Inside the mansion of the Winters was a heavy silence which enveloped the hearts of everyone in the wide parlor room as they faced the flat-screened television.
"I can't believe this." Karen said with a fallen look on her face depicting the sadness she felt from within.
Her mother, Carmela, was sitting with her, and her brother stood at the other end of the room. He had a mug of coffee in his hand, with a frown across his face, and his eyes on the television.
They had turned to a news station because Carmela had heard gossip from the women at her elderly gathering about a new spa that would be opened soon.
"Owner of the top earning company in the city, Comsor Terrain, Mr. A, has decided to increase the discount of the new spa at the Cunningham Hotel to a staggering ninety percent for the first five hundred." The newscaster said with a shocked look on her face, followed by a smile of interest.
She couldn't believe that such an offer could actually exist.
"I can't compete with this." Karen said and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
Her mother looked at her, and was about to say something when a knock was heard on the door of the mansion.
James walked to the door with a confused look on his face, wondering if they were expecting any visitors.
He opened the door, and saw a lady dressed in an expensive suit with a letter in her hand.
"A wonderful day to you, Mr. Winters." She said in an angelic voice.
James nodded at her and didn't bother replying as he took the letter from her hand.
"What's this?" He said with curiosity.
"It's an invitation to the opening ceremony of the new spa contracted with the Comsor Terrain company. I have been told to invite every resident of this estate. Have a good day, Mr. Winters."
The lady said and turned around. She didn't even wait for a reply as she walked into the Range Rover that had been waiting for her.
"We got invited to a ball party held tomorrow at the Cunningham's Hotel." James uttered, when he walked back into his home.
Karen glanced back at him before letting out a scoff, " I'm not going anywhere. I'd be too embarrassed to show my face."
"No, you shouldn't feel that way. You should let them know that they haven't gotten to you, and you are better than before." Carmela said to her daughter.
Karen looked at mother and gave her a nod. Maybe she would give Mark a call so he would be her date.
Night and day passed and the time for the ball party arrived.
Andrew decided to dress casually with just a plain looking T-shirt and a jean trouser. He stood
"Shelby, ensure that everything goes perfectly well. The announcement must go smoothly." Andrew spoke into the phone in his hand.
"Yes, Sir." Shelby answered. She dressed i
The guests arrived, everyone dressing in a magnificent attire, with dresses from famous designers.
"Maybe I should have dressed a little more." Andrew said as he looked down at his clothing. He stuck out of the crowd like a thumb.
The night grew darker and at that moment, the Winters made their entrance into the ball. All heads turned to face them and everyone started to murmur.
"Isn't that Karen, the owner of that top spa?" Someone said over a glass of wine.
"She is the one, but her spa isn't the top anymore, or so I have heard." A lady replied to the old woman who had spoken.
"Lower your voice, they'd hear you." The old woman whispered to the girl.
Shelby specially went to welcome the Winters and invited them in just like her boss ordered.
She didn't understand the game he was playing, but she would do anything as long as he paid her.
"This place is so beautiful. The decorations are magnificent." Carmela said as her eyes moved around.
"The CEO didn't hesitate to make this the best." Shelby said with a smile on her face.
The party continued as everyone walked around and talked to each other.
Suddenly, a loud commotion was heard, attracting the attention of every person in the hall.
James was busy yelling at a waiter who stood with his head down. There was broken glass on the floor, and wine had been spilled.
Shelby overheard the noise and moved closer to get a better view and her eyes opened.
"This man has doomed himself." She said with a sigh.
The man she was referring to was James as he was busy yelling at this waiter.
"I wonder how you, Andrew, got a job here, you useless piece of trash." James burst out in laughter.
Everyone in the Winters' family party suddenly recognized who James was lashing at.
"Karen, look, it's Andrew." Mark said with his hands around Karen's waist.
"I have eyes, and they are working perfectly, Mark." Karen frowned at her so-called date, she was starting to wonder if taking him along was a very bad idea.
"What are you doing here, Andrew?" Carmela had moved forward to lash out her spiteful words.
Andrew just stared at them in amusement, he didn't think that they would still display their bad character here.
He was about to say something when someone interrupted him.
"I knew you were meant to be in the trash. How disgraceful can you be? It was a good thing I divorced you. I wish I never even met you." Karen burst out in frustration.
She felt that Andrew had been the cause of all her problems because he got her the spot in this company.
"You measly scum, why are you still standing? Pour me a drink." James scoffed at his behavior.
Shelby was about to take a step forward and stop them but Andrew look at her from the corner of his eyes with a dangerous glint, causing her to halt.
Andrew didn't say a word, and he slowly poured a drink in a cup while everyone watched him.
