Marvin and his mother stepped off the plane onto the tarmac at Neovalle’s sleek, modern airport. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the city skyline in the distance. It felt like stepping into another world—one that seemed light-years ahead of the life they had left behind.As they made their way through the terminal, Marvin pulled out his phone and opened a rideshare app. Within minutes, they were greeted by a dark blue Uber, its electric engine was humming softly as it pulled up to the curb.“Hello! Marvin and Sophia Richmond, right?” the driver asked with a friendly smile. He was a middle-aged man with a kind face and a name tag that read Elian.“Yes, that’s us,” Marvin confirmed. “Um, we are kinda new around and we would like to ask if you can recommend a good hotel around here? Something top-notch.”Elian’s eyes lit up. “Oh, definitely! You’ll want to check out The Aurora Grand. It’s one of the best hotels in Neovalle. Five-star service, stunning views, and all th
Marvin walked to the reception area, but as he got closer, he realized there was a long line. Four people were ahead of him, while three joined in behind him. They were all dressed in expensive suits and elegant dresses. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to catch his breath. His shirt was sticking to his back, and he felt a bit embarrassed.As he stood in the queue, a couple of people in front of him started to turn their heads and sniff the air, their faces also began to scrunching up. Marvin felt a pang of anxiety when he realized they were reacting to his smell. He had been lugging heavy bags around, and now he was really sweaty.“Hey man, are you a plumber or something? You look all worked up,” one man in the line who was two steps behind him joked, he had been eyeing Marvin’s sweaty clothes.Another person, a younger guy with slicked-back hair, wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, and it smells like you’ve never had a shower. You smell like a fish!”A wave of laughter ripple
The young woman’s eyes widened in shock. “What the hell, you must be kidding me!” she shouted, drawing more attention.“Come on, run the card in the machine again,” the young lady demanded, with a voice that was tight with irritation.The receptionist took the card and swiped it again, but the screen displayed the same message: “PAYMENT DECLINED.”The young woman’s face turned red with frustration. “This is ridiculous!” she exclaimed. “Wait, sir, let me call my banker. I’m not having this.” She pulled out her phone, furiously tapping at the screen to make the call.“Please, madam, kindly step aside so I can attend to the next person,” the receptionist said politely but firmly.She turned to look at Marvin with a sneer, then huffed and stepped aside, holding her phone to her ear.The receptionist turned to Marvin. “Hello, sir, and welcome to Aurora Grand Hotel,” he greeted with a somewhat tired expression. “Are you here to book a reservation?”“Yeah, of course,” Marvin replied, still f
Marvin’s eyes locked onto that of receptionist’s, they were cold and unblinking eyes. The receptionist felt a shiver run down his spine, as if he were staring into the eyes of a predator.“You think I can’t afford it?” Marvin’s voice was low and calm, but it carried a dangerous edge.“No, sir, that’s not what I meant,” the receptionist stuttered, his hands were sweating so much now that he could barely grip the card. “I just—”“You just what?” Marvin interrupted, leaning in slightly. The receptionist could smell the faint scent of cologne mixed with sweat, and it made him even more nervous.“I just—” the receptionist began again, but his voice faltered. He felt like he was drowning under Marvin’s intense gaze. Everyone in the room was silent, watching, waiting to see what would happen next.Marvin straightened up and gave a small, cold smile. “Well I suppose how I choose to spend my money is non of your business is it?""No." The receptionist replied almost immediately."Okay then, r
Back in his lavish private spa room, Mr Richmond lay back on a comfortable lounge chair, his eyes were closed as soft music played in the background. The warm steam and the soothing scent of lavender filled the air of the private spa room. The events of the day felt distant now, almost like a bad dream he was finally waking up from.Beside him, Dana Orion, his wife, was scrolling through her phone, with a slight smile playing on her lips. Her Instagram page had exploded with new followers ever since they got married, and now, every post seemed to be filled with congratulations and admiration.“Look at this, honey,” Dana said, showing him her phone screen. “They’re all talking about us. Some are even saying that we’re the new power couple of Westwood.”Mr Richmond smiled faintly, not opening his eyes. “Good for them. I’m just glad I can finally relax.”Dana nodded, though she looked a bit worried. She knew today had been tough for him, overseeing some projects and attending to some
Darren fumbled with the hologram machine, his hands were shaking slightly as he set it up on the small table in front of Mr. Richmond. A few seconds later, the device flickered to life, projecting a clear image into the center of the room. It showed a well-lit studio, where Tariq Khyber, the CEO of the Khyber Group, was seated across from a John Larry a famous TV pundit.Tariq’s smile was wide and genuine, his face was glowing with triumph, like he had just achieved something extraordinary. Mr. Richmond’s expression hardened as soon as he saw his rival. That smile meant only one thing: progress. And progress for the Khybers was bad news for the Richmonds.Mr. Richmond clenched his jaw, feeling a wave of anger wash over him. Tariq Khyber wasn’t just any competitor—he was one of the most cunning and crafty men in Westwood’s business world. Every victory Tariq scored was a threat to Mr. Richmond’s empire.“What is this?” Mr. Richmond asked, his voice was edged with frustration as he s
Tariq leaned back in his chair, letting the moment hang in the air before he answered the host’s question."How much?" the host asked again, leaning forward, eager for the response.Tariq smiled, his eyes were gleaming. “Around fifty billion dollars.”Mr. Richmond's world froze.Fifty billion? His son, Marvin—whom he had always thought of as a failure—was was now actually a billionaire? And not just a billionaire, but someone who had made that fortune without any help or affiliation with him?He couldn’t believe it. It didn’t make sense. His son, whom he had disowned and cast aside, had managed to pull off a deal that no one else could. Marvin had somehow become a powerful player behind the scenes, without his father even knowing.Mr. Richmond felt like the ground was shifting beneath him. His chest tightened, his pulse pounded in his ears. How could this have happened? How could Marvin, of all people, have outplayed him like this?Across the room, Martha's eyes widened in shock as
At exactly ten in the morning, Marvin stepped out of his suite. The hallway was filled with hotel staff scurrying to and fro and each of them bowed in greeting as he passed.He had done the impossible some days ago and that act left them in awe and they were impressed.But Marvin didn’t even glance at them. He moved with purpose, his gaze was set straight ahead. The whispers of respect and fear followed him like a shadow.As he reached the front doors, he stepped into the bright courtyard. There, waiting for him, was a sleek Lamborghini Aventador limousine. Standing next to it was the butler assigned to him, dressed sharply in his uniform.“Good morning, sir,” the butler greeted, bowing deeply.“Yes, good morning,” Marvin replied, his voice was calm but distant.The butler straightened up and asked, “Please, sir, may I know the reason for your outing today and where you wish to go?”Marvin glanced at him. “I want you to drive me to a restaurant that serves spicy peanut butter noodles