2023-11-17 19:19:36Justin turned around to face Isabella, who quickly turned her gaze away from him in a different direction as she nervously played with a glass of juice in her hand.
"Diana," Justin said, "please step forward."“Alright,” Diana muttered and quickly stood up from her seat.She moved to where Justin was standing in the center of the living room.Unexpectedly, Justin enquired, "Would you kindly extend your hand to me?""Okay," she said, nodding, and held out her hand for Justin to grasp.With a smile on his face, Justin took her hand tenderly, akin to a groom preparing to place a wedding ring on his fiancée."Are you in a relationship?" he whispered as he leaned in closer."Um... no, what made you ask?" Diana answered in a low enough volume that only Justin, who was nearby, could hear her."It does not matter," Justin remarked, easing his distance from Diana. He said to everyone,“ I have no clue who this lady standing beside me is. But based on what I have seen so far, I am positive that she is a lovely woman. I want to formally declare to you that she has won my heart and that I am prepared to settle down and make her my wife because of this," he declared.Everyone started clapping as soon as he said that.What Ariana heard made her happy, and she could not hide it. She leaped to her feet and gave Diana a quick embrace as she struggled to process what Justin had just said.Diana, on the other hand, thought there was nothing more to say because she had been secretly crushing on Justin since came into the mansion.Though she did not express it, it seemed as though Justin knew she had a thing for him already.To be on the safest side, Diana found herself inquiring.“ But sir, I thought you already had a girlfriend. Don't you?”"Hmm... well, I used to have a girlfriend, but not now," he replied."What exactly do you mean, sir?" Diana was lost. "Did you end your relationship with her?"“Not at all. She did. She broke up with me because I was considered a worthless, poor orphan. I caught her cheating on me, but when I complained, she broke up with me to settle with my boss.” he sadly explained.“But that's not fair. Why should your boss take away your girlfriend just because you are poor?" Diana complained as if she did not want to date Justin, but she was only trying to sympathize with him."Well, one of the ladies here said we should not blame a lady who dumped her poor boyfriend for a rich guy. So I would rather not blame her for ending our relationship. I believe she is enjoying herself in a comfortable zone wherever she is now.""Wait, do you mean the story you told earlier is a metaphor for what happened between you and your girlfriend?" Diana inquired, a sad expression on her face."Obviously," Justin said, nodding.“Well, I believe that she will regret it soon after finding out that you're no longer the poor young orphan she knew before. Another person's food is another person's poison. Because you were a poor orphan, she saw you as a poison to her. You would not have said you loved me if she had not dumped you." Diana exclaimed joyfully.Justin nodded without saying anything.Isabella, on the other hand, was enraged as she watched Justin confess his love for Diana.Justin confessed his love for Diana not only because she was a nice lady or because she once saved him from being bullied, but also to hurt Isabella because the two ladies were friends.Liam's face turned pale as he grinned at her, realizing how sad Isabella had become, but she was not aware that Liam was staring at her.Liam was taken aback when he realized the two of them were upset about the situation."We are just getting started, Isabella," Justin muttered, chuckling.He then turned to his father and asked, "Dad, who is the overall secretary of the Transcorp Group of Conglomerates?"As soon as Justin closed his mouth, a lady in a black suit stood up and said, "Here I am, sir.""All right," he said, "come over here.""What is your name?" he asked the lady who approached him and stood in front of him."Sir, my name is Charlotte John," she replied, slightly bowing."Great," he muttered before turning around and summoning Liam.Liam stood up and approached him, his gaze fixed on the ground, attempting to avoid eye contact with Justin."Charlotte, do you know who this man is?" Justin asked calmly.Charlotte raised her head, looked at Liam, and nodded."Yes, sir. I am familiar with him.""Okay, who is he to you?" Justin inquired."Hmmm... he is one of the businessmen who collaborated with us to provide goods and services. They supply us with raw materials for manufacturing. He is the CEO of Grayson's hotel and two other businesses in this city, sir," Charlotte explained."Do you have the list of businesses that we partnered with here?"