Gloria really had no way out of this mess, she had challenged him to the bet, and now… she had never imagined that she herself would fall into the pit she had dug for someone else!Gloria had no choice but to kneel on the ground with her face turning tomato red. She was practically trembling under the gaze of the people around her, and started to speak;"Forgive me, Master–" "How disgusting… nevermind!"Noah hissed as he glanced at Gloria from corner of his eyes and said contemptuously, "I don't want such a disobedient and disrespectful servant, I have no use for you. If you want to honor the bet, then you can just sing my praises instead." "What?!"Gloria looked up and glared at Noah as if she could murder him right here, right now. "Noah, don't push your luck any further!" WHAM!Tom gave her another slap on the back of the head;"Shut your damn mouth! Just do as you are told, and apologize to Mr. Smith. Stop cribbing right now!"Gloria felt like it would be better if a dinosaur
Red Swan Entertainment, inside the Director's Office… Eliana had a terrible headache. She was sitting on her desk, clutching her head in her hands and pressing her temples with the heels of her palms to put as much pressure as she could.No matter what, she couldn't relieve the tension; after all, she was the one in charge of this sinking ship! They were running into some problems with the orders that had already been signed, and the funds could not be recovered at this stage. If they could not be resolved within the deadline, the company would face a bankruptcy crisis!Her best friend Bailey Carter was sitting on a chair across from her, fiddling with a keychain.“You are facing all these problems, just because your husband is so useless. Can you even imagine how great your life would be if you married someone rich– like Martin Lloyd? He will most probably take over the Lloyd family's business. And not to mention, he is very easy on the eyes, you know?”Eliana hummed absentmindedly
"Alright, I'll leave then."On hearing about the Ocean's Edge Grill, Noah remembered that he had been planning to go there too, until he ran into Eliana this morning.So, he turned to leave, leaving the briefcases on the chair. She would believe his words herself, when she opened the briefcases and had a look inside. However, Eliana was far too busy to even spare a look at the briefcases, and pushed the chair in frustration, watching Noah's retreating back. Bailey jumped on the opportunity to rant against Noah;"See! I told you, he will only pull you down to his level because he sure as hell can't get to yours! You must divorce that loser as soon as possible!”Eliana returned to her chair, gulping down a handful of painkillers to tamp down this severe headache. Bailey looked on with a sympathetic frown on her face, as she tried to shake Eliana into her senses.“Ellie, nobody can help you unless you help yourself first. And if you want what's good for you, you will listen to me. Just
Noah left the company and drove to Unity One Tower, the building which had a number of exclusive luxury businesses on every one of its twenty five floors, one of which was Ocean's Edge Grill. On the way, he dialed Stuart's number. And within moments, the familiar voice rang;“Yes, young master?" "Uncle Stuart, contact the owner of Unity One Tower on my behalf. I want to meet him as soon as possible.""Young master, did he do something to offend you? Should I arrange for the Unity One Tower to be wiped off?""No, I have some urgent business with him. I'm on my way right now."Noah briefed him, and then hung up without explaining anything else. After some minutes, he arrived at the Unity One Tower. Looking up towards the magnificent building, Noah nodded with satisfaction and muttered, "Yes, it's very close to home."He was just going inside, when Noah felt an arm obstructing his path. It belonged to the security guard of the building, a burly man dressed in a faded black uniform, w
The black Mercedes came to a stop in front of the Unity One Tower, and a middle aged man stepped out. His appearance was usually quite dignified, but right now, it seemed like he had come there in a rush. As he hurriedly fixed his coat after stepping out of the car, the bodyguard behind him quickly opened an umbrella to shield him from the sun. The man walked briskly towards the entrance, his eyes scanning the area, searching for someone.The security guard stationed at the gate was surprised to see the boss here today, nobody was expecting him to come today. But he quickly arranged his features into a respectful expression and saluted,“Sir! Good morning, sir!"The man looked at him with slight annoyance as he acknowledged the salute and asked urgently,"Yes yes. By any chance, did a young man come by the office, saying he wanted to meet with me?"The guard looked puzzled at first. Then, the thought of the scraggly man from earlier crossed his mind. "Yes…" But before he could answ
Eliana and Bailey stepped into the grand lobby of Unity One Tower, the building's modern style architecture reflecting their own sleek and modern appearances, the two of them blended in perfectly with the usual patrons of the buildingAs they headed toward the elevator, Eliana suddenly grabbed Bailey's wrist, pulling her to a halt. She leaned in close and whispered, "Bailey, no matter what happens… no matter what she says, just– please keep your calm. Can you promise me?"Bailey rolled her eyes and shook her hand free, her bracelets jangling noisily. "I know, Eliana! That bitch is really annoying, but I can pretend for one night. I'm not an idiot, okay? I know you need her help right now. I can control myself around people, it's just your husband who gets on my nerves. Especially after…" Her voice trailed off abruptly as a figure approached them. A woman, her voice sickeningly sweet, chimed in the conversation without any invitation. "After what? What are we talking about, guys?"
