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SIMON THE ZILLIONAIRE FROM NOWHERE 264
The tension in the car was palpable as Eddie drove away from the lake house, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly. Jennifer sat beside him, silent and distant, her eyes staring blankly out of the window. The rhythmic hum of the engine did nothing to soothe the storm brewing inside Eddie’s mind.He had succeeded in getting Jennifer out of the house, but the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right wouldn’t leave him alone. Frank had given up too easily, too quickly. The man Eddie had confronted in the lake house was not the Frank he knew—the calculating, manipulative man who always had a trick up his sleeve. Eddie’s instincts screamed that something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite place what it was.“Eddie,” Jennifer’s voice broke the silence, hesitant and soft, “What exactly are you trying to protect me from? Frank… he’s not what you think.”Eddie didn’t look at her, his eyes fixed on the road. “Jennifer, you don’t understand. Frank is dangerous. He’s be
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The sterile smell of the hospital hung in the air, mixing with the tension that radiated between Eddie and Frank. They sat in the waiting room, the harsh fluorescent lights casting long shadows on the tiled floor. Eddie's fists were clenched, his eyes fixed on a point far in the distance, as if he could burn a hole through the wall with the sheer intensity of his anger. Frank sat a few seats away, his posture slouched and defeated, the weight of guilt heavy on his shoulders.Eddie couldn't bring himself to look at Frank. The man who had once been his friend, his confidant, now seemed like nothing more than a traitor, a man who had ruined everything. The sound of Jennifer's labored breathing as she was rushed into surgery still echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of the horror he had witnessed. His heart ached with a mixture of grief and fury, the two emotions intertwining in a way that left him feeling hollow.Minutes stretched into an eternity, the silence between them thick and
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Eddie sat in the dimly lit hospital room, the rhythmic beeping of the monitors providing a steady, albeit tense, background noise. Jennifer had been unconscious for thirteen hours, and the doctors had warned him that the first moments of her awakening would be crucial. He'd spent the entire time at her bedside, waiting, praying that she'd open her eyes and give him some sign that she was still the Jennifer he knew.Finally, as the dawn light filtered through the blinds, Eddie noticed a fluttering of Jennifer’s eyelids. He leaned in closer, holding his breath. Her fingers twitched slightly, and then, slowly, her eyes opened.“Jennifer?” Eddie whispered, his voice laced with both hope and fear.Jennifer blinked a few times, her vision gradually focusing. When she finally met Eddie’s gaze, a small, weak smile crossed her lips. “Eddie...”The relief that surged through Eddie was overwhelming. “Thank God,” he murmured, taking her hand in his. “You’re awake. I’ve been so worried.”Jennifer
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Eddie leaned back in his chair, the small café by the lakeside quiet except for the occasional chatter of other patrons and the soft lapping of the water against the shore. Across from him, Frank sat, looking slightly uneasy, as if he knew that this meeting was more than just a simple conversation. Eddie took a deep breath, staring at Frank with a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite sort out.“So,” Eddie began, breaking the silence, “Jennifer loves you. She really loves you.”Frank’s eyes flicked up to meet Eddie’s, surprise evident in his gaze. He hadn’t expected Eddie to be so straightforward. “I love her too,” Frank replied, his voice steady. “More than anything. I didn’t think it was possible, but she’s changed everything for me.”Eddie nodded slowly, processing Frank’s words. He could see the sincerity in Frank’s eyes, the way his face softened when he spoke about Jennifer. “She asked me to give you a chance,” Eddie continued. “She said she’s willing to leave everything behind if I
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Eddie knelt on the grass, Frank’s lifeless body still clutched in his arms. The once serene park was now a scene of chaos and despair. His mind raced, trying to process what had just happened. The man he had reluctantly agreed to give a chance was gone, and the message from Axton’s was a harsh reminder of how far-reaching his control was.His phone buzzed again, snapping him out of his daze. It was Jennifer, her concern evident in her text. Eddie could barely muster the strength to respond, his fingers trembling as he typed out a quick lie.**Jennifer, I’m sorry, but Frank and I are in the middle of an important business trip. Something urgent came up.He hit send, barely giving himself time to think about the consequences of his words. He needed to think, to regroup, but more importantly, he needed to keep Jennifer in the dark about the real tragedy unfolding. If she knew the truth, it would crush her.Eddie stood, his legs feeling weak and unsteady beneath him. The park, once a plac
