2025-01-11 01:53:00After the first 3 rounds of delivery, the delivery van started emitting thick smoke from the exhaust pipe as he made his way back to pick up the next batch of pastries and beverages. ‘This Thursday sure has something up its sleeves.’ Jason thought wearily and felt obligated to report the boss directly as he had been instructed to do so whenever the vehicles develop hiccups.
As soon as he parked the van and made his way to his boss's office, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand in their roots. Jason had learnt to pay attention to this rush of dread but at that moment he had zeroed in his mind on what he had to do. ‘Yo man! What's up with the van?’, The 6 feet tall brown skin security guarding the parking lot asked approached the van. ‘I really don't know.’ Jason replied dismissively as he exited the van. ‘You should be careful with our boss's babies. He doesn't like them bothered.’ The well- built and taller security with a strong German look and accent chipped in. ‘You should just pick up another. There's a free one on the premises. Tyler called in sick earlier.’, He continued ‘I'll do just that. I just need to report to father ZacXavi on my babysitting gone wrong’, Jason replied playfully to ease the tension which was building up in him. The securities couldn't help but laugh at his joke for some seconds and surprisingly he joined in and felt a wave of relief hit his body. As he made to enter the building, his eyes caught the shorter security whispering something to the taller one. In a split second, the taller one called out to him, ‘ Jason!’ He turned his face to look at them as he stopped in his tracks while holding the door's handle ‘Yes?’ ‘Why don't you just report to the boss at the end of today's work? You'd be saving yourself some time and making more money, bro.’ ‘Sounds like a great idea but I'd rather report now than later… Boss has warned me never to stall on reporting hiccups so as to get it repaired on time.’ ‘Are you sure you wanna face him now? I heard you had a not so friendly encounter with him this morning’, he said sounding so concerned ‘News travel faster when they are bad’, Jason thought ‘Yes but I have to’, He replied impatiently. ‘What is wrong with everyone today?’, he said to himself. The instance he opened the door and stepped into the building, the sense of dread which he had earlier felt washed over him again. He felt as though all eyes were on him. ‘Maybe not all eyes but Daisy's.’, he thought as he locked eyes with her from across the hall ‘What again?!... More like, not again’, he thought wearily. Smiling like one that hit the jackpot, Daisy waved frantically at him from her corner at the pastries stand. Jason could only smile back as it felt more than a little odd as he had seen her that morning already. ‘I might as well be dreaming or seeing things.’ He said to himself as he continued his mission which was interrupted by Iglesias who bumped into him suddenly with a cup of freshly made coffee. ‘Watch where you're going man!’, Iglesias fumed as he threw his hands in the air. ‘You bumped into me!’, Jason exclaimed in disbelief ‘No, you did! Now I have to make another cup of coffee’ He said as he stomped away towards the worker's kitchen. It was only then that Jason realized that his shirt was drenched with coffee. All he could let out was a hiss. ‘I need to change my shirt now... Not today, please.’ He said to himself. He felt himself gradually becoming apprehensive about his encounters with his colleagues. As Jason thought about them as he made his way to his locker in the worker's lounge like his colleagues call it. Then and again, he met Daisy in the lounge. ‘Why is she always everywhere‽’ He exclaimed in his thought as he picked out a clean shirt to wear ‘Why are you always in my face?’, Daisy said while smiling seductively Jason ignored her as he took off his shirt and wore a clean one before dumping it in the laundry basket behind the door. As he made for the door, he was obstructed by Daisy once again. ‘What do you want from me?’, He asked while staring intently at her ‘You.’, Daisy said without breaking eye contact ‘I'm married Daisy! Happily married… With a beautiful daughter.’, Jason replied exhaustedly ‘What’s been up with you lately, Daisy?... huh… you have changed a lot.’ Daisy could not help but laugh, ‘you think you are ‘happily married’, huh?’ She said while laughing. Jason did not reply as he just shook his head and left the room merely and made his way to his boss's office. As he approached the door, he suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar scent on his way up but merely ignored it. He knocked lightly at several intervals on the door but got no response. ‘Maybe I should just let myself in... All he would do is insult me for some minutes.’ He thought wearily ‘Good afternoon, Boss. I've been...’ Jason said as he opened the door. Motion and words failed him the moment he set his eyes on his boss and the unmistakable curly redhead beauty with milky skin. She was sitting on the boss's table directly in his front with his hand holding hers up to his mouth for a ‘gentlemanly’ kiss. They seemed lost in the moment as they were oblivious of his entry. Jason felt his heart churn at this sight. ‘Boss?’, He whimpered as he felt his legs almost giving ways beneath him. His voice pierced the atmosphere and obviously brought his boss and his red head beauty back to earth. Jason suddenly felt his heart, his soul and his whole body burning. ‘It cannot be her… She's not the only red head ...’, He reassured himself until she turned her head backwards to burrow into his soul with her icy blue stare. ‘Hey Jason! … There you are. We were just talking about you’, Diane said smiling broadly as she spoke. Without moving an inch from his boss's table, She continued ‘are you supposed to be done with today's deliveries by this time? It's just few minutes past noon.’ ZacXavi's voice halted whatever reply he wanted to give this redhead beauty, if he could. She has always made him tongue tied and she's doing it again. ‘How many times have I warned you not to enter my office without my permission or approval?’ ZacXavi thundered ‘And what the heck are you doing back here at this hour?... Is this how eager you are to become jobless?’ He reeled on. ‘Will you get your filthy self out of my office before I throw you out myself?’ All Jason could do was stare at his enraged boss and his own’ Dee’ in his boss's arms. ‘Dee?', He called visibly hurting as he fidgeted and held onto the door for support ‘Yes love.’ She answered with her hands straightening out her rolled up skirt. ZacXavi protested with his body language but was calmed by Dee's touch on his cheeks as she stared at him lovingly. Everything started to add up in Jason’s head, ‘Their insistence on me reporting later, the whispers, Daisy's statement earlier that morning,’ All he wanted to do was flee from the scene playing out before his eyes. And flight was what he chose.
