2025-01-11 01:58:48‘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 yet again. ‘Jason, I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you’, Daisy said sounding remorseful as she walked to his front. ‘Get away from me!’ Jason said as he felt Daisy’s hand on his shoulder. ‘I wanted to tell you but I know that you would not believe me’, she replied. ‘You should have found a way to make me believe! I would have found better ways, better jobs, taken extra shifts, taken days off to treat her right.’ Daisy could not distinguish or believe what she thought she heard and what she actually heard. ‘Are you crazy?’ she asked in disbelief with her eyeballs threatening to pop out of their sockets. ‘Yes, I am. For pushing my wife into the arms of another man, Yes, I am!’ he replied almost in tears while clutching his stomach as another wave of pain hit him. ‘Jason!’ She screamed silently sounding as though she was close to tears ‘She does not deserve you! She hates you! Can’t you see?’ Jason stood silent for a minute as he felt her hands on his shoulder once again as her words pierce his already aching ears and heart while he searched for answers deep within his soul. ‘If she hates me, it’s definitely my fault. She used to love me and I’ll do everything I can to win her back’, he said as he dusted off Daisy’s hand. ‘Jason, look at me. Please, for once look at me. I can be there for you, be here for you, I can be what she’s not, what you want…’, she pleaded solemnly. As Jason felt the pain in his abdomen subsiding, he stood up straight to look into Daisy’s face. Daisy thought this was it but the Jason’s countenance sent her three steps backward. It was the look of disgust shooting daggers into her soul. Jason said nothing as he walked away from the building leaving behind his keys, his scooter and his wife. … Jason knew he had to do it now or lose her forever. ‘I can’t lose her like this. She’s my life. She loves me. This is my entire fault’, he thought as he walked down 5 blocks until he reached the front of a building. The building was quite an odd one as it was obviously older than every other building surrounding it with a mansion-like structure with a huge bronze statue of a man dressed in suit looking across the road towards the Seventh Lake about 2 kilometers away. Jason had always thought it was a strange statue but at this point he paid it no attention as he was on a mission armed with the right words and thoughts to secure a loan for his own dispatch and delivery business. ‘Welcome back, Mr Jason’, the security official at the door said as he pushed the button attached to the door frame in order to let Jason in. Luke, the security official at the door was a 38 years old dark-skinned British man with a chiseled body which was very obvious in his black on black uniform. He is known to effortlessly switch his accent depending on the occasion, the client or the weather as the other bankers sometimes say. ‘Is Miss Lily in?’ Jason asked him impatiently without entering into the building. ‘No time for pleasantries today hun?’, Luke replied as he let the door shut itself. ‘I’m sorry. I…I just have a lot on my mind’, Jason replied while letting out an exasperated sigh. ‘You should take it easy man. I’ll be at our usual by 9 PM.’ ‘I’ll be there. I sure need someone to talk to before I lose my mind.’ ‘I gat you, bruv’, Luke said as he winked and snapped his fingers simultaneously. Luke has been Jason’s best friend since junior high school. Their friendship had stood the test of time especially with his marriage to Dee which Luke disapproved of. Jason has never really understood why Luke has never like Dee even after 7 years of introducing them to each other and countless other meet-ups. ‘She’s in. what do you want with the loan mistress? Anything I should know?’ ‘The bar’ ‘Aight. You’re welcome to Trust Bank, Mr. Jason’, Luke said smiling mischievously as he pushed the open button again. Jason could not help but breathe in the cold but surprisingly refreshing as he stepped into the customer’s service section. ‘Here goes nothing’, he said to himself as he went straight to one of the bankers sited behind a table at the right corner of the room. ‘Good morning, Mr. Jason.’ The man said enthusiastically. ‘I’m here to see Miss Lily’ ‘Do you have an appointment?’ ‘Well… no, not really.’ Jason replied while scratching the back of his head. ‘See you some other time then. Next!’ ‘Please…’ ‘Lily has no time for jobless folks like you. It’s better you get a life rather than following women that are way out of your league.’ For the umpteenth time within 2 hours, the aches which Jason had felt, both in his head and his heart, which had earlier subsided, came back in triple folds. This time around, there were no boxes or railings to hold onto as the pain sent him crashing into the cold floor. He felt himself slipping into darkness before the sting of a pinch brought him back to life. It was only then he realized that he had passed out in the banking hall. ‘Where am I?’, he thought wearily as the splitting headache welcomed him into its arms yet again. As he turned his head, he found himself staring directly into the face of Miss Lily which startled him. ‘I’m so glad that you are awake, Jason’, Miss Lily said as she brushed through his hair with her soft palm. ‘Lily, where am I?’ ‘You are in my room’. She said with a smirk on her face. ‘No, please… please, don’t do this to me again Lily. I’ve not been able to forgive myself since that day. I can’t even look her in the eyes’. Jason said as he sat up on the couch where he was laid and tears began to stream down his face ‘Oh Jason! Come on! She has done worse to you!’ ‘But… it’s my… I know that it’s my fault’, Jason replied while cleaning his face with his shirt. ‘Jason!’ ‘Lily, please… I have done your biddings already’, Jason said remorsefully as Lily walked towards the table in the center of the room. It was only then that Jason realized that he was still within the bank premises as he took in the extent of the room they were in. It occurred to him that they were in Lily’s inner room. ‘It’s been signed. You can come for it tomorrow but…’, she replied with an evil smirk on her face as she sat behind the desk on a rotating chair. ‘But what again Lily?!’, Jason said almost screaming with his evidently teary voice. ‘You have to tell her about everything.’ Jason did not wait for any further exchange of dialogue with the beautiful 5’6 fair skinned blonde devil. ‘The devil doesn’t bargain. She’ll only break your heart again’, he thought smiling wearingly as he walked through several doors before he exited the building. He felt that he had lost his dignity, his only hope, his identity, Dee and probably Ria. Jason felt his entire life crumbling at his feet and unfortunately, he did not hear Luke calling his name till he stepped in front of a speeding fire-truck which sent his body and soul flying thousand miles apart. ‘Maybe my life too’. He thought as he heard his name been screamed by a familiar voice before he slipped into darkness again as he felt his body hit the hot tar. This time, the slip was undeniably a painful one which he wished never to come back from.
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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
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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
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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
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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
