The message repeated once more before the speaker went silent.The news left Hastings and Edward in a very suffocating atmosphere. Hastings looked like he might collapse. His face was totally drained of color, and his eyes were wide with fear. “Sh*t! We’re doomed,” he whispered, his entire body trembling.“Get it together!” Edward barked, rising from his seat. “It’s just a meeting. Nothing more. If Nathan really knew what we did, he would have had us arrested by now.”“But after what he did to Darius...” Hastings began.“Exactly,” Edward cut him off. “After what he did to Darius, you think we’d still be alive if he knew? No. This meeting is just like the others. We just need to make sure Darius doesn’t open his mouth. That’s it.”Hastings nodded weakly, still visibly shaken, but he couldn't help but admit that Edward was right. If Nathan had found out about their involvement, he wouldn’t bother with meetings. He’d come for them just like he came for Darius.Edward straightened his ti
The room remained heavy with silence as Lord Cloud sat at the head of the table. His mere presence exuded an aura of power and authority so intense that no one even dared to speak.All around the conference room, employees began to shift uncomfortably in their seats, and sweat was even forming on some of their foreheads.Each one of them began to replay every decision, every minor slip-up in their minds, wondering if they had done anything to incur Lord Cloud's wrath. Some glanced nervously at their colleagues, while others bowed their heads, too afraid to meet Nathan's intense gaze.Hastings was visibly shaking, his shirt already soaked in sweat. His mind was racing, and his heart pounded against his chest like a hammer. Does he know? The question replayed in his mind endlessly. He could feel the cold, piercing stare of Nathan boring through him. Sylvester, too, was breaking under the pressure; he had pulled out of the plan with Darius, but what if backing out was not enough to a
Nathan stood over Edward, Hastings, and Sylvester like an executioner, his face cold and devoid of emotion.The entire room was silent, save for the groans of the men who were brutally hit.His cold gaze swept across the conference room, locking eyes with every employee, one by one. They were too afraid to even blink under his intense gaze.Nathan finally spoke, his voice low and commanding, making the entire room tremble. "I disguised myself as a cleaner for weeks," he began. "To observe. To see how things were really being run in my company."He let his words sink in, taking a slow sip of whiskey before placing the glass back on the table. “What I witnessed… disappointed me.”The employees could feel the judgment in his words. Each of them began to remember their interactions with the 'cleaner' they had so easily ignored. The man they had disrespected, bullied, and overlooked was none other than Lord Cloud himself.Nathan continued, "I saw people who thought they were better than ot
The three executives—Edward, Hastings, and Sylvester, who were to be bartered to even speak, lay there waiting for the judgment of the Lord.Of course, Nathan had not forgotten about them. He turned his gaze to his trusted men. “Take them. Lock them up, along with their families, until they vomit every dime they stole.”His voice was ice-cold, devoid of any hesitation or pity.The same Lord Cloud that had given Grace and her son an opportunity of a lifetime had now condemned the executives and their entire families.The employees watched in fear as the security team moved swiftly, gathering Edward, Hastings, and Sylvester. Their faces were pale, drained of color, as they were dragged out of the room like criminals."I want every last cent returned," Nathan continued, his voice echoing off the walls.As the executives were dragged away, the employees exchanged nervous glances.Nathan's men followed their orders to the letter; they found each of their family members and locked them all
A few days later, Grace was walking through the hallways of Cloud Corporation. Heads turned as she passed, and the employees greeted her with smiles and so much respect.Grace was no longer the overlooked cleaner, who was ignored, disrespected, and bullied by people. She was now one of the top managers in the company, making important decisions that were impactful to Cloud Corporation.“Good morning, Miss Grace!” one of the junior employees greeted her with a broad smile.“Good morning,” Grace replied, still getting used to the way people now treated her with such respect.Even the executives, who used to walk past her without ever acknowledging her, now went out of their way to greet her and help her out any way they could.It was almost unbelievable. Grace had never sought power or wealth, yet now she held both in abundance, all because of her kindness and integrity.One afternoon, as Grace left the office building after closing from work, she was greeted by a sleek black car parked
“Why have you not found Darius yet?” Nathan demanded.His men were standing before him in his office, and the atmosphere was tense.It had been over three weeks since they raided Darius' estate, and he escaped, and his men were not able to find him to date.James then took a step forward. “Lord Cloud, we’ve searched everywhere. We've used every connection, every resource, but it's as if he vanished without a trace. We’ve tried every lead, every hideout we know of, but... nothing.”Nathan’s eyes darkened, his fury barely contained.How could a small fly like Darius manage to slip through their hands?“How is it that you can't find him? How hard could it be to find a single man in Prescott?"The men shifted uncomfortably, their shoulders tense under the weight of Nathan’s glare.James then finally spoke up. “He’s got deep connections, Lord Cloud. He’s gone completely underground. We suspect he may have left the country, or he’s being protected by someone very powerful.”Nathan rose from
Grace could not hold back her tears, and she pulled Brian into her arms. She hugged him as tight as she could without hurting him. “Oh, thank God, you’re fine, baby!” she cried, her voice filled with so much emotion. “I was so scared…”Brian, although very weak, managed to raise his hand and pat his mom’s back gently. “Mommy, it’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m fine. Don’t cry…”But Grace couldn’t stop crying. It was as if Brian’s statement made her cry even more. Life without her son was unbearable.“I’m so sorry, Brian,” she whispered into his hair, her voice breaking.Brian pulled back slightly and looked up at her. He let out a weak, small smile to reassure his mom that he was fine. “Mommy, you worry too much. I’m okay now, really.”Brian was really a strong kid.Grace wiped her tears, her heart still heavy, but she felt so much relief.She kissed his forehead and held his hand tightly. She never wanted to let him go.As Grace held Brian in her arms, the door to the hospital room ope
The doctor leaned forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll do everything we can to help Brian, Mrs. Grace. But right now, you need to do everything you can to get the money to save his life.”Grace nodded through her tears. She wiped her eyes as she tired to steady her herself, but it was not working, her mind was already looking for solutions, where to get the money from. “Thank you, Doctor,” she said as she stood, her body was still shaking in fear. “I… I will try and see if I can find the money.”Grace walked out of the office in a daze, her thoughts raced as she tried to figure out what to do next. She had no one to turn to for help. Her savings would not even raise her even half of the money. The only person she could think of… was Nathan.But would he help her?She had never asked Nathan for anything beyond her job. He had already done so much for her, giving her a chance to rebuild her life. How could she possibly ask him for five hundred thousand dollars? Would he ev