The corridor was silent save for the harsh, echoing sound of Richard’s strikes against Todd’s legs. Each brutal blow resonated with sickening cracks, and Todd’s screams filled the air as his bones shattered. His once-arrogant demeanor was gone, replaced by bloodied, broken agony. James watched without flinching, feeling a strange satisfaction at the justice unfolding before him.
Laura, Todd’s mother, lunged forward, her face twisted with rage. “You monster!” she screamed, her voice raw with fury. “You can’t do this to my son!”
Richard turned calmly and, without hesitation, kicked her back with a force that sent her sprawling to the ground. He took a step forward, towering over her. “I suggest you stay silent,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Or you’ll find yourself joining him.”
Laura’s face paled, and she crawled backward, too terrified to speak. Henry, Todd’s father, stood frozen, his eyes wide with fear as he realized the danger of crossing James and his powerful allies.
Dr. Robert Blake, though visibly shaken, held his ground. He crossed his arms, his defiance unbroken. “You think you can scare me?” he spat, glaring at James. “I’m the vice president of this hospital. I can have every one of you thrown out. And I assure you, I’ll be seeing you in court for this.”
James gave him a calm, assessing look. “You seem quite confident, Dr. Blake. But that’s a lot of bluster for a man who might want to consider his appearance.” He raised an eyebrow, his cryptic statement hanging in the air.
Richard’s gaze sharpened, picking up on James’s hint. A dangerous smile spread across his face as he nodded to his men. “Strip him of that hair,” he ordered, a deadly calm in his voice. “Let’s give Dr. Blake a look that matches his… reputation.”
Before Robert could react, two of Richard’s men seized him, holding him in place as a third man took a razor and mercilessly shaved off every remaining strand of Robert’s hair. By the time they were done, Robert’s scalp was cut and bleeding, his appearance stripped of the polished pride he clung to.
Despite his bruised and humiliated state, Robert still tried to cling to his authority, his voice shaking as he threatened, “You’ll regret this. I have powerful connections, and I will make sure every hospital turns against you, Carter. Mark my words.”
But his confidence wavered as a figure entered the corridor, drawing the attention of everyone present. Michael Grant, the esteemed president of First Hospital of New York, walked in, his presence alone enough to silence the room. Known for his uncompromising stance on ethics and patient care, Michael’s reputation preceded him, and he was the last person Robert had expected to see.
Michael’s gaze swept over the scene before landing on Robert with cold disapproval. “Dr. Blake,” he began, his voice carrying a weight of authority that made everyone in the corridor tense. “Your actions today have disgraced not only yourself but this entire institution.”
Robert’s face drained of color. “Mr. Grant… sir, this is a misunderstanding. These men—”
Michael raised a hand, silencing him. “Enough. I have all the information I need.” He pulled out a folder from under his arm, filled with documented proof of Robert’s bribery, misconduct, and abuse of authority. “Your corruption runs deep, Dr. Blake. And your behavior here has confirmed that you’re unfit for any position in this hospital.”
Robert’s mouth opened and closed, his face etched with desperation. “Please, Mr. Grant, I… I didn’t mean—”
Michael’s gaze was unyielding. “You are officially stripped of your title as vice president. Effective immediately, your medical license will be revoked, and you will face criminal charges.”
The words hit Robert like a blow, and he staggered, his last shred of arrogance dissolving as he processed the severity of his punishment.
“No, no… please,” he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. “Have mercy. I… I can change, I swear.”
Michael’s face remained impassive. “The police are on their way. You can explain yourself to them.”
As if on cue, the sound of footsteps echoed from the end of the hall as two police officers approached, summoned by Michael. They took Robert by the arms, leading him away as he struggled weakly, still mumbling pleas for mercy. His family watched, too shocked and terrified to intervene.
Once Robert was gone, Michael turned his attention to Todd, who lay on the ground, writhing in pain. He shook his head, a look of disappointment crossing his face. “Todd Blake, you have disgraced yourself and your family. Your actions here are despicable, and your disrespect toward patients and staff is intolerable.”
