Jonathan was taken aback and surprised to see the old man. He recognized the old man instantly—Butler Solomon, the head steward of the Powerful Gray family from the capital. Memories flooded back of a time when he was the young master of the Gray family, living a life of privilege and expectation.
After greeting Jonathan, Butler Solomon's eyes scanned the room, his expression one of barely concealed displeasure. He moved with a dignified grace, each step echoing in the hushed station. His displeased expression made the police chief as beads of sweat started forming on the police chief's brow, hastily speaking, his voice shaky with nervousness. "We are already done, we will release him now." If the police chief knew Jonathan had such connections, he would never have kept Jonathan here. It was better to offend Williams than to offend Jonathan who had such powerful connections. "Let's go," Butler Solomon said simply, his tone brooking no argument as he led Jonathan outside the cell. Outside, the night air was a welcome relief, cool and fresh against the skin. The city around them was alive with lights and sounds, a stark contrast to the suffocating tension inside the police station. Parked at the curb was a sleek but luxurious black car, its polished surface reflecting the city lights. As they approached the car, Jonathan asked in a simple manner, "Solomon, why are you here?" trying to mask the myriad emotions swirling within him. Butler Solomon opened the car door for Jonathan, his movements deliberate, measured and calculated. He said, "The family has always been concerned about you and your affairs even when" he paused, his voice carrying a hint of paternal affection. "Even when you left us for that woman, we never stopped keeping an eye on you. That's how important you are to the family." Jonathan's heart tightened. He had left the powerful Gray family, abandoning everyone, the wealth and the influence for a woman he believed he cared about and loved. The decision he made had led him down the path of regret and betrayal. The same family he left was the same family who came for him at his most desperate time. He sighed. The interior of the car was soft and comfortable. This was the life Jonathan had abandoned to pursue a woman who didn't value it. Butler Solomon personally manned the steering wheel. Although he had his own driver, he came alone and as such he was the one who drove. As the car drove, the air was riddled with silence. After a few minutes, Butler Solomon broke the silence as he said in a soft voice, "I've known everything that happened, all your struggles. Do you regret it?" Jonathan looked out of the window as the car drove, obviously the city lights emitting from buildings or standing lights. Of course, deep down he regretted his choice more than ever but he remained silent as his words got caught in his throat. Although Jonathan said nothing, the head steward could sense the unspoken answer from him. Butler Solomon sighed before speaking in a gentle but firm tone, "I am taking you back to the family. Your father is seriously ill with ALS. The doctors said he doesn't have much time left." A wave of sadness washed over Jonathan. Although he had a complicated relationship with his father and did not like him much, the news still affected him. Jonathan's father had been a playboy, he enjoyed having many pleasures than carrying out his duties as a parent. His mother passed away when he was young leaving a void that his father never filled. The thought of his father being near death and very vulnerable brought out emotions he had long buried and never wanted to think off. Of course, driving to the capital would take a longer time. A private plane was already waiting at the airport which they took to the capital before getting into the car that awaited them. As they neared the Gray family's estate, Jonathan was washed by a mixture of comfort and unease at the same time. The Gray family's estate was a true definition of luxury. It had a grand golden gate which was imposing. The gates swung open as they reached it. Jonathan took a deep breath as he looked out the window seeing the familiar environment. He prepared himself for what lay ahead. His return to the family was not just to face his father but to face his own past and correct his mistakes. Of course, it wouldn't be easy but perhaps this was his chance for redemption. Finally, the car came to a stop in front of the big mansion. The mansion itself was a sight to behold. Gigantic, powerful and luxurious. Butler Solomon was the first to step out, then he proceeded to open the door for Jonathan. Jonathan sighed as he stepped down, all the previous memories began to rush into his head. Stepping into the mansion, there were no changes, it was just exactly as it had been before he left. It was lavish and had an ancient feeling to it. The hallways were filled with portraits of the Gray family ancestors. The grand legacy of the Gray family had begun many years ago. Jonathan paused for a moment as he looked at the portraits. He had strayed away from the family's path. After which, he bowed slightly and followed Butler Solomon through the familiar corridors. Finally, they stopped in front of a giant wooden door. Butler Solomon turned to Jonathan and said, "Your father is inside." And with that he turned to leave. Jonathan nodded as he watched Butler Solomon leave. His heart beating seriously, almost beating out of his chest. Thinking of his father brought several memories. Sighing, he pushed the door open and stepped into the room. The sight before him made him heavy hearted, it was totally different from what he imagined. A