Bill falling to the ground were too loud cause they got the attention of Bill's bodyguards, who were standing outside the house. They all rushed in and attacked James who didn't hold back.But their numbers were just too much. After a few minutes, he was restrained and beaten up before being dragged to the police station, where he was locked up for assault. Bill didn't leave the police station without telling James, "I can give you a chance to get out of prison even though you hit me. All you have to do is bow your face to the ground in front of me and I will show mercy"Bill was just 30 years old but was already amongst the top 20 richest men in the country. He's handsome, popular, and has millions to his name along with powerful connections. James was the very first person to ever have the guts to hit him and it was like a huge slap to his pride. James slipped his hands into his pocket and walked into the prison cell, not bothering to g
"James, let's get a divorce," James' wife, Lilian, spoke with a hard and cold tone. James froze immediately after he heard those words; his fingers trembled a little as he continued cutting the cabbage that he had placed on a cutting board, trying to act as calmly as possible.A divorce?Why? What could've possibly gone wrong?"You can't be serious, right?" James asked with a chuckle, wishing deep inside of him that what she just said was a joke."I am serious, James. I want a divorce as soon as possible" Lilian repeated, getting seriously pissed off.James paused, dropping the knife before turning towards his wife. "But....why?. Is there anything that you're upset about? You can tell me, and I will try to make changes. I will--""James, I've had enough of this bullshit life we are living! Just take a look around! Does this place look big and beautiful to you? We've been living like this for four years!" Lilian yelled and James flinched. The house that the family of three was living