Laura, who had finally managed to pick herself up, cried out, “Please, Mr. Grant, don’t punish my son for one mistake.”
Michael’s gaze turned icy. “This was no mistake. Your son deliberately endangered a patient’s life, taunted her family, and abused his position. As of today, Todd is banned from this hospital and all others in the city.”
Laura’s face twisted in horror. “But… his legs, they’re… he needs treatment.”
Michael’s expression remained impassive. “I suggest you find another city. He will not be receiving care here.”
Todd’s face went pale, the gravity of his situation dawning on him. His earlier arrogance was now replaced with fear and despair as he clutched his broken legs, realizing the severity of his punishment.
Michael turned to James, his expression shifting to one of respect. “Mr. Carter, I apologize for the distress this has caused you and your sister. I assure you, there will be no further interference with Emily’s care. She will have the best treatment available.”
James nodded, his face softening as he extended a hand. “Thank you, Mr. Grant. Your support means a great deal to me and my family.”
Michael took his hand, giving it a firm shake. “You have my word, Mr. Carter. No one will harm Emily again.”
As Michael left to oversee the formalities of Robert’s dismissal, Richard remained by James’s side, nodding in satisfaction. “Justice served, wouldn’t you say?”
James glanced at the retreating figures of Robert’s family, now disgraced and humiliated, and allowed himself a slight smile. “More than I could have hoped for.”
The onlookers who had witnessed the entire scene were left in stunned silence, whispering amongst themselves as they absorbed what had just happened. James’s power was now undeniable, his influence reaching far beyond anything they’d expected. He had allies in high places and was a man not to be trifled with.
As he returned to Emily’s side, gently adjusting her blanket, James felt a renewed sense of purpose. The battle for his family’s safety and dignity was far from over, but he knew now that he was not alone. With allies like Richard and Michael by his side, he could confront whatever challenges lay ahead—and he would ensure that no one would ever threaten his loved ones again.
As James stood by Emily’s bedside, Michael Grant’s words echoed in his mind. “Victor Hill and Maple Group have a significant stake in this hospital. In a way, Mr. Carter, you’re effectively one of its owners.” James was still absorbing the weight of this revelation. His inheritance had afforded him much more than financial security—it had granted him influence, real power to protect and defend those he cared about.He thanked Michael once more for his support and headed out of the hospital, feeling an immense sense of relief. Emily would receive the best care available, and those who had dared mistreat her now understood just how deeply connected he was.Outside, Richard offered him a ride. “Allow me, Mr. Carter. I insist.”James smiled, but he shook his head. “Thanks, Richard, but I need some time to think. I’ll make my own way there.”The crisp night air felt grounding as he walked away from the hospital, his mind still turning over the events of the day. Just then, his phone buzzed
He nodded, after reading the text he received knowing fully well that he got covered. He patiently waited for the party to begin, his attention was caught by the menu on the table. He took the menu on the table and looked for what drink to take, he got interrupted by a waiter. “Hi sir! What would you like to have? The waiter asked politely, He said with a welcoming smile, “A glass of cocktail will be nice.” “Alright coming right up!, the waiter said, leaving James to get his order.. The lady and her men noticed what had happened and she decided to do something stupid. She went straight to the waiter and she said “Hi, are you the waiter? She asked in pretense. “Yes ma’am. Do you need anything? He asked politely. “Yeah, I need a glass of water. Can you make that available? She said “Sure ma’am! I will be right back. He turned away, leaving her with the drink he was about to serve to james. The lady named Tasha has a plan in mind and that’s to poison James's drink. She
“Hey, let me be.” Tasha said, struggling to break free from Victor’s grasp. “No, we won’t let you go, you must tell us who sent you,”James said, piercing into Tasha’s eyes. “I won’t reveal her identity, no matter what,”Tasha said, her face set in a determined expression. “Oh, I see you’re stubborn and not easily swayed.”James said, his gaze piercing as he locked eyes with Tasha. “Don’t worry, I will handle your case”. Tasha spat in Victor’s face, and before James could even react, Victor unleashed a powerful punch, striking Tasha’s jaw with a loud crack. Her nose bled and she crumpled to the ground, feeling dazed and weak. “Hey Victor, why did you do that?.”James said looking at victor with a furious face. “She spat on me. How dare she do that?” Victor answered James as he picked up a bottle and smashed it against the wall. “Calm down buddy! Anger won’t solve anything here.” James told Victor in a calm tone. Tasha was on the ground gasping for air. She was in pain an