James had a smile on his face when he collected the glass and instead of drinking the wine, he poured it on Andrew's body.
The crowd gasped, Shelby clenched her fists, but Andrew did nothing.
He just turned around and walked away.
Karen, who had watched the entire show felt a strange feeling in her chest but she hid it, and walked away from the scene with Mark.
The guests cleared from the scene but murmurs still moved around.
The Master of the Event walked to the stage, and he began to introduce the honored VIPs that were invited to the party.
Karen clicked her heels, desperately waiting for her name to be called, but she was disappointed.
The lights in the hall dimmed, and the MC's voice boomed across the hall.
Karen knew it was time to meet the man she had been longing to see, so she could find a way to bring him to her side.
"I'd like everyone present here to give a standing ovation as I welcome the chief executive officer of the Comsor Terrain company, Mr. Andrew White." The MC spoke with a voice of determination.
At the mention of that night, four persons whose hands had been clapping wildly immediately paused.
"Don't tell me." Mark said with his mouth hung open.
"I doubt it, it can never be that little gutter rat." James muttered, tightening his hold on the wine glass.
Two beautiful looking women stepped into the hall and rolled down a red carpet.
Another set of women sprayed beautiful red petals on the carpet and they stood by the side, waiting for their boss to walk in.
A golden boot appeared at the entrance of the hall and everyone's eyes widened.
"I'm still scared." Karen whispered, her heart was beating frantically. James turned towards her and flashed her a small smile, doing everything to take away her fears. "You don't have to be. I heavily doubt it's him. It will never be him." The silence was so deafening that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone watched with bated breath as the figure approached the doorway. Nobody had the faintest idea who it was gonna be. Karen had her heart in her hand despite the fact that James was doing everything to calm her down and ask her not to worry. She felt a foreboding that something was very wrong, and she was rarely wrong when she felt like that. Now it was happening again, in a time she wished it wouldn't. That's when the figure came into view, revealing Andrew. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and glasses. He exuded an air of confidence that commanded the focus of everyone who was present. He was given a standing ovation as he held out his hands for the two beautiful women. They interl
The ball party was gradually drawing to a close but for him, the night was just the beginning. He had a lot of things that he needed to take care of. With Karen gone and disgraced, the rest of the evening was mainly filled with murmurs about what had happened. News stations all over the city were already displaying the events that had taken place tonight. It no longer hurt him that he had done that to her, because he knew she deserved every bit of it. Not long after, the guests began to disperse and the events of the evening gradually faded into the background. Andrew retired at his mansion that night, but he spent most of it awake as he thought about his plans for the future, which was to start the next day. He had already instructed some of his men about the unveiling which was to take place the next day and preparations were already in progress. He slept with a smile that night. The next morning, he didn't waste any time before announcing the opening of his new spa. He had invite
The urgency in her voice was very high as she relayed the details to him. "There is a meeting that you must absolutely attend. You've been reached out to and I highly suggest you attend." Andrew didn't like the urgency and seriousness in her voice. He didn't want her acting all serious and changing the perspective he had wanted to face the day with. He glanced up from his desk and looked at the clock, wondering if it was one of those impromptu meetings. But it was late now, and there was no way he was leaving his apartment for any meeting. "What kind of meeting?"She sighed before replying. "It's the Assembly of CEOs. They have extended an invitation to you to join as one of the top rising CEOs. Your fame hasn't gone unnoticed. And from the way this information was stated, I think they want you urgently. A date has been set already. Their next meeting will be coming up in a few days. An exclusive card that will get you access to the venue has also been sent and will be handed over
Of course Andrew wasn't allowed to go scot-free after walking out on the council. It was a very shocking behaviour, one that was rarely seen among new business owners in the area. The chairman was no doubt shocked as well, but let it slide for the day. They gathered in the meeting room the next day to discuss what he had done and what the solution to his defiance was going to be. Of course the solution wasn't always going to be a good one, but nobody really cared. As long as everyone wasn't getting hurt or losses with his strategic implementation in business, then everyone was OK. The atmosphere in the room was very different compared to what it had looked like the day before. On this particular day, the silence in the room felt so thick and everyone who was present was ready to say everything they thought would be suitable to deal with the situation. It was very important, and they took it as such. "We are back here to address the Andrew situation." The chairman declared as he sto
Andrew saw the confrontation from the Assembly as an opportunity to let let know what he was really capable of doing. If there was one thing he had learnt after acquiring his system, it was bowing to no one because the moment you did, that would be the moment you would be treated like some piece of trash. It was time to take the hotel forward and give it everything he had given to his Spa which was still booming with customers with each passing day. It was still attracting a lot of customers worldwide since he had appointed world-class workers there. "Today is the day," he declared to himself as he walked through the front door of the ongoing construction. His team of engineers were already waiting for him inside and he was about to give them some last-minute ideas of what he wanted about the Spa, hoping that they would be able to fit them into the current plan. One of those was another Spa, a couple restaurants that would be annexed to the main building and also a shopping mall. A