SIMON THE ZILLIONAIRE FROM NOWHERE 269
Eddie sat in the dimly lit room, the amber glow of the setting sun casting long shadows against the walls. He held a half-empty bottle of wine in his hand, his fingers loosely gripping the neck as he stared at the liquid swirling inside. His thoughts were a tangled mess, a constant loop of Frank’s death, the lies he had told Jennifer, and the looming presence of Axton and Agatha. The wine wasn’t helping, but it dulled the sharp edges of his guilt and confusion, at least temporarily.His phone buzzed on the table in front of him, the screen lighting up with Jennifer’s name. It was a call from her — but it wasn’t her voice he was worried about hearing. Jennifer had been trying to get in touch with Frank, unaware of the devastating truth that Eddie was keeping from her. Every time her name appeared on the screen, it was a painful reminder of the lie he was living.Without thinking, Eddie reached for the phone and immediately rejected the call, his heart heavy with the weight of his decep
SIMON THE ZILLIONAIRE FROM NOWHERE 270
Eddie stepped off the plane in Paris, feeling the weight of his decisions pressing down on him. The city was as breathtaking as always, but he could barely take in the sights. His mind was clouded with thoughts of Jennifer, Frank, and the lies he had spun to keep everything from unraveling. He had hoped that this trip would bring him some clarity, some way to navigate the storm he was in. But as he headed to Agatha’s apartment, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.Agatha had always been a mysterious figure in his life, a mix of sophistication and danger that had drawn him in from the start. She was powerful, connected, and had a way of making problems disappear. But she was also unpredictable, and Eddie knew better than to trust her fully. Still, he had no other choice. If anyone could help him clean up the mess with Frank and Axton, it was her.When Eddie arrived at Agatha’s luxurious penthouse, he was greeted by her personal assistant, who led him to the grand living room. The ro
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Eddie's hand hovered over his phone, thumb inches away from dialing the police. The adrenaline pulsed through his veins as the realization of Agatha’s betrayal weighed heavily on his chest. Every instinct screamed at him to act, to call the authorities and end this nightmare once and for all. Agatha had crossed a line, and there was no going back.But before he could press the button, Agatha, lounging calmly on the couch as if they were discussing trivial matters, chuckled darkly. She reached for the remote on the coffee table with casual grace, as though she had anticipated his every move. Without saying a word, she pressed play on a video she had already queued up.The large flat-screen on the wall flickered to life, and Eddie's breath caught in his throat.The video showed a dimly lit room — one Eddie recognized immediately. It was the private office where he and Agatha had met several months ago. In the video, Eddie sat across from her, both of them deep in conversation. His voice
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“Eddie, you need to think this through,” his secretary, Lisa, urged as she shuffled through papers on his desk. “Keeping your distance from Agatha might not be the best strategy right now.”Eddie leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. “You don’t understand. I can’t afford to get too close to her, not after everything that’s happened.”“Look, I get it. But you’ve already agreed to help her with her family’s company. If you cut ties now, it’ll look suspicious,” Lisa replied, raising an eyebrow.Eddie sighed heavily. “It was a mistake to agree to that in the first place. I should have never involved myself in her family’s business.”“Eddie, this is a complicated situation. You know Agatha needs your support,” Lisa pressed, her voice steady. “She’s promised to start fresh, to make this work. You can’t just back out.”“Her promises don’t mean anything if it jeopardizes my own company,” Eddie countered, his voice rising slightly. “I have to think about my future, my business. I can’
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“Eddie!” Jennifer called out as she stepped into the house, her heart racing.Eddie emerged from the kitchen, looking worn out and a little worried. “You’re back! How was your trip?”“It was beautiful, but… we need to talk,” Jennifer said, struggling to keep her voice steady.“Talk about what?” Eddie asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, sensing the tension in the air.“Andrew… he wants to marry me,” Jennifer blurted out, the words escaping before she could rein them in.Eddie’s brow furrowed. “What? You’ve got to be kidding me. You just got back from a vacation! Why would you even consider that?”“I know it sounds crazy, but he’s serious. He wants me to leave everything and be with him,” she replied, panic rising in her chest.“Leave everything? Jennifer, are you really thinking about this? What about us?” Eddie’s voice rose slightly, betraying his frustration.“I’m not saying I will! I just… I need time to figure things out,” she stammered, trying to make sense of her feelings.
