Rise and shine

Chapter 6.

Max and Ariana arrived at their home, with Max visibly agitated and his anger palpable on his face. He glared at Ariana, his eyes filled with intensity as he confronted her with a sharp tone. "So, you want a divorce?" he asked, his voice carrying a mixture of hurt and frustration.

"Yes, Max. I want a divorce," Ariana replied, her words tinged with resentment. "I regret spending my entire life with you. You've wasted my years. We rarely make love, and you show me no care or affection. All you do is work late into the night."

Max retorted, his voice filled with defiance. "You're not getting that divorce. It's impossible. It's between me and your father."

"You're nothing but an animal," Ariana shot back, her regret for choosing Max evident in her words. "I shouldn't have made that decision to be with you."

"Oh, so you regret choosing this life because of poverty? Why don't you choose him, then? Because you know that if you had followed him, you would have ended up a beggar, just like he has become," Max jeered, taunting Ariana for her past choices.

"He is far better than you, because at least he has human emotions... unlike you, who is nothing but a beast," Ariana retorted, her voice filled with contempt.

"Then why don't you go follow him, you hypocrite?" Max spat back at her, his anger unyielding.

"Max, what has happened to you? What have you become? You betrayed your best friend, you deceived me by claiming to love me, and you manipulated my father to force me into marrying you," Ariana cried out, her voice rising in frustration.

"Me? A beast? And what about you? You betrayed your husband out of fear of poverty and abandoned your own son. You are even worse than a beast," Max yelled back, his words cutting deep into Ariana's heart. She broke down, overwhelmed by anger, despair, and regret.

Suddenly, Max's phone rang, shattering the pregnant silence. He answered the call in a low voice, saying, "Okay, I'll be there now." He ended the call abruptly.

"Going out again?" Ariana asked, her voice filled with sadness.

"I have to work to survive," Max replied curtly as he stormed out of the room. Ariana couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and her emotions consumed her. Max got into his car and sped away from their home. As he was about to cross the main road, another car cut him off.

"Who the hell..." Max muttered in annoyance. The driver of the other car stepped out and approached his window. It was Jeremy, and he angrily knocked on the windscreen. Max lowered it, preparing for a confrontation.

"I paid you, and yet you dared to spread that nonsense," Jeremy shouted at him, his voice filled with anger.

"I never mentioned your name," Max confidently replied, leaning back in his seat.

"Expose me, and I'll surprise you," Jeremy threatened before storming off. Max smirked, considering it an empty threat.

"That little brat," he muttered to himself, shaking his head, and continued driving.

******

TOM'S POV

As I sat comfortably on my plush office chair, my gaze fixed on the bright computer screen, a sudden knock disrupted my concentration. "Come in," I called out, and Riley entered with a stack of files in her hands. Flashing a smile at her, I remarked, "You don't have to knock, Riley."

She replied, a touch of playfulness in her voice, "It's just a courtesy. Who knows if you might be engrossed in some private matters?"

Curious, I inquired, "Like what?"

She joked, causing us both to burst into laughter, "Like indulging in a little self-pleasure, masturbating perhaps?"

After our shared amusement subsided, she placed the file she was carrying on my chair. "These are all the names of the unpaid government workers, individuals unjustly deprived of their properties, and the neglected orphanage home," she explained.

"Ah, that's great. Public support is crucial. We should start working on it now, well before we need their assistance," I responded, acknowledging the importance of gathering people to our cause. Riley nodded in agreement.

Our conversation was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Enter," I invited, and Tiger walked in, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie. His appearance elicited laughter from both Riley and me. Though he looked like a gentleman, his rough exterior suited him just as well, for he was more of a thug at heart.

"Hey there, big tiger," Riley greeted him warmly. She had known him longer than I had, and they were like siblings. Both of them had been taken in by Sky Lord when they were children. Tiger took a seat on the office sofa, and we joined him. He then placed some photos on the table before us.

"This is what we found out about him," Tiger began, and I intercepted the photos, with Riley glancing at them too. The images depicted Aiden meeting an unfamiliar individual.

Curiosity piqued, I inquired, "Who is this?"

"That's Mr. Johnson, the CEO of BigPocket Bank and Savings," Tiger answered.

I pressed further, "What are the two of them scheming?"

"They are engaged in something clandestine, something they don't want to be discovered. It involves a significant amount of money, and it seems this gentleman, Aiden, is acting as his sponsor," Tiger explained.

We exchanged glances, contemplating the situation. "Do you have any idea what they might be planning?" I asked.

Tiger continued, his self-assured manner shining through, "I had my guys arrange for prostitutes to approach them, and we planted a recorder in his suit." He then pulled out his phone and played the recording for us.

The voices on the recording became clear:

Aiden: When will it be launched? I can't wait any longer.

Mr. JS: Soon. Thanks for sponsoring it. People have been more accepting of the idea than we anticipated.

Aiden: How does this thing work?

Mr. JS: It's a specialized gadget, like a mobile phone. The app will be installed, and we'll distribute the money across various names to make it untraceable.

Aiden: I love it. I think I'll use it.

The recording stopped, leaving me puzzled. It was all rather cryptic. Then Riley interjected, "It sounds like MINT."

Perplexed, I asked, "What's that?"

"MINT is a savings app permanently installed on a phone, primarily used by billionaires to store vast amounts of money in an untraceable manner. However, the bureaucracy has found a way to bypass it by associating the funds with real names and their corresponding information. I believe Aiden is engaging in a dubious scheme to place the money under someone else's name. Each cell phone will have multiple names associated with it," Riley explained.

My mind processed the explanation, and suddenly, it all became clear to me. Aiden's motivation for getting involved in this venture was the promise of high profits and a substantial cut of the money. He intended to be the sole beneficiary of the investment.

A smirk formed on my face as a sense of satisfaction washed over me. The time for revenge had arrived, and I was determined to make sure Aiden regretted his actions. Addressing Tiger, I said with conviction, "Tiger, I want you to tail Mr. Johnson. I need something to use against him."

"Okay," he responded, accepting the task without hesitation.