2024-08-16 23:46:05
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From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 10. The Bank
Elaine still couldn't get Van out of her head. It was still a shock that someone who looked so poor could possess such amazing skills. But something was still unclear to her. If he was such a talented man, why was he dressed like that?"Father, why do you think he was dressed like that?" She asked, looking confused. "If he's really a doctor, he should be rich right?""Well that's the thing, he might not be a doctor. Have you seen a doctor without a medical license? My guess is that he must be a scholar.""A…scholar?""Yes. Maybe he's undergoing some kind of training. You know how complicated the minds of philosophers are. No one can fully understand them, all we can do is make our guess.""But what form of training would require him to be in such an outfit?" Elaine didn't understand. "You know the Oakland neighborhood is a small one, people like us hardly ever go there. But philosophers like him might want to go undercover. They tend to bend their nature to fit whatever aspect their
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 11. A Golden Card?!
"Emigrand?" Van knew his eyes widened when she said that, but he easily covered it up with a nonchalant smirk. "Never heard of it.""What! How dare you?!"The two guards advanced towards Van, a menacing look in their eyes. The people around started to back away, even the manager stepped backwards, not wanting to get tangled in the issue. "You've got some nerve asshole, laying your filthy hand on our boss's wife. Well I'm going to make you regret it" He lunged at Van, fist first, hoping to land a blow to his face but Van easily dodged his attack. He countered it with a low kick to the knees and the guard dropped to the ground. The second guard launched a high kick aimed at Van's chest but he ducked low and punched him at the side, breaking a rib as his fist came in contact with his body. The guard cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching on to his side. "Why you!" The first guard-already back on his feet- lunged himself at Van, grabbing hold of his waist in an attempt
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 12. Van Everest
“Only ten in existence? Even those with a net worth of billions might not have the privilege of owning them?!” After hearing the director, the rich woman who was still seated on the cold floor was swallowed up by fear. She felt like something had snapped in her brain and she couldn't understand what was going on anymore. But even at that, she couldn't just accept the fact that a dirty looking kid like Van that was putting on rags would have that kind of money. She pulled herself together and got up to her feet. She turned to face the director, and in her most dignified voice she could find, she said, "Surely you don't believe that this hobo here can actually posses such an enormous about of money. For all we know, the card might be a fake. Or it might just have a similar appearance?What I know is that someone like this shouldn't own something so valuable."Van frowned at the woman's statement. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm not supposed to own something like this?
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 13. Mother Of Two?!
After Van left the bank, he looked at the card in his hand and smiled. When the mad grandpa told him that he was leaving a small sum for him to use, something in his heart told him to expect a large anount, but he wasn't prepared emotionally or mentally for the amount of zeroes he saw. The amount in the account would no doubt be up to trillions. Van knew the mad grandpa was quite wealthy, after all the man was a famous scholar, he just never expected him to have such an amount of money. "Man, you sure are an interesting man." He said, smiling at the clouds. Van thought about what he wanted to do next, then remembering his lunch date with the rich man he saved earlier, he decided that his next stop was the salon. He didn't want to make a bad impression, especially since they were to meet at a luxurious hotel. Having a man like Eric on his side would have its own advantages, and he wouldn't want to mess it up. After a brief contemplation, he decided not to get rid of his long hair c
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 14. Ivy Wilson
After minutes of careful deliberation, Van decided that he was going to meet the woman. He approached the front door and gave it a little knock. “Yes? Who is it?” Van heard her sigh as she walked to the door. Was she doing something important?She pulled the door open and the moment she laid her eyes on Van, there was a slight shift in her composure. “Hi, I don't mean to bother you but, could you tell me who you are?” Van asked in a sober tone, still trying to rack his brain for answers. “I think I should be the one asking that question, don't you? After all, you are standing in front of my apartment." She replied with a warm smile and she rested her hand on her hip. Van couldn't find the words to describe the little woman standing in front of him. Everything about her was utterly flawless. Even her smile was like nothing he had ever seen before. "Right, my bad. My nane is Van Everest. For the past few years you have been helping my mother with your monthly package. You said you w
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 15. Old Classmates