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Eddie leaned back in his chair, staring out the window as he waited for Agatha to arrive. The morning sun filtered through the glass, casting shadows across his desk, but the warmth offered little comfort. His mind raced with possibilities, scenarios of how this confrontation would play out. He could almost hear the tension humming in the air, a warning that things were about to get messy.When Agatha finally entered, she was all business, her heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor. Her expression was calm, but Eddie noticed a flicker of something in her eyes—nervousness, perhaps, or anticipation.“Eddie,” she greeted, her tone cool. “You wanted to see me?”“Have a seat,” he replied, gesturing to the chair across from him. He needed to maintain control, to keep the upper hand in this conversation.Agatha sat down, her posture elegant, but there was a slight tension in her shoulders. “What’s this about?”“Let’s not pretend, Agatha. You know exactly why I wanted to talk to yo
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"Eddie, calm down. You're jumping to conclusions." Agatha’s voice was smooth, too smooth for Eddie’s liking. She sat across from him, legs crossed, sipping her tea as if the world wasn’t on fire.Eddie clenched his fists, barely able to control his rising anger. His office felt smaller, suffocating, as if the walls were closing in on him. “Calm down? Agatha, one of my subsidiaries just got shut down for a violation, and it happens to be the one your man, Charles, oversees. You expect me to believe that’s just a coincidence?”Agatha didn’t even flinch. She set her cup down delicately, her sharp eyes meeting his. “I understand your frustration, Eddie. But accusing me without evidence won’t solve your problem. Charles has been nothing but loyal, and whatever happened at that company was not my doing. You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment.”Eddie’s jaw tightened. “You think this is about emotions? Agatha, I’ve been in this business long enough to know when something stinks. I j
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"Jennifer, you need a break. We've both been working nonstop, and honestly, I think a vacation would do us both some good." Andrew's voice was steady but held a hint of concern as they sat across from each other in the quiet corner of a café.Jennifer stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere. "I don’t know if I’m ready to go anywhere, Andrew. There’s too much going on, and I can’t just leave. Especially with everything at the office." She sighed, the weight of Frank's death still lingering in her voice, even though she had started to heal.Andrew leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. "You can't keep burying yourself in work, Jen. It's not healthy. You’ve been carrying a lot on your shoulders, and I get it. But you need to take care of yourself too. Just a few days away. Let’s go somewhere quiet, where you don’t have to think about business or Frank for a while."Jennifer hesitated, chewing her lip. She knew Andrew was right, but the thought of leaving everything beh
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“Grace, I need to know exactly what’s going on,” Eddie demanded, pacing around his office. His voice was sharp, filled with frustration. “We can’t afford any more surprises, and this Wilford situation has already cost us enough.”Grace, sitting calmly across from him, nodded. “I understand, Mr. Cameron. I’ve already started pulling reports from the other subsidiaries. But, honestly, I think we need to have a bigger conversation about oversight. This isn’t just about Wilford anymore.”Eddie stopped pacing and turned to face her. “What do you mean?”She handed him a folder. “I’ve been digging, and there are minor discrepancies in a few other subsidiaries as well. It’s not at the level of Wilford, but it’s enough to raise concerns.”Eddie flipped through the documents, his brow furrowing deeper with each page. “How did this happen under my watch? I had systems in place, checks and balances—how did we miss all of this?”Grace gave him a sympathetic look. “Honestly, I think the company has
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Eddie sat at his desk, staring at the numbers on the financial report in front of him. His heart sank as he scanned the figures again, hoping he had somehow misread the data. But there was no mistaking it—his company had taken a sharp hit, and the numbers reflected a significant loss.“This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered to himself, furrowing his brow. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed his personal secretary, Grace.Moments later, Grace appeared at the door, clipboard in hand, her face calm as ever. She was always efficient, always on top of everything, and Eddie trusted her implicitly. But today, something felt off, and he needed answers.“Grace,” he said, his voice sharp with urgency. “What’s going on with the numbers? Our revenues have dropped drastically. I need you to dig into this and find out where the problem lies.”Grace nodded, her fingers already flying over her tablet as she pulled up the latest data. “I’ll get to it right away, Mr. Cameron. I’ll have a detailed
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Eddie paced back and forth in his office, his phone gripped tightly in his hand. He had just read Jennifer’s text: *"We’re heading to Aruba. I’ll be fine, Eddie. Don’t worry."* His gut told him something was off, but he didn’t want to overreact—at least not yet.He opened his contacts, his thumb hovering over a few trusted names. Maybe he could ask one of them to keep an eye on Jennifer while she was away. But before he could make a decision, Agatha appeared at the doorway, her presence calm and poised.“Eddie, what’s going on?” Agatha’s voice was smooth, almost soothing. She noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way he clenched his phone like it was the last tether holding him together. Eddie exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Jennifer just texted me. She’s heading to Aruba with Andrew. Something feels… wrong.”Agatha raised an eyebrow, stepping further into the room. “Aruba? With Andrew? That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?” Her voice had a lilt of casualness, a
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Andrew watched Jennifer run toward the car, her decision clear as she fumbled with her phone. His face twisted in frustration, his mind racing. He had spent weeks meticulously planning this, gaining her trust, making her think he was her escape. And now, Eddie had ruined everything. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it, clenching his fists. Jennifer had already stepped away, halfway across the tarmac, but Andrew wasn’t ready to let this go so easily. With determined steps, he caught up to her, his voice low but urgent as he reached out to grab her arm. "Jennifer, wait."Jennifer stopped, startled, but didn’t turn around immediately. She seemed to wrestle with herself, not quite pulling away from him yet. Andrew took that as a sign to keep going."Just listen to me," Andrew urged, trying to soften his tone. "You don’t have to believe anything Eddie says. He’s trying to confuse you, make you doubt your own decisions."Jennifer shook her head, her voice barely above a whis
