The next morning, Adrian got dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, and headed for Crestwood Investment to sign and approve some contracts which included Anita’s proposal. As he rode his moped down the highway at a moderate speed, a black Porsche suddenly swerved into his lane and hit his moped from behind. The impact made him swerve abruptly and before he could regain control of the brakes, his moped collided with a curb and crashed next to a puddle of dirty water. Adrian groaned as he pulled himself up from the wet ground. The owner of the Porsche rolled down his tinted window and sneered at him. “Hey, you piece of shit!” The young man spat, his voice laced with disdain. “You’re extremely lucky my Porsche didn’t get scratched by that scrap metal of yours, or you would have been sorry. Get that thing off the road, it’s an eyesore! And you…” he eyed Adrian’s now stained clothes in disgust. “…are also an eyesore!” He rolled up his window and revved his engine, his tires spraying some
Kevin Larson, the assistant manager of Crestwood Investment was on his way out of the elevator when he heard the sound of voices coming from the reception. His forehead creased as he wondered who could be making such noise in the company so early in the morning. He made his way to the reception, his voice resonating throughout as he demanded to know what was going on. “What’s all this ruckus about?”All four pairs of eyes turned towards him as he strode towards the receptionist’s desk. Henry’s eyes lit up in familiarity. Kevin was his mother’s younger brother, and he saw his presence as an opportunity to teach Adrian a lesson. “Good morning uncle Kevin,” he began, feigning innocence. “Thank goodness you’re here. This skunk here…” he shot a finger towards Adrian. “is the cause of this ruckus. He keeps spouting gibberish from his mouth.”Evelyn also feigned innocence as she looked at Kevin’s face. “Henry’s right, Mr. Larson.” she supported. “This waste bag offended us and refused to ren
Martha ushered Adrian into her office and gestured for him to take a seat. Then, she reached into her file cabinet and produced a series of documents. “Sir, here are the contracts that require your signature of approval.” she explained, placing them on the table in front of Adrian along with a pen. Adrian scanned the names on the front page of each document, and when he saw Lilian’s name listed as a representative of Davies Designs, his face contorted into a frown. “Why is this document from Davies Designs bearing the name, Lilian Holt here?” he questioned in a sharp voice, “I thought I gave specific orders not to accept any documents from Davies Designs except the one with the name, Anita Davies.”Martha’s eyes widened in realization. “I apologize for that sir,” she mumbled apologetically.“Remove it from my sight and dispose of it in the trash.” Adrian commanded.“Certainly, sir.” Martha replied and wasted no time in grabbing the document and tossing it into the waste bin. “I'll h
The sound of Anita’s phone ringing caused a frown to etch itself on Lilian’s face. Why had Anita gotten a call at the exact moment she was expecting one from Crestwood Investment. Could it be? No way. She shook her head adamantly, willing the thought away. It was just a coincidence. She masked the worry gnawing at the back of her mind with a fake smile as she glanced expectantly at her phone.Anita, on the other hand, retrieved her phone from her bag and glanced at the Caller ID. It was an unknown number and, she hesitated a bit before answering the call.“Hello, who is this please?” she asked in a low but polite tone. “This is Timothy Burton from Crestwood Investment,” a male voice echoed through the other end of the phone. “Am I speaking with Anita Davies?”On hearing the caller was from Crestwood Investment, Anita rose up to her feet, her stance straightening unconsciously. “Yes, this is her,” she replied, her heart racing with anticipation.“Very well then. I’m pleased to announc
Adrian’s suspicions were confirmed as he saw the man’s face. It was the same arrogant guy who had slammed into his moped that morning. Landon Welsh’s expression was filled with disdain as he advanced towards Adrian and recognition flickered in his eyes when their gaze met. “I remember you.” He sneered. “You’re the loser who almost made me scratch my expensive car. I see you haven’t bothered to change your smelly clothes. Are you that poor?”“Incase you’ve forgotten,” Adrian countered, his voice firm, despite the cold anger brewing in his gut. “you’re the one who suddenly swerved into my lane and hit my moped.”“Who cares?” Landon scoffed. “No one’s going to believe the word of a nobody like you over mine. Now, be a good little loser and take that scrap…” he gestured towards Adrian’s moped dismissively. “…away from here. Before I run it over or better still, tell my security guard to trash it.”“It would be in your best interest to leave my moped alone.” Adrian warned in a low voice.