Van had been repeating the name Ivy Wilson, still trying to remember who she was, and what happened between them that made her so hurt, but even after thirty minutes, he still had nothing. "Ugh damnit! Why can't I remember you Ivy Wilson?" He kept walking around in circles, feeling more confused than he had felt in a long time. "Why can't I remember?" He paused his movements and closed his eyes, maybe if he concentrated, something might pop up. He remembered the way she called him a jerk, and she said he ruined her life. That really didn't sound like something he would do. "What the hell is going on?" He muttered to himself. "I wasn't really a jerk to her…or was I? Surely she must have made a mistake of sort." There's no way that he would have hurt any woman, at least not intentionally. His chain of thoughts was scrambled by the sound of a car horn. Looking up, Van came face to face with a new model Rolls Royce. The door to the owners corner opened and a slender woman in an extra
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 16. Lunch Appointment
Van watched in utter disappointment as his old classmates rambled on about their material possessions, not that either of them were as rich as he was presently though. "An idea just came to me Tony." Olivia said, cutting off Tony's words. "Not that I personally care about whatever happens to him but, Van was once our classmate, and now that we have met again after his prison sentence, he clearly has nothing to his name. So I was thinking, why not find him a small position at your company? It could be a messanger or a security, I don't think he's in the position to complain about whatever you decide on."Tony stroked his chin, looking away for a while before he replied. "Hmm…you're right but I'm afraid I can't do that. Olly, did you forget that he's an ex convict? If I hired such a man at my company, don't you think the other staff are going to feel intimidated by him?Besides, it doesn't matter what position I give to him, having an ex convict at my company will definitely stain the
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 17. A Sour Encounter
"If that is a joke, it's a very expensive one." Olivia said, arching her brows at Van. "If you're going to tell a lie, then at least try to find one that's easy to believe. Do you even have any idea who Eric Mochi is?""She's right Van." Tony said. "Allow me to explain, we all know about some people that are billionaires, wealthy people who are respected by the society, but the Mochis are different. Eric Mochi is a fifth generation billionaire, it's like their family has been rich since the dawn of time. From what I heard, they started with a small factory and that business has been growing since the 1900s up till today. It had been passed down the generation for years and now Eric Mochi is the one in charge. Apparently he's one of the very few business owners to have friendly relationship with the president, and other ministers.Getting an appointment at his company is almost impossible, much less getting him to see you personally.""Oh?" Van could tell quite easily that Eric was a
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180. The Chase
The headlights behind them hadn’t wavered for miles. Ivy tightened her grip on the steering wheel, trying to keep her breathing steady as she turned onto a quieter side street. The car behind them turned too. Her heart skipped. Once could be coincidence. Twice… She stole a glance at the rearview mirror. The vehicle maintained a steady distance, close enough to keep them in sight, far enough not to alarm casual onlookers.“Elias, I think we’re being followed,” she said quietly. Elias immediately snapped his head toward her. “What?”“I think they’ve been on us since the main highway. I tried to shake them a few turns back, but they’re still there.” she explained. His face drained of color. He ran a hand through his hair, fingers trembling. “It’s them. It has to be. Ivy, if they catch us—”“They won’t,” she said firmly, although her voice cracked on the last word. She pulled the car over and let a black SUV speed past—only to have it slow down a block ahead and pull over too. Confirmed
179. Missing
Moses sat in his office, the steady ticking of the antique clock on the wall matching the rhythm of his thoughts. He stared at the documents sprawled across his desk, none of which made any sense anymore. The Hartley meeting had been a disaster—he didn't expect things to escalate that much. But he wasn't even botherd that much by it, what he was more concerned about was the fact that since that day, Bianca had disappeared from his life like a ghost retreating into the shadows.He hadn’t seen her. He hadn’t heard from her. Not a call. Not a text. Not even one of those curt voice notes she used to send when she was annoyed with him but still too fond to stay silent. The silence was deafening, and more than anything, it was suspicious.Bianca’s parents, especially her mother, were not ones to sit back and allow things to fall apart without putting up a fight. If her mother hadn't already tried to "talk sense into her,"as she would put it,then the world had surely turned upside down."Wha
178. Elias
Flashback Two years earlier.The rain had been relentless that night—cold, insistent, and loud enough to mask the sound of approaching footsteps.Elias Grant stood alone in his office at JK Enterprises, the screen of his laptop casting a soft glow across his face. Financial reports, transaction logs, security footage timestamps—all of it laid bare in front of him. He had finally seen enough.He had been CFO for six years. Long enough to earn the family's trust, long enough to know which stones not to turn. But curiosity was a dangerous thing.Especially in a family like the Wilsons.The numbers hadn’t added up for months. Offshore payments disguised as consulting fees. A Cayman shell company with a fake board. Richard Wilson’s name never appeared directly—but his fingerprints were all over the transactions.Elias had started to put together a private dossier. He never told Ivy. Not yet. She was too close, too vulnerable. And he didn’t trust the board—or anyone else.That night, he co
177. War