stark contrast to the personality his father had. What he saw was his father laying on a bed, weak and frail surrounded by several doctors.Jonathan's father gestured to the doctors to step out. Once they did, they shut the door behind them. The room was still as silence eroded it like a virus.Jonathan sat across from his father but said nothing. His father looked at him with a soft and gentle expression. This was something he had never seen before.Jonathan's father took a deep breath, his voice trembled as he spoke."Son!" He paused and continued after taking another deep breath, "I have made many mistakes in my life. I haven't been a good father to you. I've been distant and harsh. I'm sorry for everything. I want you to know, I have always loved you. I'm sorry I'm saying this now."Jonathan felt a lump form in his throat. He was overwhelmed with a myriad of emotions. He had longed to hear these words. Hearing them being spoken now untied a knot that had been in his heart for so long.Silence engulfed the room again. After a short while, Jonathan spoke up, "I forgive you, Dad. I never heard it against you. I just want
Jonathan's father asking him this really surprised him. Three years ago, it had been a warm evening when Jonathan had last seen Precious. She had stood on the balcony of her family’s residence , her delicate frame silhouetted against the fading light, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and sorrow. Precious was a real epitome of beauty, she was smart and intelligent and she had been his fiancée, chosen not just by the will of their families but by the undeniable current of fate. Jonathan and Precious had grown up together, they shared the same elite circle, wealth, tradition and expectation. When it was time to fulfil that expectation, Jonathan chose a rebellious path and ran away. He ran away not just from Previous but from the life whom he saw as a cage. He wanted to make his own choices. Of course, he found what he wanted, a life of freedom, passion and a life lived on his own terms. However, deep within him, guilt ate him up. He had left Precious to bear the brunt of their enga
Just at that moment, Jonathan remembered who she was. No wonder, she felt familiar. The woman was a former colleague known at the office for her striking beauty. Despite the fact that she kept a low profile, she had a soft voice and was well mannered which made her very popular.Though they had both worked in the same company for years, Jonathan and her had never been close. He had always maintained a respectful distance from women being mindful of his marriage. His ex wife was harsh so he made it a point to avoid being close to any female colleague. Another thing that made him make such a decision was the love he had for her as such he wouldn't want to do anything to make her sad or angry.However, today was different. He didn't need to keep his distance from other women and he couldn't also just leave his former colleague who was in trouble. He was not a saint but he also had a heart. Without hesitation, Jonathan got closer and threw his foot forward striking the man's side, sendi
The manager’s words had barely left his mouth when Jonathan stepped forward and delivered a stinging slap across his face. The sharp slap echoed in the office, silencing the manager and leaving him stunned. The security guards, witnessing the audacity of the act, tensed up, ready to spring into action. But before they could make a move, Jonathan fixed them with a cold, piercing glare making them shudder. His eyes, hard as steel, communicated a silent but unmistakable threat—any attempt to intervene would be met with severe consequences.The security guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances, unsure whether to risk confronting this formidable figure. This was the first time someone had dared act arrogantly in Blue Net Group and also made them feel a little fear.Jonathan didn't pay attention to any of them and reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Calmly, he dialed a number, bringing the phone to his ear with an air of complete confidence.“Get him on the line,” Jona
The sudden switch of events made everyone present stunned as they all tried to comprehend what was happening. “What's going on?” The directors whispered amongst themselves as they kept their gaze fixed on Daniel and Jonathan. “That's enough now.” Jonathan said, holding Daniel’s shoulder as he made him stand upright. “I’m sorry about what happened, please let this slide.” He bowed his head again. This time around, the directors had no choice but to follow suit though they were still clueless.“Isn't he Jonathan?” Maria whispered to another colleague standing next to her. “Yeah. But… I'm still trying to wrap my head around this.” Tracy whispered back. Shutting her eyes, she placed her fingers on both sides of her head and then began to massage it, trying to calm herself. A few seconds later, she snapped her eyes open only to see Jonathan still in his former position. “I'm not dreaming. It's indeed Jonathan.” She mumbled, her gaze not leaving him for a second. They weren't the onl
Picking up the file, Daniel scanned the content for a while before returning his gaze to Jonathan who was drumming his fingers against the table. “Williams Logan?” He asked with a raised brow. “Yes, you sound like…” “I don't have an opposition to your instruction.” Daniel pushed his hand forward with a little laugh. He was nervous and no matter how much he tried to calm himself, he failed woefully at it. Another thing, he didn't want to get on the bad side of Jonathan for whatsoever reason. “I didn't mean to say that.” Jonathan's voice was calm. “With your reaction, I thought you know a few things about him and would like to share with me.” Scratching his head, he replied, “I don't know him personally. The only idea I have about him is, he is a lawyer.” “Then find out more about him.” Winking at him, he said, “Don't focus on the good parts only, find out flaws too, just like…” He didn't have to finish speaking before Daniel knew who he was referring to. “I need to check in wit