Harold Welsh rushed towards the main entrance of the Glorious Garden with a speed he didn’t know he possessed. His eyes were frantic as sweat dripped from all over his body. How would he begin to apologize to Adrian? He desperately hoped that the security guard’s stupid mistake wouldn’t cost him his job as manager.The security guard on the other hand, trembled severely, his face a shade of green as he stumbled out of the guardhouse. Landon angrily stormed towards him and slapped him across the face. “Why did you abandon the orders I gave to you?”he snarled. “What were you doing in there for so long?”The security guard’s eyes were wide with panic and shock as his gaze drifted to Adrian. The only thing he could do was to point a shaky finger towards him. “He’s…he’s…”But, he wasn’t able to finish his sentence as Harold burst out of the gates and towards them. “You stupid fool!” He barked as he lunged at the security guard, his palms connecting with the same cheek Landon had just slapp
As Adrian stepped inside the gates of Glorious Garden estate, the first thing that greeted him was the sight of a long, narrow drive away lined with olive trees and palm trees of different sizes. Harold ushered him into the back seat of his Ford Mustang which was parked to the side, while he shoved Landon into the front passenger seat. Harold then wasted no time in getting into the car and driving down the estate. Adrian silently looked out the window as he observed what would soon be his residence. The landmark of the estate was vast with several villas lined up on either side of the driveway, each sporting their own fountains. Some villas were modern and futuristic, some vintage and elegant, and others a seamless combination of both. Adrian was deeply amazed by the fact that this magnificent property was now his. After a few minutes, Harold pulled into the driveway of a modern villa situated on the right hand side. He quickly got out and opened the door for Adrian. “We’ve reached
Lilian’s eyes lit up as she snapped her fingers continuously. “You’re probably right, Natty. I mean despite the fact that her husband is a poor nobody, I would admit that he is easy on the eyes. That’s probably how he was able to convince the manager to succumb to their demands.The urge to defend Adrian rose in Anita’s mind and she pointed a warning finger at Lilian and Natalie. “Don’t you dare defame my husband’s character like that!” she snapped. “Nothing of that sort happened, and him being at Crestwood Investment was just a mere coincidence.” Anita said those last words, even though a sliver of doubt gnawed in her mind. Adrian going to Crestwood Investment on the same morning she had gotten the contract couldn’t be a mere coincidence, could it?”“Whatever,” Natalie rolled her eyes. “The truth is a bitter pill to swallow anyways. You can pretend all you want but I see through your innocent act enough to know it’s all fake.”“This isn’t over, Anita.” Lilian chimed in. “Like I said
Regina was rushed to a nearby ward by Adrian and Doctor Arnold instantly got to work reviving her. Adrian and Vincent stood at opposite ends of the room, each watching what Doctor Arnold was doing with rapt attention. Adrian was calm, though his heart raced as he relived the moment Regina fainted out of shock when she heard the disheartening news about Anita.A coma? He himself still struggled to believe that Anita had slipped into an indefinite coma. At that moment, his heart was filled with different kind of emotions which he wasn’t sure how to express.He simply clenched his jaw very tightly with his fists held to the front of his mouth as he waited for Regina to wake up.Vincent, on the other hand, was struggling to maintain a calm composure. He just got news that his daughter had slipped into coma and now his wife had fainted.That was more than one person could handle. The tears he had been holding back ever since he arrived at the hospital began streaming down his face. And
Adrian pushed the doors of the Life-mate hospital open, and headed straight for the intensive care unit without as much as an acknowledgment to the staff at the reception. He met Vincent, who had been out of Wibston on a trip, and Regina pacing in the waiting room of the intensive care unit and the panic and worry on their faces made his heart sink.The moment Regina saw him approaching, the panic on her face morphed into anger as she marched to him. And before he could say anything, her hand collided with his cheek in a slap that resounded through the waiting room.“What kind of husband are you?” She seethed, her irises flickering with rage. “Anita has been fighting for her life for the past one hour, and you dare to show up just now?!”Her voice rose a few notches as she grabbed the neckline of Adrian’s tee in her hands, completely disregarding the tiny patches of blood around it. “What were you doing that you couldn’t protect my daughter?” She spat again, her voice trembling with
Kai didn’t bother to pay any attention to Adrian as he tightened his grip on Blaze’s neck. The color on Blaze’s face transformed from red to ashen, and it became obvious that Kai was infusing some of his dark energy into him.Adrian’s anger rolled off him in waves, and his body seemed to glow a little more as he crossed the distance to Blaze in the speed of light. Before Kai could process what was happening, Adrian retracted his palm and slammed it against Kai’s chest with enough force to send him flying across the ring and landing on the ground with a thundering crash.Blaze fell to the ground after Kai released him and he wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. The whole arena was silent at this point, as no one dared to utter a word, not even an intake of breath.Adrian walked up to Blaze and extended a hand towards him. “I’ll take it up from here, Blaze. You did well holding the fort for me.”Blaze looked up at Adrian, and his expression was filled with awe as he took in his gl