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‘Watch out man!’ Iglesias called out behind Jason as he almost bumped into one of the waiters exiting the kitchen with a breakfast box. Jason heard nothing. All he wanted to do was flee. It was not until he exited the building through the back door that he realized that his keys were not in his pocket and he was still wearing his work clothes. ‘I’d rather dump them in a trashcan rather than return them anyways.’, he thought.He had momentarily forgotten what he had just witnessed as the ache in his head made it difficult for his thoughts to conjure. Jason whimpered as he felt his head throbbing as the scene and exchange of dialogues came rushing back. He felt his stomach churn as though he was hungry and nauseous at the same time. As he held unto the delivery boxes stacked by the door in order to relief himself of his aches, he heard the door open behind him. He did not turn because he knew that whosoever it could be was probably out to mock him. Then he heard the familiar voice
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Olivia was already drained by the end of the evening. She had spent the night engaging in spontaneous, high-stakes conversations with everyone Jason had met, responding to their questions, trying to fit into a world where she wasn’t quite sure where she belonged. It had been exhilarating, but now, as she slid into the car beside Jason, she felt every ounce of fatigue in her body. The moment the door closed behind them, Olivia leaned her head against the cool glass, closing her eyes for a moment of quiet. She had assumed they were headed back to his mansion, or perhaps to one of the hotels Jason now owns. After all, this night was all about Jason, wasn’t it? The thought of him heading back to the solitude of his father's mansion didn’t even cross her mind.But as she began to drift into a light sleep, the sudden jolt of the car’s movement woke her from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open, the grogginess clouding her thoughts.Jason, sensing her waking, leaned over and whispered softl
CHAPTER 51
Olivia couldn’t tear her gaze away from him, though she tried. His mysterious aura seemed to pull at something deep within her, a mix of curiosity and… caution. She’d seen him speak to countless people tonight, his words measured, his movements precise, and that mask, that damned mask, seemed to make him even more enigmatic.. A part of her wanted to unravel the mystery of him, to know what lay beneath that mask, beneath the layers he so carefully kept hidden. But she wasn’t sure if she was prepared to face whatever truths he kept locked away.She sighed, pushing the thoughts aside. Her focus should have been on the room, but instead, it kept returning to Jason, his gaze, the way his presence shifted the energy in the space. He wasn’t just another man; he was dangerous in the most captivating way.Across the room, Jason was deep in conversation with Mary Laston, the CEO of L'ton Industries. A woman who seemed to consume power with every breath she took. Mary was the kind of woman who
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The grand hall of ArkWrath Manor buzzed with a quiet, but palpable, tension. Guests milled about in the sea of glimmering gowns and sharp tuxedos, the air thick with whispered conversations and unspoken alliances.At the center of it all stood **Olivia**, her pixie cut framing her sharp, determined features. Gone was the girl who had entered the ArkWrath empire mere months ago, uncertain and unnoticed. In her place was a woman who carried herself like she owned every inch of the room. The dress Jason had selected for her tonight—a fitted midnight black silk gown, velvet and flowing, with lace embroidery along the hem—was breathtaking. The long slit up the side of the gown allowed her to move like a shadow, fluid and untouchable. Jason ArkWrath—president of the entire ArkWrath empire—had, according to the press, chosen wisely. Jason appeared at her side again, his deep-set eyes hidden behind a black and gold mask that matched his dark tailored suit perfectly. There was a certain wild
CHAPTER 49
The night had finally arrived. The city of ArkWrath buzzed with anticipation as the opening chords of a new era played out in the luxurious ballroom of the ArkWrath estate. The welcoming party was not just an event—it was a statement. Every detail, every glance exchanged, every whispered word carried weight. Jason stood before the large mirror in his suite, his father’s new butler—a tall, perfectly composed man named Benet—having finished the final adjustments to his attire. Jason’s tuxedo was tailored to perfection, black as the night with gold accents that subtly hinted at the opulence of the ArkWrath legacy. His mask, a work of art, rested over his face, hiding his expression from the world. The ArkWrath family did not simply walk into a room; they commanded it. And tonight, Jason was going to make sure the world saw him as more than just a name—he was the face of this empire. He barely noticed Benet fussing with his cufflinks, his mind preoccupied with the events to come. His f
