“I was told that we came from old power, and that was where the family’s business empire came from as well.” Miles had a look of incredulity. “I never knew that our family was of the first-generational wealth.” He felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. “I never knew that my father went through so much all alone.” A wave of sudden realization sent Miles lurching in his seat. “Wait! Old man Philip, are you telling me that my father disbanded the family because his true family has found him?!”Old man Philip smiled sadly at Miles. “It is sadly the case.” He shook his head slightly. “Miles, don’t bother searching for your father. He probably went back to that family to protect you. He made sure to keep your identity a deep secret from them. Now that they’re after him, he will ensure that they never find you. Miles, your true family is very dangerous.”Miles was in awe of his father. “What is my current status?”Philip didn’t expect that Miles would suddenly ask such an insightful question. Ap
Miles spent the rest of that day roaming around the Creek Estates. He couldn’t the deep feeling of nostalgia hit him as he looked around the huge building. This was where he spent the entirety of his childhood after all. Therefore, there were endless memories at every location and corner of his home.Miles had dinner with old man Philip before going to bed. He slept in his old room, unable to stop the onslaught of memories from flooding into his mind. The ones that hurt the most though, were the ones of his mother. Back when he was a kid, his mother would come visit his bedroom and tuck him into sleep. He remembered her beautiful face. At this moment, he couldn’t stop himself from tearing up. He had not really been able to overcome the loss, as he had lost himself in the life he created outside of his childhood home. Now that he was back here, the desolation mirrored the void in his heart – the same space in his heart that his mother used to occupy. Miles had tears in his eyes by the
Miles apologized as he approached his cousin with the most sincere look in his eyes. “I’m sorry for your pain. If it helps in forgiving me, you should know that I never knew of my own death until today.”Adriana suddenly dropped what was in her hands and rushed forward to wrap her arms around Miles's waist, placing her head on his chest as she began sobbing. “Miles, I can’t believe it! You’re alive! Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it!”Miles froze for a while as he didn’t expect that Adriana would actually get over the shock so fast. He slowly wrapped his arms around her as well as his eyes became blurry.“I didn’t expect to see you of all people, especially here at the estate while it’s in such a condition.” Miles’s voice may be calm but it was filled with emotions. The two stood there, hugging for over half an hour before they let each other go. While growing up as the only child of the Creek patriarch, Maxwell Creek, and the patriarch’s wife, Gabriella Joanna, Miles didn’t have a
“Miles, Lite-Flex Group Corporation might have been a lone company, but you know it was heavily affiliated with your father’s conglomerate.” Adriana sat up straight in her seat. “Since we’re family, we were sure that having Lite-Flex Group Corporation rely on Eckre Empire would be more beneficial for us, and it was, until now that is.”“I can’t believe it.” Miles shook his head. “My dad would have made sure there was a way out for Lite-Flex to remain afloat even before he had even shut down Eckre Empire.”“You’re right. Uncle Maxwell did do that, but it didn’t really last long.” Adriana allowed a moment of silence to pass before she continued. “Due to our company’s rapid success, we had a lot of rival companies that have been trying to take us down for years. Once these rival companies learned that Eckre Empire was shutting down, they began stealing clients and investors began pulling out. They were able to do this by utilizing the public’s anger at Eckre Empire's footsteps shutting d
“Cousin, that is not important right now, so please, save your lectures for another time!” Adriana replied quickly to Felix, effectively shutting him up.Felix was angry at Adriana’s retort, and even more so when he saw how the family members in the living room were making fun of him.Adriana turned to the old woman in the grand chair. “Granma Jenna, I found an investor!”Whispers suddenly broke into the atmosphere as family members began whispering to themselves. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing from Adriana’s mouth. Everyone here had already given up on Lite-Flex Group Corporation's possible survival, especially with the current status of their relationship with the customers. Since Eckre Empire Conglomerate had suddenly shut down, the public had stopped believing in them, stating that it was only a matter of time before they shut down as well. Now, here is Adriana telling them that there’s an investor willing to aid their company.“Adriana, are you sure you’re not jokin
