AS ANOTHER day passes, the Remington Corporation and Sandoval Corporation were busy with their hectic schedules and strategies to fight against each other.
It was still all about the issues circulating about them—About that one video game that Bruce and August were debating about.
Both of them only have one goal—To gain their company’s innocence and to clean up the issues as fast and as discreetly as they could. With that, August had a meeting with the legal department regarding the case.
The lawyers needed to prove two things: The authenticity of the game ‘Hospital Tycoon,’ and Bruce Sandoval gaining credit on a proposal that isn’t his in the first place without the creator’s consent.
“If you need more evidence to pr
BRUCE AND August exchanged deadly glances as the air was filled with tension. Both of them were silent, and the only noise in the courtroom for now is the phone vibrating from Bruce’s pocket.“Why aren’t you answering? It may be an important call,” August commented, glancing in Bruce’s pocket for a second before he moved his gaze again to his opponent’s eyes. “Who knows if it’s Father who was going to scold you at any time?”“Fuck you.”Bruce showed August his middle finger and shot him a bloodshot gaze before he went out of the courtroom, leaving August alone inside. He almost wanted to go back as he heard August’s sardonic laughter as soon as he left.But he realized that August may be right.
“SHIT!” August muttered angrily and was shocked as he was able to jump back, hitting his back on the wall as he dodged the attempted stab at him.“August? Hello? What’s happening there?” Daphne asked on the other line as he heard August cursing, but the latter didn’t answer him immediately. August became more attentive to his surroundings as he didn’t have any idea how an attacker was able to infiltrate the Remington mansion’s high security—Or he wasn’t sure if he could even call it high because an intruder was now inside his room.“I’ll explain to you everything. I’ll call you later,” said August as he hung up the call without waiting for Daphne to reply. After that, he fixed his stance as he stared at the attacker intently. “Who are you?” he asked, his gaze moving toward the brown envelope he was holding, making him frown. “Why are you holding a confidential document?”“That’s the main reason why I’m holding this—Because it’s confidential,” the guy replied nonchalantly. “Young mas
“EVERYONE, I know that all of you are thinking bad about our relationship with the Remington family because of our rankings, but I wanted to make things clear. We’re not here to compete with them. They are great on their own, and so are we,” said Wesley as he stared at the cameras.‘What the fuck is this old man blabbering about?’ August’s brows furrowed as confusion consumed his body. However, despite his irritation, he continued listening to the interview.“I am here to tell everyone that we, the Wellington family, are willing to cooperate with the Remington family to thoroughly investigate Cecile Johens’ death,” Wesley stated, causing the reporters to gasp in shock.But they didn’t throw Wesley more questions. “My son regretted being complacent at that time, too, and he wanted to apologize for that. We are more than willing to help.”“Cecile Johens is one of the people who took care of August before Charles Remington found him. How can you be so sure that their family will accept y
“IT’S FROM the Wellington family, Sir August. According to our investigation, Mr. Wesley Wellington had been cooperating with the media, gaining connection with them,” the IT department employee informed, causing August to lean on the chair while massaging his forehead.“Alright. Thank you for your good work,” August said and ended the call afterward.August went silent as he pondered on his thoughts. Aside from the media, Wesley had gained the Board of Directors' attention and trust too, given that some of his directors, particularly Sarah, wanted to get the company from him.It was only now that August realized that not all his competitors were outside the company. Some of them were lurking from the inside, too. With that, he needed to heighten his security as he couldn’t let all his father’s hardships go down the drain.“I need to defend my position as the chairman,” August muttered as he stared at the ceiling. “Without it and my wealth, I will be as good as a pathetic commoner.”A
‘HOLY CRAP.’ August couldn’t help but sigh in frustration as he held his nape and stared at the ceiling, containing his emotions.Of all those things that he expected to happen, Samantha kneeling in front of him, begging him to save her isn’t one of them.“How did you even get here?” August asked, trying to calm himself even though the anger and disbelief were already consuming him. “Ah, my blood pressure, shit.”“I need your help!” Samantha exclaimed.And before August even knew it, she already wrapped her hands around his legs, clinging onto them as Samantha's life was entirely dependent on it. “We’re ex-lovers, right? I’m in big trouble! I never thought that… That the Sandoval family were capable of doing those things!”“You’re one of them, Samantha. You’re even bringing their surname right now,” August answered nonchalantly.He held his ex-girlfriend in both arms and gently pulled her to stand up. “I don’t know what thought you had in mind to go here, but does even Bruce know abo
