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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Jason walked through the corridors of the building, his thoughts drifting toward the office that had once belonged to his father. The space that had been a symbol of power for decades now felt like a hollow echo of the past. His father’s legacy loomed large in the room, and Jason could already feel the pressure of expectations weighing on his shoulders. His own office was still under construction, a temporary arrangement that seemed to perfectly mirror his own temporary state of mind. The presidency was his, but it was still something he had yet to fully claim.As he continued down the hallway, something nagged at him, adetail he had overlooked earlier in the rush of his new responsibilities. He had yet to choose his personal assistant, someone who would be his right hand, his confidante, the one person he could trust to navigate the constant maelstrom of corporate politics and public perception. And in that moment, Jason knew exactly who he wanted. His father’s secretary had been ef
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Jason sat in the president's chair, his posture straight, his expression unreadable as the weight of the moment pressed down upon him. His father, once the man who had sat in this seat with authority and charisma, now stood up and shook Jason’s hand, the passing of an era unfolding in a single gesture. The sight of the handshake reverberated around the silent room, the only thing louder than the action itself was the uncertainty hanging thick in the air. His father’s exit was swift, deliberate, the door closing behind him with a soft thud. Mauve, Winston’s brother, followed soon after, calling out behind him in an attempt to stall his departure."Wait, brother," Mauve’s voice was firm, the kind of tone that left little room for argument, "Don’t head straight to your office just yet. Come to mine. We’ll talk about what comes next over a cup of coffee. Retirement’s on my mind as well. We can make plans together."Winston’s eyes narrowed for a brief moment, but he didn’t reply immediatel
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Cain ArkWrath sat rigidly at the long, polished conference table, his fingers clenching into fists beneath the smooth surface. His sharp eyes darted between the family members sitting around him, though his mind was far from the polished business conversation taking place. The room felt suffocating, and the air was thick with applause, but Cain’s thoughts were anything but celebratory.Jason ArkWrath, the man who had just been introduced as the new president of the State and business empire of ArkWrath was an enigma to Cain. The moment Jason had walked into the room, Cain’s instincts had flared. There was something disturbingly familiar about the young man. For a fleeting moment, Cain’s mind had thrown up a memory, one that was not so buried in the past and had now resurfaced with sharp clarity. Jason looked almost identical to Fad Lucas, the cleaner who had disappeared off Cain’s radar after their confrontation. The very same man who Cain had tried to kill in a fit of anger and arro
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The meeting had reached a critical point, and the tension was hotter than ever. Winston ArkWrath had just announced the unexpected decision to name his son, Jason, as his successor. A murmur of surprise had rippled through the room, and the once-steadfast supporters of Winston seemed unsure how to react. Some exchanged anxious glances, others appeared relieved, but no one dared to voice their true feelings, not in front of Winston. To many, it seemed like a peaceful moment. But for those who truly understood the dynamics at play, it was a carefully orchestrated facade that threatened to crack wide open. Winston raised his hand, signaling for quiet. “We’ll take a 5-minute break,” he declared, his voice commanding yet oddly calm. “During this time, I’d like to address any concerns that might have arisen regarding my decision to name Jason as my successor. I know many of you must have your doubts... perhaps you feel uncertain about this choice. But I assure you, this is the right dec
CHAPTER 37
Mauve’s heart pounded in his chest. His palms were slick with sweat. He could feel the weight of the eyes upon him, even though he was doing his best to remain stoic. He knew, deep down, that this was not his moment. It would never be his moment. Winston turned to the side and gestured to a figure standing at the back of the room. It was a man Mauve had not expected. Jason. But what confused the room was his appearance. The mask he wore, one that had covered his face until now, was an unusual choice for someone in a position of power. As he reached behind his ear and pressed a button, the mask began to shrink, revealing the raw scars that lined his forehead. It was clear that these were not just battle scars; they were marks of someone who had been through something much darker, something that went far beyond the surface.The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, the reporters too stunned to ask the questions that burned on their tongues. Mauve’s chest tightened as he watched Ja
CHAPTER 36
It was now Monday, and the glass conference room hummed with the subtle buzz of activity. The room, sleek and modern, exuded power as its polished floors reflecting the sharp, angular edges of the classy furniture. The walls, adorned with massive digital screens, displayed the ArkWrath logo in stark contrast to the otherwise single colour, grey decor. Two reporters, seasoned professionals known for breaking the most confidential news from headquarters, sat in their designated corner, marked Media Section. They were quiet but observant, poised with their pens ready to capture not just the words spoken but the unsaid. The emotions, the shifts in energy, nothing was beyond their scrutiny. They had spent seven years in that room, learning to decode the faintest sigh, the flicker of an eyelash, the nervous shift of a hand. In this world of power drift and secrecy, they were now masters of reading between the lines. Today, however, something felt different, more dangerously exciting. The r
CHAPTER 35
The clock on Mauve’s desk ticked louder than usual, each passing second feeling heavier than the last. He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he stared at the letter that still lay in front of him. The crisp parchment, sealed with Winston’s unmistakable crest, seemed to mock him in its simplicity. A year ago, he had made a critical mistake. A failure that still stung, one that he hadn’t fully forgiven himself for.Mauve’s fingers drummed lightly against the polished wood of his desk as he remembered the mission he’d assigned. It had seemed so straightforward then: eliminate the only heir left to Winston’s business empire.But, as with most of Mauve’s plans, things hadn’t gone as expected.The people Mauve had chosen to carry out the task, his trusted agents, handpicked for their loyalty and their experience, had failed him.The operation had fallen apart quickly. The moment Mauve’s agents lost contact, he knew that the plan had failed. He had no choice but to eliminate those