The news of Jonathan taking over Blue Net spread like a wide fire and so it became a hot topic among those who were acquainted with him. When Sarah heard the news initially, she didn't think much about it but when it became a hot topic of debate she had to do her research to find out what she heard was the truth. Sitting crossed legs on the couch, she had a glass of wine to her lips as she thought about Jonathan's current position. “You okay?” Williams asked, leaning over her and planting a kiss on her forehead. He had just returned from work. “Yeah!” She pushed him off, scrunching her face. She was bothered and wasn't in the mood for any form of intimacy. Wondering what was going on, Williams plopped on the couch beside her, holding her hand, he gave it a soft squeeze. “You don't look well.” “Haven't you heard?” She snapped, rolling her eyes at him. “Heard what? I’m lost here.” He searched her face while waiting for her response. “Jonathan is the owner of Blue Net.” She reel
The next morning at work, Jonathan had just arrived when Daniel scurried to his side, holding a flashdrive. “I got every single thing about him.” He rapped as Jonathan relieved him of the flashdrive. “Thank you.” He flashed him a smile, his mind running with different ideas at once. “Yeah! Is there anything you would like me to do?” “None for now. I will let you know when next I need help.” Raising the flash drive above his head, he said, “Thanks for this, I appreciate it.” Sitting behind the mahogany table in his office, he pushed the flash drive into the port of his laptop. Scrolling through the information he had gotten, his smile widened. “So he has a wife at home.” He muttered, smacking his lips. “It's sickening, having a wife and then having an affair with a married woman.” Leaning against his seat with his hands clasped in front of him, he shut his eyes, rewinding the scene that happened a few days ago. Suddenly snapping his eyes open, he muttered, “Was Sarah aware?”
The gasps and side comments were getting intense and Precious wasn't helping matters as she was mute and also wore a calm expression. “Are you indeed the culprit?” Karlyx asked. He was standing by her side at the moment. “Nope! I want to use the bathroom.” Relieved, Karlyx exhaled as he pushed his head backwards. Crossing his hands, he informed them that she wasn't the culprit and once again there was murmuring in the hall as everyone wanted to speak at the same time. Vina kept sipping from her bottle while Karl clenched and unclenched his fists as his heart rammed against his chest. Solomon did nothing to end the suspense, rather he took the chair next to Jonathan and then plopped on it. With his hands crossed on the table, he asked, “What should I do next?”“We should allow them to confess as planned.” He muttered. Smirking, Solomon leaned in and with a voice barely above a whisper, he said, “You have no idea who you are dealing with.” “They aren't going to say a word as the
Getting to the boardroom, it was already packed to the brim with the staff who were itching to find out what the meeting was all about. Seated on the elevated platform were a handful of board of directors, shareholders and then the managerial team of the mall. Vina kept scrolling through her iPad, trying to take her mind off the handsome young man she had encountered earlier. Deep down, she felt a connection like they had known each other before now but the issue was, she couldn't place the connection. He kept looking strange to her when in the real sense he was familiar. Using the butt of her pencil to scratch the bridge of her nostrils, she raised her head just in time to see Pearl pulling out a seat for him on the table she sat on too. Since she was sitting next to Karl, she held his arm, urging him to look in their direction which he did. “That should be Jonathan Gray.” He mumbled as he peered at them. “No way! What is going on here?” He gulped. It seemed like his senses ha
Jonathan and Pearl exchanged glances before returning their gazes to Vina who was still fuming in anger. Stepping forward, Pearl cooed, “You should get a grip of yourself dear.” She went further to say, “No one here is a petty thief and moreover, you didn't walk past with your car key, you should look around more carefully.” Despite her mild tone, Vina was still furious and wanted to hit her but Jonathan stepped in, suspending her hand mid air. “You shouldn't be acting out of board young lady.” He snapped. “Like she said, no one is a petty thief and you shouldn't go around trying to defame someone.” He pushed her aside, and at once an angry Vina raised her head. For a moment, she kept staring at Jon as anger raked through her. Just when he thought she had finally recognized the man in front of her, he exhaled. “If I don't get to find my keys, both of you will remain in the holding cell until I do.” She huffed and then stormed away in fury. Frustrated, Pearl tossed her head aside