“Yes, sir.”"Then please get the list to me," asked Justin.Swiftly, Charlotte made her way to her seat to retrieve the files containing the names of all the businesses that collaborated with them."This is it, sir," Charlotte said, holding out the office files for Justin to take."Go ahead and navigate to the page that lists every company name that has partnered with us. I am going to play a quick game with Liam Grayson," Justin told Charlotte.In light of the woman's previous response to his question, he was attempting to avoid being overly critical of Liam.Upon hearing that, Liam swallowed hard, as he could sense that he was about to get embarrassed in public. Not just in Brightday City, but globally as well, Justin was attempting to ruin his reputation.Liam felt that at that moment before he was humiliated in front of everyone, he ought to apologize to Justin for what he had done to him.However, pride didn't allow Liam to stoop so low to the point of begging someone he was older than.Liam was pretty sure he was a few years older than Justin, even though he had no idea how old Justin was. So, he considered it offensive to beg Justin when he's not his mate.Pride…!Quite the contrary; Isabella was too busy praying that Justin would not call her out for public humiliation as well; she was not prepared for that.Charlotte sighed after she had opened the file and saw the name of Liam Grayson's business."Sir, this is it," she chuckled and said.After giving a nod, Justin drew closer to Liam. He beamed at Liam, whose eyes were fixed on the floor.Raising his right hand, Justin rested it on Liam's shoulder. Liam felt it instantly, slowly raising his head to look at Justin.Justin said to him,“ Liam Grayson, let's play a game. If you win, then you will continue to partner with us, but if you fail, then I'm sorry to tell you that your name will be canceled from our list. Additionally, the Transcorp Group of Conglomerates will no longer award you contracts. I hope my message is clear to you."“But…” Liam wanted to say something, but Justin cut him off.“There is no excuse, Liam. You may only use the statement that you are unable to play the game as an excuse; otherwise, your name will be removed from the list. We both know what you did to me in the wee hours of this morning. Given what you did to me today, I am not even supposed to be this kind to you. However, I chose to treat you gently because I thought you might have a chance to win the game. So, are you ready for the game or not?” Knowing full well that Liam would lose the game, Justin asked with a menacing smile on his face.Liam was quiet for a while, worrying about whether or not to accept to play the game because he was afraid he would not do well.However, since he does not know what kind of game Justin is referring to, he feels like he could win. It could be a game he was familiar with.Who knows?He gave it some thought before nodding his head and saying, "I agree. I will play the game.” he let out.
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After smiling at him, Justin removed his hand from Liam's shoulder. Ready to begin the game, he slid both of his hands into his pockets.He sighed and then walked back to his seat and sat down, crossing his leg against the other as two bodyguards stood behind him with their hands tucked behind them.He started."Explain this riddle to me. You have the chance to keep getting contracts from my father's business if you answer the question correctly, which means you won the game. On the other hand, your company's name will be removed from the list if you fail. Are you prepared?""I am," Liam replied, nodding."Good boy," Justin remarked. He began. “ What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night? You can go ahead and answer.”Liam stood speechless, trying to figure out what the riddle was all about. It was his first time hearing a riddle like this."Are you lost?" Justin mockingly inquired.Liam remained silent as he continued to think about a thou
From Squalor To Splendor Chapter 11 Isabella Is Pregnant For Justin
Liam invited Isabella to ride along in his car after they were eventually ejected from the mansion, but she refused. Liam scowled at her before hurriedly exiting the vehicle. “What's wrong with you, Isabella?” Liam scolded her, “Do you prefer trekking down to the estate gate before getting a taxi, huh? You are undoubtedly aware that taxi drivers are not permitted to enter the estate. You are also aware of the distance to the gate from here. Why can't you just enter the car, so we can go home and iron things out?”“Don't you dare…”Liam was met with a grimace from Isabella, who gestured with her index finger as if she were about to slap him. "If you knew you were not as wealthy as you seem, you should not have approached me."“Come on, Isabella,” Liam sneered at her. I do not remember ever telling you that I do not have enough food or clothing at home. His mansion might look more magnificent than mine, but keep in mind that I'm not homeless. Besides, I also have companies that can stil