James was in shock after he found out the confession Tasha made. He planned to investigate the case knowing why his mother-in- law did that .“James, so what are we going to do?” Victor asked James, looking so worried.“We will investigate this case” James said, adjusting the table opposite to where Tasha sat.“Can’t we just confront her and report her to the police?” Victor asked him as he walked over to where James was. “No! I must have my evidence, I must teach that old lady a lesson." James whispered to Victor's ears.“Alright. I got your back buddy.” Victor said as they gave each other a fist bump. “And what will we do to her?” James said, as he turned to tasha.“Please, let me go! I already gave you what you wanted,”Tasha pleaded.James nodded his head in disapproval to what she said. “Not yet, you will be of help to us. Your mission hasn't been completed.” James said to her.“What mission? What else do you seek for?” Tasha asked James in a low tone barely audible. James smil
“Oh mother, she’s having her prayers. She will join us shortly.” She said to him, sipping her cup of coffee. “Such a wicked woman still prays! To which God exactly? “ James said to himself. “Alright.” He replied to his wife. His mother-in-law came out for breakfast. She wasn’t aware that James wasn't dead and he came back home last night. Immediately she set her eyes on him, she gasped for some air. She thought James was dead. “Oh my Goodness, this good for nothing is back. I thought I told that fool Tasha to waste his life. Why is he still here? Oh God! My plan failed . Tasha is such a moron.” She said to herself with much bitterness James sighted his mother-in - law walking towards the dining room. “Oh, my mother-in- law is here! Good morning mother.” He said to her as he smiled mischievously. She avoided his greetings and pretended as if she couldn’t hear a thing. “Good morning mother.” Her daughter, Pamela said to her with a welcoming smile. “Beautiful morning to
James told Victor about the conversation he’d eavesdropped on.” He planned on how to take his revenge knowing that there are more enemies after him. On a hot afternoon, James was home spending time with his wife then suddenly, he heard loud knocks at the door. He wondered who that could be because he wasn’t expecting a guest the same as his wife.He swiftly rose from the couch and proceeded directly to the entrance. He opened the door only to meet a delivery man.“Hello sir, I have a delivery.” The man in white attire and glasses announced.James looked confused.“Oh, but I did not order anything.” He said to him,“Is this the residence of Helen Shaw?” He inquired, checking the delivery slip.“Yes, it’s. I’m her son-in-law.” James answered, staring at him.“Is she in? The delivery package is hers.” The delivery man said.“Mrs Helen is not here. I can sign on her behalf.” James replied.The delivery man handed James a form to sign on. James brought out a pen to sign. The delivery man
James spent a few hours at the cafe with Victor. They discussed their plans and how to expose his mother-in -law. They both laughed and chatted but, deep down in James's heart he wasn’t happy.He wants to get to the root of the problems he was facing. He thought about having an accomplice rather than victor being the only one that he could talk to. But, who could he trust? It’s only Victor that has been part of his life.One cold Sunday morning, James was at the dining table having his breakfast when he heard mother-in-law talking to someone on the phone. She was loud and her voice sounded like someone who was angry and disappointed.He wondered what could have gotten her in that state. He got up from the chair, tiptoed towards her room with a plan of getting to know the truth. He stood behind the window, peeped through the curtains to see what was happening.Mother-in-law spoke to the caller in a very harsh tone “what’s your problem this fool? So you’ve been caught! And you never bo