Armed with evidence which was enough to put an end to Vina Leighton and Karl Smith's streak, Jonathan called for a general meeting of all staff in the mall. From the lowly janitor to the manager, they all were to converge at the hall for a brief meeting before the mall would be reopened again. That morning while Jonathan was getting ready for work, Ariel walked up to him, wrapping her hands around his waist with her head placed on his back. “These days you’ve been scarce, is everything alright?” She asked, her tone dripping with sincerity. For the last few days, she had been trying to have a little chit chat with him but before he would return home, she was already in bed and before she woke up the next day, he was off. “Yeah!” Jonathan nodded, taking her hands off his waist gently. Swirling around to face her, he placed his hand on her shoulder, “You shouldn't bother about me, I’m absolutely fine.” “Hazel misses you, you should try to create time for her.” She said as she remov
With an alarmed look on her face, Vina plopped on the couch next to him as she leaned forward. “What are you talking about?” She asked her heart, ramming against her chest as she darted her eyes around, hoping it shouldn't be what she was thinking. “They suddenly barged in, I had no prior information of their presence.” He exhaled as Vina peered at him, waiting for him to spill what she wanted to hear. “You know I trust my instincts so well, I had to send the documents to you this morning. They didn't find anything on me, I'm grateful for that.” He muttered while she sighed in relief. “By the way, I have a bit of explanation concerning the content of those documents.” When she didn't respond, he asked, “Were they here too?” “Yes.” She nodded, the look on his face going sour. Vina didn't need anyone to tell her Karl was scared, the look on his face was enough and it was as if he was going to pass out the next second. Feigning to have really flopped, she bent her head and then be
The next day, having booked an appointment with Harrison the previous day, Jonathan made his way to his office to meet with him.Before his arrival, Harrison had made sure he informed the protocol at the gate to treat him with respect and that was exactly what they did. Now seated opposite him in his spacious office, Jonathan was swirling the content of his mug with his gaze on Harrison who was itching to hear what he had to say. “About Williams, I’m sorry.” Jonathan kick-started the conversation.“You don't need to apologize. He deserves what came for him and I can attest to the fact that he is still learning his lessons.” Nodding his head in rhythm, Jonathan took a sip from his mug before fixing his gaze on him. “I need your help in getting the prosecution to perform a search and seizure on my shopping mall.” Laughing softly, Harrison titled his head to the side before saying, “I can't believe you booked an appointment just to say this to me when you could easily have said it o
As usual, the meeting didn't end on a good note as Raiden and Karlyx were furious with Gray’s decision of involving Jonathan on a task Karlyx had been assigned to. Pulling himself up, Raiden took his position in the middle of the living room with his gaze fixated on Gray who was unperturbed.“Father! This is unfair.” He howled like a wolf in distress. “What is unfair? I should be the one saying that to you considering the fact that you two wasted three whole years on a single project.” “But Jonathan hasn't even completed the first project you assigned to him, what makes you think that he is better than us.”“His intellect and he had proved beyond every reasonable doubt that he will be able handle the issue at the mall.” Gray said in defense, hitting his palm against the couch. Shutting his eyes even more tightly, Jonathan had his lips pressed more tightly against each other as anger coursed through him. He believed Gray was fully aware of what he was doing and the impact it was h
First, it was Solomon who wore a stoic expression and then Jonathan whose face was still reddened from the impact of the slap. “You did this?” Solomon asked Vina who was darting her eyes around like she had been caught in an unholy act. “I deserve a response, don't you think?” He leaned over her table, his whole gaze on her as she trembled. “Sir, I didn't intend to hit him but I couldn't hold back when he wanted to hit me. We had a little issue which resulted in an exchange of words, he tried to hit me first but I countered it.” Pointing at Karl, she said, “Thanks for his timely intervention, otherwise, I would have been badly beaten.” She rapped. “Jonathan!” Solomon yelled, glaring at him while he had his head buried to the ground. With her hand folded in front of her, Pearl did a quick bow and then scurried out, followed by Jonathan who had been sent out by Solomon. Jonathan was heading towards the janitor's room when Pearl grabbed his arm, pulling him to a corner. When she
Jonathan had just finished taking out the ashtray on Karl's table when he walked in with another stub of cigarette in between his lips. “Good morning sir.” Jonathan hailed as he prepared to push his cart away since he had finished cleaning for the day. Karl didn't only ignore him, he threw the remaining stub of cigarette on the floor and as if that was not enough, used the sole of his shoe to crush it. Enraged by this singular act, Jonathan grabbed the handle of his cart more tightly. So as not to explode in anger, he decided to act like he didn't witness it but Karl wasn't going to let him be. “Aren't you going to clean up the ash from the floor?” He barked, glaring at Jonathan's back. With a forced smile, Jonathan returned his gaze to him, “Pardon!” He said, acting like he had no idea about what was going on. “The ash, you need to clean it.” He said, pointing at the floor which he had smeared with the black substance. Jonathan was about to ask him to clean up the mess himself