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They could not believe the doctor and were silently staring at him with raised eyebrows.Even though her daughter was not legally married, Mrs. Lorelei was not sure if she should be pleased that she was expecting a child. Or she should be upset because Isabella ended her relationship with Justin, the child's father.On the contrary, Liam was trying to process everything, convincing himself that if Isabella was truly pregnant, things would not go as planned.Of course, he was aware that the pregnancy was not for him, but for Justin because he had just had s*x with Isabella that day. So… she could not possibly become pregnant on that day.It was evidence that the pregnancy was Justin's and not his. “Are you certain about what you said?” To ensure that the doctor was not taking advantage of their intelligence, Mrs. Lorelei inquired again about what the doctor had said.“It appears that you are having difficulty believing me. Should I go get you a pregnancy test? Maybe that will give you
From Squalor To Splendor 13 New Lover, New Problems
The current president of the nation and his son arrived at Mr. Hemsworth's mansion as the day was almost over. Mr. Hemsworth invited him, but he did not show up as scheduled.But as long as the celebration continued, nothing changed.Mr. Hemsworth's family graciously welcomed the president and his son as soon as they entered the mansion.Since it involved the president and the wealthiest man in the nation, the media team was recording everything as usual. It is impossible to ignore such moments.Mr. Hemsworth led the president and his son to the mansion's lovely, well-kept garden, which was full of lovely flowers after they had exchanged pleasantries.They had the media covering everything and streaming it live online.The workers were still inside the house having a good time while soothing everyone with soothing background music.The maids had already set the four square transparent table with a variety of food before they could even settle in.One side was occupied by Justin and his
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His attention was drawn to them that he wasn't aware of when Mrs. Lorelei had picked up his call. “Justin,” Mrs. Lorelei's voice echoed from the phone, drawing Justin's attention away from Diana and Dawson.“Yes, Mom. Good day, ma'am," he said, his voice calm but cracking.“Thank you. I hope all is well with you. I thought you were coming to my house today, but I haven't seen you. What is going on?” said Mrs. Lorelei, as she wasn't ready to start the conversation about Isabella's pregnancy.“Hmm… perhaps I'm too occupied,” he lied, hoping that she would come up with a conversation about the gift he sent for Isabella.Of course, his guards told him that when they arrived at the address he gave them to deliver the message, they did not see Isabella, but her mother. They also told her the message came from him.“But are you aware that today's Isabella's birthday?” the old woman tried to pull his legs.Justin remained quiet for several minutes, attempting to ascertain Mrs. Lorelei's inte
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Justin was sweating profusely as if he were standing in the hot sun, but he wasn't. The entire situation was making him sweat because he was caught between a rock and a hard place.As soon as Mrs. Lorelei hung up the phone, he looked at his small phone, unsure what to do. It was a difficult decision to make. He either accepts Isabella back or refuses, which might lead to loss of life. Just as Justin attempted to call her back, her text message came in. Justin scanned through the message and saw the hospital address Isabella was rushed to.“Gosh,” Justin exhaled angrily, burying his face in his palms, unsure what to do.“Big bro,” a voice finally called for his attention as someone tapped his shoulder from behind, prompting him to turn around.His gaze was drawn to Ariana, who appeared perplexed as if someone had made her angry before she approached him.“What's wrong? Why are you here alone? And why the sad face?” she asked numerous questions within one breath.With a false smile, J
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Diana laughed and said, “Ohh, I never knew that you were the jealous type.”“What do you mean?” Justin was lost.“Never mind, I was just kidding, you know,” said Diana as she passionately hugged Justin, making him angrier."Do not take it too seriously. We were not discussing anything serious, Justin. He only asked for my contact and that's all.”“He asked for your contact, and you're telling me that it's nothing serious? Do I appear to you as a child whom you intend to deceive?” he said hoarsely.“Come on, babe,” Ariana exclaimed as she broke free from Justin. “What is the big deal if I give him my phone number? Just because he asked for my phone number does not mean he wants to date me. How does obtaining a lady's contact information imply that the guy wishes to date her? Wise up, and stop thinking like a kid, please.”“Is that an insult, or what? Don't tell me that you're this harsh, Diana. And who told you that collecting a lady's contact information cannot lead to a relationship?