Andrew was in his office, reviewing the latest financial reports when the familiar icons popped up, buzzing with an incoming notification. He clicked on the message. It was from Shelby.He opened the message with a quick swipe and was happy to find out that his investment had paid off handsomely- he had earned an eighty percent return on the shares he had purchased. He couldn't repress the chuckle that left his throat after getting the information."This is incredible!" He exclaimed. He was unable to contain his excitement and replied Shelby with a quick"Thank you." He was still ecstatic when his system popped up.[ Congratulations, master Andrew. Your investment has yielded significant returns as expected.] He grinned at the familiar robotic baritone."Amazing, isn't it?" He replied, imagining the things he could do with the profits he had just earned. He could further develop and expand his empire with it. His system continued, as indifferent as ever.[You have achieved your first
He spent a lot of time that night in his room, pondering over the accusations that Karen had made against him. He felt so betrayed and so angry even though the ties between them had been severed. He thought about a lot of things, such as addressing the issue head on and announcing that he had no part in what was going on and that Karen was merely chasing clout by accusing him of things he never did even when she was the one who initiated the divorce papers in the first place. How could she slander his name in such a manner, he thought, feeling his heart twist with so much pain. And to claim that he had a child with her- it was preposterous! Absolutely disgusting!! As far as he knew, he never saw any child and never saw her pregnant to begin with. It was all so strange and too much for him to handle, he knew he had to start somewhere. "I never even knew she had a child with me." He muttered to himself in utter confusion while staring into the distant void. "And she certainly never a
Andrew was particularly worried by the interface of the world where he had just found himself. It all felt so real. He was still breathing heavily when he found the sword again. It was somewhere behind the tree where he had just hit himself. He got up and quickly limped behind the back of the tree before lunging for the knife. He caught it just in time before another growl sounded behind him. He didn't waste any time to find out what was really going on because he had seen it all. The system was real and it had plunged him into a world of chaos, there wasn't a single doubt that it was real as well. The ground beneath him was soft and damp, and the sound of his footsteps was muffled by the dense undergrowth. The guttural growl sounded again, causing him to get up and run. His breathing was still very harsh from the impact of hitting himself on the tree trunk. As soon as he had gotten to safety, he gripped the hilt of the sword at his side and scanned the shadows for any signs of move
"What do you mean by that?" He growled after he was updated about the state of his health bars. There was nothing he got in response, and that made his blood run cold. He couldn't imagine being defeated by the giant thing in front of him. He got up again, feeling refreshed and strong again before moving back to a safe distance to think about what to do next.It was very clear from the foregoing that this was going to be a very hard mission, and if he wanted to win it he had to use his brain, rather than his brawny side. He had to plan, but it was frustrating because his best two options had just been thwarted and used against him before he knew what was happening. If he tried to keep on fighting without thinking, he knew he would surely be defeated in the blink of any eye. But it was worrisome because there was nothing he could do now, every other option he had in his mind was gone. Gritting his teeth against the cluelessness he was going through, he continued to think about it, ho
From the way that the ground shook, he knew that the enemy was coming and needed to be very prepared for whatever and whoever the bops of the level three was. With the mystery sword in his hand, he started to walk around, navigating the virtual landscape of level 3. However, he was faced with a shocking realisation that the mission wasn't just direct, it involved a lot of side but quick quests that he needed to perform before getting there. There were always one or two bugs he had to kill before moving forward. These bugs came in the form of some things- like miniature lizard men. He also had to keep an eye for poisonous plants that seemed to be newly added to the virtual landscape. They lay strewn along the path, and were probably waiting to strike whoever crossed it. The system made sure to explain it to Andre who also made sure to watch out for them and avoid coming in contact with it. According to the system, the poisonous plants didn't totally kill anyone it came in contact w
Some days later, Andrew was going about his usual routine when he suddenly began to feel a strange sensation. It kept pulling at him, and it felt as if an invisible force was tugging at him from all directions. He couldn't understand what was going on and it got more confusing because his system hadn't told him anything. He was so terrified as the feeling continued to intensify. It got so bad that he began to feel dizzy. He staggered to the couch in the living room and collapsed on it before facepalming in confusion. "What is going on?" He asked, groaning in pain. He looked around him but his vision was suddenly starting to feel dizzy. His system didn't respond, which further heightened his confusion, distress and fear. Was there a malfunction? He thought, before slumping right on the floor. He could feel his senses shutting down, and before he could react, the familiar portal appeared in front of him. It glowed, and he was half-expecting something or someone to come out from it.
