THE DRIVE BACK to the tower was a quiet one. As his BMW sped on the highway, Jon was deep in thought. His head was already planning the building infrastructure and mode of operation for the factory. Now, what he needed were boats. Big large boats. They parked in the reserved garage space and took the elevator up, while Luke parked perfectly. As soon as Jon, Rick and Oliver stepped out on their floor, the receptionist on their floor hurried forward and said, "Sir, there is a man waiting in your office." Jon raised an eyebrow. "Hmm." The news was spreading fast about him being the new head. "Rick?" He turned, "Text Jeff. He should be with my father. Ask him what they're up to." "I'll do that," Rick said. "This man…" Jon turned back to the receptionist, "What is his name?" "He did not leave any, sir." She said, "He said you were acquainted with each other, sir." Jon scoffed, "Find an office on this suite for Mr Sinclair and Mr Miller." He said to the receptionist, referring to
MAXIM ENTERED THE car that was waiting for him at the airport as soon as he landed in New Jersey. While he might seem like a lone ranger, no serious family. But in truth, Maxim Ivanov had a very wide stretch of influence, mostly because of his Russian ties. The Russians see mother to child relationship as stronger than anything, that is one reason they call the country, motherland, and so each of them from Maxim's mother's side would protect him with their lives. They would do anything to make him get an upper hand in the foreign land. He entered the car and pulled out of the airport parking lot, carefully nosing his way into the I-95 highway, "Call Antonio." He said to nobody. "Calling Antonio…" A robotic voice answered and a dialing tone filled the air. There was no answer till the dial tone ended. "Call Antonio again." He said. "Calling Antonio again…" A dialling tone filled the air again. "Hey hey, Maxim…" A cheery voice picked up the phone and said from the other side. "H
"NEW YORK?" JEFF asked, "But why?" Jeff shrugged and said, "They don't tell me anything." "Hmm, we came to New Jersey with plans of being together," Rick muttered. "Well, Vincent says that I'll be adding much flying juggling between staying here and also being in New York," Jeff said. Rick nodded. He was not happy about the development but he had accepted it. They finished up their food and Jon paid without any trouble. He left a generous tip for the waitress. "Hey, remember what happened at that clothes store? The one with a French name…" Rick said as they left the tea shop, "You might want to upgrade your card as soon as possible." Jon nodded, "I will, and remember I said I was going to buy the store." Rick nodded."I think I'll talk to Vincent about that one. Jon said, heading for the BMW, "I will catch you guys later. I have a Yatch party to prepare for.""You are going on a yacht tonight?" Jeff asked. "Yeah," Jon opened the back seat and got inside, "And Paxton is coming
QUEEN ELIZABETH the Second sat comfortably in the water, her Hull, reflecting the little remains of daylight sun and shimmering. The chrome details cast a glistering effect on everyone who saw it from shore. "Oh, wow…" Paxton said, "That looks…" They packed at the deck. Jon and Paxton got out, "Hang around, Luke." "Have an eventful night, sir," Luke said. Jon nodded and they walked to the deck, where speed boats were organized to take the guests to the bed yacht."Good evening, sir." The speed boat pilot said. Jon nodded in reply and started putting on the life jacket given to him. "Can you swim?" Rick whispered to Jon, who shook his head in reply. "Then what if the boat capsizes?" Jon chuckled, "It won't capsize, Richard. Put on your life jacket." They both strapped on their jackets and entered the small speed boat. "Are you all set?" The pilot asked.They nodded, "Let's go." The engine revved up and shot out into the water. Rick laughed as the power took him by surprise
SHE WAS EXACTLY how Jon remembered her to be. Beautiful and elegant. But as Jon remembered her looks, that was the same way he remembered the embarrassment she had caused him in front of Maxim. So he put on an aloof air as he looked at her and said, "Ms Bishop, I presume?" She scoffed and sat down on a stool beside Jon and ordered a dry martini from the bartender. "Can we just put off the act?" She said into her drink. "What are you talking about?" Jon asked. "It's not a coincidence that a food delivery boy saves my ass when I was drunk and then turns out to be the son of one of the most powerful men in the world, and then he outbids my fiancé in a total humiliating manner. What is going on here, Jonathan Stone?" Jon scoffed, "I absolutely have no idea of what you are talking about." He finished his drink, "If you're looking for someone with whom you can spin conspiracy theories, then I suggest you find another person. I'm done here." He stood up with Paxton and started to walk
JON AND PAXTON shared the boat in silence as it bobbed and cut through the water smoothly. Paxton turned and looked at the silhouette of QEII as they sped off. Now, it was just a large black shape with gold lights shining through its numerous windows. Paxton smiled and sighed, Jon knew that something had happened between his friend and the woman. He called the car - which had a designated number - and Luke picked it up and said, "Hello sir." "We are on our way to shore. Come pick us up.""Okay, sir," Luke said and ended the call. Paxton was still smiling when they pulled up at the dock and got out. They climbed the wooden stairs and got up to the road when their Lincoln luxury car was coming over already. Luke flashed the headlight twice to make his presence known."That's Luke. Let's go home," Jon said. Paxton nodded and followed Jon to the car, he threw a last glance at the yacht before entering the car. The car pulled away and nosed into the highway smoothly. Luke was a tale