“Could the duel be over?!” Julian boomed from his spot at the front stand of the arena. “The other guy seems not to be getting up. If he’s still down in the next twenty seconds, he’ll be declared the loser!”Blaze’s ears perked up in alarm at Julian’s announcement, and seeing as Adrian wasn’t going to get up on his own, he rushed to him without hesitation.With a precise strike of his fist against Kai’s spine, Blaze sent him stumbling away from Adrian.Taking advantage of Kai’s momentary disorientation, Blaze knelt beside Adrian and quickly placed an arm around his shoulder to support him. With some effort, he helped him up to his feet just before the final seconds elapsed. “Master, you need to fight the dark energy before it consumes you,” he advised, his tone filled with concern.Adrian wiped the blood from the corner of his lips and held onto Blaze’s arm for a moment longer to steady himself. “I’m trying,” he gritted, his face tightening as the dark energy wrapped around his hea
Nathan’s anxiety began to fade as his friend Malik methodically worked to cover up their tracks, ensuring no one would ever trace Anita’s accident back to him.Still, the memory of her terrified scream, and the sound of the crash replayed in his head like a broken record. His heart gnawed with extreme guilt, but then a dark sinister voice whispered in his head.“Cheer up, Nathan. It’s too late to cry over spilled milk. At least now you’d get back all you lost to her. You’ve won.”At the mention of him finally defeating Anita, every shred of guilt he felt vanished and was replaced with sadistic triumph, and a befitting smile slowly crept up his lips.“It’s all done, Nate,” Malik announced as he pushed back from the table, and reclined on his swivelling chair, both of his hands coming to rest at the back of his head.He looked up at Nathan’s relieved face and chuckled. “That was kind of scary, wasn’t it? Even I froze for a moment before my mind geared into action.”Nathan scratched the
“N-Nathan?” Anita’s jaw dropped in shock as she heard the voice of her cousin come in from the speaker. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel as her unease became stronger. “What’s happening? What did you do to my car?” “Oh, nothing much, just a little…rigging,” Nathan replied in a casual voice. “Isn’t it exciting to know that I can control your car from where I am? I can even..” He trailed off and before Anita could respond, the steering wheel jerked suddenly under her grasp and started moving on its own accord. “Nathan, stop!” She screamed in panic as she tried to regain control of the steering. “My car is swerving out of control! Why are you doing this?!” The mocking sound of laughter came from the speaker again, and slowly the steering wheel started working normally. “Oh you look so sacred, Anita. You should see your face right now.” Anita’s heart dropped to her stomach as her eyes darted around the car. Was he watching her? A shiver ran down her spine as she scanned for an
The air in the hall crackled with tension as the four men faced off with each other. Adrian and Blaze, Lawrence and Kai.Lawrence and Kai wore identical smug expressions as they undermined their opponents, while Adrian and Blaze wore unfazed, yet confident expressions.Lawrence, deciding to add more heat to the tension, turned to Kai with a cocky smirk. “Kai, what do you say we make things more interesting for our dear opponents?”Kai’s brows rose in intrigue and a sly smirk slowly crept up his lips as his gaze flickered to Adrian and Blaze, then back to Lawrence. “I think that’s a splendid idea, boss. Let’s spice this challenge up a bit.”“Perfect, then,”’Lawrence clapped and turned to face Adrian and Blaze, but his gaze was particularly trained on Adrian. “Why don’t we make a little bet?” He tilted his head challengingly.Adrian and Blaze exchanged glances with each other, and Blaze shrugged. “It’s entirely up to you, master. I’ll go ahead with whatever you decide.”Adrian nodded hi
Murmurs and hushed whispers erupted from the crowd at Adrian’s declaration and everyone began to wonder what would have given him the courage to say such.Julian Xu’s brows furrowed as he sized Adrian up from the podium. Adrian was wearing a black, silk untucked shirt and black slacks with a pair of white air force ones, looking more casual and unassuming than any other person in the hall.Was he dreaming? Julian thought as he watched the young man approach the front of the podium.Adrian didn’t pay any mind to all the comments as he strode towards Julian, his head held high and his hands tucked into his pockets.Lawrence Smith, on the other hand, was seething as his irises flickered wildly at Adrian, while Xavier Palmer and Nolan were wide eyed with disbelief.Nolan was the first to break the silence as he turned to Lawrence. “Mr. Smith, you have to do something!” He blurted out. “You can’t possibly let that loser challenge your position!”“Yes, Lawrence,” Xavier added with a frown.
Adrian had overheard Nolan’s request for Lawrence’s help, and initially he paid no mind to it, but seeing as Lawrence had agreed, he became curious to see how things would play out. Especially since he had given specific orders for Sebastian not to be released without his permission.He observed quietly as Lawrence placed a call to his supposed friend. “Hello, Chief Legal prosecutor Rashford,” Lawrence greeted the person on the other end with a smile. “I have a favour to ask you.”“Lawrence Smith, my good friend. Long time no see,” the chief prosecutor responded with equal familiarity. “Of course, tell me what favour I can do for you.”Lawrence’s expression gleamed with hope. Maybe the chief prosecutor will be able to help afterall.“So the thing is,” he began, lowering his voice slightly. “I have a friend whose brother was thrown into Hades Prison. Is there any—”“Hades Prison?!” Lawrence’s chief prosecutor friend echoed, his voice pitched with shock. “No, no, friend. I’m afraid I w