Victor almost couldn't believe himself when he heard Rafa's words. Although he knew that the youngest Morales was a cunning businessman who evaluated every situation in profit or loss, he had thought that their friendship was strong enough.He had assumed that based on their years of cooperation, Rafa would be willing to look beyond his personal gains.But he refused to accept this answer, and tried again, using a different approach."Well, of course. But everyone needs a little support, right? And in this matter involving an industry giant like Samuel Holt and an Overlord like Chuck Stevens, I could only think of your name!"He continued to speak, adding heaps of flattery;"After all, who else is there in Lauderdale, apart from you, who can accomplish this incredible feat? Only you have the immense wealth and power to force the hand of someone like this man, who has appeared out of nowhere!"He finally managed to get a response out of Rafa, who suddenly spoke up;"What did you say, h
The abrupt silence that had spread after the call with Rafa Morales was deafening, as Artis' connections had quickly shattered Victor's aura of invincibility.Victor seemed like he was wearing a cloak of despair and bitterness. Meanwhile, gang members who had never once questioned their loyalty to Victor now exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of their fate under his crumbling reign.Artis strode past the defeated Victor Antonoff without even a glance in his direction, with Chuck Stevens and Kyle following him.Chuck stepped forward so he was walking beside Artis, and he was speaking;"Everything has gone as per our plan, Mr. Hardy, and I also contacted our other associates who will be reaching out to us over the next few days."They stepped outside, finally leaving the chaos of the Bailey's Bar behind; but what they didn't know was that Mia, Henry, and his friends had returned at some point, out of fear and curiosity.They had watched the entire situation that had been taking place i
Artis was startled on seeing her so wound up, but in spite of his suspicions that something was wrong, he replied in a nonchalant manner;"I told you, didn't I? I was gone for some work–""Artis! You better be fucking honest, because I have just received something that proves you are lying! You are lying right now, aren't you?"Scarlet was hysterical, thinking that he was undoubtedly hiding something that would eventually turn out to be harmful.Although Artis was curious about what had happened, he could see that it was more important to calm Scarlet down first."Of course I'm being honest. I had gone to make some urgent deliveries for work, where else would I be? Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me?"Seeing that Scarlet was still unconvinced, he tried to clear out her suspicions. Of course, he couldn't tell her that he had gone to rescue Mia and Henry from the clutches of a cult. "I understand that you might be upset because I left you at the hospital in this vulnerable st
"Hey! If I am not mistaken then you are Artis Hardy, the good for nothing husband of my dear Scarlet? I thought she has already divorced you… and if so, then why in the world are you still here?"She paused for a moment as continued;"Oh! Do you need some charity? Or any other monetary help? If this is the case, I think I can help you, but I also have a piece of advice for you. It's not a good thing to visit your ex-wife for charity, I know people like you have no self respect, but still, it can have adverse effects on Scarlet's life too.So from next time, if you want some money or charity, just contact me. I know you come here because of your contacts with Scarlet, but I know my sister really well. She might have a lot of wealth, but she is still stingy and miserly."She gave Hena a half smile as she said;"Probably, this is one of the reasons you got the chance to marry Scarlet in the first place— so that my sister could save the dowry she would have to give for a more wealthy and
Dorothy had purposefully said the words out loud with a sarcastic tone in her voice, as she not only wanted to thoroughly rub the salt of jealousy under the pretense of a joke, but she also wanted to mock them as far as she could.That's why she didn't pause after firing her first assumption in the air, but continued talking, maintaining a smile as if this was a perfectly good topic to bring up here. "Don't be shy, Scarlet! Tell me more about you guys– when did you meet? And where? Oh, I can just see the romantic tension between both of you across the room! And trust me, I am also wondering how this dumb ex- husband of yours has not been able to sense it yet."Dropping another bomb through her words, Dorothy smiled and turned towards her sister, Hena, who had not spoken anything yet. She interrupted her even before she could open her mouth, and asked again;"So tell me, when are you going to give me the other details regarding the wedding and all…"She dropped the sentence in the mi