“Who… me?”Noah was almost in disbelief for a moment, this was the first time since he had been introduced to Eliana's social circle that someone had gone out of their way to include him in any gathering or activity.Otherwise, the usual reaction of Eliana’s friends was to turn up their noses on seeing him, like his existence was a major inconvenience to them.He hesitated before saying, glancing at Eliana for a cue, who herself seemed to be a little confused. Bailey’s glare, however, was like daggers aimed directly at him. Before he could say anything, Noelle spoke up;“Of course! It's you I'm talking to. This is the first time I'm meeting any of my friend's husbands, and I can't wait to know more about you."Noelle left the remaining sentence unsaid: she couldn't wait to reveal his weaknesses one by one, so that she could see Eliana sink further into the hole of embarrassment that Noelle wanted to dig for her.However, it was Eliana who spoke first, after a brief bout of nervous l
Cynthia walked in, moving effortlessly like she was gliding on air. Her presence was magnetic, and her eyes were focused solely on Noah; "Can I speak to you for a moment?" Her voice was perfectly confident, like she was talking to someone really familiar. But for his part, Noah looked at her with equal calmness as he asked;“What is it? What does Miss Flores suddenly want to discuss with a stranger?"Cynthia felt a twinge of embarrassment and ran her eyes over everyone seated there. “Come on, Noah. Don't be like this," She insisted, her tone becoming more and more urgent.Everyone else was stunned into silence, most of all Eliana, who was sitting right beside Noah and could see the face of the woman despite the ambient lighting. Wasn't this Cynthia Flores? The influencer and model? What was she doing here, and more importantly, why was she talking to her husband, asking him to step away for some time?Bailey, on the other hand, was looking curiously at the two of them, trying to
Noah was sitting in the garden, trying desperately to calm himself as he had been feeling a little uneasy because of the way things had unfolded.He had spent most of his life away from home, this is why, he knew the value of family. He had also met several people who were dark to the very core, but for some reason, he thought that Liam was different…Noah had a feeling that everything he had been doing so far, was just because something that he thought would always remain his, had been snatched from him in the middle of all the succession drama… and especially because of Noah himself.So it was a logical thing that he hated him from the core of his heart… but he had also seen his affection towards their grandpa. He was lost in his thoughts, staring off into the distance… when he noticed some disturbance near the ivy vines, lurking by the southernmost boundary of the garden.He rose from his seat and started walking towards the boundary; and Ben snapped to attention.He had been stan
“Killed him? Dad!! You are saying you killed him… wasn't his death an accident? Then how is it possible that you are the reason behind–”Liam didn't even realize that he had started to interrogate his father under the effect of his anxiety on hearing the last words spoken by him.Till now, he had been thinking that they were standing on the right side of the situation as well as the history that was yet to be written. He really believed that they were the oppressed ones who had always been discriminated against, trying to fight for their rights which had unjustly been snatched from them.But after hearing his father's nonchalant response, he wasn't able to think straight anymore. He was ready to go to any extent to get what really belonged to him, but killing someone was something he could never imagine doing… nor was he able to digest the fact that his father was a murderer.But before he could have completed his statement, Otis interrupted his rambling. “Yes! It was an accident, a
Sabreena hesitated in the doorway, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she clutched a large bouquet of white lilies. She took a deep breath before stepping into the living room, her eyes darting around nervously and scanning the faces: her brother was looking at her with confusion, while Olivia’s gaze was sharp, Eliana’s gently curious, and Noah was stoic and calm; although his calm demeanor wasn't exactly helpful in taming her anxiety.Finally, with a forced smile, she spoke up. “Oh, come on, Olivia…” She started awkwardly, the bouquet trembling slightly in her hands. “How long are you going to hold on to some… some small incident from ages ago? Why would I insult him? I… actually, I have come to thank No- I mean, Mr. Kingsley.”Eliana shot her mother an amused glance, while Noah remained silent, his face unreadable as Sabreena took a few steps forward, extending the bouquet of lilies towards him. Olivia crossed her arms and cut in sharply, “Well, I can’t exactly let it go
Liam threw down the glass vase which was placed on the side table in his room, sending it crashing to the floor, as soon as he noticed his parents trying to enter his room once again.It had been four days since his return- or to be honest, the rather rude way in which he had been thrown out, not just from the party but from the city itself. The security had unceremoniously dumped them on the first flight back to Edinburgh, without caring which class tickets were available. And apart from declaring in front of his parents that he had failed miserably, he hadn't given any specific details to his parents. Instead, he had locked himself in his room, boycotting everything: from eating properly to speaking to his parents.In fact, since last night, he had not even touched the food, even for once… and this was making both Otis and Viola more and more tense with every passing second.Even though they were aware that the deal had slipped out of Liam's hands, they were still trying to keep th