Miles chuckled over the phone. “Miss Adriana, don’t worry about this. I understand that your family is doubtful about a sudden investor at a time like this. All you need to know is that I’m a big fan of what Lite-Flex Group Corporation stands for. I am not willing to see such an amazing company go down the drain like this.” There was a moment of silence before Miles spoke with a more serious tone. “Fine, since you need some sort of understanding….. Miss Adriana, I have the intention to invest, at least, $20 billion to rejuvenate your company and have it back on its soaring momentum like in the past. Plus, I am only demanding forty percent of the company’s shares.”At this point, the family members couldn’t keep quiet again. The room was now filled with whispers as they couldn’t believe what this Mr. Silem was saying. This was simply an act of a benevolence too high. How can someone invest so much yet demand so small in return. Even Grandma Jenna and Felix were shocked. The call soon
The matriarch of the Hide family, Felix Creek, and Adriana Creek waited in silence to hear what Mr. Silem had to say. Miles’s gaze glided across the varying faces of the three adults seated in front of me before he spoke. “The very important stipulation that can not be negotiated here is that I’ll only be signing this contract if Adriana would be CEO of Lite-Flex Group Corporation.”“What?! Are you fucking messing with me right now?!” Felix was immediately furious as he banged the table and got up on his feet. “I knew it! Thus man is a fucking fraud! He must have colluded with Adriana to remove me as the heir of the family company!” He pointed a finger at the masked investor before shifting it at Adriana’s face. “Ha! Your evil plans won’t work!”“Felix, I’ll only say this once. You better sit down and behave yourself, or else, I will have you thrown out of this restaurant.” Her voice was calm but cold. She gazed up at the angry, meeting his face with an icy glare.Felix’s anger faded
Adriana had given an amazing solution that even the biased matriarch couldn’t refuse. Once she inherited Lite-Flex Group Corporation, she would get married and have the man take on the family name. Therefore, the company will remain within the control of the family.The contract was soon signed and the deal was finalized. Miles’s job was almost done. He brought out his phone and began typing away. Being the heir to the Creek’s fortune already granted access to hundreds of billions of dollars. Now that he had access to everything Maxwell Creek owned, he now had access to trillions of dollars. Giving away $20 billion to aid his family relative cost him nothing at this point.“It’s done!” Immediately Miles said these words, there was a notification alarm and the matriarch looked down at her phone to find that the money had been sent. Miles didn’t wait for anything else as he got up and left.“Adriana, who is that man?” The matriarch looked at her granddaughter with astonishment.Adriana
Miles knelt down to her level, smiling softly. "We did, sweetheart. But winning was just the first step. Now we have to make sure it stays won."Sarah's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"Miles quickly looked at his family, then shifted his focus back to Sarah. "We still have a large amount of work in front of us." Nevertheless, I think we are prepared for the challenge. Do you want to assist us in improving the city? Sarah nodded with great enthusiasm. "May I work as your aide?" The room was filled with laughter, relieving the tension that was growing. Miles stood and playfully tousled Sarah's hair. "You have the ability to become anything you desire, young one. "That is the main objective." Maxwell cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Miles, there's something else we need to discuss. About your role in the family."Miles tensed, memories of their past conflicts flooding back. "Dad, I-"Maxwell held up a hand. "Let me finish. I was wrong, son. I tried t
Miles paused at the door, turning back to face his defeated enemy. "You're right about one thing, Ethan. It's not over. It's just beginning. But this time, we're building something better. Something just."With that, they left, racing towards the Lyon compound. While driving through the city streets, they observed evidence of the night's happenings all around - police barriers, lights flashing, and groups of spectators. "What do you think Joseph Lyon has?" Lola asked, her brow furrowed with concern.Miles shook his head. "I don't know, but we can't let him walk. Whatever it is, we'll face it together."They arrived at the Lyon compound to find it in chaos. Creek family members and newly arrived police officers were everywhere, securing the premises and rounding up Lyon family members and associates.Elena met them at the entrance, her face grim. "Joseph's in the basement. He's threatening to upload some kind of dossier to the internet if we don't let him go.""What's in the dossier?"