From Squalor To Splendor chapter 17
“Sir, until his bill is paid, we cannot begin his treatment.” It was revealed to the company manager by the doctor who was supposed to treat the half-dead patient.“Sir, our company is bankrupt presently, and we don't have enough money to settle the bills. However, his colleagues have just confirmed that the young man has no money in his account." The manager attempted to explain.“Please help us, Sir. Please do not let our friend die,” the delivery boys begged the doctor.“It appears that you are all missing my point here. This isn't a business company where you can do things on debt before paying it back after you have gotten the money. How can a big company like yours lack money to settle your worker's hospital bills? Were you not the one who sent him to deliver the goods, and he was involved in an accident on his way to the address you gave him? Do not be so greedy, please.“The young man's chances of survival are better the sooner the bills
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85 The end.
“How was it possible that five of your colleagues were shot dead the previous night during the operation?” Mr. Rolland raged as he grimaced at his boys.“I have no clue how it happened that way, boss. We have never suffered this loss in any operation before. However, my instinct is telling me that this was a planned case to get us,” Walker explained as he bowed to Mr. Rolland.“What do you mean? The men you exchanged gunshots with were in uniform? I mean, do they appear like the police or any other armed forces?” Mr. Rolland inquired skeptically. “Yes, boss. They were in uniform and the way they handled their weapons was more professional to assume that they were people in the same category as us. I think Diana needs to answer a few questions. Again, I'm suspecting the new young man that was brought here yesterday.” Walker explained.“Where are they?” Mr. Rolland inquired as he scanned the room to find out if Diana and Justin were in the room.“Hmm… Diana is on her way. But I have no
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“Hey, this is not the time for you to listen to what they're saying. As of now, you can't do that until you undergo the training I'm about to put you through,” the young man who was assigned to educate Justin about everything he needs to know called for Justin's attention.Justin, who stood at a corner, nodded and then followed him.“Who, Justin, or Mr. Hemsworth you guys are talking about?” Justin asked the young man, pretending as though he had no clue who the person was.The young man proceeded and explained everything to Justin. The more questions Justin asks, the more explanations he gets. That was when he found out that his uncle who was murdered long ago was murdered by these men and every other misfortune that he had encountered was caused by them.In the end, Justin was told everything he needed to know before he started working with them, and he agreed to everything.Everything worked out smoother than he thought.It was getting dark because it was already evening. Justin l
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“Of course, you can. What's it?” Mr. Rolland inquired as everyone anticipated what he was going to say. “Pardon my manners, but I was just wondering about something,” Justin scratched his scalp nervously with one of his hands tucked behind him. “ You're already a wealthy man. So, I see no reason why you should be competing with others when you already have money. Is this what they mean? Human beings can never be satisfied with money?”Everyone couldn't help, but stare at Justin, wondering what gave him such an audacity to throw such a question to their boss. “Well, I can't blame him because he is new here and has no clue what our boss is capable of doing.” one of the boys mumbled.Mr. Rolland chuckled, received a cigarette from one of his boys, and then puffed out smoke against Justin's face.“Young man, what's your name?” Mr. Rolland inquired.“My name?” Justin asked after him as though he didn't hear him. “ My name is Alfred… Alfred Johnson.”Mr. Rolland placed the burning cigarett
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At Mr. Elias Rolland's house, he could be seen in the garden standing with his hands tightened into a fist as he glared at a lady standing before him.The lady stood in front of him, her head lowered to the ground. One could easily tell how scared the lady was because of her appearance.As Mr. Rolland was about to say a word to the lady before him, he paused after a few of his boys interrupted him.“Boss, we have got a new errand boy for you,” one of the boys spoke, and pushed Justin forward.Justin disguised himself as someone else. He wore tattered clothes, looking dirty, like someone homeless for a very long time.Although Justin was scared to look at Mr. Rolland he had been hearing about, he couldn't help but stare at the lady standing between him and Mr. Rolland in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes, but of course, he was expecting to see her there.“Enough of all these errand boys who keep failing me now and then. And why have you brought a madman into my house as an errand boy
