It was a late winter night and cold outside. The street was decorated with Christmas lights of various shapes, sizes, and colors.
James Wane had just returned home from work with a bouquet of flowers in his hand to surprise his wife, Alisha.
It is their third wedding anniversary. He was tired but happy, looking forward to having an intimate night with her tonight just like a few days back.
He didn't buy her any gift but he had prepared her favorite dish in the morning before he left for work.
He quickly parked his electric bike outside and headed to the door to surprise her with the flowers.
As he walked in, he was surprised to see two people seated in the sitting room watching TV.
One was a middle-aged woman who looked about 40 years old. She was dressed in an expensive Dior gown and had an expensive Dior bag with the same color as the gown.
The other was a young man in his late twenties. He was wearing casual wear. It was the kind of clothing you wear when you're relaxing. A T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of white sneakers.
James quickly recognized them as his mother-in-law, Kate, and his brother-in-law, Henry.
'What could have brought them here?' He thought to himself.
He wondered if they had come to celebrate the anniversary and also to spend Christmas with him and his wife, Alisha.
A few years ago, back in college, James Wane met Alisha Carl, the eldest granddaughter of the Carl family. They both fell in love with each other.
One thing led to another and they quietly got married in the local registry. It was a private and intimate way to make their commitment official.
Her family initially wanted to marry her off to one of the rich families in town, but Alisha settled for James instead.
But ever since they got married, her family never approved of him and never regarded him. They are always looking for every means to kick him out of their life for good. He knows this but he always keeps being nice to them.
The Carl family is like many families in Emerald Falls. They live in a regular neighborhood and have a house that's not too big or too small. They work hard for their money, but they're not super-rich.
They have little to pay the bills, put food on the table, and maybe save a little for special things. They're just an everyday family trying to make a good life in the city of Emerald Falls.
Everyone in the Carl's family treated James like a piece of shit and regarded him as a nobody because they didn't know his true identity.
James takes care of all the chores in the house. He washes the dishes, sweeps the house, cleans the toilet, and keeps the house tidy. Sometimes, he even washes his wife's clothes and undies. He does all of this while she is at work, trying to make things comfortable for her. It's a lot of work for him, but he does not complain.
One certain time when they had all returned home for a family gathering at the main house, everyone used this opportunity to say harsh words to James, but he never for once tried to retaliate or do something crazy.
"Where is that Moron you call a husband? Pa Aaron the grandpa and also the head of the Carl family had asked Alisha. "Tell him to come and arrange the tables and chairs."
James was on his knees, mopping the floor with a cloth when Alisha came to call him.
He was shocked 'Arrange the tables!' This was something anyone in the house, especially the little ones, could do but they all expected him to do it.
He had entered and greeted them all, but he got no response from any of them.
"You're nothing but a burden to our family. A loser who can't even provide for our sister." It was Sophie, Alisha's cousin who taunted him first.
And everyone picked it up from there.
"I've seen more promising ants than you. You're a complete waste of space."
"I can't believe my granddaughter chose you. You're just a bottom-feeder," Ma Pat, the grandma of the family, also expressed her hatred towards James.
"You're a disgrace. My friends were right when they said you'd never amount to anything."
"You're not fit to be part of this family. You'll always be an outsider."
James was used to everyone in the family maltreating him and making jest of him. He tries to endure all their bullying and mistreatment.
He doesn't even have a car or a house of his own. He earned less than five hundred dollars in a month. To everyone, he is just a live-in-son in-law in the Carl family.
His wife, Alisha works in Emerald Multisource Cooperation managed by the Sterling Dynasty, while he got a job as an ordinary cleaner at a grocery store with miniature pay which pissed his wife's family the most.
Later on, James was kicked out of the Carl's family house, and his wife had left with him to the disappointment of her family where they both rented an apartment in the suburb of Emerald Falls.
Now they had come to pay him a visit finally!
"Happy Christmas Eve, Mom." James greeted his mother-in-law but before he could finish greeting them, Kate lashed at him.
"Why are you coming back by this time?"
James couldn't find the right words to reply to her.
He just kept quiet.
Henry just sat there still watching TV with disdain in his eyes.
"Answer me you bloody b*stard. Why are you coming back by this time?"
"Today is our Anniversary, and I… I… wanted to surprise Alisha, so I got her…"
"Speaking of anniversaries," Kate snapped, "what did you buy for her as a gift?"
