2024-11-21 17:28:28
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From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 66. Perfect Family
Cassie's heart sank in her chest the moment she heard that. "W-wife?" What was he talking about? "But…but didn't you already end things with Bian–" she immediately cautioned herself. "I mean, I didn't know you were married."Van stared at her for a while, definetly there was something she was hiding from him. "I am." He answered briefly. "You're welcome to stay at the hotel for as long as you want, and while you do, the hotel services are entirely complimentary. Well, I must be on my way home now. See you tomorrow." He started to leave when she suddenly grabbed his wrist. "Is something wrong?'"I…I…" she wasn't sure what she wanted to say. Was she really going to lose her chance again? And without even getting the opportunity to try this time too? "Cassie, what is it?" No! There was no way she was willing to admit defeat so easily. Not within trying. "I just wanted to say thank you…for today. I never thought I'd end up being the manager here.""You're welcome. Have a good night's
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 67. The Deed
"Um Van–uh I mean, Mr Everest. Mr Harper is here to see you." Shaun announced. Not that Van was his boss, he didn't think he had the privilege to address him by his first name any more. "Very well. Where is he?""At the VIP lounge sir.""Alright. I'll join you in a minute." After Shaun had left, Van waited exactly one minute before he left the office. He didn't have anything he needed to do, he just wanted to take his time. "Mr Harper." He said as he got to the lounge. The man looked up and was surprised to find a casually dressed guy standing in front of him. "Van…Everest?" He asked with uncertainty. He was expecting the younger man to laugh and say he wasn't the one but instead he nodded and took the seat across him. "I assume you're here to hand over the deed? Or is there some other contract I need to sign?"Bruce Harper could barely contain his shock. He had never for once thought that the Van Everest that bought the entire Golden Touch Series was a young man in his twenties. "
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 68. Shocking News
Even though they were fairly comfortable around each other, Van and Ivy didn't share a room. She had mentioned it before that she was okay with it but he still felt the need to let her have her own personal space. "Hey," "Hey."The days to their wedding was drawing closer and he felt that she might be under a lot of pressure about the whole thing. Even earlier during dinner, she had been oddly quiet. "You okay?" He asked, moving to join her on the balcony. "Yeah. I was just thinking, our wedding is in two days. I guess I just can't believe this is actually happening.""Oh…well I –""Don't get me wrong Van, I'm not regretting my decision to marry you. I guess I'm just…nervous. Like really nervous."When she said that Van felt the weight in his heart lighten by a lot. He had been worried that he was the one forcing Ivy into a marriage she didn't want and she was only keeping quiet because she wanted to please him. Hearing that she wanted it to happen as well made him feel a whole lo
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 69. Desperate Soul
Elaine stared at the pictures she posted, there was no way that Van would remain quiet after seeing something like that. She giggled to herself. "Let's see if you want to see me now or not." She had a wicked glint in her eyes as she sipped on red wine. Not more than five minutes later, her phone rang and she immediately jumped to answer it. "So, you finally decided to–" she paused and checked the ID of the caller. "Ugh what is it?" Disappointment washed over her as she saw that it was her secretary. "You know what, whatever it is, it can wait." She hung up and sat the phone right next to her. "Elaine, what is the meaning of those pictures that you posted online?!" Her father demanded angrily. "Don't you think you're going too far with this stuff of yours?! It was amusing to watch at first but this is just desperation on a whole new level. I can not believe that my daughter would stoop so low to do something so indecent. Where did you even get such pictures?""That is none of your c
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 70. The Plan
Two Hours Ago. Van's jaw dropped in horror and shock when he saw the pictures that Elaine posted. "W-wha- how– when–" he couldn't construct a simple sentence. "What is it?" Ivy dropped what she was doing and walked over to them. Taking a peak at Van's phone, she was equally surprised at what she saw. Pictures of Van, seemingly naked in bed with Elaine were all over her Instagram page with the caption; Future hubby and I after a spectacular date."I can't believe this." Ivy said quietly. "You know –""I can't believe she would go as far as editing pictures of you two together. This Elaine is much more of a psycho than I thought.""Editing…?" Van asked slowly. "Yeah. I mean, that's not you. Right?""Yeah of course." Van was surprised that Ivy didn't doubt him at all. Other ladies would have questioned him and might not even believe him no matter what his truth was. But Ivy was different, even before it sunk in his head that the pictures were edited, she already said it out, putting
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 71. Andrew
'Hi, this is Van, your long lost brother. I would like for you to be my best man. My wedding is tomorrow by the way.'Andrew laid his head back against the couch, a side smile on his smooth face. That was some way to introduce himself after all those years. He scoffed at the invitation but of course he was going to attend, after all his mother had invited him as well. He glanced at the time on his golden wristwatch. 08:30pm, it read. If he wanted to make in on time, he would have to leave home early. He thought about how awkward it would be to see Van after all those years, especially due to the way they parted back at the orphanage. He was sure his estranged baby brother would still harbor some resentful feelings towards him. In fact, the whole 'best man's thing might just be an excuse to get him there to receive an earful from his mother and siblings. Still, he made the decision to go. Strolling upstairs to his bedroom, he marched straight to his walk in closet to select his choi
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 72. Brothers
Even though he barely knew him, Van could immediately tell that the man standing in front of him was his brother. He was never one to look at himself that much but he could tell what he looked like, and the man he was staring at had similar features to him. Just more sinister looking. He dropped the little traveling bag he held, a half smile on his face. "Whoa, is this your bride baby bro?" He eyed Ivy from head to toe, admiring her appearance. "Damn she's hot." He walked over to their mother and sat next to her. "Why do you all look so gloom? Didn't you invite me because you wanted me here?"All eyes turned to Van and he realized they were waiting to see his reaction. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. His brother who fired a gun at him when they were kids was sitting right in front of him. Up until recently, he didn't even remember that he had a brother. "You came." Was the only thing that he could voice out. "Well you did ask me to be your best man. It would be cruel t
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 73. The Proposal
Van could barely get a wink of sleep all through the night. The day had finally arrived. His wedding. He couldn't keep his nerves calm and he kept on worrying about the many ways things could go wrong. He had gotten out of bed as early as five AM and started to wander around the house with nothing to do. Almost thirty minutes later, his bride to be walked down the stairs, her face as pale as a recently drowned person. "Ivy, are you okay? Do you feel sick? Is there something I can do?" He kept on asking various questions without giving her the chance to answer any of them. "Do you feel like you need to visit a hospital? Or maybe it's something you ate–""I'm fine." She said finally, ending his long list of worry filled questions. "Just really nervous. I could barely sleep.""I feel the same way." He admitted. "Really? You don't look like it.""Yeah? Maybe the pacing around for thirty minutes actually helped." She laughed at his comment and he smiled at her. "I'm sure everything is
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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
