While Melissa and her secretary were battling their emotions concerning the sudden bad news, Helen's manager walked up to Leo and placed a file on his lap.He looked up in confusion at the man as if to say, 'What's all this?'The manager quickly clarified that confusion by stating his mission. "The young Miss wants you to make a decision..."Leo picked up the file and sifted through it. Within a few seconds, he was able to understand the kind of decision that Helen wanted him to make.She wanted him to make the final decision on the partner of her company. Leo couldn't understand why she gave him the power to make such a decision on such a sensitive matter in the company– all he knew was that she did it on purpose, maybe to test his decision-making skills or something like that. Leo hesitated as he stared at the names on the file. His pen hovered over the names for a while before he sighed deeply and approved Melissa's company for the partnership. To many people, this was the perfe
"H...hello?" Melissa's voice was unusually shaky as she responded to the call. It was because of the name she had seen on the caller ID– it was the manager to the CEO of the Jones Brothers Corporation.After a few seconds, Melissa's eyes widened and she retorted, "What?!"That exclamation caused Baron and her secretary to turn sharply towards her."I'm sorry... are you being serious right now?" Melissa sounded like someone who couldn't believe her ears."Yes, I am, Mrs Dubois," the calm, professional voice answered from the phone. "Your company has been selected to be the official partner of the Jones Brothers Corporations. Congratulations.""I'm sorry sir but did you just say partner and not candidate?" Melissa's voice trembled with excitement as she spoke, "Yes, Mrs Dubois," the man replied gently and patiently, "the contract is already prepared and is awaiting your signature. That's the only thing left to seal the deal.""Okay sir, I'll sign it," Melissa replied without batting an
Baron flashed an angry gaze at him and wanted to snap at him but he realized that doing so might just expose his bluff so he maintained his composure and replied, "he said that he was the one who made the call. You don't know what you're saying."Leo shook his head again in disappointment. 'This man is so desperate for attention and recognition that he's lying shamelessly, just to please Melissa...'"What's with that stupid expression?" The secretary asked, "Are you trying to say that Sir Baron is lying? Why would he lie to a waste man like you? You're not even worth the stress.""It's not something to trade words over, I can prove that your sir Baron here is telling lies." This statement elicited gasps from the people around who were watching them closely. At this point, Melissa became fed up with all the exchange of words, so she stood up and yelled angrily at Leo, "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Just stop everything! Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to embarrass you
TAP TAP TAPThe gentle but rhythmic sound of the footsteps of Helen and her guards on the tiles could suddenly be heard as the men in the room fixed their gazes on the door to await her arrival.Arthur Columbus, the convener of the meeting smirked maniacally and leaned back on his chair while whispering, 'She's finally here...'The moment Helen appeared at the door with her guards, the mood in the room suddenly changed and Arthur stood up with his men to welcome her."Thank you for honouring my invitation, Miss Jones," Arthur said as he stretched forth his hand for a handshake. "My pleasure. Mister Arthur." Helen replied with a polite smile and gestured towards the chairs in the room. "Let's get to it immediately, I have an event to be at in a while.""That should not be a problem," Arthur replied, "I'll be brief, after all, I don't have much to say.""Okay then," Helen replied and sat down with the elegance of a supermodel, "I'm glad that we're on the same page."Arthur followed sui
"What?" Arthur was taken aback for a moment as he didn't expect her words. He felt insulted at her words and was further angered by the slight smirk that popped up on her face in reaction to his shock."With all due respect Mister Arthur, if your aim was to impress me with all your achievements, you have successfully failed in that" "I still have many other achievements, I can tell you more if you'd like-""Mister Arthur, I'm sure you've said all you intended to say so I'll be leaving you to enjoy the party. As you can see, I have a lot of guests to attend to" Helen cut him off mid sentence as she got up from her seat elegantly like a model."What do you mean Miss Jones. I have done my homework and I know I'm the most suitable man to marry you in this city. This is an opportunity you can't walk out on" he got up from his seat to try to approach Helen but a security guard stepped in front of him to stop him."Heh, watch me" she chuckled before walking out of the room with her guards a
Leo remained quiet as the guards escorted him all the way from the hotel lobby to the elevator and him and two if the guards stepped in.The guard pushed the button to go up eighteen floors and the elevator slowly began moving up.1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7...The minute the elevator reached the seventh floor, the guard quickly pushed the button to go back to the first floor and they began to descend again but the display still showed that they were moving upwards.'That's probably just a precaution to prevent anyone monitoring the elevators from knowing where we are going. The security around Mr Jones is quite impressive' Leo thought to himself as he observed the actions of the guard."I apologize for any inconvenience we may cause you. You have to understand that Master Jones is very powerful and successful but power and success also pulls in enemies in hordes" the African guard spoke in his accent that was slightly difficult for Leo to understand."No problems, he is a very im