"What did you say?" Hena glared at Artis as if daring him to repeat himself. But Artis stood firm, looking at everyone gathered in the living room, and declared, "I said, you should go to the party, and in fact, I'm also planning to attend the party. I am invited, aren't I? Aunty Dorothy?"He quickly shifted the question towards Dorothy, who liked nothing more than a good family drama. If Artis was allowed to come to the party, he would undoubtedly end up embarrassing himself and Hena too– and this would surely be quite entertaining, right?Thinking this, Dorothy gave him a wide, fake smile as she said in a sweet voice;"Well, as Hena's current son -in -law, how can I tell you not to come? It would be a different matter if your divorce was finalized, but until then, of course you can come." "Then I'll surely bring Mrs. Silverman there–"Hena's eyes narrowed, and she let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, Artis, don't act like you are doing us a favor. She is extending the invitation to
Dorothy, relishing the drama she had stirred, twirled around and sat on a nearby bench, reclining completely backwards in a relaxed posture. A satisfied smirk was present on her lips, as she thought about how wonderfully she had turned this into an entertaining family gathering. After all, some chaos always tends to make things more interesting.Just by a simple nudging, she had brought up so many topics to the surface, which would otherwise be swept under the rug, if not for her.But she couldn't let the situation get too messy, otherwise it would be impossible for her to act as a messenger of peace.So, she finally spoke up in a distressed voice;"Oh come on, you guys… I have come to visit my niece, and is this how you welcome me?" Scarlet shot her aunt a disapproving glance, "Aunt Dory, please. This is a serious matter, and I want to finish it once and for all today. Either my mother will understand that I am happy with my husband and I'm not leaving him, or I'll cut off all rel
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Scarlet was still struggling to comprehend the situation as she returned to the room, and Artis could tell by the ashen look on her face that she had just received some major news.But before he could ask about it, they were interrupted unexpectedly due to a call on her phone. Her mom's sharp tone blared through the speakers as soon as she received the call;"Your dad is coming home tomorrow. And if you don't want the whole world to know what an ungrateful little weasel you are, you better come by around noon and sign the papers, the lawyers will be here too.""Mom, I won't –""No! I won't hear any of your excuses. Mark's health is already in bad condition, and I am telling you, Scarlet! If something happens to your dad just because you are being such a brat, I will never forgive you!"With this warning, Hena cut the call, shaking Scarlet from the core. Seeing that her mother's disapproval was not going to go away any time soon, Scarlet was forced to think of the only possible option
As soon as the bell rang, Artis opened the door, only to find a dejected Scarlet stepping into their home. The concern in his eyes didn't go unnoticed, and he immediately moved towards her."Hey, what happened?" Artis asked, his voice laced with genuine worry. "You look upset."Scarlet attempted to dismiss his concern with a forced smile. "It's just a work- related thing, nothing major."Artis, however, wasn't easily convinced. He could read Scarlet well, and her attempts to downplay the situation only heightened his curiosity."Come on, honey. You know you can tell me anything." Artis insisted, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "I hate seeing you like this."Despite Artis's caring nature, Scarlet remained guarded."No, I already told you. It's just some misunderstanding at work. I can handle it on my own."Artis's protective instincts started kicking in, as he made her sit on the couch. "Scarlet, we are a team. If something's bothering you, let me help."Scarlet, appreciating
As Artis and Scarlet embarked on the journey home after visiting her father at the hospital, the car became a witness to the intimate conversation between them. After holding herself back for the entire day, Scarlet's curiosity about the undisclosed wealth of her family bubbled to the surface, and she gently questioned him regarding his family dynamics. Artis could also understand that she had received quite a shock after coming to know this information, and he patiently tried to answer her questions without giving away too much at the same time. However, their conversation took a more serious turn as Scarlet expressed a concern which she had tried to suppress ever since he had told her about the reason for leaving his family."Artis, you said that you had left them because you didn't agree with a marriage that they had arranged for you. What if… what if they are still resentful because of that? What if we go and meet them, and your parents don't approve of me?"Leaning back in the
