Nathan's POVThey all boarded the VIP elevator, which astonished him because Hayes Holdings did not have one. He made a mental note to ask about it later as the elevator ascended to the top floor, taking them to the CEO’s office. Three more people were standing there when the elevator doors opened, and they walked out.David most likely wanted to introduce him to some important people in the company, and they were probably there to be part of the meeting too.He took note of the lady among them in the blue gown and raised an eyebrow when he recognized her right away. He wondered what Vivian was up to with the Solace enterprise as it had been a long time since he last saw her. He knew she had a great future and would make a name for herself. If she worked at Solace Enterprises, it implied that life had benefited her and been good to her.She definitely wouldn’t know him now because he was wearing another man’s face instead of his real face, which she was very familiar with; Th
Nathan’s POVIt’s been five days since Detective Hayden had informed them about the unfortunate news that Bethany was involved in the break-in that occurred in his room, as well as the crash on the night of the gala.Scott had purposefully distanced himself from everyone for five days, including Nathan and as much as he didn’t want to disturb Scott processing his feelings, he was still worried.At first, he assumed that his brother was being dramatic and would calm down the next day, but Scott had yet to calm down. Instead, he distanced himself from everyone.Nathan wanted to give Scott space to sort out his feelings, but he also understood it was unhealthy for Scott to dwell on such feelings.He had been thinking about how to get Scott to talk to him since he got up that morning, until an idea had popped up in his head.He promptly took out his phone and dialed Amber number. He didn’t have to wait long for Amber to respond, the guy answered after two rings.“It is the weekend,
Nathan's POVNathan entered the kitchen and was about to leave after not seeing Scott when he noticed a shadow in the corner.He got closer and recognized Scott’s figure. His brother was attempting to retrieve something from the top cupboards but was unable to reach it. Nathan had to step up behind Scott, startling his brother as he reached for the package Scott was attempting to reach for.He grabbed it and handed it to Scott, who rolled his eyes and accepted it from Nathan before quickly walking away from Nathan.Nathan sighed and crossed his hands, watching Scott move around in the kitchen as he reached for so many things. Nathan cleared his throat after Scott settled on a seat by the counter and continued to ignore him.“I invited the guys for a barbecue hangout this evening,” he said, well aware that Scott was listening to him, except he had suddenly gone deaf.Scott lifted his head in surprise to gaze at Nathan. He probably sneered because he saw Nathan’s expression and k
Nathan’s POVSamuel was the first to arrive. Nathan knew this because he had heard Samuel’s voice downstairs, the moment Samuel entered the home and Scott had welcomed him at the door.He’d made himself unavailable while Scott organized the hangout, setting everything up, and now he didn’t feel the need to go downstairs until everyone arrived.He allowed himself to mindlessly scroll through social media posts on his iPad as he waited for a sign that everyone was around.Myla and Amber came after another 35 minutes, being as loud as any human could be. The minute he heard their voice, Nathan climbed out of bed and hurried downstairs.He could hear their talking as he stepped outside onto the back patio. This was the first time he had stepped out to see what Scott had organized and he was impressed. His brother had gotten a grill from wherever and set up even the table. Amber saw him first and grinned. “Finally, the host decides to show himself,” he joked.Nathan chuckled lightly, punc
Nathan's POVIt took a few seconds for Samuel to clear his throat. “That’s surprising. I thought you wanted to notify us that you’ve finally decided to replace Rivers Estates with Solace Enterprise…” he muttered.Well, that was part of it. If they took over Solace Enterprise, then the company would be under Hayes Holdings, just like many of their other companies. There would be no need to cooperate with Rivers Estates or even sign a contract with them when they had a subsidiary company that could handle Project 100.“When we acquire Solace Enterprise, we will have no use for Rivers Estates,” he mumbled, noticing Samuel’s eyes.“ Why?” Scott inquired, locking his gaze with him. “For the time being, we have not considered entering the construction industry. We’re still concentrating on small-chain businesses. So why? Where is this actually coming from?” Scott continued.Nathan couldn’t explain how or why he had considered acquiring Solace enterprise. Nathan had realized while going th
Elton Ross’ POVElton Ross wasn’t having a good day, that much was obvious with the number of times he had grumbled in the office since that morning. He had woken up to his wife’s nagging about not being able to purchase a newly produced bag collection. She blamed him for not giving her enough money to order the bag on time. How the fuck was that supposed to be his fault.His wife had more resources than he could count and she could comfortably get something as simple as a designer’s bag, so he didn’t get how the blame was now his to carry.When he arrived at the company, he had asked for an update from his secretary and then found out that Rivers Estates and Hayes Holdings had yet to sign the contract, since they had sent no mail.He slammed his office door shut as he headed over to pour himself a drink. It was too early to start drinking, but at the moment, he needed something to calm in nerves. Ever since Nathaniel Hayes himself had showed up at Ross construction, he had not hear