Elena's voice came through, tense but steady. "She's inside. Ethan took the bait. He's got her in his office."Miles tightened his fists, suppressing the anxiety eating away at his stomach. "Okay then. I am entering. Always remain committed to the plan, regardless of any obstacles that may arise. With that, he walked confidently towards the front door, feeling his heart racing but remaining determined. The guards by the entrance became tense when he neared. Miles declared that he is here to visit Ethan with a commanding tone that left no room for disagreement. The guards nervously looked at each other before one of them communicated on his radio. After a brief pause, they moved out of the way, letting Miles go through. While strolling through the grand corridors, Miles couldn't shake the thought of the countless lives ruined to uphold this image of authority and extravagance. He prepared himself, aware that tonight marked the end of everything. He reached Ethan's office door, pau
Miles took a deep breath, his mind racing with possibilities. "We need to create a distraction. Something big enough to draw Ethan's attention away from his office."Lola stepped forward, her face set with determination. "I have an idea. But you're not going to like it."Miles turned to her, concern etched on his face. "Lola, what are you thinking?""Me," she said simply. "I'll turn myself in to Ethan. Tell him I'm abandoning you, that I want to make a deal.""Absolutely not," Miles said firmly. "It's too dangerous."Lola stood her ground. "It's the perfect distraction. Ethan won't be able to resist the opportunity to use me against you.""She's right," Rachel interjected. "Ethan's obsessed with destroying you, Miles. Having Lola in his grasp would be irresistible."Miles shook his head, his voice rising. "No, I won't risk you like that. There has to be another way.""There isn't," Lola insisted. "We're running out of time and options. This is our best shot."Maxwell placed a hand on
"Dad!" he called out. "This way!"In some way, amidst the chaos and lack of light, they succeeded in coming together again and leaving the cabin. In the woods, they ran without direction, with the sound of their pursuers not far behind. "There's a river approaching," Maxwell gasped while they ran. "If we manage to get across, we could risk losing them." They continued moving forward, with branches lashing their faces and the ground unpredictable beneath their feet. At last, the sound of water rushing reached their ears. "We arrived," Elena wheezed. But as they reached the riverbank, a shot rang out. Miles felt a searing pain in his arm and stumbled."Miles!" Lola cried out."I'm fine," he forced through clenched teeth. "We must continue to keep going forward." Stepping into the icy water, they could hear their pursuers approaching nearer. Miles glanced behind him and observed flashlights moving among the trees. With a sinking heart, he came to the realization that we will not be
While driving in uncomfortable silence, the city lights disappeared in the distance. After what felt like an endless amount of time, Dorian veered onto a dirt path that twisted through thick forests. "He declared that we are nearly there." Out of nowhere, headlights were visible in the rearview mirror. Dorian muttered curses quietly. "They've found us."Miles twisted in his seat, his heart pounding. "How? We were so careful!""Questions later," Dorian growled, pressing down on the accelerator. "Hold on, everyone!"The vehicle surged ahead, jolting harshly over the bumpy road. Sarah began to weep, and Lola tried her hardest to console her while hanging on tightly. "That way!" Elena yelled while indicating the direction in front. A tiny cabin appeared, tucked in between the trees. Maxwell came to a halt in front of the cabin. "Everybody, leave!" "Hurry up!" They scrambled out of the car, Miles helping Lola with Sarah while Elena and Maxwell grabbed what few bags they had managed t
It's a gamble," she remarked, "but there's a chance it could succeed." Count me in. One after another, the rest of the Autumns concurred. When they joined hands to confirm their sudden collaboration, Miles felt a spark of hope for the first time in weeks. Miles did not realize that another person was secretly listening to their conversation. In a room on the upper floor, Maximilian Autumn, the eldest child of Nigel and heir of the Autumn family, was having a conversation on the telephone. "Did you get all that, Ethan?" Maximilian whispered.On the other end of the line, Ethan Chariot's voice crackled. "Every word. Good work, Maximilian. Your family's betrayal won't be forgotten when this is all over."Maximilian's grip tightened on the phone. "Just remember our deal. When the dust settles, I want control of both the Autumn and Chariot families."Ethan chuckled darkly. "Of course. As long as you hold up your end, you'll get everything we agreed upon. Now, let's discuss how we're goi
While embracing each other, both fully conscious of the peril nearby, a faint voice was heard from the staircase. "Mom?" Father? "What's happening?" Miles and Lola looked in the direction Sarah was standing, her worried expression evident on her small face. They shared a glance, aware that their future decisions would impact not only their destiny, but also that of their daughter and the whole city. Miles kneeled and extended his arms towards Sarah. "Sweetheart, please come over here." Mom and Dad have something significant they need to inform you about. While Sarah embraced them, Miles and Lola promised quietly to defend their family and seek retribution against anyone who posed a threat. The larger view was starting to become clear, bringing with it the understanding that their lives were about to change forever. The sudden ringing of the doorbell surprised Miles and Lola, interrupting their quiet chat. Miles cautiously approached the door, looking through the peephole. Surpris
He was startled by the ringing of the doorbell. He opened the door and saw Rachael Autumn standing there, her face showing signs of worry. "Rachael? What are you doing here?" Miles asked, ushering her inside.Rachael wrung her hands nervously. "Miles, we need to talk. It's about your family... and mine."Miles' eyes narrowed. "You mean how your family has been lying to me all this time? Using me?"Rachael flinched. "It's not like that, Miles. We didn't have a choice.""There's always a choice, Rachael," Miles spat. "You could have told me the truth.""And you?" Rachael shot back. "You lied too. You said you were single, that you were just Miles Autumn. Was that all a ploy to get close to us, to get information?"Miles stepped back, stunned. "What? No, I... I never said I was single. I just... I didn't mention my family because I was trying to protect them."Rachael's eyes softened. "I believe you, Miles. But you have to understand, we're all caught up in something bigger than ourselv