As Dr. Dave Cameron dropped the bombshell about the Berhans family's unethical practices, the gathered onlookers, once swayed by Chad's lies, were now enraged by the truth about the family's history of exploiting innocent people.Angry voices started to rise, condemning Chad for his involvement in these scandals and accusing him of being a manipulative liar. The crowd shifted its anger towards Chad;"He fooled us all with his fake tears and displays of generosity!""I can't believe we fell for his lies, he manipulated us all!""People like him who bully others and then act like victims are a disgrace to the community!"The collective resentment built up as the crowd vented its frustration, realizing the extent of Chad's betrayal."Fool me once, shame on you!""We trusted him and demanded justice for him, and in return, he betrayed us!""I feel so cheated! We won't let you get away with this!""Kick him out! We don't want him here anymore!""Let's make sure everyone knows the truth abo
In the middle of this drama, a reporter also happened to arrive on the scene, with his full camera crew, making people think that the media had also been alerted about this scene because of the involvement of the heir of such a high profile family. But little did everyone know that this reporter had been tipped off by Chad himself, even before he had confronted Artis and Scarlet. He was fully prepared for both possibilities: if Artis agreed to give a statement, then this reporter would immediately rush to the scene and take his interview ; and if he refused, then too, Chad would get the chance to exploit this drama for a sensational news story. The atmosphere became charged with anticipation as the reporter, armed with a microphone, waded through the crowd to confront Artis and Scarlet.The reporter, with a cunning glint in his eye, addressed them;"Artis Hardy and Scarlet Silverman, the alleged fraud couple! What do you have to say about these damning accusations? Is it true that
Artis and Scarlet stood in the hospital lobby as the sound of blames and accusations grew louder, while no one was ready to hear out their side of the story.On the contrary, the crowd's relentless beratings and insults only seemed to magnify with each passing moment."You call yourselves decent people? You're nothing but opportunistic leeches!""I doubt that all that success of the Silverman family is also built on lies, wasn't it? They really think everyone is a fool!""This poor guy deserves better friends than you two!""Look at them, acting innocent now. Just own up to your shameful acts!""These people are nothing but social climbers! They pretend to be friends with someone until they have squeezed the last drop of profit from them, and then forget about the ones who supported them!"Scarlet's eyes were filled with tears now, because her attempts to explain were being drowned out by the overwhelming chorus of disapproval, again and again. On the other hand, although Artis was v
Chad's apologetic monologue continued, his voice heavy with guilt and the regret evident in his tone;"Artis, man, I can totally understand why you didn't want to forgive me at the hotel. I mean, I have been a complete idiot and I didn't even realize it! I looked down on you because of your financial status, and I even had some really messed up thoughts about Scarlet regardless of the fact that you two are married."He gulped before continuing, "And once I found out that Mrs. Silverman wanted you to get divorced as soon as possible, my hopes literally skyrocketed, thinking that I was finally going to get my dream girl. And that's why, I was also saying all those things back at the hotel, to hopefully provoke you enough where you willingly signed the divorce papers. But I can see how stupid I was, and I admit, I was wrong on all counts."Artis, though maintaining a stoic facade, couldn't fully trust Chad's sudden change of heart. "It's always easy to spout flattering words, Chad. But
Scarlet, enduring the unexpected slap from her mother, felt a surge of humiliation and pain, which sent tears streaming down her face. Although her cheek was already wet due to tears; this time, her tears were not because of her rage– rather, they had appeared because of the deep emotional wounds inflicted by her mother.For a few minutes, she was unable to say anything, processing the shock of the slal. But on the other hand, Artis, witnessing Scarlet's vulnerability, could no longer stand by as a silent spectator. His protective instincts kicked into gear, and he finally broke his silence to confront Hena;"Are you in control of your senses or not?! How can you just slap her like this–""Shut up!" Hena glared at him, while seething in anger."She is my daughter, and I can do as I please! Dammit–""Excuse me! You have exploited her enough as it is. Now, she is my wife before she is your daughter, so behave appropriately, do you understand? You better control yourself in front of m