Andrew devised a plan as soon as he got out of the alleyway that evening. He wasn't going to wait around before doing what he needed to do. He wanted to deal with James, with those that he had bullied in the past. He couldn't imagine the sight of seeing him being dealt with by the same people he considered weak and vulnerable. The search for potential allies began the next morning, and the first person he reached out to was a young man with tousled blonde hair. He was hunched over a collection of broken Gadgets as he worked. His name was Gilbert, and he was a very talented mechanic whose skills had been overshadowed by James and his oppressive regime. He approached Gilbert with a friendly smile and sat right beside him. Gilbert didn't say anything when he saw Amdrew, he just looked up and continued to work on his stuff. He feared he was going to be bullied yet again, and it would be best if he just kept to himself and didn't say anything that would incite the bullying. "Hey there,
The next day came with a lot of surprises, a staggering lot. The next day, Andrew was sitting in the crowded auditorium after an announcement was made online. The auditorium was bedecked with noise until the school chancellor took the stage, and his voice boomed over the chatter of the students. You could hear a pin drop now. "Attention, everyone!" He said, and smiled as he paused as if allowing the announcement to sink in before he continued again. Andrew looked around, wondering if James was somewhere around. He doubted it. "It's that time of the year again- the season for choosing our school president." He said, and the whole.crowd erupted in cheers. Andrew felt a thrill of excitement run through him when he heard that. This was his chance to make a name for himself, to prove that he was more than just a lowly street fighter. But quickly and sadly, he reminded himself that he was here for a mission and that was to defeat James, not fight for a position in a school. He was inte
The duo rounded a corner before they began walking down into an alley. Behind them were James's men. Some of them had been wounded during the fight but the injuries sustained were not bad.The alley had a faint glow of streetlights which cast eerie shadows on the graffiti-covered walls. Andrew knew that James was about to pair him up with somebody big, but he didn't care as a matter of fact. He had every resource to deal with whoever it was. But there wasn't a doubt that he was filled with anticipation. And if there was anything he was happy for, it was the fact that James didn't waste much of his time before introducing himself and offering him a chance to join his men. They didn't didn't stop walking until they reached a cul-de-sac at the end of the alley. James turned and pushed something in the wall while Andrew watched. After some seconds, the small parchment on the door opened and two curious eyes stuck out to observe who had paid them a visit. The parchment closed almost imme
The following day after what had happened in the school corridor between James, his goonies and the innocent student, Andrew came face to face with yet another discovery. As he made his way across the school grounds, he stumbled upon a heated confrontation between James and a group of rival students. From what was going on and the way they were shouting at themselves, it was pretty clear that a fight was going to break out soon and it did not look any good. The way they were insulting and being abusive towards each other told him to hang around for a little while because it was about to go down yet again and maybe he could use it to his advantage this time. He continued to wait as the altercation intensified, they were getting ready to throw hands but he feared about the whole thing getting worse. It was very possible that these people might be even worse than what he expected but he was going to wait and find out what was going to happen. If it got so bad to the point where his sy
Acclimatising himself to the bustling environment of the new school, Alex (Andrew) couldn't help but pick out one of the distinctive features that the university had. It was very surprising to him that there was still a case of social hierarchy that determined a lot of things here. The pecking order was clear, because there were certain groups of students that held swag over the others. They did everything in their power to enforce intimidation and fear so that others who weren't part of their group would steer clear. There were numerous reports of students getting into fights and the police intervening every now and then. He wondered if he was going to use it to his advantage in any way possible, and also asked his system if it would be nice to beat up the bad guys and get reward points from them, but he got a reply that it wasn't yet the time. He couldn't wait. He was walking through the crowded corridor one afternoon when he stumbled into a very troubling scene. Something had hap
Karen stared at the letter for a while, nodding her head as if she was replying to the owner of the letter. There was something about the letter that ignited the fire in her heart even though she had been feeling so terrible and awful for a number of days now. Something about it revived the vengeance in her, the one that she had no idea how to awaken since Alex had done what he did to her. Alex was in her plans, and she vowed that one day she was going to get him and deal with him, and teach him what would never make him forget her in a hurry. But she knew that the person behind all this was Andrew, and he was in fact, the one who needed to be seriously dealt with. She couldn't believe that she had allowed Alex into her life and he had easily escaped like that, now she couldn't let the public know that she was drugged because it would arouse a lot of suspicions that she was with another man. So for now, she decided that it was going to be best to lie low and only raise her head whe