SHE IS the most stupid person in the world, and she knows it. Samantha couldn’t help but look at August in disbelief, the pain and betrayal registering upon her facial expression.“August… You can’t do this to me…” Samantha mumbled as her knees went wobbly. If not only for the table in front of her, she might be sitting on the floor now. “This isn’t what we have talked about…”“I know,” August said, and Samantha didn’t notice that he was just done talking to someone on the phone. “That’s why it is called betrayal. It’s painful, especially when you’re feeling desperate.”“How can you do this to me? I am your girlfriend!” Samantha exclaimed, gritting her teeth and clenching her jaw.“Ex-girlfriend, Samantha,” August corrected before he heaved a sigh. “Our relationship was over years ago.”As if on cue, two guards entered August’s office and took Samantha away, just like what he did yesterday. He could even hear Samantha cursing and begging him at the same time before the guard closed th
“WHERE DID you go? Why do you look like shit?” Nicole asked as Bruce went inside the room, all his clothes were soaked because of the rain. “Take a bath first before you go to the dining table. You know that your father didn’t like seeing you like that,” she added, shaking her head. “Yes, Mother.” Bruce nodded as he was tired to explain everything. He went to the bathroom to fix himself. Bruce wore a simple white shirt and sweatpants before he went to the dining table, joining Nicole and Jake for their late dinner. Samantha was already out of the picture as his parents were also informed of what she did earlier. However, they weren’t aware that Bruce felt hurt because of the same reason. “Did you chase that bitch away?” Jake asked while they were eating. “Y-Yes, Father.” “That’s good,” Jake commented, and Bruce only smiled subtly in response. Bruce ate his steak, but because of his stomach churning and his heart thumping rapidly, he felt like that piece of steak was hard to sw
“MR. JAKE SANDOVAL, the head of the Sandoval family, was arrested for torture against his son, Bruce Sandoval. The police said that they were investigating thoroughly about this matter and that they will preserve results with fairness and no biases—”Before the reporter could finish her sentence, August already took the remote and turned the television. Daphne, who was immersed in watching the news, jolted in shock as she turned around, only to see August smiling at her.“I’m home,” said August in a sweet tone as he extended both his arms, asking for a hug.Daphne couldn’t help but laugh a little. She went toward August and wrapped him in her embrace. “How was it? What happened to Samantha?” she asked in curiosity.“I think Samantha and Bruce divorced… But I’m not yet sure.” August caressed Daphne’s hair lightly and gently pushed her head more onto his chest. “Stop watching the news, okay? It’s already enough that you know anything, but don’t think about it too much.”Daphne only nodd
TWO YEARS LATER…The waves on the water splash on the yacht where August was standing right now. Both his hands were holding onto the rail as his gaze fixated on the sunset in front of him. It was beautiful, ethereal, and breathtaking… Just like the woman who was walking toward him.“August,” Daphne called her as she gave her husband a fruit shake. “You’ve been there for an hour already. Would you want to spend this day with fish than me?” she asked, pretending to be pissed as her lips curved into a smile.“No need to be jealous of nature, my dear wife. I just want to appreciate how beautiful the sunset was.”August laughed, pulling Daphne gently closer to him using his other hand. Now, both of them were staring at the sunset with genuine smiles plastered onto their faces. August’s hand was resting on Daphne’s waist, while the latter had her head leaned on her husband’s shoulder.A year ago, both of them got remarried, for real this time. At that moment, both of them couldn’t help bu
COUPLE DAYS later, August was able to heal from the beating he had endured when Raquel took him down. He was now as good as hell, and he could now work tirelessly to catch up with all of the deadlines and meetings he had neglected while he was at rest. Fortunately, the press, with a lot of help from Daphne, didn’t know a thing about what happened to August, or else he would be bombarded by the press in front of the Remington Corporation. However, it would not be for long, as something grand would happen now. August had been waiting for this day—The day when the final showdown begins. This day had come down to this moment, where the tables would turn, and justice would finally be served. This time, August made sure that Francis would not be able to run away from his crimes, nor frame someone up to escape from it. Inside August’s office, all of his allies, Daphne, Sapphire, and Maxine, were inside the room. The air was thick with tension as they were looking at the wall clock from ti
RAQUEL, at that moment, was too stunned to speak. Shivers sent down his spine as the unexpected news lingered in his mind. His shoulder was aching because of the pain, but suddenly, it became numb as the pain struck his heart.“W-What?” Raquel asked, blinking his eyes twice. “Are you… fooling me?”“No… It’s the truth.” Sapphire shook her head, the pain registering through her rounded, brown eyes. “We’re Maxine’s children—Her lost twins.”“But how?” Raquel’s brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance at the same time. “If she is my brother, and you’re my twin, and you knew everything about it… Then why didn’t you approach me?”“Maxine only knew it recently, the same as mine.” Sapphire heaved a sigh and bit her lower lip afterward to contain her emotions.After a few seconds, she spoke again.“August informed me recently by giving the birth certificates Master Charles hid in his cabinet. It turns out that Maxine didn’t want to know us at that time because of the complexity of her job… Sh