JON WAS THE first one to come down that morning. His mind was not at rest as he woke up. It was something like a premonition. He knew something out of the ordinary was about to happen. He rolled over and glanced at the digital clock with its numbers glowing in the darkness. 4.53 am. It was already to late to go back to sleep. He sighed and sat up. He could not go back to sleep so he might as well prepare for work. He went to the bathroom to wash up and shave. Even after a cold shower, he still felt sleepy and dizzy. He pulled a t-shirt over his head and hopped into jogger pants before going downstairs. He had read somewhere that jogging clears the mind so that was what he was about to do. He went into a side closet where different shoes that he had not worn before were arranged. He looked at the arrangments of the shoes, air Jordans, Nike shoes, Gucci and other designers that he did not even recognize. But those were not what he was looking for, he picked a comfy-looking shoe tha
"MASTER LUCAS," VINCENT said, standing up to greet the newcomer. "Ohh… breakfast," Poppy said, giving Stefan a peck on the cheek before seating down and piling her plates high with pancakes. "What are you doing here, Poppy?" Stefan asked."Okay," Poppy took a deep breath and said, "So I woke up this morning, right?" She chewed on her food dramatically, "I was ready to have an absolutely normal day at school, but I received a text," She drank some orange juice, "I received a text from Lucas. Turned out my brother just flew into the country and wanted me to pick him up from the airport, so… here I am," She finished with a bow. Stefan turned to Lucas, "We weren't expecting you back until tomorrow."The newcomer, Lucas shrugged and dropped his briefcase on a seat in the living room and walked to the dining, removing his jacket as he walked, "I rounded up what I was doing and decided to come home early. But I can go back, it seems like I am interrupting some old 'family' reunion," He ga
"HOW ARE YOU feeling today?" Jon asked as they left the hospital. His hand was around Nicole's waist, supporting her as they walked out with her nurse in tow. "A lot better," Nicole smiled. "That room was starting to feel a little crampy." Jon chuckled. "There is a lot of space where you are going now." Nicole smiled. They got into the waiting limousine and Jon's driver pulled out of the parking lot. It had been a week since Maxim fled for Russia and things had been relatively quiet. There were no talks about assassins or attempted murders anymore. For Jon, the only annoying part was Antonio Orsatti, strutting around like a peacock. He had to do something about him. But what? He asked himself. "What are you thinking about?" Nicole's voice drew Jon back to the present. He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. I'm excited you are coming home with me." Nicole gave him a knowing smile and said. "Maxim is behind us now."Jon coughed out a laugh. "Why said anything about Maxim?" He as
JON DROVE TO the hospital parked, at the end of the lot and sat in the car, taking deep breaths and calming himself. He ran his hands over the steering wheel. There was a loud whine of an engine behind him. He turned to see a Porsche squeal into the parking lot some yards away from him. He turned to see Antonio get out of the car. He flipped a loose strand of his long hair behind his ear. He put on sunshades and then walked into the hospital. Jon was in awe of what Antonio was doing here. "What the fuck?" Jon muttered under his breath. "When did they even release him?" He asked himself. He wanted to follow Antonio and confront him about what he was doing here, but he decided to wait it out and see how it played out. He did not have to wait for long because, after a few minutes, he saw Antonio coming back out. Jon opened his car door and folded himself out. Antonio was taken aback for half a second when he saw Jon standing in the parking lot. He looked hesitant to approach Jon bu
THE MANSION WAS lit up with sirens the following morning. A servant tapped on Jon's door to wake him up. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went down in his pajamas. Alex Brandon and Mirtovic stood in his grand foyer. He stepped out just at the same time as Vincent, who was a little more formally dressed than Jon. "Head director," Vincent nodded at Mitrovic, and then he turned to Brandon, "Head director," he nodded again. "To what do I owe this surprise?" Jon asked dryly. Lucas came out of his suite and eyed the men. If looks could kill, both Mitrovic and Alex would have dropped dead. "Have a seat and drinks maybe," Mitrovic said. Jon snorted and led them into the study room. Lucas poured out 5 glasses of Whiskey. Vincent declined his, "A little too early for alcohol. Don't you think?" Jon nodded in agreement. He collected the glass from Lucas but did not drink it. "What do you have to tell us?" Mitrovic took a drink from his cup before saying, "News just got to us.