Elton's POVElton snorted angrily, “You’re telling me that all I’ve done is going down the drain? Do you know how much effort I put into this deal?” He barked, gazing at Nicholas, who had decided to move away from him.It was a wise decision, given that he might punch a hole in the wall right now or even someone close to him.Adam groaned. “I understand, Elton. Calm down. But at the time, my hands were tied. Samuel cannot even communicate with Nathaniel. His decision is final, and we must move on,” he whispered.Elton didn’t wait to respond to the man, he ended the call with a loud shout.He looked at Nicholas with fire in his eyes. “This is fucking happening! After everything, I gave those old fools!” He spat and shook his head.He had personally made their lives easier over the last few months, and given them more money than he had given his wife in a month, and now they were telling him that they couldn’t handle a simple boy who had recently gained power.Nicholas took a long breat
Scott’s POV Scott pulled up his pants and checked himself in the mirror before jogging out of his room. He was dressed in joggers and a simple tee shirt since it wasn’t workday and he was heading to the gym down town and meeting up with Myla to check out the local small-chain businesses. It was a means for Hayes Holdings to conduct research on the project and prepare for its presentation at the next board meeting, where they would determine whether or not to travel to Asia. He had long wanted to do something unique for the company, and he saw this initiative as an opportunity to do so. He had discussed this with his father when the man was still alive and even though they had not gotten around to beginning something or finalizing any plans, he knew his father would still want him to continue with the project. For dad, he thought. He climbed down the stairs two at a time, and when he reached the bottom, Jane met him there as if she had been waiting for him to come down. “Good mor
Lucas's POVLucas heard familiar voices all around him, but his brain couldn't figure out who was speaking. They had tried to be as quiet as they possibly could, but was failing miserably.He tried to open his eyes, but they seemed to have a mind of their own and were taking their sweet time to do so.His interest piqued as he overheard someone speak. "He's awake! His eyes are shaking. Shouldn't we call the doctor…"Who's awake? Lucas thought. It had to be him that they were referring to. He was lying down on a warm bed too.He attempted to move his body, and while it was impossible at first since his body felt heavy like a log of wood, he was able to finally shift his hand.The folks in the room were conversing quicker and moving around, judging by their heavy footfall. He was now curious about what was going on around him.Lucas tried again to open his eyes, and this time he was successful, but he had to close them again, almost immediately, when blinding light entered his eyes."C'
Nathan's POVNathan shifted his sitting position so that he was half lying down on the plush couch as he watched Elton Ross being carried out of the court and down the stairs.The reporters waiting for an interview outside the court rushed towards him and tried to get near the man despite the officers holding Elton on both sides attempting to stop them."What can you say about the final verdict?!" Someone shouted, prompting more questions from other reporters." Did you plead guilty or not guilty! Are you responsible for the death of your son in-law?!"" What do you have to say about your daughter's murder!"Nathan sighed. Shaking his head. Elton Ross had this coming for him for a very long time. He watched the man lower his head in shame. He rolled his eyes and switched to another channel, but they were still reporting the same story about billionaire CEO, Elton Ross ordering the murder of his son-in-law, Lucas, and how he had pleaded guilty to the other four counts laid against him
Elton's POVTo others, Piper was just another person who succumbed to the cruel grasp of death. The notion of being responsible for his daughter's death occurred to Elton, but he took a deep breath and buried it.'Now was not the time to deal with trivial matters, Elton'. He reminded himself mentally."Thank you, doctor. How is she?" He asked, alluding to Margaret.The doctor exhaled and shook his head. "She's not well. Her body is frail, and she is deficient in some nutrients, which we are currently injecting into her. I assume she took your daughter's death the hard way," he stated.Elton sighed. "You might say that." He mumbled. He admitted that he should have taken her to the hospital sooner, but assumed she could handle the loss and grief on her own.Margaret has experienced loss before. She lost her parents at a young age. So this shouldn't have taken a toll on her especially when she wasn't close to Piper, but perhaps, the bond between mother and daughter was too hard to ignore