The boardroom at Greyson & Co. was sleek, minimalistic, and designed to intimidate. Floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the space in cold, natural light. Ivy sat at one end of the long, black marble table, dressed in soft gray—neutral, calm, disarming. Van sat beside her, hands clasped, playing the role of her financial advisor. Across from them were three representatives from the prospective buyer, Sondrix Ventures. They were everything she expected—sharp suits, sharper smiles. Eager. Confident. Completely unaware they were walking into a house of cards. “We’re excited about the potential here,” said Miranda Kane, Sondrix’s lead negotiator. “JK Enterprises has history, brand equity, and assets in motion. We think we can scale it within six months.” Ivy gave a polite smile. “I’m sure you can. I just don’t have the heart for it anymore.” Van stepped in smoothly. “Ms. Wilson is transitioning into private ventures. She’s agreed to stay on for a brief handover—thirty days, limited invo
176. New Plan
Ivy sat at the head of the table, her fingers interlocked as she stared down at the folder Elias had placed in front of her. The room was quiet, thick with tension, like the moment before a storm breaks. Van leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Ivy’s aunt sat beside her, eyes locked on Elias. No one quite trusted him yet—not fully—but the truth he carried was too valuable to ignore. “This,” Elias said, tapping the folder, “is everything I’ve collected in the last two years. Bank statements, shell company registrations, falsified contracts. All of it leads back to Richard Wilson and, unfortunately, to other family members—some dead, some still very much alive.” Ivy hesitated before opening it. The last time she’d opened a file like this, it had nearly gotten her killed. “This isn't just about your company, madam Ivy,” Elias continued. “Richard’s reach was broader than you think. He used Wilson Enterprises as a laundering hub—for dirty money, offshore investments, even human
175. Unexpected Face
Ivy explained to her aunt that she had discovered an embezzlement scheme within her company—one that led directly back to their own family. Her voice trembled as she spoke of the financial records she’d uncovered, the falsified invoices, the offshore accounts... and how, to her disbelief, her own grandmother and uncle were tangled in the corruption. What began as a quiet suspicion had grown into a storm of secrets. Ivy recounted the long nights, the whispers, the close calls. She told her aunt how she had nearly died—more than once—while chasing the truth. Someone hadn’t wanted her to find it. Her aunt listened in silence, her face pale but unreadable. When Ivy finally stopped speaking, there was a long pause. “The Wilson family,” her aunt said slowly, “has always had its darkness. But I never thought it ran this deep.” Ivy sat back, exhausted. Her hands trembled as she held her glass of water, trying to steady her nerves. Her aunt continued, her voice low and brittle with memory.
174. An Aunt??
Two days had passed since Ivy’s conversation with Van, and in that time, she had made a decision. The weight of it pressed down on her chest, but it felt necessary. She had to rid herself of the past, of the memory, of the complication. Van had told her to trust him, that things would get better, that she had a chance to start anew. At first, the idea had terrified her, but now it seemed like the only path forward. She was ready. Ready to take control of her life. When she walked into Van's office that morning, her expression was determined. He had been going over some papers, his focus entirely on the documents in front of him. He had not been expecting her. "I’m ready," she said simply, her voice steady. There was no hesitation in her words. “Ivy hey,” he raised his head from his work and smiled at her. He didn't have to ask before he understood what she meant by her statement. “You sure?” “Fairly.” He chuckled slightly at her response. He knew it wasn't easy to let go of some
173. A Hard Decision
Ivy paced back and forth in her dimly lit bedroom, her mind racing as the weight of the past few weeks pressed down on her. The soft hum of the city outside her window did little to soothe her nerves. It was late—too late—but sleep had become a stranger to her. Her mind kept returning to the same thoughts: the endless trail of deceit, the shocking revelations about the company she had worked so hard to build, and the people who had manipulated her life from the shadows.She had thought the detective's advice to stay home was logical at first, but now, in the silence of her room, it felt suffocating. How could she sit here, in the safety of her home, when everything around her seemed to be falling apart? There was a gnawing sense of guilt deep inside her, as if by hiding, she was putting her family in more danger. She should be doing something —anything— beyond waiting. But what? The police had their hands tied, and the deeper she dug, the more dangerous the situation became. The web
172. The Comment
The family meeting ended terribly, with Moses's father kicking them out like they were beggars. “I want nothing to do with the Hartley family ever again!” He had declared in a loud voice. Bianca's parents complained and criticized her all the way home but she was less concerned. It was for the best. That was what kept ringing in her head. It was good the way things ended, after all she had never loved Moses, and since he said he was done with their relationship, she might as well find someone else who would be willing to spoil her the way she wanted. Then there was also Van. Bianca refused to believe that his feelings for her had vanished completely. That was impossible. What they had was different from a regular relationship, even though they hadn't tied the knot, they were already acting like a married couple. Van was always telling her how much he loved her and that he would do anything for her…and to some extent, he actually did. If only she had just left things the way they
