Staring pointedly at the document before him, Arthur’s brows raised in confusion and suddenly, it melted into realization.Before him was an annulment of the one-month marriage between him and Claire. Claire was his wife, the woman he fell in love with two years ago. The same woman he proposed to a year ago while struggling to make ends meet.Slowly, Arthur looked up to meet the gaze of a dark man. Another hefty man was looming over him. They both looked dangerous but Arthur couldn't comprehend what the men had to do with his marriage with Claire.Before he could say anything, the man in front of him snapped at him in a gruff voice. “Sign that.”He was pointing at the document with a crooked finger. Arthur followed the direction of his hand before shaking his head vehemently.“No, why should I?” Rage bubbled in the man’s eyes. Suddenly, he snorted and yelled again. “Sign that!”Even though Arthur was scared of his physique, he didn't do as he was told. He was trying to figure out wha
Maxine’s family was known to throw the biggest parties in society. They were the lords of the hospitality world, owning the biggest hotels and resorts in the country. No one dared to cross them, not even the Qing family. The Maxine’s were the usual Russian family who stuck together and defended their blood to their last breaths. They were respected, feared, accepted, and loved in society. Arthur ran his fingers across the invitation card and threw it into his drawer. He wouldn’t miss this for anything in the world. Maxine’s family was a close acquaintance to his father, but he hadn’t been able to officially see and introduce himself to them. He had gained a lot of enemies, but it would also be nice he had some friends apart from Jim and a few others.He picked up his glass of champagne, strode into his room, and in a few minutes, he was dressed. He dropped instructions with the bodyguard and warned him not to allow Marianna and her sisters into the house. She had been scarce after th
Mark woke up, feeling tired and hungry. He turned, looking into Claire’s sleepy face, and stroked it. She was even more beautiful asleep. He kissed her and stood up from the bed. He had a series of meetings and a dinner reservation with one of his father’s old clients. They were trying to complete a deal without going through the company’s normal processes.His father wouldn’t approve if he heard about it, but Mark wasn’t bothered. He was tired of eating from the hands of Arthur Craig. He stepped into the shower, thinking about how he was going to get the Qing’s siblings contact from his mother. One way or the other, he was going to get it.An hour later, he was settled at the dining table, watching the housekeeper as she arranged the table. He instructed her to leave and served himself. He wasn’t bothered when she muttered something underneath her breath and walked away. Once the deal was completed with the old client, he was going to move out of his father’s glorious mansion. The di
Arthur read through the report Uncle Derrick had sent via mail concerning the unknown number that had threatened him days ago. According to the report, it was from a burner phone, and the number couldn’t be traced to anybody living or alive. He threw the report into the trash can, lit a matchstick, and threw it in. He would have to be more careful next time he received such messages. He unlocked a drawer, pulled out a new phone, and switched it on. Uncle Derrick had advised he got a new device and changed his lines to a private one, which will only be reachable by a handful—Uncle Derrick, Jim, his secretary, and trusted contacts. So, if he received disturbing text messages, he could easily trace them.He scrolled through the phone contact list to review the numbers, and after a few minutes, he called a few people and discussed business and contracts. An hour later, he strolled out of the library for lunch. The housekeeper greeted him as he settled to enjoy a quiet lunch alone. He did
Mark ignored his father’s secretary's raised eyebrow as he barged into his father’s office. He was really angry. How could his father change his mind on Claire’s appointment? His father knew this was the only way he could watch the activities of Claire and ensure she didn’t run off to meet Arthur again. ‘Dad, I thought we agreed that Claire would resume here today? What happened?’ Mark asked, stifling his anger.His father sighed, dropping the tablet he had been engrossed with. ‘It’s not good for the business, Mark. She’s Arthur's ex-wife, and I am not sure Arthur would be happy to see her working here.’Mark chuckled, not believing what his father said. ‘You are afraid of Arthur, Dad? I can’t believe this. We are supposed to be figuring out ways on how to retrieve the company from Arthur, but here you are trying to destroy every plan I have made concerning the move.’‘I still don’t understand how employing Claire here will help your plans. Mark, don’t push this any further. We aren’