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Jason stood by the grand windows of his mansion, the floor-to-ceiling glass offering him a sweeping view of Arkwrath serene coastline. The sun was just beginning to set, casting its golden light across the shimmering water. This mansion was the perfect place for power players like himself to keep their secrets hidden. But secrets, as Jason had come to learn, were never fully hidden. They had a way of bubbling up, especially when you had too many people to trust.His father’s call had come just two days ago, and now, with the welcoming party drawing near, Jason was still grappling with the weight of the conversation. Winston, his father, had been unusually insistent that Jason make time to visit Aunt May. The invitation was personal, informal, and in Jason's eyes, fraught with potential complications."Aunt May insists on cooking for you," Winston had said, his voice gruff but warm. "She wants to meet the man who's taken over everything that once belonged to her husband. I understand
CHAPTER 47
As the day wore on, Olivia couldn’t help but feel the weight of it all. She had no idea how much her life would change from this point forward, but one thing was certain: she was now part of Jason’s world. And as much as she tried to deny it, a part of her couldn’t help but wonder what else lay behind that mask, behind that calm, composed exterior. She would have to learn to navigate this world, to keep her emotions in check. But deep down, she knew the hardest part would be keeping her growing attraction to Jason hidden. Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t deny the undeniable pull he had on her. And that terrified her more than anything else..Olivia stared at her phone, her eyes scanning the schedule once again. The calendar she’d just synced with Jason's was now filled with precise, almost meticulous details of her upcoming days. There were meetings, appointments, tasks—all arranged with an efficiency that left no room for ambiguity. As she went through the events, o
CHAPTER 46
Olivia had returned to her seat and she didn’t trust him. Not yet. But as Jason’s fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard, she realized that her choice was already made. She had no other option but to trust him, at least for now.Again, Olivia sat in the uncomfortable silence of the room, her eyes darting between Jason and the space around them. There was an air of discomfort about the situation, a palpable tension that seemed to follow Jason wherever he went. He was different from the man she had first met—different from the son of Arkwrath who had been an unspoken legend. Jason was no longer just a figure in the shadows of his father’s empire; now, he was its heart, and every action he took seemed deliberate, controlled, and... unsettling.She had tried to understand him in the moments she spent around him, but now, in this office—his domain—it felt like the game had just begun. Jason didn’t seem like the kind of person to make idle conversation. He spoke when he needed to, and when
CHAPTER 45
Olivia sat across from Jason, her mind racing as she observed his every move. He was different now, no longer the man she had once seen in passing, no longer the son of the man who had ruled the empire with unyielding control. Jason was the empire now. And Olivia couldn't help but wonder: was this his true nature? Or was it all an elaborate façade? His calculated demeanor, the coldness with which he spoke, it was as if everything was part of a game—a game she didn’t fully understand but would soon be forced to play.Jason’s gaze never wavered as he stared down at the screen of his laptop, the soft glow illuminating his sharp features. His presence in the room was suffocating even. He exuded an energy that made everything else seem insignificant. Olivia shifted in her seat, feeling like an intruder in this vast, cold office.Then, just as she thought she had figured out his demeanor, he spoke again, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.“You’re going to start living with
CHAPTER 44
Jason stepped out of the elevator and into the atrium of the Arkwrath Tower. The faint hum of the city outside echoed in the massive glass windows, but inside, there was nothing but silence and the sense of impending change. The air seemed thicker, charged with a subtle tension as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for him to take the first step into his new role. As he crossed the polished marble floors, his heels clicking against the surface, a realization hit him. This was it. This was the moment. He wasn’t just stepping into his father’s shoes—he was claiming the throne. He was no longer the son of the man who had once built the empire; he was the emperor now. And whether he liked it or not, the world was going to watch him. His every move, every decision, would be scrutinized. Agreed with, disagreed with, criticized, and most of all, gossiped about. Jason had always known this would come. But now, as he entered his father’s old domain, there was a tangible weig