Henry looked at him and found the bouquet of flowers in his hands and interjected mockingly.
"Oh, you got her thorns for flowers. This a*shole is really a piece of shit. Does she look like a joke to you that you will buy her this?"
"Is this the best you could do, James? Pathetic," Kate hissed.
"You can't even afford a decent gift, can you? What a disappointment you are to yourself," Henry jeered disdainfully.
They both took turns to say hurtful words to him.
"She deserves better than your cheap excuses for presents."
"Alisha must be so embarrassed by you right now."
"You're hopeless, James. Absolutely hopeless."
"I can't believe you're her husband. She must be regretting it every day."
Henry then dragged the bouquet of flowers from James' hand and whipped it all over his face and body.
James ignored him because of his mother-in-law. He kept staring down at his feet like a poor child who was being scolded for doing something wrong.
A document was thrown at his feet.
"Now here, sign them," Kate shouted at him.
James was surprised.
"What are these, Mom?" He asked her.
'kpa! Kpai!' Two hot slaps landed across his face.
"Are you legally blind? You are good for nothing. Can't you read anymore?" Kate shot back at him.
She began pointing out his flaws and Shortcomings while Henry sat lazily in front of the TV, not wanting to get involved.
"Your mates are Billionaires, CEOs, managing and directing Multi-million dollar Companies and you are just this poor thing working as a cleaner in a local grocery store." She spat.
Just that moment Henry stood up and walked briskly towards James and looked him in the face and shook his head. He then turned to his mother and said.
"This loser cannot read Mom. He's illiterate. I guess his schooling was a waste of time and money."
James quietly picked up the documents and tried to read what was written on them.
It’s a 'Divorce Agreement Paper'. He was frozen in shock. Why was he given a Divorce Agreement Paper to sign?
James did not say anything to them, instead, he kept his eyes fixated on the document before him.
"Is Alisha aware of this?" He finally asked calmly. "I'm not signing this unless she agrees to it."
Henry grabbed the papers from James and hissed. "Now, look closely here you son of a b*tch."
Henry then showed him the signature, where his wife had already signed her name and signature.
James couldn’t believe it even though he recognized Alisha's handwriting and signature on the Divorce Agreement Papers.
Alisha was finally divorcing him for good.
James was still in shock. He had always believed that Alisha loved him as much as he loved her. But It seems that's not the case. The idea of a divorce was unimaginable to him. It was just a few days ago that they had shared an incredibly passionate night together, and he could tell how addicted she was to their lovemaking.He silently wished that this surprise visit from his in-laws was some sort of cruel joke, but as he looked at the divorce papers again and again and recognized Alisha's handwriting, reality hit him. He has been jilted. "Do you believe it now? You simp!" Kate mocked. "You have only but tonight to pack your things and get going. Idiot." Henry added. Alisha had told him that she had been working late at the office recently, using that as an excuse for her continuous absence.Now, it all made sense to him. The truth was hitting him hard. His wife, whom he loved deeply, had signed those divorce papers without his knowledge or consent.To make matters worse, it was
The man on the other end was Ryan Wane, James' uncle, and the younger brother of his mother. Ryan Wane is currently the richest man in the whole of Emerald Falls.He is in charge of all the major companies in the state. He is what you can call the man of the people and everyone loves him because of his philanthropic nature.James's mom was supposed to be the heir of the rich Wanes family, but she died together with her husband when James was a kid. So, James's uncle, Ryan Wanes, had to take charge until James got older.When he knew it was James calling him, he was so excited. He had been looking for James for the past three years after he left home."Oh! James! How are you, son? Where have you been all these years?""I'm good," James replied."Where are you now, James?" His uncle asked him excitedly."I'm safe. I want to tell you two things." James declared."Go on, James. What's this you want to tell me? I will do whatever you ask.""The first is I want to let you know that I'm di
When Alisha and James got back home, Alisha's mother, Kate, and her brother, Henry, were still in the house. They didn't waste any time and directly inquired about the Divorce Agreement Paper. "Has he finally signed those papers?"Alisha ignored them. They didn't hold back their disapproval, even going so far as to insult James, despite him being right there with them."This useless loser doesn't realize how serious this is.""He's treating our family like a joke.""I can't believe we ever allowed him into our lives.""He's nothing but a burden, and he's taking advantage of our kindness.""We should have never trusted him with Alisha."The hurtful and boastful way her family spoke about James made Alisha feel uneasy. James didn't pay much attention to their behavior. Instead, he went to the room to start packing his things to leave.He was still packing when Alisha entered the room."James you gotta understand…" "Understand what??? After all, I've done for you, Alisha, this is how
