Chapter 110Meanwhile, back at Star Suites, in James' room. He was not comfortable after he learnt that Williams has now been promoted to the position of head of technical department.He thought something was off about the guy and he didn't like him for one bit.Ellen also told him that she didn't like the way Williams was acting all through the date last night. According to her, ‘he is too full of himself and is not really who he claims to be.’He drove to Diamond Ville to ask Eric how everything happened and if possible for him to have Williams demoted.At the main entrance to the ville, the security guard stopped him. "Do you have an appointment or a pass?""Yes," James replied, handing over a pass with Mr. Wane's name on it.The security guard wasn't convinced as he didn't recognize James. "How did you get this?" he asked angrily, unsure of James's identity."From Mr. Wane himself," James replied calmly, though he understood the guard's concern for security."Are you sure, or did
Chapter 111EMERALD MULTI-SOURCE CORPORATIONIt was a Monday morning and all the workers were just arriving to work.The news of Williams' sudden promotion spread throughout EMC, and employees couldn't help but take notice as he and Jaxon entered the building together.Whispers and murmurs followed in their wake as they made their way through the corridors."Look, it's Williams and Jaxon.""Are they friends now?""Oh, so Mr. Sterling's son is back from vacation?""Goodness gracious, what's going on?"“Is this not the new director of the technical department? Is he now friends with Mr. Sterling's son?”Meanwhile, Alisha Carl, Cara Hart, and Anna Davis, along with other young female workers, caught sight of Williams and Jaxon walking into the senior staff members block together.“That's Williams and Jaxon,” Anna Davis said on spotting them."Oh my gosh, is that Williams and Jaxon?" Milly Sienna exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.She's one of the new senior employees and happen
Chapter 112James arrived at work on time and headed straight to the junior staff block. Upon his arrival, he found Elson waiting eagerly for him to unlock the restroom as per their agreement."Today's my last day cleaning here for you," Elson informed James."Yeah, I'm aware. Now, let's get to work," James replied and unlocked the restroom door for Elson to begin cleaning.As they entered, they were surprised to find a bag lying on the floor."What's that?" James asked, pointing to the bag.Elson glanced at the bag and shrugged. "Why are you asking me? Can't you check it out yourself?"James cautiously opened the bag and was astonished to find bundles of money inside, with a piece of paper indicating a total of one billion dollars."O! My! God! One billion dollars!" Elson exclaimed in disbelief as he saw it."That's a huge sum," James remarked.“A whole lot of money,” Elson exclaimed greedily."Who do you think owns this money?" James inquired.“Do I know? Do you see a name written o
Chapter 113 On his way to the control center, Williams bumped into James and Elson having a fight. He quickly rushed to the scene to find out what's wrong. He saw that James had given Elson the beating of his life without much of a stress, and Elson was already bruised on the lips and was panting heavily. “What's going on here?” he asked with a friendly tone. James turned around and looked at him with a dead stare and didn't respond. He turned around and tried to leave. “Oh! it's the Head of the technical department.” Someone said, “He has come to separate the fight.” Williams noticed his attitude, he already knew James doesn't like him and is not pretending. “You! Oh it's you James. The chauffeur by night and cleaner by day. I never expected for us to meet like this at EMC… You know this act is shameful.” Williams said and held him by the shoulder. “Now tell me what's going on?” He asked him with authority. He noticed the bag that James was carrying and wondered what was insid
Chapter 114Williams entered the technical block with a sense of power, and saw the staff of the technical department going about their work.When they saw him, they began greeting him respectfully."Good morning, Sir.""How are you, Boss?""Welcome, Boss."He barely acknowledged their greetings as he was consumed by his own pride. This was his first day as the manager of the technical department but he was already full of himself.He ordered two junior staff members to carry his technical tools and computers and they went straight to his new office, which was formerly belonging to Sam, and as he entered, he found Sam packing up."Good morning, Williams. Good to see you," Sam greeted and extended a hand for a handshake but Williams ignored him."Take off your ID from the badge pass and hand it to me," Williams commanded.The badge pass is the only pass into the control unit, and only a few board members have it.Sam was privileged to be among the few persons entrusted with a badge pas
Chapter 115The auditorium was filled with all the EMC staff, buzzing with anticipation as they eagerly waited for the CEO, Eric.There were about 100 workers in the big auditorium. THEY were all seated and anticipated what the CEO had to say today.There were hum sounds all over the place. Some whispered among themselves, wondering if there were going to be layoffs or restructuring within the company.Others exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to expect.Finally the board members and directors of different sectors began to arrive at the auditorium.Mr. Sterling was among them. He had a tense and long face because he did not know why the meeting was called.He thought their plan had been discovered one way or the other but he needed to be sure.He signaled his personal assistant, Morris Huggo and whispered something into his ears.Morris nodded and exited the auditorium.Few minutes later, Morris Huggo entered with Williams following behind him. Mr. Sterling observed as Morris a