Arthur Craig walked into the conference room slowly, measuring his steps as he thought about the app the company was building to tackle the losses they were currently facing. If he hadn’t been carried away with the activities of his step sisters and the Qing family, he would have known his employees were doing everything to make the CEO’s job a difficult and frustrating one. He nodded at the few managers who could muster the courage to greet him and settled at the head of the table. He nodded at Uncle Derrick to start the meeting while he fell into his chair to listen. A few members were given termination letters, while others received severe warnings. Uncle Derrick also acknowledged the efforts of everyone and introduced the project plan we had created for the Venus Project. It was a digital project, and we were expected to build a loan app that worked almost like a bank app. Uncle Derrick explained everything, and Arthur chipped in one or two things to clarify certain terms. Some
Claire read the message again and screamed, resisting the urge to throw her phone. How could Arthur send this to her and block her number? He was literally laughing at her embarrassment at that pathetic fundraising ball. Her eyes burned with rage and hate when she remembered everything that happened. The manager of the store called her a thief when a celebrity modelling agent was about to recruit her to join his firm. She had been so upset that she lost control and called the middle-aged woman all sorts of names.Mark had tried to stop her, but she had lost her control. The manager insulted her family, Mark, and reminded her why Arthur had left her for beauties with brains and self-respect. That last statement had stinged so much, and she jumped on the manager, pulling her hair and giving her slaps. She didn’t care that the photographers, guests, and Mark’s parents were watching her.She adjusted on the couch and placed the ice bag properly on her swollen cheek, which hurt the more af
Arthur dragged the bag and her into the house. He couldn’t believe she would try again to disobey his orders and steal from him. Uncle Derrick was right after all. He shouldn’t have let his guards down. He pushed her to the chair and dropped the bag on the table. ‘Start talking. Why did you steal my money?’ She glared at him, her smooth hair in disarray. ‘I am not going to answer you, Arthur. It’s our money, not just yours, and I needed it to take care of my personal needs. You reduced my salary and demoted me from my position. My circle doesn’t give me the respect that I want because I am not as rich as I used to be because of you.’ He chuckled. ‘So, you would rather steal from me, huh? I am going to take that job from you so that you can learn a little lesson.’ ‘You wouldn’t do that, Arthur. I am barely able to meet up with my personal needs. I am sorry.’ she said, sniffing a bit. Her hard glare had fallen, but he knew she was lying. No matter how many times he forgave her, sh
‘Won’t you be attending the fundraising event? Claire and Mark would be there. I am sure you have one or two things to tell them.’ Uncle Derrick said, pouring wine into his almost filled glass.Arthur shook his head, taking his empty space near him. ‘I am not going. The Qing’s family will be coming. Also, the marbles. I can’t walk into a trap when I don’t have a plan. It would be a stupid move.’Uncle Derrick nodded. ‘Alright. Where are your sisters?’He shrugged. ‘Probably at the event. They have been on the low, and I think I like it. Their chaos is disturbing and not good for the company’s image.’‘Your sisters have accepted they can't bully you or make you drop your position as the Craig’s heir. However, you shouldn’t let your guard down. They also have their mother’s blood, and I remember their mother was someone who didn’t give up easily.Arthur looked up. ‘What happened between my dad and their mother? I know she brought an illegitimate son, but is that all to it?’Uncle Derric
Claire used her card again. It was still saying the same thing. Insufficient funds. How could Mark not fund her card when he knew she was supposed to buy an outfit for the fundraiser event in Washington, D.C.?She smiled at the patient sales attendant and promised to return the outfit later in the day. She wasn’t going to let Mark embarrass her. She boarded a taxi home, and all through the journey, she cursed and regretted ever leaving Arthur. If she had stayed, getting the $8,000 dress wouldn’t have been a problem, but thanks to her taste for a better life, she left him. Now, see where that got her? An unbearable lifestyle with Mark and his parents. It was annoying that they didn’t own Morgan Inc. fully anymore. It was more unfortunate that they had to sell Mark’s home and move into his parents home. Mark had justified his action by saying the money was needed for the new business his father was working on. She had given up on arguing with him. The taxi driver stopped in front of M