Austin tilted his brows as he saw the wall slide open, revealing an lift.The lift exuded a soft brilliance that was comfortable to the eyes, and under the lead of James, the duo entered the lift.Checking that Austin was beside him, James set the floor number of where they were headed before retracting his hands.After a few minutes of uneventful silence, Austin felt the lift come to a halt as its door opened to the new floor.Still following James like a curious, obedient kid, Austin walked into the new floor. As soon as he stepped his feet to the floor, though… he froze.His eyes swept through the surroundings, his eyes twitching with mixed feelings.''This house won't stop surprising me, eh?'' He clicked his tongue, his eyes stuck on the fleet of cars.Contrary to what he imagined, James actually brought him to one of the private garages, and the car line-ups were breathtaking.''Thirty cars?'' Austin said in a hushed tone.''And what's up with the limited editions, good God.'' He
“What's going on?'' Austin rolled his eyes, puzzled over the outrage in the distance.He could see a mob around the hotel's perimeter, just adjacent to the building.Rants, chants, angry roars and curses filled the air like a thick smoke, swallowing the peaceful atmosphere.Piqued by curiosity, Austin decided to check what the commotion was all about. Clicking his tongue, he loosened his grip on the door that led to the reception, making a swift turn.Fortunately, no one came with him to the hotel, at least not openly as far as his sight could tell him.Otherwise, knowing his father's bodyguards, they would've persuaded him to ignore the fuss and make his way to the hotel just as he intended.“I'm just taking a look, right?''“Just a few seconds and I'll be back.” Austin grinned, reassuring himself that he wouldn't be long.A few moments later, Austin was already outside the hotel premises, moving closer to the uproar. Soon, a frown found its way on his face as he approached the mob.
“Just watch how I handle this, eyesore,'' Alice, Austin's former mother-in-law said.After punching the phone screen a few times, she brought it to her ears, her face a shade of contempt and anticipation.Fortunately for her, whoever she was trying to call didn't disappoint as they answered after the second beep *Hello, Mr Thomas.'' Alice mustered a smile, caressing her short hair.“Yes, I was caught up in a tiny inconvenience, I don't know if you could be of assistance.'' she squeezed her face still maintaining her crooked smile.“Oh, what's that? And you can just call me Thomas,'' the voice from the other end said, his tone unreadable.“Ah… alright Thomas,'' she gulped in between giggles, her eyes glaring at Austin in disdain.“I fell into the hands of some damn scammers. Honestly, I didn't see this coming, and, and… they just ran away with quite a huge amount of money.'' Alice complained, her forehead creasing in annoyance.“Oh, which scanner is that?'' Thomas asked, his voice ree
“The main issue now is that almost everyone here will go bankrupt if they don't get the money back… so I'm hoping you could take over the case,” Alice said, her eyes riddled with self-pity.“Is it that bad?“ Thomas frowned, his thoughts unknown to all.“Yes… some women here are nursing mothers, and I've told them that I know someone who can bring us out of this mess.“ Alice straightened her shoulders, her face beaming with pride.She had long taken over the role of Mother Teresa, seeing the pitiful masses. However, her aim was far from sincere kindness.Just like her daughter, she loved being in the spotlight even if she couldn't afford the means.Therefore, she contacted Thomas so he could beat the weight of her insatiable greed for fame.“A celebrity wannabe.“ Austin spat inwardly, his thoughts filled with contempt.If he hadn't been in contact with this old hag for years now, he would've been fooled too. Just like others had presently.“Oh?“ Thomas' eyebrows curled up, hearing Alic
The biting words stuck on Austin like a maggot. Yet, he didn't react.He watched as Alice led the nob, her shoulders raised, beaming with utter confidence.He shook his head, seeing her swift change in attitude. Even though she hadn't acted dejectedly that much previously, she still didn't dare enter the company, despite the support of the protesters. Moreover, she never had the thought of leading these people.However, things were different, she now had the support of a rich, young man. With him by her side, not only was Alice confident of getting a refund, but also thought of getting even more. Maybe if Thomas pressured them enough, they would vomit their money alongside damages.“Tsk.'' She clicked her tongue, her eyes looking rueful.“Money is absolute power when he speaks everyone obeys, without questioning.'' Her face reddened, picturing some scenes in her head.She couldn't help but wonder how sweet it would've been if her husband was a tycoon like Thomas, the CEO of an old mon
A couple of days prior to the present time.Raphael, the owner of the insurance company had gone on a short trip to a neighbouring state.After leaving the airport, he headed to a particular destination, his heart racing with every passing moment.The stateless sky cascaded a gloomy shadow on the surroundings, giving Raphael the creeps.However, he summoned his courage and pushed forward. “It's now or never.“' He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resolve.“This is the only way to save myself… if not, I'd really land in deep waters this time around.“ He forced out a deep breath as he approached an alleyway.The distant, narrow space riddled with impregnable darkness made his heart tremble. However, remembering his mission here, he shrugged, faking an unyielding confidence.Soon, he entered the alleyway, his steps, slow and calculated. His hands also clung to his inner pocket, where the small pistol was. The only weapon he could smuggle in while travelling.“Hands behind your hea
“Otherwise, you'll be shown your place.'' The husky, sinister voice clapped in Thomas' ears, making him shudder as his eyes turned towards the direction of the voice.“Huh?'' His eyes narrowed to a slit, as he saw the approaching figures from the upper floor.“Who are you?'' he asked, his domineering voice forever present.“Hmph.” Raphael snorted as he escorted the mafia boss down to the reception where the commotion was unfolding.“I'm asking again, who are you, or until I smack something in your ears.“ Thomas became agitated, his eyes turning murderous.The three reps, on the other hand, who Thomas mistook for the owners of the insurance company, heaved a sigh of relief.“Sir, you're here.'' They all bowed as Raphael's figure entered their view.They also glanced at the other person beside him, and they couldn't help but throw a questioning look at their boss.However, Raphael brushed past them, ignoring their gazes.Jacob, the mafia boss also ignored them and approached Thomas bef
Silence!Everywhere fell into utter quiescence as Jacob's voice rang in the air, bringing the onlookers to a stop.“Who do you think is standing before you all?'' he said, his eyes sweeping across the room.He had been maintaining silence for a while now, thinking that these noobies would keep quiet. Yet, it appeared that he had completely misunderstood their wit.“And who are you to tell me to stop?“Thomas barked, his body trembling from profuse rage.As time passed, he kept losing face before these ignorant scammers. This battle was no longer a fight to defend the weak… it had turned into a fight of pride, and he wouldn't watch his pride drag through the mire.Fortunately, he came prepared… as though he knew something could go wrong, he had also contacted his underlings.Thomas wasn't dumb either. Even though he acted as though he feared no one, he knew the issue of a protest and a no-name insurance company might have deeper connections than he thought. Hence, he made his men hide