Elton's POVElton Ross stood still, staring at the lifeless body in the ironically beautiful casket. He couldn't believe it had been almost two weeks since he received the news that shocked him to his core. His only daughter had been shot dead by none other than a henchman he had hired.The plan had been simple: shoot once to scare Nathaniel Hayes. But the plan, which had been simple, had grown so complex the moment the henchman had decided that killing Nathaniel Hayes instead would scare the man, and that had brought Elton the most regret.He could still see Piper's smile in his sleep, her smirk, and deep calculative frown, when things didn't go her way, which she had inherited from him. Her seductive stare as she was about to ensnare a man in her fingers.He always woke up dreaming about her and the dreams always ended with that disappointing stare from his daughter. He had killed her.How could he forget her nagging? She had gone to him a few days before her death to protest abou
Nathan's POVHayden laughed and said, "It's funny how you guys could do things that even the police force wouldn't think of." He said, nodding to August.August rolled his eyes but stayed silent. He had the sensation that the man moved mostly in the dark and kept hidden unless it was essential to reveal himself, which explained his location behind the door.Leslie scoffed. "If you want to survive in a large family like ours, you have to learn to do things on your own. After nearly three hours, they left in different directions. I have a feeling they might not even know the members," he remarked."They fucking wore masks inside the house and blindfolds inside the car while leaving. I was only able to catch a glimpse because the compound was surrounded by a huge wall…" August revealed from where he was half hidden."Give me a coordinate, and I'll get satellite footage of the building and its surroundings. Except, they are hidden underground." Chris murmured.While Chris was talking, Myl
Nathan's POVEveryone huddled together in the living room. Nathan was sitting on the couch, while Scott sat on the armrest, half leaning against him."How are you?" Hayden questioned him.Nathan frowned. He last saw the man months ago. If Hayden needed to notify them of something, he would always call, or Scott would go down to the station. This was the first time he had seen the detective in a long time, and the way that Hayden was acting gave him the impression that he had conclusive evidence and was only waiting for their agreement to proceed with his plans."I'm fine." He responded. "You were shot at, and Scott said you've been asleep for two days; don't you think it's best you get checked out at the hospital to be sure you're in great shape?" the police officer inquired.Nathan arched his brow; he hadn't considered it before, and now that detective Hayden had mentioned it, he wondered why he hadn't woke up in the hospital instead, especially given Scott's overprotective and cau
Nathan's POV“So, is this a visit or what?” he inquired, smiling. He didn’t want them to notice how tense he was. Too many Hayes in one house was enough for one person to notice something unusual about him and begin connecting the dots.It wouldn’t be long before they discovered that he wasn’t the real Nathaniel Hayes.Noah narrowed his eyes at him, then shifted his focus to his brother, Nolan. Nolan was the one who spoke first.“You were shot, Nathaniel. I didn’t expect you to forget that.” Nathan blinked. He remembered the experience vividly. He remembered nearly avoiding the gunshot because he had shifted slightly, but he didn’t see how this solved the question of why they were all there.August sighed and approached him, laying an arm over his shoulders. “Someone made the mistake of attempting to kill you, Nathaniel. You didn’t expect us to fold our hands and keep them out of it, right? And no,” he replied, shaking his head. “It became our business the moment someone pointed a
Nathan's POV“So what do we do if they are everywhere, dad?” the child said. The man stated, “We fight for what we have.”If the child was Nathaniel, and he had called the man dad, then it was clear that the man had to be Oleander Hayes, Nathaniel’s father. This was his first time hearing the man’s voice. Why did it have to be now? He wondered. Now that he felt Nathaniel’s consciousness gradually leaving him. He wasn’t sure if he was going to wake up as Nathaniel Hayes again or if he was going to return back to his body as Lucas.Nathan stepped up to the lamp, hoping it would give him an indication as to what was going on in the room. But when he looked closer, it had no switch. The lamp was turned on without a switch.Weird, he thought. How could a lamp be on without a control switch.“ Fight?” the child; Nathaniel asked. “ can’t we do something else, like run?” The question attracted Nathan’s attention. His first instinct when there was trouble had been to run, but Oleander had
Nathan’s POV The drive home was calm in the car, but the country was not silent that night. He was calm but his mind was running in circles, wondering what had just happened.One minute, he had been talking to Piper, the next, the gunshots went off and he was collapsing on the floor with Piper’s blood around him.He gazed down at his now blood stained sleeves and gasped in shock. He quickly pulled off his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt when a hand stopped him.He tried to bat the had off, but the person held on strong. “ Let me help you Nathaniel!” Amber muttered.He sighed, calming down when he recognized Amber’s voice and allowed Amber to help him. Amber unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it out of his body, dropping it together with the jacket on the front seat. They remained quiet after that.Nathan with his eyes closed, leaning on the seat and Amber making and answering calls. He didn’t feel his phone vibrate, so he assumed that Amber was the one with his phone and wa