AUGUST WAS in a daze when he woke up from his not-so-peaceful slumber. He didn’t wake up naturally, but he woke up when someone poured him cold water placed in a bucket, causing August to jolt in shock… Only to realize that he was tied to the chair.Same situation. Same abandoned room.Shivers sent down his spine because of the uncanny coincidence both of the situations had.‘Fucking shit. This is déjà vu,’ said August at the back of his mind when he realized that this is where everything started—When Charles had his people take him so he could have a one-on-one talk with August about being a pretend heir.However, the only difference between the event before and now, is that the person in front of him looked like he was eager to kill him in an instant, but he was just taking his time to do it.“R-Raquel…” August mumbled, slightly stammering, as his gaze fixated on Raquel.“How’s your sleep, August?” Raquel threw the silver bucket on the floor in force while wearing his most sardonic
[RICHARD WELLINGTON]August blinked his eyes twice, trying to confirm if what he was reading on the paper was true, or if his eyes were just playing with him. However, a few seconds had passed, and he still read the same name.“H-How…” August was at a loss for words. It wasn’t something that he expected. He almost thought that it was Francis, but turns out that the lead scientist is Richard, the Wellington family’s original heir.“Are there—”“Greetings, Sir August.”August was about to ask the lead engineer if he found more documents other than the white folder he was holding now, but his words went midway as three cleaners who were wearing personal protective equipment suddenly bowed in front of him.“One of your employees called us to clean this room,” one of the cleaners said as she glanced at the mess August made earlier.“A-Ah. Right.”August only nodded at them, not knowing what to say. His mind was so shocked that he didn’t even notice his employees leaving him alone in the ro
TWO WEEKS LATER, the event about Bruce being confined to the Remington Mental Hospital scattered around the country. According to the doctors, Bruce was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and he would need long-term medication and treatment to heal.While some people sympathized with Bruce for it, some people say that it was karma because of what he had done to August.However, August didn’t care what those people think about now. He had work—A bunch of them—And it was never-ending.It was already one o’clock in the morning as August had finished meeting with the different departments, and reviewing business proposals. He wasn’t eating his lunch yet but he was determined to finish everything first. August wanted to have free time so he could take care of his other business that he neglected because the work became surprisingly overwhelming.“Maxine…” August called, causing Maxine, who was sitting on the couch, to look at him. “Do I still have any urgent matters
“MR. JAKE SANDOVAL, the head of the Sandoval family, was arrested for torture against his son, Bruce Sandoval. The police said that they were investigating thoroughly about this matter and that they will preserve results with fairness and no biases—”Before the reporter could finish her sentence, August already took the remote and turned the television. Daphne, who was immersed in watching the news, jolted in shock as she turned around, only to see August smiling at her.“I’m home,” said August in a sweet tone as he extended both his arms, asking for a hug.Daphne couldn’t help but laugh a little. She went toward August and wrapped him in her embrace. “How was it? What happened to Samantha?” she asked in curiosity.“I think Samantha and Bruce divorced… But I’m not yet sure.” August caressed Daphne’s hair lightly and gently pushed her head more onto his chest. “Stop watching the news, okay? It’s already enough that you know anything, but don’t think about it too much.”Daphne only nodd
“WHERE DID you go? Why do you look like shit?” Nicole asked as Bruce went inside the room, all his clothes were soaked because of the rain. “Take a bath first before you go to the dining table. You know that your father didn’t like seeing you like that,” she added, shaking her head. “Yes, Mother.” Bruce nodded as he was tired to explain everything. He went to the bathroom to fix himself. Bruce wore a simple white shirt and sweatpants before he went to the dining table, joining Nicole and Jake for their late dinner. Samantha was already out of the picture as his parents were also informed of what she did earlier. However, they weren’t aware that Bruce felt hurt because of the same reason. “Did you chase that bitch away?” Jake asked while they were eating. “Y-Yes, Father.” “That’s good,” Jake commented, and Bruce only smiled subtly in response. Bruce ate his steak, but because of his stomach churning and his heart thumping rapidly, he felt like that piece of steak was hard to sw
SHE IS the most stupid person in the world, and she knows it. Samantha couldn’t help but look at August in disbelief, the pain and betrayal registering upon her facial expression.“August… You can’t do this to me…” Samantha mumbled as her knees went wobbly. If not only for the table in front of her, she might be sitting on the floor now. “This isn’t what we have talked about…”“I know,” August said, and Samantha didn’t notice that he was just done talking to someone on the phone. “That’s why it is called betrayal. It’s painful, especially when you’re feeling desperate.”“How can you do this to me? I am your girlfriend!” Samantha exclaimed, gritting her teeth and clenching her jaw.“Ex-girlfriend, Samantha,” August corrected before he heaved a sigh. “Our relationship was over years ago.”As if on cue, two guards entered August’s office and took Samantha away, just like what he did yesterday. He could even hear Samantha cursing and begging him at the same time before the guard closed th