Chapter 116Eric stepped on the big stage and then walked straight to the podium.There are about 100 workers looking curiously at him.He turned and looked at the board members and saw that they were all seated.There's Mr. Sterling, The Director of the board. He's strategic and has a significant influence within the company. He is Known for his deep understanding of corporate governance, he often plays a key role in major decisions.Mrs. Lee, Director of Finance. She's meticulous with numbers and known for her conservative financial strategies. Her role is crucial in budgeting and financial planning for the company.Mr. Patel, Chief Security Officer (CSO) Mr. Patel oversees the security direction of the company, ensuring it stays secured at all times.Mrs. Jenkins, Human Resources Director. She's responsible for the wellbeing of the company's employees and is often the bridge between the workforce and the management.Mr. Thompson, Marketing Director. Mr. Thompson leads the company's
Chapter 117“With that being said, I want to call James Clarkson on to the stage.” Eric said and everyone turned back to see who James Clarkson was.James stood up and walked to the stage as gently as he could.As James walked towards the stage, a hush silence fell over the crowd. Everyone was taken aback, expecting the honoree to be someone else.The murmurs started immediately."No way!" Someone said, “Is this not the guy that has fought with almost all the senior staff members?”"Who is he?"“A janitor!”"I don't believe it! That troublemaker?""There must be a mistake!"Alisha couldn't believe her eyes as James walked toward the podium. "It can't be," she muttered. "How could James be the one?"Williams was stunned too. His heart raced as he realized his plans for punishing James would now have to change. “Jaxon, is this not your fiance's ex?Jaxon gasped in surprise. “Yes, it's him. It can't be. That guy is a pauper. Who even came up with this promotion?”“I heard that before he
Chapter 397Morning broke with a dull glow, illuminating the quiet safe house nestled deep in the woods. Inside, tension hung thick in the air. Williams was standing near the window with a phone pressed to his ear, speaking in a calm but calculated tone.“We’ve got your son, Charles,” he said, his voice steady. “But we haven’t located Jaxon.”On the other end of the line, Mr. Sterling’s voice cracked with emotion. “Charles? Is he safe? Are you sure?” Relief flooded his tone, but it was quickly shadowed by anxiety. “What about Jaxon? Did you find him? Is there anything—anything—leading up to him?”Williams let out a quiet sigh, one that sounded more like practiced patience than genuine concern. “That’s all we could manage,” he replied. “The men who took Jaxon still have him, and from what we’ve gathered, they plan to kill him if there’s any interference.”Mr. Sterling was silent for a beat, processing the grim news. Then, his voice rose, tinged with panic. “What do I do now? How do I
Chapter 396James and Gregor stepped out of their concealed position in the underbrush as the taillights of the SUV disappeared into the darkness. The cool night air was eerily silent now, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves and the muffled sounds of wildlife in the distance. The ground beneath their boots crunched softly as they moved toward the aftermath of the chaos they had just witnessed.Gregor’s eyes scanned the scene, his face expressionless as he took in the lifeless bodies sprawled across the area. Three of them, including Ben they once held, lay motionless, their weapons discarded and their blood staining the dirt beneath them.Gregor crouched beside one of the bodies, briefly checking for a pulse, though he already knew there was none. Standing, he shook his head and muttered, “Well, that’s the life they’ve chosen for themselves.”James, standing a few steps behind him, remained silent for a moment, his sharp eyes darting around the scene. The faint glow of the moo
Chapter 395The shadows of the dilapidated bunker stretched long under the moonlight as Williams and his team lay in wait. They had taken up position hours earlier, tucked inside Jaxon’s sleek sports car, the dark, polished metal blending seamlessly into the night. The air inside the vehicle was stifling, thick with tension and the faint metallic tang of gun oil. Every man was armed and ready, their nerves wound tight, waiting for the right moment to strike. Williams sat in the driver’s seat, his hands resting casually on the steering wheel, though his eyes never left the rearview mirror. Beside him, Kane sat rigid, one hand gripping Jaxon’s arm firmly while the other rested on the stock of a shotgun lying across his lap. In the cramped sports car, Tom and Dorian crouched uncomfortably in the trunk, their weapons at the ready, waiting for Williams’ signal.The silence inside the car was shattered when headlights cut through the darkness. A single car approached, its rumbling engine e