"Melissa's lover, Baron, that's his father right?" Leo asked calmly, trying not to let the anger in him cloud his judgement."Yes, the Ax Business Industry is one of the largest single person holding across the country. Only family members are allowed to buy shares in the company and Baron is the direct heir to all of the Ax Holdings" Maxwell explained."Did Johnson find out about me? Is that why Baron is courting Melissa? I've tried my absolute best to stay away from healing people for a while now, you are the first person I've healed in over half a decade" "I'm well aware of that, even with my all my connections it took me a very long while to find you. I was surprised you kept your parents name though, it greatly helped in my search for you. But from my sources, it seems like Melissa and Baron's relationship is completely unrelated to you""But from what you said earlier, you're not 100% sure he's the one who killed my parents?" Leo asked as he remembered Maxwell's words from a fe
"An offer I can't refuse?" Leo chuckled, "What sort of offer is that?""Don't be in a hurry to hear it. Wait a moment leys get to our destination first" Helen replied with a confident smile."Alright then" Leo agreed before leaning back into the seat. He was still feeling sleepy even though he had just woken up from a fifteen plus hour sleep.VROOM!!!The limo sped through the streets of the city and soon they were in the West Side of the city. It was not as popular or classy as the East Side where Redemption Hotel was located alongside the homes of all the wealthiest people living in the city.The West Side was mostly undeveloped and was populated by large apartment buildings still under construction and you could see the various machines of the construction companies all around. The driver navigated the car through the streets and came to park in front of one of the few completed housing complexes. It was a large building containing at least a 100 one bedroom apartments and had the
Leo and Kyrian stood with to their hands handcuffed to each other before the large portrait of Sarah Jensen previously Sarah Homer in the living room of her expansive oceanside mansion. He was surprised at how homely the building looked as it was all warm colors and bright decor which was in very sharp contrast with his own home which was mostly black and white furniture and filled with technology. The only gadget in sight in the living room was the large TV and he couldn't spot a single security camera around. He loved the way the home felt secure and welcoming and he was sure that even though Helen said nothing about it, she was worried by the lack of privacy in their own home. He felt she had been even happier since they had moved out of the house.He loved the way the home felt secure and welcoming and he was sure that even though Helen said nothing about it, she was worried by the lack of privacy in their own home. He felt she had been even happier since they had moved out of th
Sarah, Kyrian's daughter sat in her baby's nursery desperately trying to shush her from her screaming. She had already fed her twice but the child just kept on wailing at the top of her lungs. She had fired the baby's nanny a few days ago after she found out that she was having an affair with her husband. She had kicked him out of the house too and he had slept on the front porch for three nights in a row knocking and screaming and begging her to let him in. She promised to call the police each time his noise woke her up. It was probably the wedding contract she had made him sign before they got married that made him so desperate to win her back. He had signed away thirty to forty five percent of his business empire if they were ever to get divorced depending on the length of the marriage, currently she was eligible to take up to thirty nine percent of all he had without even lifting a finger.The affair had began from the night she hired the nanny and she didn't even know until she
Kyrian groaned as he got off the helicopter. At his age he didn't enjoy sitting in the sticky helicopter seats any longer. Old age took away certain luxuries from him he would never get back."Good day sir" the security guard greeted him as he stepped down onto the grass."Good day. Where's my car and escort?" Kyrian asked while responding curtly to the greeting."Right this way sir, just follow me" the guard said and began to lead the way to where the cars were parked. At a comfortable speed they should be able to reach Dartford City before night fall where he had dinner reservation with Leonardo Dubois. "Right this way sir, just follow me" the guard said and began to lead the way to where the cars were parked. At a comfortable speed they should be able to reach Dartford City before night fall where he had dinner reservation with Leonardo Dubois. He was slightly nervous because of how long it had been since he talked face to face with him last. He took a deep steadying breath befor