There was silence for about two minutes, James thought about what Mr John said. How can Mr John help him in exposing mother-in-law? Moreover he’s an aged man, does he have the strength to go through this phase I’m facing? James cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had existed between them. “So, how can you do that? She's smarter than you think”. He said, staring at him eager to get a reply. Mr John heaved, looking like a child who was already exhausted. He moved closer to James as he touched him on his shoulder. “Like I said, son. I know Helen Shaw quite well, I will help you in exposing her”. Mr John assured him. “Alright. So what’s the plan”? James asked curiously. “Do you know about any of her accomplice?” Mr John asked, sipping his glass of vodka. James paused for a while, he thought about it. He knew she had one and he can’t remember his name.. “Yes, I do. But I can't recall what his name is”. He said, itching his head in an aggressive manner. “Think ab
Chapter 47Helen Shaw’s heels clicked sharply against the marble floor of her living room, her expression tense as she scanned the documents spread across the coffee table. George Shaw sat across from her, his hands clutching a thick envelope containing copies of internal reports from Maple Group—reports that no one outside of James’s inner circle should have access to.“This is it,” Helen said, her voice low but brimming with confidence. “With these, we can deal him a blow he’ll never recover from.”George glanced uneasily at the papers. “Are you sure about this, Helen? If James finds out—”“He won’t find out,” she interrupted, narrowing her eyes. “Do you want Pamela to be stuck with a man like him forever? If we bring Maple Group to its knees, Pamela will finally see reason. She’ll leave him.”George hesitated, but Helen’s determination silenced his doubts. He knew better than to challenge her once she had her mind set on something.Helen continued, her voice growing colder. “We’ll
The air in the Shaw household was heavy with unease. Helen and George sat in the living room, their earlier celebration overshadowed by a growing sense of dread. The fixer, Charles Tully, had gone silent, and no updates had come through.Helen tapped her fingernails against the armrest, her irritation barely concealed. “Where is he? He promised results by now.”George shifted uncomfortably. “Maybe we should lay low for a while, Helen. If James catches wind of this—”“He won’t,” Helen snapped, cutting him off. “Stop worrying. Charles knows what he’s doing. We’re close to finally getting rid of that man.”Just then, the front door opened. Helen and George turned, expecting Pamela, but their faces froze when James stepped inside instead.James closed the door behind him, his movements calm, deliberate. Dressed sharply in a tailored black suit, he exuded an aura of quiet authority that made the tension in the room palpable.“James,” Helen began, her tone tight. “What are you doing here?”
Helen and George Shaw sat at the dining table, tension heavy between them. George’s face was pale as he clutched his phone, the recent call from Garth still fresh in his mind.“He’s furious,” George muttered, his voice shaky. “That bad information cost him millions. If he drops us, we’re finished.”Helen rolled her eyes, pouring herself a glass of wine. “Don’t be so dramatic, George. We just need to dig deeper. James can’t be this invincible.”“And what if we get caught?” George shot back. “Do you think James doesn’t know what we’re up to? He’s not stupid, Helen.”Helen leaned forward, her eyes cold. “Then we don’t get caught. You need to grow a backbone. This isn’t just about us—it’s about protecting Pamela from that man. If we don’t act now, she’ll end up losing everything when James eventually falls.”Unbeknownst to them, Victor was watching from a car parked across the street, his camera trained on the house. Through the windows, he captured the argument, Helen’s animated gestures
Helen Shaw paced the living room, her hands clasped tightly, the tension radiating from her every movement. “We’ve been patient for too long, George. That man has walked all over us, made us dependent on him, and humiliated us at every turn. If Pamela won’t see reason, then we’ll have to act for her sake.”George Shaw, slouched in his favorite armchair with a drink in hand, looked weary. “And what exactly do you propose we do, Helen? He’s not just some small-town businessman. James has resources—more than we can imagine. We can’t take him down easily.”Helen shot him a sharp glare. “Are you really that spineless? Garth has been hounding us to find a weakness in James’s empire, and now we have an opportunity. We just need to give him the right ammunition. Maple Group has vulnerabilities—we just need to find them.”George sighed but nodded reluctantly. “Fine. I’ll reach out to a few of my old contacts, see if there’s any chatter about Maple Group’s internal dealings. But you… You’re clo