The next morning, inside the court, James and his wife, Alisha were about to get divorced officially.Kate was at the court, too. In fact, she was the first person to come to the court that morning. She wanted to make sure that Alisha divorced James once and for all and for good.She had invited her friends and all the people in the family who despised James so much. Alisha wasn't in support of it."Is this your disgusting son-in-law?" Her friends asked her. "Oh, point of correction, he's not my son-in-law anymore." Kate snapped. "HAHAHAHA!" They all laughed maliciously. "I can't believe you put up with him for so long.""He's nothing but filthy." "Filthy? That's an understatement. He's a disgrace."James overheard their insult, but he kept a straight face which pissed them off the more. When the judge finally arrived, they all kept mute and waited for the proceedings. The judge was a quiet woman who did the proceedings without delay. She asked them. "Why do you two beautiful c
After the divorce, James decided that he would finally quit his cleaning job at the local grocery store to concentrate more on expanding his business empire.Hence, he will go ahead to deal with the Carl family and the Sterling Dynasty and show them that he is the one in charge now.He wanted to prove that he was the new boss and make them regret their actions. Alisha and her family would soon realize their mistake and come back begging. When he arrived at his workplace to let his boss know that he was quitting his job, there was a surprising turn of events.Two men in uniform walked up to him. These were police officers from the police department in Emerald Falls.James found himself face-to-face with the two stern police officers who wasted no time in apprehending him."You're under arrest!" The first officer declared."Yeah, we've got reports on you for stealing," added the second officer, whose tone was accusatory.Despite the shock of the situation, James remained remarkably cal
Meanwhile, in the police station, James was kept in a private torture room.The room was completely dark with no windows in it.Ten minutes later, two policemen came into the room to question him about the crime he didn't commit."Hey Listen up, Mr." One of the policemen, the one who appeared to be their leader, said to him. "I know you know why you have been arrested. Yes?""But I didn't steal anything," James replied calmly.The other policeman said, "Well, the evidence says otherwise. We have you on camera, and your key can open that strongbox.""That's a lie! Tell you what, here's what happened ok…""Better don't start cooking up stories.""I had no place to sleep that night, and the only place I could think of was my workplace. I only slept on the veranda and I did not break into the building.""But you were the only one the CCTV camera captured last.""Did the CCTV capture me breaking into the building or exiting with the safe?"The policemen were at a loss but they knew they ha
Inside the torture room, James trembled, yet he refused to yield.He held onto the hope that his uncle had indeed answered that call from the officer.His nose was broken and blood was gushing out from his mouth and ear.With blood still in his mouth, he spat at Henry."How dare you, loser."Henry was furious. He grabbed the knife from Jaxon and stabbed James in the arm."Now I'll kill you.""Instead of this jerk to start apologizing and beg for forgiveness he is still asking for more trouble." One of the policemen said."Surely he has given up on life already.""What do you expect from a nobody?"Despite the brutal beating from Jaxon, Henry, and the two officers, James remained unafraid. Instead, he started smiling."What's wrong with him?""He's demented, Can't you see?"He scanned their faces one more time. He needed to make sure he remembered it."You won't get away with this. Once I'm out of here, all four of you, Jaxon, Henry, and you two officers, will face the consequences for
When James lifted his head, everyone present was taken aback by the sight of him. His whole body was bearing the physical marks of his recent torture. His face was bruised and battered.What was even more shocking was the revelation that he was now the new owner of Emerald Multisource Cooperation. He was now the person in charge of the company.This news hit them like a thunderbolt. Even Alisha, his ex-wife, couldn't hide her surprise. She had no idea that the man she had once been married to, the man her family treated like a piece of shit was now the new owner of the very company where she worked."This can't be real!" Mr Thomas Sterling was shocked to his bones. "You're telling me he's the big boss now?""No way! I thought he was just a regular loser.""And I was even thinking the boss was going to be someone else entirely.""Well, I guess we've all underestimated this guy for a long time."On the other hand, Jaxon, Henry, and the other policemen who tortured James mercilessly fi
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