Few days later, there was a community meeting where both Justin and Hillman were invited to be part of. It took place in a cozy boardroom in one of the community Hall in the neighbourhood. The meeting was organized by the local leaders of the community to address the future of what appears to be the several lucrative ventures in the neighborhood, which had drawn interest from influential figures in the city such as Justin and his new rival, Conrad Hillman. When Justin got the invitation, he knew the meeting would be a defining moment in his fight for control over Hillman. So he accepted and hope to outmaneuver Hillman and win over the leaders of the community without exposing his long time plans.At the meeting, Justin took his seat at the table’s end, waiting for others to settle in. His seat was just directly across that of Hillman's. They looked at each other and exchanged a brief, icy nod, a silent acknowledgement of the clash of power that would soon happen. Justin remained calm
Her name is Sarah. He turned to her to talk.“Sarah.” Justin said as he addressed her directly. “You have overseen several successful partnerships with the city. Could you share some of the benefits you have seen so far from this model?”Sarah looked at him and nodded, her respect for Justin was evident. “In my experience, public-private partnerships have not only increased our funding options but it has also reduced our operational costs through incentives. And when we involve the public sector, we have gained a lot of valuable insights and strengthened our community relationships. I believe this could be a good and strategic move.”The board listened attentively as Sarah spoke, everything she said seems to endorse Justin's proposal. Justin could see that the energy in the room had shifted, there were people who had been swayed by Hillman who were now reconsidering, obviously seeing the broader value and sense in Justin's approach.Hillman noticed that his initial grip on the room wa
"How long will it take him to serve the damn food?" Diana snarled through gritted teeth. She hit her hand over the table, turning her head to the entrance of the kitchen. "I think you should give him a moment," Lilly broke in with a distasteful stare lurking in her demeanor. Diana rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. She stared at her mum and dad who sat at the other edge of the table. Their neutral attitude towards the whole situation sent spurts of disappointment down her spine. Moments later, Justin scampered out of the kitchen, holding a tray, with an apron tied around his neck. "I'm sorry," he muttered as he served the food to everyone seated. "Ugh. Finally. I'm starving," Diana dragged the bowl of pasta closer to herself. “You want me to choke while eating this?" Diana shot. Justin stood still, unable to figure out what the spoilt brat was saying. "Get me water, Silly!" She shouted. Justin startled at how strident her voice was, before racing to the kitchen like he'd been c
Justin had his heart in his mouth when Tucson uttered those words. He was too confused to say a word. The last time he was this hurt and speechless was the night he lost his mother. The only discrepancy was that the tears in his eyes were yet to cascade down his cheeks. "Dad, aren't you being too cruel and unrealistic?" Lilly said. "Where do you expect him to get that ridiculous amount of money from? Where?" Lilly smacked her lips furiously. "I don't care where or how he gets the money. He can break the bank, I don't give a damn. If he doesn't get those tickets in twenty-four hours, he will sign a divorce paper. And I will send him back to the slump." Tucson threatened. "That's a great idea, Dad," Diana said. She was going to utter another word, but a glimpse at Lilly's huffy face made her alternate the words with a sigh. Justin flitted his gaze in trepidation. " Sir I.." "Don't say a word, you retarded, silly, poor piece of poop," Tucson interrupted. " Get out of my sight!" Tucs
Justin clutched the bag tightly to his chest like his life was kept in it. He took to his heels with every step limping in outright fear and a mist of thrill. Justin ran until the loan shark's lair was no longer in sight and he was somewhere on the streets of LA. At this point, Justin couldn't help but allow a smile to swerve on his arid lips like a fourteen-year-old who'd just gotten a birthday present. Justin had his eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the street in a voyage to find a Walgreens outlet. After all, it's Nelson Drogonuv's party, a multitude of well-to-do folks will be trooping to the nearest ticket outlets to get a ticket before it's sold out. Justin arrived at a supposed Walgreens store. He was a bit confounded because it appeared to be a coffee shop. But when his eyes settled on the Walgreens logo, situated outside - close to the sidewalk, he heaved a sigh and walked through the entrance. "Maybe they're affiliated with Walgreens," he muttered under his breath.
Justin's heart pounded like it'll rip out of his chest. Everyone seated in the Tucsons' spacious living room had their eyes on him. Expecting him to say something, but all he did was crouch his head. Intermittently he'd raise it and steal a glance and whirl his eyes across the artworks festooning the walls. "Is everything okay?" Lilly said. Justin lifted his head to give a response, but he got interrupted by Tucson. "What else could be wrong with his pathetic ass? I'm sure he couldn't get the tickets." Tucson snickered, glancing at his wife. Mrs. Tucson had a similar look on her face too. "But I got the money," Justin disclosed. It felt like he splashed a chunk of icky acid into the air. Everyone had a stunned reaction on their faces. Lilly's face glistened with a smile, and the glint of the chandelier gleamed over her sparkling set of canines. Just like she initially thought, Justin might find a way to put a smile on her face and throw her face taunts into the lake. "Really?" Li
Justin brushed a streak of saline sweat off his face. He paused to catch his breath, while his hand clasped a broom. His gaze twinkled across the room and it fell on the two ladies seated at the reception. Justin snagged a sight of them laughing and whispering words into each other's ears. While they stared at him. Justin couldn't figure out which part of him was the most hilarious to make two grownups laugh that hard. Maybe it was because of the dirty and torn apron he was wearing. He had pleaded with his boss, Bruce Springsteen for a replacement, but the contemptuous billionaire insisted he continued to use the stale and old one. Or better still, the disgruntled look on Justin's face could be the reason why the ladies are cracked up as if they chugged on an overdose of N20. Justin's thoughts drifted to the peril he'd been going through at the hands of the Tucsons'. And the mere thought that he might lose his wife soon sent shrills of panic to his heart. He marveled at how he non
Justin raised a brow. He struck a pause at the sight of Lilly. She seldom visits him at work. And whenever she does - it's either she comes to remind him of what her folks would want for dinner. Or how early he needed to get home if he didn't want to taste the juicy plop of her mother's wrath. But he just left the house few hours ago. And now seeing Lilly chimed like a suspenseful drumroll. "Hey babe!" Justin called. Lilly turned to him with a cramped grimace on her face. Cramped enough to make wrinkles appear on her face. "Are you okay?" Justin asked. Lilly glared at Justin and puffed out a vast amount of breath. "My car was stolen!" Lilly declared. Justin slinked his head forward with his mouth wide open. "You're kidding, huh?" Lilly clicked her teeth. "Dumbass! I'm not joking. My car was stolen at work. My car is gone." She yelled. The staid look on her face dashed away every fiber of doubt Justin had. After all, Lilly is a fuse of solemnity and sarcasm. "Wow. How did it happe