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Upon realizing that Liam has gotten a new girlfriend for himself, anger ruled over Diana, who grinned at the couple standing before her.Liam tried to smile before responding to the lady, but he couldn't. The situation he found himself in.“Darling, you're not saying anything. Who is she?” The lady let go of him and stood beside him, anticipating what he was going to say. “ Don't tell me that you are cheating on me with another woman, Liam.” “No, honey. I'm not cheating on you,” Liam looked into her eyes and explained. “ Babe, meet my bestie, Diana.”“Wait! Wait! Is she the lady you once told me about?” Liam's girlfriend asked excitedly, pointing at Diana.“Yeah, she is. She's the only female friend I have,” he explained.The lady quickly turned around and faced Diana. She extended her hand to Diana for a handshake, but Diana stood silent with her hands folded above her chest as she glared at the lady. Diana hissed and rolled her eyes before taking her gaze away from the lady in a di
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Dawson became enraged. He tightened his hand into a fist and grimaced at Diana, who had buried her face in her palms, feeling embarrassed.Of course, she knew who got her pregnant. It was no one but her male bestie, Liam. He took advantage of her condition and slept with her, and now she's pregnant for him. Impossible!“Talk to me, Diana! Who is responsible for your pregnancy?”! Dawson yelled at her through gritted teeth.He took the case into his own hands, rather than letting Diana's parents deal with it in the best way they could.Diana trembles after Dawson's angry words rang through her ears. It was as if the ground should open and swallow her up because she wasn't ready to face the shame. “Speak, Diana!” Mr. Mike shouted at her, sending shivers down her spine.She flickered and quickly responded, letting tears flow freely down her cheeks to the hospital bed. “ Liam… Liam is responsible for the pregnancy.”Even though she was stuttering, she was able to tell who got her pregnant
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It was a month since Justin and Diana broke up and since then, she avoided meeting any man, including Dawson, who was pressuring her to get married to him.When Dawson found out from Liam that Diana and Justin were no longer in a relationship, he was overwhelmed with joy. He counted it as the right time to get Diana to become his wife, or else he might not get her again. He knew so well that he would be at a loss if another man won Diana's heart. So, he was eager to make her his wife before that happened. However, he told Diana's parents that they shouldn't refund the money he gave to Diana's mom. He was convinced that doing so would make Diana love, yet things didn't work out as he wanted.Although he was too occupied with political issues, he still creates time to visit Diana, so she won't think as if he doesn't care about her. Even at that, he wasn't getting her attention that much.Now, it was another beautiful day and Diana woke wi
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Justin and Isabella arrived at the address that was sent to him by the taxi driver. They were welcomed by the man's family.“You both are welcome to my house,” the man exchanged pleasantries with them as he ushered them into the house.“Thank you for accepting us into your house, sir.” Justin responded as they exchanged handshakes.“ permit me to ask you something, sir.”“Okay, proceed and ask your question, but before you do that, you both should please have your seats,” he responded as he let go of Justin's hand and sat on a different couch, facing them.Isabella assisted Justin to sit down, which triggered the man sitting before wanting to ask what happened. However, before he could open his mouth to speak, Justin had already started speaking.“What’s your name, sir?” Justin inquired, looking at the man and anticipating his response.The man was silent for a minute, as though he would rather not respond to the question. At last, he sighed and responded,“ Well, my name is Emmett Bens
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Isabella and Justin arrived home after taking a taxi from the hospital. “Be careful,” said Isabella as she assisted Justin in climbing out of the car. After he was out of the car, she paid the taxi driver. She lifted Justin's right hand, placed it on her neck, and rounded his waist with her left hand to assist him walk into the house.“Take a rest, so I can quickly prepare you something for you to eat,” Isabella announced as she assisted Justin to sit on the cushion.“Thanks for your care, Isabella.” Justin appreciated it as he rested his back against the cushion.“ You are indeed a changed lady.”“Of course, I am. I was so carried away by luxury that I forgot what you have been through for me. But now, I have realized my mistake and I promise never to leave you, no matter what happens. I love you, Justin,” she confessed her love for him.Instead of Justin confessing back, he played mute as he gazed at her, pondering a few things.“Hello, do you hear what I said?” Isabella waved her h