Gordon wiped his brow, the steam from the pots blurring his vision. The clatter of plates filled the small kitchen of St. Jude's Orphanage, a rhythmic echo of lives lived in shadows. He had just finished scrubbing a particularly stubborn pan when the sharp whistle pierced the air, cutting through the dull mood of the evening routine. Instinctively, he froze, the scrub brush still in his hand, unsure what was happening.“Come on, Gordon! We need to hurry!” shouted his roommate, Ethan, bursting through the door with a wild look in his eyes.“What....What’s going on?” Gordon asked, his heart pounding as he dropped the brush and followed Ethan into the hallway. The other boys were already racing past them down the hallway , they were laughter and shouts a mixture of excitement and anxiety which left Gordon more perplexed .“It’s a billionaire!” Ethan exclaimed, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it crackled with energy. “He’s coming to adopt a kid from the orphanage. They say he’s go
Hazel stepped of the first ladder of the airplane, the cool French air brushing against her skin. She inhaled deeply and smelled the fresh unpolluted air, a rare smell in Dartford. She lived the countryside but she had a mission to fulfill there . She walked back into the plane to meet Jason, the pilot who had flown them across the Atlantic.“Thank you, Jason. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” she said, handing him an electronic card. “The details for the rest of your payment are right here. Just follow the instructions.”Jason took the card, "How do I know that this card will pay me?" Jason asked. "Seriously man, you're doing business with billionaires and you're asking if you will get paid a couple millions?" Hazel asked with a slight chuckle and Jason nodded nervously.“No problem,Just keep him safe. That’s all that matters now.” he replied before she left the cockpit.James stood beside her, clutching a small backpack to his chest. At five years old, he looked so sma
Gordon Fisher crouched behind a stack of shipping crates as he scanned the harbor. The moon hung high illuminating the transatlantic ship moored at the end of the dock. The weight of desperation pressed heavily on his chest. Just hours ago, he had been a man with a plan; now, he was a fugitive, the walls closing in with every passing moment.Leonardo Dubois had shattered his world with a single announcement. He had told the truth about Gordon’s infiltration into his private mansion to the public. The man who had killed his father now stood untouchable, declaring to the world that Gordon had broken into his multimillion-dollar mansion, seeking vengeance for a crime that had haunted him for years. The plan had been foolproof—or so he thought.He had designed the security system for Dubois's home, crafting a web of protection that he believed would be impenetrable. But when he finally made it into the house, his plans spiraled out of control. Instead of finding Dubois's wife, Helen, in h
Kyrian Homer sat comfortably in the plush armchair of his holiday mansion in Spain, the golden rays of the late afternoon sun filtering through the grand windows. The ocean outside shimmered. At seventy-three, Kyrian had seen the world shift in ways he never thought possible, but today, as he watched the news, a chill raced down his spine, igniting memories he thought he had buried deep.The host’s voice droned on, a mix of politics, celebrity gossip, and the relentless drumbeat of tragedy. But Kyrian’s attention sharpened when the anchor introduced a segment about Leonardo Dubois—Leo, as he had always called him. After all the drama following Scar's death and with them regaining control over the city Kyrian had finally decided to take his hands off the steering and he left his company to his son and moved to Spain he had only been back to the States twice, one for Leo's wedding and another for James' christening.As the camera panned to Leo’s face, now framed with salt-and-pepper hai
Jason stared open mouthed at the man who stood before him. He had a chance to see the most vulnerable side of one of the richest men in the world. He didn't know what Leo was trying to hide his child from but he knew that it must be something or someone dangerous."I brought half your payment in full. My friend Hazel will be traveling with you and when you drop them she will get you the remaining half of the money" Leo said as he motioned to Hazel. "Where exactly an I going to drop them?" Jason asked Leo but he shook his head in reply. "I don't know. The only people who know are Hazel and James who chose the location. Hazel won't tell you the destination either until you are out of the country's airspace to avoid any sort of device picking up communication" Leo said a little bit paranoid but of course he was paranoid, if a deranged killer with a personal vendetta against you snuck into your house so easily with the sun if killing your wife, you'd be terribly paranoid."Alright then
"What the fuck" Leo cursed as he stumbled out of his vehicle. He saw Hazel and Ross's vehicle reversing quickly and stopping a few feet away from the hitman's crashed car. They carefully stepped out while keeping their heads down. Leo got to the car them and forced the car door open. He took one good look at the half conscious hitman before reaching over and snatching the gun out of his hands"This moronic unprofessional is why you two were running over thirty minutes late?' Leo asked them with a slight smirk and they both laughed."You should have seen yourself when you realized we were being pursued. You practically made that turn like a formula 1 driver" Ross joked before he walked up to Leo and wrapped him in a hug. "Any one hurt on your side?" Leo asked with concern but they both shook their heads. "What of Helen and James?" Hazel asked a little worriedly but she smiled when she saw Helen helping James out of the car and waving at them."They're fine. We have to get out of her