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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
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 74. Mrs Everest
Ivy smiled lovingly at the dress she was about to wear. The beautiful silk seemed to glow as the light from the dressing room hit the dress. It was well fitted all the way own to her hips, then a soft A line flair went all the way down to her feet. It was a simple but elegant design. She decided that her make up was going to be fairly nude with a little extra efforts on her eyes and lips. She looked down at her wrist and her smile grew even deeper. Van said since they were getting married that day he didn't want to propose with a ring, so instead he gave her a bracelet. A thin silver bracelet with both of their initials on it. She held the bracelet close to her chest amd inhaled deeply before she started to dress. ★★★The hall was more beautiful than Van had been expecting. Balloons of different colors were hung all over the place for a cute and festive touch and decorative lights were put up to give the room a beautiful mixture of colors. On one side, a huge screen was fixed on
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 75. The Wedding
Around five minutes past eleven, the guests had all arrived as well as the reporters. Everyone had taken their places and were all awaiting the start of the ceremony.Van had taken his place at the aisle with his best man standing tall and proud next to him. His mother was seated in the front row with a soft smile as she watched him. She was putting on a peach color dress befitting for the groom's mother and Van was surprised when he noticed that Grace was putting on the same dress. He didn't think she was going to attend but she walled in few minutes ago and went to sit next to his mother. Even though they hadn't fully settled their dispute, Van was glad she decided to show up. The room was completely quiet except for the occasional murmurs among the guests. Minutes passed and the priest walked in and announced the start of the program. "Please let us all stand for the bride." He said, his voice coming off as frail and gentle, probably due to his old age. The guests did as they
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 76. The Wedding II
When the priest came out and asked everyone to stand, Ivy's heart rate doubled. It was her turn! All eyes would soon be on her. Chloe was supposed to be the only flower girl but Van said he didn't want Billy to feel left out so they decided to have a flower boy as well. "Okay kids, it's your turn." Macy had already taught them that when they heard the music start it was their cue to go inside and start to line Ivy's path with the petals in their little basket. "Bride's father, you're up.""With pleasure." Fred walked up to Ivy and held out his arm to her. When Macy asked Fred to take the role of the bride's farher, he had been so touched that he accepted the role with teary eyes. Ivy took a deep breath and took his arm, allowing herself to be led into the hall. He escorted her down the aisle, which suddenly seemed longer than before. He became her strength and she felt like she could pass out if he left her side. The guests all looked at her, some eyed her from head to toe, like
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 77. Reactions
Blanche frowned at her cellphone, that would make it the fourth time she would be calling and still got no answer. She had been trying to get hold of the Fisherman but he was refusing to take her calls. "What could be so important that he has to ignore the calls of his boss?!" She tossed the phone aside. "Ugh, maybe watching TV will get it off my mind." She took the remote and switched on the large flat screen. The first few stations didn't have anything interesting to offer and it only annoyed Blanche more. "Ugh, this thing is useless!!" She tossed the remote and as the device came in contact with the ground, it pressed one of the buttons, changing the channel one more time. This time, it was an entertainment news channel. "As you can see, the wedding of Van Everest is currently ongoing. The couple apparently decided to have a small but elegant ceremony with only friends and families on the guest list.."Blanche's eyes widened when she saw the face of the groom. "Wait a minute, tha
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 78. Rumors
After the ceremony was over, they had a small after party to further add to the celebration. Van wanted to scrape the whole thing and just head back home already but his mother said it would be an opportunity for he and Ivy to meet some important people and make meaningful connections. "Congratulations Van," an older man said with a broad smile. "My, you really are a spitting image of your late father. It's such a shame he couldn't be here today. I'm sure he would have been overjoyed.""Thank you, and thank you for coming." "Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. When Sheryl told me her long lost son was getting married, I just had to see it for myself. You know, I still find it hard to believe that you disappeared within this city for so many years without anyone ever finding you until now.How did it happen?""I don't know." Van replied plainly. "Well, I think it's about time I excuse myself. There are other guests I need to meet." He bowed politely and walked away from the man. Immedi
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181. A Mafia Lord?
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a dimly lit corridor lined with glass-walled offices. Van’s was at the end, a deep black door keeping the contents behind it a mystery. Elias was the one who knocked on the door and when Ivy saw the person who opened it, her face contorted into a frown. The lady standing before her was dressed in a black fitted mini dress that outlined the curves and edges of her body well. In Ivy's opinion, the dress was much too short and too revealing to wear to work, so she concluded that she wasn't a staff. “Are you coming in?” She asked and Ivy realized she had been staring. Smiling politely, she walked into the large office with Elias following right behind her. It didn't take long before she spotted Van, he stood by window with his back turned to them. Even without seeing his face, it wasn't hard to tell that Van was a very attractive man. He was on the phone, and judging by the way he was waving his arm around, Ivy suspected that h
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
