2024-08-24 23:02:23Two days after Marvin’s discharge from the hospital, he was driven home. The shock of his wife’s revelation still clung to him like a shadow, leaving him sober and hollow.
It wasn’t just that he had wasted years loving the wrong person—the truth was worse: He had no children. As the car rolled to a stop in front of his house, Marvin barely noticed the towering structure before him. His mind was a battlefield, as the words of his wife replayed in a torturous loop. Therapy had been prescribed for his injured head, but how could twenty-four hours of counseling ever soothe the wreckage of a man who had lost everything? "Hey, I know you're dealing with a lot," said Mr. Fredrick from the driver’s seat, breaking the silence. "But don't be too hard on yourself, okay?" Marvin nodded absently. "Okay," he muttered, already opening the door. "If you need anything, just call me, alright?" Mr. Fredrick added before driving off, his voice was full of concern. Marvin stood at the entrance of his sprawling, two-story mansion, nestled in the heart of the luxurious Richmond Estate. The gates creaked as he pushed them open, but something felt wrong. A sleek, black G-Wagon was parked outside, one he didn't recognize. Frowning, he hurried to the front door. His key twisted in the lock with an unsettling ease. Inside, Marvin's breath caught in his throat. The house was stripped bare. His lavish furniture, the towering entertainment system, the wine collection—all of it was gone. The walls were naked, echoing his every step. "What the hell?" he whispered, his voice began to tremble. Panic flickered in his chest, but it wasn't the missing items that sent a chill through his spine. No, it was something far more important. Ignoring the pain pulsing at the back of his head, he raced upstairs, his heart was pounding as he headed for his private study. His life’s work—his research, his theories—was all that mattered now. When he reached the second floor, he froze. The door to his study, which was always securely locked, was now wide open. With dread swirling inside him, Marvin stepped inside. Sitting casually at the desk, flipping through his research papers, was the last person Marvin ever wanted to see—his father, Mr. Richmond. Marvin's heart lurched. He staggered backward, unable to believe his eyes. The man who had disowned him, the man who had taken everything from him, was now seated comfortably in his sanctuary, studying his work with a cold, calculating gaze. "Dad?" Marvin's voice cracked. Mr. Richmond didn't look up. "You’ve always been good with numbers," he said, his tone was smooth but loaded with something far darker. Marvin’s blood ran cold. "Where's all my stuff?" he demanded, forcing himself to stay calm. "Your stuff?" His father finally looked up, his eyes were narrowing. "When did you ever own anything, Marvin?" Confusion flickered across Marvin’s face. “What are you talking about? I used my money to refurbish this house—” "Your money?" Mr. Richmond scoffed, rising to his feet. His towering figure loomed over Marvin. "You think a few scraps from my company give you ownership of anything? You think your half-baked 'contributions' entitle you to something?" Marvin felt a surge of anger but he bit his tongue. He wasn’t here to argue. "Just tell me where my things are, Dad." Mr. Richmond let out a heavy sigh, his lips curled into a cruel smirk. "I had them burned." Marvin’s world spun. "What…?" His breath caught in his throat, as disbelief rendered him speechless. "Oh, and this house?" Mr. Richmond continued, as if he hadn’t just shattered his son’s life. "It doesn’t belong to you anymore." Before Marvin could react, the door behind him swung open, and in strode three large men. Flanked between them, standing smugly, was Daniel Richmond—his younger brother. And right behind Daniel…was Martha. And the children. Marvin's stomach churned. His rage, which was once barely controlled, now roared to life. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white. Seeing Daniel was one thing, but to see Martha—the woman he thought was his wife—standing so comfortably with his brother, tore him apart. Daniel smirked, sliding an arm around Martha's waist. "We’re here to tear down this dump and build something proper," Daniel said, with a voice that was dripping with arrogance. "Martha and the kids deserve better. They’ve waited for me all these years." Martha smiled up at Daniel, planting a kiss on his lips. Marvin felt the ground slip beneath his feet. Mr. Richmond’s voice cut through the suffocating silence. "You’re lucky we even allowed you to stay here as long as you did. Now, this house will be mine again, and your 'research'... well, it never meant anything." Marvin's hands trembled with fury. "Dad, all these is insane." Marvin muttered. "Besides the fact that this wizzle here has synapticore force, he doesn't have the technical know how to run the company. He doesn't know anything about tech." Marvin said angrily. SLAP. The force of the blow made Marvin’s ears ring. Mr. Richmond stood over him, his face became a mask of fury. "How dare you insult my real son?" he spat. "It was because of him, the Bowen group ended their long lasted rivalry with us and agreed to partner with us, awarding us a contract of a hundred million dollars." Mr Richmond said proudly. "Just like that. Something you could never dream of accomplishing." Marvin’s vision blurred with the sting of tears. But as the insults rained down, as his brother gloated, and as Martha and the children watched on with indifference, he felt something shift inside him. Beneath the rage and humiliation, a fire kindled. He may have lost everything, but he hadn't lost himself. Marvin forced himself to remain calm. "Dad," he said quietly, "just let me take my research with me." "Research?" Daniel snorted, striding over to the desk. "You mean this junk?" "Those papers, and the formulas on the board," Martha said, with a voice that was dripping with contempt. She leaned in close to Daniel, with her gaze never leaving that of Marvin. "Let’s see what this ‘genius’ has been working on." Marvin’s heart pounded in his chest as Daniel reached for the papers on the desk. If they touched his work, it would all be over. His only hope, the last remnants of his tech future, would be destroyed. Just as Daniel's hand hovered over the documents, something snapped inside Marvin.
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Marvin walked through the entrance of the company building to the reception. Upon reaching where the receptionist was and upon sighting him, her eyes were wide out of shock. "Good morning Master Marvin." She greeted. "Good morning Mrs Flora, how is everything?" "Everything is fine. How about you?" "I am good." Replied Romeo. "So sorry about what happened to you, I on you must be going through a lot right now." "I know Mrs Flora, but what would I do, my father has made his decision." Marvin shrugged his shoulders. "You know I really wish you had the synapticore force within you, you surely would have been a great leader." She was aware of how hardworking and passionate Marvin was during his time at the company. "Well, I don't have it." "About your wife…" "No Mrs Flora, don't go there, I don't wish to remember anything about Martha Arceneaux." Marvin interrupted. "I am sorry about that master Marvin, but what I really wanted to say, is that I have a niece that you c
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Marvin's words hung in the air, and the mood in the room shifted. David who had been so confident, now looked a bit nervous.Marvin's smile grew, but there was no kindness in it.Marvin calmly pulled out his phone and started making calls. David watched him, confused and nervous, not knowing what Marvin was about to do.Marvin dialled the first number, and he spoke confidently into the phone."Hello, Mr. Charles Williams?""Hello Master Marvin, how are you?""I am fine Mr. Charles.""So what is it?" Mr Charles asked."Um Mr. Charles Williams, I just wanted to let you know that I am no longer working at Richmond Tech group. I think you should take your investments out of the company right away.""Marvin, this is sudden. Why are you leaving Richmond Tech Group? Did something happen?" The voice at the background sounded surprise."Let's just say that there has been a shift in the company's direction that I can no longer align with. It is a strategic decision on my part, Mr. Williams. I b
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Four hours later…Marvin's office was dark, except for the faint glow of the city lights bleeding through the large windows. The clock on the wall ticked softly, marking each passing second with a cruel, steady rhythm.It was 7:00 PM.Marvin sat in his black leather chair, slouched back, with a glass of beer in one hand and a half-smoked cigarette in the other. Smoke curled lazily around him, filling the room with a bitter haze.His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his tie loosened, and his hair was a mess. His eyes were bloodshot, heavy with exhaustion and grief. He looked like a man who had just lost everything—because he had.Ethan Voss was dead.His only chance to expose Mr. Crowe. Gone.The wild beeping of the heart monitor still echoed in Marvin’s head, sharp and haunting. The image of Ethan convulsing, his body jerking violently, his face twisted in pain, was burned into his mind.Marvin took a long drag from the cigarette, the tip glowing red in the dim light. He exhal