Chapter 394The dense canopy of the forest loomed overhead, casting long shadows over the makeshift campsite where James and Gregor had been holed up for days. The air was damp, thick with the earthy scent of moss and pine, and the distant call of nocturnal creatures echoed through the stillness.Gregor sat cross-legged on the damp ground, his eyes glued to the small tablet in his lap. A blinking red dot pulsed steadily on the screen—the nano tracker they’d planted on Ben’s phone.For three grueling days, they’d followed that dot from one hideout to another, staying just far enough away not to be detected. They’d spent their nights in the car or in the bush, catching only brief moments of sleep between shifts of surveillance.Tonight was no different, and Gregor’s tired eyes burned as he watched the screen, hoping for any sign of movement.James lay stretched out on the ground beside him, his jacket pulled over his face to block out the faint moonlight filtering through the trees. Hi
Chapter 393Jack paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, his gun laid out on the table as he meticulously assembled and armored it. Each metallic click echoed in the stale air, punctuating the tense atmosphere.They had to switch hideouts when Ben rejoined them, in case he was being tailed. Jack carefully considered the situation and concluded that bringing him back into the operation as an additional resource would be a wise decision, just in case they encountered any unexpected challenges but he made sure they switch hideout from time to time. But their main exchange point was still the old bunker because it has a lot of escape routes and underground tunnels.Ken was nearby, double-checking their supply of ammunition, while Denver and Ben lounged on an old, battered couch, their excitement barely contained.“Finally, we’re getting out of this shithole with a bundle of millions,” Denver said to Ben, leaning back with a smug grin. He flicked a discarded cigarette butt into the cor
Chapter 392The evening sky was a dusky orange, streaked with long trails of purple as the sun dipped below the horizon. Williams parked the sleek, black car that Mr. Sterling had secured for him—a high-profile Lamborghini that was both remarkable and practical for what was about to go down.The tinted windows gleamed faintly in the fading light as he stepped out, dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans. He adjusted the baseball cap on his head and pulled it lower to obscure his face further.Kane was already waiting near the edge of the gravel lot, leaning casually against a rusted lamp post that barely flickered to life. His stance was relaxed, but his eyes darted around, sharp and alert. A few paces away, Tom and Dorian lingered by the entrance to the abandoned warehouse, their conversation low but punctuated with short laughs.Williams approached Kane with purposeful strides. Without a word, he gestured for Kane to follow him a short distance away from the others.“They ready?” William
Chapter 391Andrew’s pen hovered over the page. “Eric Wood? The CEO of EMC?”“Yes,” Sterling said, his voice steady now, laced with conviction. “He’s had a vendetta against my family for months. He’s jealous of our success, our influence. And now, with everything happening at EMC, I wouldn’t put it past him to stoop this low. My two sons were kidnapped in a sparse of a few weeks. Is it not strange?”Andrew tilted his head, his expression skeptical. “That’s a serious accusation, Mr. Sterling. Do you have any evidence to support this?”Mr. Sterling sighed heavily, as though burdened by the weight of his own claim. “Not concrete evidence, no. But think about it. He has the resources, the motive. And I heard through some… private channels that he’s been meeting with unsavory characters lately. People who could easily pull off something like this.”Andrew jotted a few notes, his pen moving quickly. “I see. I’ll look into it. But you understand we can’t act on hearsay alone.”“Of course, of
Chapter 390As soon as Mr. Sterling ended the call with Williams, he hurried to his closet, throwing on a sleek navy suit and matching tie. His hands trembled slightly as he adjusted the knot, but he steeled himself, taking a deep breath.This wasn’t just a favor for Williams; it was a calculated move to get his two sons back. Grabbing his keys, he rushed out of his mansion, the elevator ride to the ground floor feeling agonizingly slow.When he finally stepped outside, the cool morning air bit at his face, but he paid it no mind. His black sedan waited at the curb, and he climbed in, starting the engine with a growl. As he sped toward Sky Suite, he rehearsed the lies he might need to tell to retrieve Jaxon’s car.The towering Sky Suite hotel loomed ahead, its modern glass facade gleaming brightly under the early morning sun. As Mr. Sterling approached the entrance, his stomach tightened. The sight of two patrol cars parked near the lobby entrance made his pulse quicken. Uniformed off
Chapter 389As soon as Kane received the message from Tom that Jaxon had finally broken under the pressure and confessed, he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Williams. His tone was sharp, clipped, and direct as he relayed the crucial information.“He finally talked,” Kane said without any preamble. “He’s given up Jack’s location—some bunker near the old docks.”Williams, on the other end of the line, didn’t respond right away. The faint sound of tapping, likely his pen against his desk, filled the silence. “Good,” Williams finally said, his voice steady but tinged with calculation. “Did he say anything about how many men Jack has with him?”“Yeah,” Kane replied. “Three, including Jack himself. He said one of them ran away. It’s a small crew.”Williams let out a low hum of approval. “That’s manageable. We’ve got the numbers, four to three. Here’s the plan,” he said, leaning forward in his chair. “You’re going to prep Jaxon to lead you straight to the bunker. He’s our key. Ma