2025-01-11 02:15:01The funeral house was located at the southern end of the Catholic Mid-west district church. Neither Jason nor his wife was a devoted church goer but as the church owned the only funeral house which was allowed to exist in the southern province of Arkwrath, it made sense to bury the deceased in the ways of the people. The way of the people required the widow of the deceased to be present during the funeral ceremony at the church but not at the graveyard during the burial.
Even though Dee had never regarded black as a colour fit for her body, she was shrouded in a knee-length black silk dress flattering her hourglass figure at the funeral with a tiny shawl hanging loosely on her shoulders. The funeral ceremony was packed with people she could not recall knowing or seeing until that day especially the several men who were all suited up. Dee was too lost in the myriad of the thoughts of losing her husband and the euphoria of false freedom she knew she never wanted when she was called to read her tribute to Jason. The last few days had passed by in a blur as she remembered how a single call shattered her heart. She was not sure whether she loved him or not any more until that evening. Dee realized that she did not love him anymore as a husband but she wanted him as a father for his daughter who she was looking to abandon with him to start a new family with ZacXavi. She however knew that she had to keep up a loving widowed wife front for a show and here she was in a church about to read the tribute about a loving husband whose death had shattered her whole world. ‘My whole world, my ass’ , she thought. As she felt her lips curling into a sneer, she effortlessly masked it with a sniff while dabbing her nose with a black silk napkin. As she stood up to approach the pulpit, she did something that shocked herself and Luke, Miss Lily, Daisy and ZacXavi. She burst into an uncontrollable stream of tears. She continued this show for more than a minute that she appeared inconsolable even though her sister and her mom were sitted on her sides holding her hands in theirs. Successfully, Dee failed to read the tribute that she never wrote as she was escorted out of the church by her mom and sister as the funeral ceremony continued with others reading their tributes. The last few days after she was told he was hit by a fire truck was a blur because she had to submerge herself in heavy doses of her medications because of her anxiety issues which however had nothing to do with Jason’s death. Rather, she was concerned about whom is capable of taking care of her daughter whom she loved enough to want a good and stable life for. She had zoned out until she felt the car come to a sudden stop outside the cemetery which was about 3 kilometers from the funeral house. ‘Good Riddance to bad rubbish’, she thought as she stepped out of the car. As a widow was not allowed to watch her deceased husband being lowered into the earth, she was led to a garden few meters away. She found the garden surprisingly comforting in the midst of the gloomy cloud which had shrouded every soul present at the cemetery. ‘Including the dead’, she thought smiling lazily while starring at the darkened statue of previously white angels who now had broken wings. She turned suddenly as she heard a twig break behind her. ‘Hey beauty’, ZacXavi said while brandishing his newly installed veneers. ‘Hey’, Dee replied with a tired voice. ‘You sure know that your performance is an Oscar winning one, right?', he said while patting the tip of her waist length blonde hair, the only contrasting colour to what she had on asides her skin colour which was blush pink. Beside her was jason’s boss who comforted her while whispering to her that she deserved an Oscar for her performance. ‘They would actually think that you actually loved Jason.’ he continued. ‘I did!’, she said almost screaming with tears choking her voice. ZacXavi was more than speechless and merely laughed quietly as he turned back towards Jason’s final resting place where the burial was ongoing. Dee felt a hand wrap around her shoulder few minutes after she heard ZacXavi’s retreating steps and looked sideways to see who it was. It was the woman that Jason fondly referred to as Aunt May. She handed out a handkerchief to Dee to clean the tears streaming down her face. It was only then did Dee realize that she had been crying. The woman said nothing as she held Dee to her body while looking into the far distance. She had always been emotionless and she still is. As Dee continued to cry without holding back, Aunt May he hugged her tighter and said something that sent shivers down Dee’s spine and halted her tears and award winning performances.‘He loved you, you did not. He worshipped you, he never cheated but you did. He was willing to forgive you but he is dead now.’ Dee instantly pulled out of her arms before she finished talkingand took 2 steps away from her. Aunt May merely shook her head before adding her last words, ‘To you.’ Zacxavi who had been watching her and the woman can only be amused on how good of an actress Dee was. ‘Maybe she loved him or not. That’s her business. I have her all to myself now’, He thought as he moved towards her again and saw that her expression had changed. ZacXavi was interested in taunting Dee again but the look on her face stopped his thought as well as his walk to where she was. He could not decipher whether she was angry, sad or both. ‘That’s enough drama for today’, he thought as he quickly masked the smile forming on his lips with an emotionless face. As he turned towards the parking lot of the church, he felt a pair of eyes on his back. He looked back and saw Dee looking at him. This time around, he made no effort to mask the smile forming at the corner of his lips as he winked at Dee while licking his lower lips at the same time. Dee did not know how to react. She was more shocked than pleased with his actions. She quickly looked around to ensure that no one saw him do that. And unfortunately, she saw an oddly familiar pair of eyes in the crowd looking straight at her and the direction of ZacXavi. The lower part of his face was however covered with a black nose mask like a K-Drama star. The physique was indisputably his as she knew how breathtaking he looked in black on black. She looked down hurriedly as she felt her heart beating faster than normal as her head started to ache. She thought she might be hallucinating as she shook her head to get the face as well as the ache out of her head. Dee looked up again towards where she had seen him. He was still there with his arms at akimbo and his eyes were fixed on her figure. Dee’s heart could no longer absorb the stares as she only remembered crashing into the damp bush of finely trimmed chrysanthemum as she lost consciousness.
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Dee woke up in her bed with a throbbing ache in the right side of her head which made her wince inaudibly as she struggled to open her eyes. The curtains of her room had been left wide open and she could see the sun setting across the horizon. She had always loved watching the sunset especially when she sits by the pool of hers’ and Jason’s mansion which they lost to a deadly loan shark whose constant threat made them escape the city for her parents’. Jason had however never provided her with answers to the question of what he used the money for. She closed her eyes again as she felt the numbing ache returning with extra throbs. Dee caught herself drifting into dreamland again until she felt something warm snuggling close to her body. She instantly opened her eyes and turned her head to check what it was. It was then that she realized that Ria was sleeping beside her on the bed. She wondered why Ria was sleeping beside her as she rarely sleeps in the room with her without her father
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Mauve’s eyes narrowed as he studied Cain, who seemed visibly disturbed, his words hesitant and strained. Mauve had seen his son in various states of frustration, but never like this, there was something more to Cain's discomfort, something that was eating at him. The older man’s gaze hardened, and his voice dropped to a low, commanding tone.“Cain,” Mauve said, his voice steady but laced with impatience. “Why do you look so distressed? Speak now.”Cain’s eyes flickered for a moment, as though struggling with something lodged deep within his chest. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger. “It’s not you, Father. It’s... something bigger. There are problems here that you’ve not even begun to grasp.”Mauve’s brow furrowed, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" he pressed, leaning forward, his piercing eyes fixed on Cain as if trying to dissect every emotion his son was trying to hide.Cain hesitated again, clearly weighing t
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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
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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
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