The cold winter sunlight filtered through the office windows as Pamela sat quietly in a corner of James’s office. She had come under the pretense of delivering lunch, but she couldn’t help staying to observe him at work.James stood by his desk, phone pressed to his ear, his voice firm yet calm as he spoke to a supplier in Europe. Despite the mounting pressure of recent challenges, he remained composed, solving problems with a confidence that Pamela couldn’t ignore.She remembered the man she married—timid, unsure, and often dismissed by her parents. That James seemed like a distant memory. The man before her now was decisive, commanding, and, to her surprise, magnetic in a way she had never noticed before.As he ended the call, James turned to her. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Did you want to talk about something?”Pamela hesitated, feeling awkward under his steady gaze. “No, I just thought you might need a break. You’ve been working nonstop.”A small smile tugged at his lips. “There’
A gentle rain fell over the city, its rhythm soothing against the windows of James Whitmore’s penthouse. For the first time in weeks, the tension at Maple Group seemed to have eased. The newly forged international alliances were beginning to yield results, stabilizing the company’s supply chains and boosting investor confidence. James had spent the day tying up loose ends, ensuring that every department was aligned with the company’s vision. As he stood by the window, a glass of bourbon in hand, James allowed himself a rare moment of reflection. The battles with Brandon, Helen Shaw’s lingering resentment, and Garth’s growing aggression—all of it seemed distant, as if paused by the tranquility of the evening. Victor entered the room, his usually brisk demeanor softened by the quiet atmosphere. “The reports are in,” he said, holding up a tablet. “Our market share has increased by 7% since the Dubai partnership went public. Investors are calling it a turning point.” James turned to
The sprawling Maple Group headquarters buzzed with activity, reflecting the company’s recent momentum. James Whitmore stepped out of the elevator on the top floor, greeted by a team of department heads awaiting his arrival in the main conference room. After weeks of traveling, securing key international partnerships, it was time to address the home front.As James entered, his commanding presence silenced the room. He took his seat at the head of the table, the city skyline glimmering through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him.“Ladies and gentlemen,” James began, his tone firm yet energizing, “our international expansion is well underway. But growth abroad means nothing if we can’t fortify our foundation here. This is where the real work begins.”Victor, seated to his right, pulled up a presentation on the large screen. The first slide displayed key performance indicators for Maple Group’s domestic operations. “We’ve analyzed every division,” Victor said, his voice clear and pre
James and Victor spent the following weeks jet-setting between continents, meeting with key players in the business world.In Dubai, they secured a partnership with a major logistics company, ensuring Maple Group’s products could be delivered faster and more efficiently. In Singapore, they negotiated with a tech firm to incorporate cutting-edge AI into their operations. And in Germany, they forged an alliance with a prominent automobile manufacturer, opening doors to new ventures.Each deal was a piece of the puzzle, carefully selected to strengthen Maple Group’s foundation.During a meeting in Tokyo, Victor leaned over to James. “You’re playing a masterful game here. Garth and Brandon won’t know what hit them.”James smirked. “Let them plot. Every move they make now will only push us further ahead.The Gulfstream jet landed smoothly on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport. As James stepped off the plane with Victor by his side, he felt the heat of the desert sun and the weight o
The Maple Group boardroom had never been more alive. Executives, department heads, and international advisors gathered around the long mahogany table, listening intently as Victor laid out the blueprint for James’s latest initiative. Maps of target regions and digital projections flickered on the screen behind him, displaying key growth metrics and potential market analyses.Victor’s voice carried with a clarity that commanded attention. “We’re looking at markets in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. These regions are brimming with untapped potential. By establishing a presence now, we position Maple Group as a leader in industries ranging from renewable energy to logistics.”James leaned forward, his expression calm but commanding. “This isn’t just expansion—it’s reinforcement. If Garth or anyone else tries to undermine us, they’ll face resistance on multiple fronts. We won’t just withstand their attacks; we’ll render them irrelevant.”The room fell silent for a momen