After a few seconds of struggling to rein in his emotions, Fred took a deep breath. “I’ll hand over the bakery,” he muttered bitterly, and shakily reached into his suit pocket to pull out his phone. He then sent a text message to the manager of his bakery telling him to arrive at Happy Desserts with his bakery’s documents in a few minutes. “My manager will be here with the papers in a few minutes,” he informed Adrian in a strained voice, and his hands fell limply to his side as he sat on the floor, cradling his head in his hands, while mumbling incoherent words to himself. Maya immediately rushed to Fred, while still on her knees, and grabbed his arm in disbelief. “W-what are you doing, Mr. Fred? How can you admit defeat so easily?! You can’t just give up your bakery like that! I’d be left jobless!” “Let go of me, you wench!” Fred hissed as he violently yanked his arm out of Maya’s grip. “If you were competent enough, I wouldn’t have had to bribe my way into winning every damn t
Adrian and Anita sported stunned expressions as they glanced at each other and then back at Nathan and Lloyd. “What are you talking about, Nathan? You know that’s not—”“Anita,” Nathan interrupted. “What brings you here?” he asked, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.Grandpa Lloyd’s eyes darted to Adrian and Anita and his eyes narrowed in curiosity. “I’d also like to know was well. I don’t remember inviting you.”Anita walked over to Grandpa Lloyd. “Grandfather, well, I actually came to present your jade pipe to you.”Lloyd’s brows formed a V. “You must be mistaken,” he frowned as he looked down at the box Nathan had just presented to him. He opened the box and retrieved the jade pipe nestled inside. Anita’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the jade pipe in Lloyd’s hands. It looked exactly like the one Adrian had bought at the action. She glanced back at Adrian, who seemed to share the same confusion as her. Grandpa Lloyd examined the jade pipe carefully before looking up a
As Grandpa Lloyd disappeared up the stairs, a wave of tense silence fell over the room as the weight of his words settled on Nathan and Anita like a thick cloud. Adrian noticed the way Anita fiddled with her fingers, and he placed a hand over them in an attempt to calm her anxiety. “Don’t overthink it,” he reassured softly. “Whatever the task turns out be, I know you’ll tackle it like a champ.” Nathan scoffed loudly as he rose up from his seat. “Not if I have anything to do about it,” he challenged, his eyes flashing with hostility before he stormed out of the living room. Adrian squeezed Anita’s hand gently. “Ignore him. He’s just insecure and feels threatened by you. And truthfully, he should be,” Adrian’s lips tugged up in a playful smirk. “…because you’re definitely getting that title.” “I hope so,” Anita managed a weak smile, not seeming convinced. “Come on,” Adrian said, rising to his feet and helping her up. “Let’s get you out of here. ” He draped one of her arms arou
The sales assistant’s eyes widened in surprise and she hesitated a bit before blurting out, “Are you sure sir? It’s quite expensive.” Adrian chuckled at her bewildered expression. “I’m sure, now ring it up for me,” he extended his credit card towards her. She nodded and took the card from him with shaky hands, then she swiped it across the payment machine and the amount was deducted successfully. “The payment was successful,” she announced, still in a daze as she handed Adrian back his card. Regaining her composure after a few seconds, she proceeded to carefully retrieve the bracelet from its display case. She was about to pack the jewelry in a red velvet box when a loud almost banshee-like shriek interrupted her. “Oh my Gosh! Babe, that’s the Cartier bracelet I’ve been wanting!” Skylar squealed excitedly and let go of Miles arm, rushing towards the glass display. Without acknowledging Adrian, she eagerly stretched out her hand towards the nice sales assistant. “Give it to me
“I’ll do that right away, young master,” Jonah replied without hesitation and the line went dead. Miles, Skylar, the manager, and the rude sales assistant exchanged amused glances as they looked down on Adrian, thinking he was bluffing. “Cut the act, loser,” Skylar spat. “You’re not fooling anyone here.” The rude sales assistant joined in, sneering. “It’s not too late to take up the manager’s offer to compensate you and save the last shred of self respect you have.” “The offer is off the table!” The manager declared in a derisive tone. “His money, if it’s even his at all, will be refunded to him. I won’t have a lowlife like him buying any of our precious jewelry. He'll just soil them with his poor hands.” As the group jeered at him, Adrian remained silent, his expression calm, almost bored. On the other hand, a million thoughts of how to teach Adrian a lesson, swirled through Miles’ mind, and he contemplated calling his father and reporting Adrian’s bashfulness to him. But af
As Adrian stepped out of the jewelry store, he slipped the invitation from the mayor into his pocket. His first gift for Anita was secured, but there was more to do. An idea struck him, and he quickly pulled out his phone to call Jonah. “Hello young master,” Jonah answered on the first ring. “I trust the mayor was able to make it to the jewelry store in time, as you requested?” “Yes, Jonah,” Adrian affirmed. “The issue has been resolved. “That’s good to hear,” Jonah exhaled in relief. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” “Actually, there is. I’m looking for a place to take Anita for Valentine’s Day—a place that’s truly special. Preferably a restaurant.” There was a brief pause from the other end, as Jonah smiled knowingly. He cleared his throat and finally replied. “As a matter of fact, I have the perfect place in mind, young master. It might interest you to know that Alpha hotel, a subsidiary of Alpha group, has the best and most luxurious restaurant in the entire r