“What? Richard Jensen was there too?!” Eliana’s voice burst out in surprise from Noah's phone speaker, her lovely face filling the screen of their video call as she heard the entire story from his mouth. She leaned closer, her eyes wide with disbelief, while Noah glanced into the screen as he replied while preparing to go to bed. “Oh yeah! And he had plenty to say against me at first, calling me a scammer and whatnot. But as soon as Grandpa Omar and Norm showed up, he went quiet and practically disappeared into the crowd, fearing for his own safety.”Eliana burst into laughter, covering her mouth. “After what happened last time, I can’t believe he had the nerve to show up and then also splash mud on you! I mean, did he get the guts?”Noah chuckled. “Apparently, he bribed the event organizers for an invitation. And I guess he was really feeling frustrated after our last meeting, and thinking that he had nothing more to lose now, just vented out all his anger. His little scam was
“I understand, Grandpa Omar, that you’re not much of a drinker.”Noah continued with a steady voice, meeting some raised eyebrows from the people gathered around there. He continued, knowing that his words were surely having some effect, since Norm and Omar were looking at him with curiosity now, instead of suspicion. “I am also aware that you, Grandfather Norm and my grandfather have planned to visit Edencrest Estate together after the signing of the deal, and finally share the bottle of wine purchased so long ago. That is why I have ensured that the other bottle has safely been delivered at your residence, as the homage to that promise.”He glanced at the broken necklace on the floor, and everyone else's eyes followed; to the place where Sienna had thrown it after snapping the string and causing the pearls to scatter in all directions. “And I apologize for the condition of the necklace. It was a vintage heirloom, and though it was meant to be my gift to Eleanor, I shall make sure
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Noah blinked before responding. “Of course,” he said smoothly. “I am happy to answer any questions you might have to help you see that I’m speaking the truth.”Blaine folded his arms, looking Noah up and down, an expression of irritation on his face. Clearly, he thought it was nothing more than a waste of his time to entertain him, but he had no other choice. “Fine! Then show me what you have brought as a gift for my niece. If you are truly the heir of the Kingsleys, you would know better than to show up empty handed, wouldn’t you?”Noah inclined his head, unbothered by Blaine’s mocking tone. “Certainly, uncle. I’ll show you the gifts I have brought.” Turning slightly, he motioned to one of his guards, who stepped forward, handing him a wine bottle wrapped in elegant packaging. Noah held it, his fingers lightly wrapping around the bottle— the vintage wine he had personally unearthed that morning.He extended the bottle toward Blaine. “This
Sienna’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as she looked at the scene in front of her. Just this morning, this idiot Noah had been roaming around the city, trying to get access into a high- end bank.And now, he was supposedly surrounded by an army of guards? Something was really fishy…Just then, her eyes landed on the man at the front of the group, and recognition flashed in her eyes. She clenched her fists, it was him! The same gullible bodyguard from the bank earlier that morning; the one whom she had already fed lots of half- truths and mostly lies about Noah, painting him as a dangerous criminal.She had tried to make sure that he wouldn't slip away by any means, but he had. And now she knows how! Feeling a pang of betrayal and anger, she couldn't hold herself back from commenting;“Oh! I see, he has managed to fool you all too! And now you’re siding with him?” Her laugh was bitter, remembering the way this guard had promised her that he would call the police on Noah and that the
At the time when Noah had entered the venue, hardly anyone had noticed him in the middle of VIP guests, each more prestigious than the last.As long as he had an invite and the security had allowed him in, only a fool would waste their time questioning a nobody instead of making the most of this opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most important people in the world. However, as Liam and Sienna started to mock and humiliate Noah out loud in the open, a crowd slowly started to form around them.The guests started to point him out specifically, murmuring about the possibility of him being a con man and still dodging the security arrangements at this venue.Meanwhile, Noah was standing at his place, completely unfazed by their speculations and instead maintained his calm with a smile that didn't even budge for a single moment.“And do you mind telling me, when will she become your wife? Because as far as I know, my sister in law was already married to someone else. So I'm assum