"YOU CAN GO in now, Mister Stone." Jon stood up and gave a small nod at the FBI agents who had spoken to him. He walked into the room to see Lucas seated. Lucas looked up and gave a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I told you something would happen," Lucas said when Jon came in. "They screwed it up, didn't they?" Jon nodded. He paced the small room and massaged his eye socket. "You should call Vincent," Lucas said. Jon stopped and looked at Lucas like he was about to argue. But then he nodded again, "I will. What were the charges against you? Why did they bring you in?"Lucas scoffed. "Did they need to have a reason?" He asked back. "I saw the way the Brandon guy looked at me that first time, he wanted to bring me in from there." Jon didn't have anything to say to that. So he sighed and said, "I am going to get you out of here." Lucas nodded as Jon left the room. He got back into his car and sped out of the parking lot. His mind was spinning as he drove into the mansion. H
IT WAS ONE importance of having numerous contacts in every area of the world. One of his contacts had informed him of the incoming arrest. Maxim had been in the kitchen, making himself breakfast when he received a text from his contact saying that there was a big arrest of a Russian coming the next day, all the bosses in the head offices were riled up and prepared. That was all the heads up that Maxim needed. He tossed the eggs into the trash can and left the house without even parking a bag. Just his car key and the clothes on his body. He hopped into his G-wagon and drove gently – He didn't overspeed. Nothing to catch their attention – to the airport. He told his pilot to take a one way flight to Russia immediately but that was not possible. The pilot had told him that the fuel wouldn't carry them nonstop, so they had to make a stop in France to refuel, before making the last half of the journey. That sounded fine. He just wanted to be out of New Jersey when the FBI came knockin
JON HAD A very short night. He woke up 3 hours after he closed his eyes, and his eyes remained open. After lying prone for a long time, he turned and glanced at the bedside clock. It was 6 a.m. "I might as well prepare for my flight back to New Jersey," He muttered as he threw the covers back and swung his leg over the edge of the bed. He grunted to his feet and went to the bathroom. He stepped into the cold shower to wake him up for the morning. After washing up, he headed downstairs where the maids were already setting the table. Vincent had told them last night that the big boss was going to leave very early the following morning, so they had to wake early to make sure he is well taken care of.Jon took a seat at the dining table and nodded as his meal was served. "Have one of you get my bags from my room upstairs," He said to a servant boy who nodded and headed up immediately to get the bag. Jon took a bite of his breakfast and then turned to another servant nearby, "Go knock o
JON COULD NOT believe his ears. He stood on the port deck and watched the distance as Chambers approached their closest ship docked in the open sea. "Did you hear what I said, Master Stone?" Vincent asked. Jon nodded and said, "I just need some time to process the information." Vincent nodded and held his hand behind his back. He let Jon mull over the information in silence. After a few minutes, Jon asked, "Are they going in hot?" Vincent nodded, "Frok what he told me, They've got the FBI and Interpol with them. I don't see any way Maxim Ivanov would escape his arrest." "Lucas seems to think they'll screw it up somehow."Vincent gave a sad chuckle. "Your stepbrother has always had a pessimistic outlook. But I want you to see the bright side." Jon nodded, "By tomorrow, everything will be over. Maxim will be behind bars or facing trial snd my fiance will be safe again." Vincent nodded. "Yes. You should be glad."Jon was not sure how he was feeling. He still had a tugging at the b
JON HAD BEEN flying constantly between New York and New Jersey over the last week. More guards had been stationed from Washington D.C. to his house and office. He had a fleet of 8 large vessels now and was finally going to speak with Miguel about the trading routes. He was just finishing a cup of coffee when Oliver popped into his office. "Sir, there's someone here to see you," He said. Jon raised an eyebrow, "Who is it?" Oliver cane in and closed the door gently behind him. He cleared his throat and said, "She said she's from the NBC news station. They want to run a story on you." Jon was surprised. "Me?" He asked. Oliver nodded. "Personally, I don't like the media. I can turn her away if you like. The desk downstairs held her." Jon swiveled on his chair and thought aboht it. Then he shook his head and said, "No. Let her up." Oliver nodded dutifully and walked out. Jon shook his head and smiled wryly. He picked up his telephone and called Lucas's office. He was answered wit
IT WAS ALMOST a week since Jon went to see Mitrovic with the evidence. The past week has moved in a blur and it had been relatively calm. There was no assassination attempt, no faked accident. It was just a week of business, visiting Nicole, staying in constant communications with New York, and handling things in New Jersey.Jon was at the office when Oliver walked in, "I just secured another deal for a large vessel." "Hmm," Jon nodded. "That makes it the seventh.""Yes, sir.""How much did this one go for?" Jon asked. "Uh, 120 million dollars," "Is it worth it?" Jon asked. Oliver nodded. "Yes, yes. For sure." "Okay then," Jon rubbed his palms together. "Have it sailed and docked in New York. I will be headed there by the end of this week. I'll have the workers ready too." Oliver nodded. "We would need a sea line plotter," Jon paused and looked up, "What do you mean?" Oliver cleared his throat, "We'll, sir. They can't just be roaming the free waters like some pirates. They nee