“Perfect,” Adrian rubbed his hands together and leaned forward. “ I’d like everything to be arranged with the utmost care—from the restaurant to the service to the food. It all needs to be impeccable. But there’s one more thing; when I arrive with my wife tonight, she’s going to wonder how I could afford such a luxurious dinner, considering my cover up identity as a jobless average joe. We’d have to come up with a believable explanation that quells her curiosity. Is that understood?” “Clearly understood, young master.” Leon replied confidently. “I’ll have the staff reserve the entire rooftop restaurant for your dinner. And I’ll personally ensure that everything is perfectly set in place, so your dinner can be a memorable one.” “I expect nothing less,” Adrian said seriously as he picked up the teacup and sipped his tea until its last drop. “Now, tell me more about this hotel. I want to know everything.” About half an hour later, Adrian was done with his
Stephanie stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat as the cold liquid soaked through her designer dress, and dripped down to her expensive shoes. Her mind raced, and her shock was quickly replaced by deep rage. “You bloody animal!” She shrieked, her cheeks burning with hot fury as she raised her hand to slap Adrian. But before she could make contact, Adrian caught her wrist just mere centimeters from his face. “Don’t you dare,” he hissed, his grip on her arm tightening slightly. His eyes bore into hers with a cold intensity. “You can’t just behave however you please and think you’ll get away with it. This isn’t business as usual.” “Let go of me, you bastard!” Stephanie seethed, yanking her hand free when Adrian finally loosened his grip. She took a step back, her chest heaving with indignation as the escalating tension caught the attention of the patrons in the bar and they turned to watch, their eyes alight with curiousity. Matt, who had been watching the scene unfold, quick
Malik’s eyes widened as he felt himself being lifted off the floor and he stared at Adrian in bewilderment. He was incredibly scared of heights no matter how small, and this little action made his heart want to leap out of his chest.“I…I don’t know where he is,” he admitted, his voice trembling with terror. “He didn’t tell me where he was going when he left my house.”Adrian’s jaw tightened and he yanked Malik higher, not believing his excuse for a second. “You’re trying to play smart with me, right?” He sneered so darkly that even the bodyguard instinctively stepped back.The anger radiating off Adrian was enough to send chills down anyone’s bones. Malik frantically shook his head, the panic in his eyes evident as he noticed the way Adrian’s pupil’s dilated. “I’m not trying to play smart, I swear,” he sputtered. “I really don’t know where Nathan is.”Adrian tilted his head for a bit before finally releasing his hold on Malik, making him fall to the floor. He glowered down at him,
Adrian and the bodyguard stormed into Malik’s apartment the moment the bodyguard kicked the door open. Malik’s eyes were wide as saucers, and he instinctively stumbled backwards as he saw the two men standing in his doorway.“W-who are you guys?” He sputtered, his gaze alternating frantically between the both of them. “What do you want with me?”Adrian stepped in further into the living room and peered around for a moment before his gaze settled on Malik. He accessed the average-heighted man in a college hoodie, and a frown appeared between his brows. His face was familiar and he seemed completely innocent and incapable of harming a fly. But if there was one thing he had learnt, it was not to judge a book by its cover.There was more to the issue. Something wasn’t adding up.Coming out of his thoughts, his gaze remained fixated on Malik. “I’m Adrian Young, and I need answers from you,” he muttered in a tone that sent chills down Malik’s spine.“A-Answers?” Malik repeated in a stam
Klaus hesitated a bit, his brows furrowing as though he was trying to come to terms with what he saw. Then finally he replied.“There were no physical signs of malfunction in the car. It seems it had been tampered with through other means.”Adrian tilted his head as a confused frown settled on his face. “What other means?” His impatience seeped through his voice.“I don’t know,” Klaus’s shoulders fell, but then his expression lit up as though he remembered something. “Actually, I have a hacker friend who is also good with cars. He’ll know what happened. I’ll call him right away.”Adrian’s jaw ticked with impatience, but he said nothing as he watched Klaus pull out his phone and call the said friend.“Hey wassup man,” he greeted as soon as the line connected. “I need your help with something. It’s urgent. Can you come to the ditch under the Wibston Mainland bridge?”There was a small pause from Klaus before he spoke up again. “Alright man, thanks. Please come as fast as you can, and b
Adrian remained by Anita’s bed side for a few more minutes before rising to his feet and pressing a gentle kiss on her bandaged forehead. “I’ll be back,” he whispered softly as his lips lingered a second longer. “Please don’t stop fighting.” He spared her a final glance before leaving her side and walking out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Once again, he met Doctor Arnold patiently waiting for him in the waiting room. He approached the doctor with a determined, yet fierce look on his face. Doctor Arnold noticed the intimidating demeanor and gulped involuntarily. When Adrian reached where he stood, he crossed his arms as his gaze locked on him. Doctor Arnold fidgeted with the sleeves of his lab coat as he struggled to retain eye contact with Adrian. “Young master, I—” “Don’t,” Adrian raised a hand to silence him, and he nodded obediently. “Who was the person who brought my wife here?” Adrian continued. “Did they say anything regarding the details of the accid
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