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Marvin stopped beside Ethan, staring down at him, with his heart pounding.The man’s face was pale, too pale, almost like a ghost. His chest rose and fell steadily, but he looked lifeless—like someone lost in a deep, unreachable dream. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only proof that Ethan was still alive.Marvin swallowed hard. He clenched his fists, and his mind was racing."Wake up, man. Please, wake up."The words screamed silently in his head, over and over again, growing louder with every second.The doctors had warned him. Ethan needed rest. His body and mind were fragile, barely hanging on the edge between recovery and relapse. Waking him too soon could cause serious damage.But Marvin didn’t have time.Forty-eight hours. That was all he had.If Ethan didn’t wake up soon, Helios Enterprise would be finished. The audit would fail. The Prime Minister would shut everything down. His accounts would be frozen. His enemies would celebrate.He clenched his jaw. He could
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The governor’s confused voice hung in the air."What… what do you mean, Mr. Marvin?"Marvin took a slow breath, steadying himself. He knew this was his only chance to shift the tides — to save his company, his reputation, and his life’s work."Your Excellency," he began, his tone was firm but respectful. "I am a businessman who only just made it into the commercial scene not too long ago. Why would anyone think I would risk everything — the trust of the public, my company’s future — by not just failing to do my job well, but causing a great disaster? A disaster that led to casualties?"He let the question linger, heavy with unspoken truth."The Lunebrook incident was not my doing," Marvin continued, with the heat of conviction rising in his voice. "In fact, I have been quietly gathering evidence, and from everything I’ve found, Darius Crowe stands out as a suspect. There are traces of interference… patterns too calculated to be mere coincidence."A tense silence followed. Marvin coul
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The governor sighed, it was a long and tired sound, the kind that carried the weight of unpleasant truths."Yes, Mr. Marvin, I am aware," he replied, a bit reluctantly, as though he had been dreading this conversation.Marvin’s grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles were whitening as cold fury simmered beneath his skin. His voice grew sharper, cutting through the tension like a blade."But I thought you said that your government would protect my company despite the scandal I’m in at the moment?" Marvin’s words came out slow and deliberate, each syllable was edged with restrained anger.The line went silent for a moment, the weight of the governor’s hesitation started thickening the air. Marvin could almost hear the gears turning on the other end as the governor sounded like he was choosing his words carefully."It is Mr. Darius Crowe…" the governor began, his voice was low, almost conspiratorial. "He’s been working hard to see you and your company suffer. Information reached me
HELIOS ON THE BRINK
Inside Marvin Richmond’s private lab, the lights were dim. The air smelled of antiseptic, cold and clean.Ethan Voss lay on a white hospital bed, his body was covered with bandages. A thin blanket was pulled up to his chest. The heart monitor beside him beeped softly, showing a slow but steady rhythm.A tall man in a white coat stood beside the bed, checking Ethan’s pulse. His name was Dr. Lewis, a trusted doctor sent by Dr. Hayes to treat Ethan’s injuries upon Marvin's request.Marvin Richmond stood a few feet away, his arms were crossed tightly. His sharp eyes never left Ethan’s pale face.“How bad is he?” Marvin asked, his voice was cold, but there was a hint of worry.Dr. Lewis sighed, removing his gloves. His expression was serious.“He’s stable now, but the injuries are severe,” the doctor said quietly. “He has two broken ribs, a concussion, and a deep cut on his right thigh. He also inhaled a lot of smoke from the fire… If we hadn’t treated him quickly, he might not have made
