“Wake him up!” Charles vaguely heard someone say but he couldn’t see anything. He was blindfolded and tied to a chair. Suddenly, the blindfold was removed and he found himself in an old, dirty room. The windows were broken, cobwebs clustered around the walls and it stank of urine. From his observation, it seemed that the thugs had taken him to an abandoned house. He glanced around the room slowly, his eyes slightly blinded by the rays of sun beaming into the room. There were about six of the thugs present and they were all glaring at him. Whoever sent them must have paid them a lot of money, he thought. “Mr. Charles, the newest millionaire in town.” The leader drawled, leaning closer to him. “Are you surprised you’re here? Are you shocked that all your money could not protect you?” He teased and the rest laughed. Charles tried to talk but his mouth was stuffed with clothes. He made a gagging sound and tried to break free but couldn’t. “That’s not going to help you.” The leader sa
“Tell me now! What did I do to you? Why did you try to kill me?” Charles grit his teeth, tightening his grip around Mark’s neck. “Mark, what did you do?” Angela was trembling as she asked. “What have you done? Are you trying to ruin all our lives?” “Yes, I tried to kill him!” Mark barked, choking. “I tried to kill him because he’s a pain in our ass. I needed to get rid of him because he spoils all our plans. He destroyed everything we planned and I had to take action. No one was willing to do it so I took it upon myself.” The words were like a bee sting to Charles. He shut his eyes, trying hard not to lose control. After some seconds, he released Mark and pushed him away. “I’ve got your confession on tape.” He said, raising his phone in the air. “The thugs you sent had no personal information about you but I had to make sure to get evidence. Now, I’m going to take it to the police and you’ll spend half your life in jail for attempted murder.” Angela fell to her knees before Charl
Immediately after Charles left the Adam's mansion, the atmosphere within the sitting room turned cold. Mrs. Adam's patience had worn thin, and she lashed out at her son, Mark, her voice trembling with anger and disappointment."How could you wager our company for that hackathon? Do you understand the gravity of what you’ve done?!" Her words were sharp and filled with frustration. She had always been a strong believer in preserving the family business at any cost.Mark, struggling to maintain his composure, tried to explain the predicament he found himself in. "Mom, you don't understand. Charles has evidence against me. If I didn't accept the challenge, I would have ended up in jail. It's not like I wanted this."Angela, Mark's younger sister, chimed in, her voice filled with disdain for her brother's actions. "You are unbelievably foolish and reckless, Mark. Sending those thugs after Charles was a terrible idea. You're very unlucky he got away, but if you don't do everything in your p
ONE WEEK LATERThe grand hall of the Golden State Hotel was packed with influential businessmen from the city who were all there to watch the hackathon. Charles had invited them all to witness the contest between him and Mark. He wanted this event to be a public spectacle, a stage which the humiliation of the Adam family would be on full display once he emerged victorious.Of course, many businessmen accepted the invitation. After all, it was Charles that invited them, one of the most influential man in the city. Many of them really wanted to witness his abilities physically like they read in several articles.The buzz of anticipation filled the air as the guests chatted amongst themselves. Some couldn't help but gossip about the audacity of the Adam family to challenge Charles, a popular figure in the business world. To them, the Adam’s family were only trying to humiliate themselves. "I can't believe the nerve of the Adams," one man commented, shaking his head in disbelief. "To th
“Let go of me!” Charles warned Mark who was holding on to him desperately. “Charles, we can come to an understanding. I will do anything you want. Please for the sake of Angela, forgive me.” Charles chuckled, his eyes burning with rage as he forcefully kicked Mark’s hands away from his leg. "No amount of begging will save you now, Mark. You tried to kill me, so now, I will take away everything that’s yours. I warned you to steer clear from me but you decided to challenge me. I don’t care about Angela or anyone in your family.” Mark's eyes pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation as he attempted to create a scene. "You can't do this, Charles! You can't just take everything from me!"But Charles remained resolute. "You should have thought about that before you attempted to destroy me," he retorted.“It’s all your fault!” Mark thundered. “You spoiled my family’s chances to fund our company. You ruined all our plans because of your selfish actions. You are a very wicked man, Charl
“Wake up, Charles! It’s 8 am.” Charles' digital alarm blared in his eyes and he jumped to his feet. “Damn it!” He cursed aloud as he turned the alarm off. Rising from his bed, he checked his schedule for the day and gasped when he realized he had to go to the Adam’s corporation for the official handover. He hadn’t received the ownership rights of the company yet and he needed to get it. The Adams were crafty and could run away with it. Just as he was getting ready, the system’s screen appeared before him. He smiled because it had been a long time since he received any mission from the system. [Spend $50 million dollars in 24 hours and earn 2 black card points.] [Transferring funds to your bank account now.] As expected, his phone beeped with a notification. He had received $50 million dollars in his bank account. The system’s screen vanished immediately and Charles returned to his morning routine, while contemplating on what he could spend the money on. After dressing, his chau
Charles had spent countless hours deliberating on what he would spend his money on. He had purchased literally everything he wanted. But after so many hours, he went with the idea of acquiring a private jet. With $50 million in his bank account, he knew that he could afford to get himself a private jet. Many rich businessmen had theirs so it was a wise decision. He believed that the epitome of luxury and convenience was within reach, and Vera, his loyal companion, was equally excited about the purchase when he told her. When she arrived in the morning, she made Charles breakfast. “So, do you have any airline in mind?” She asked, knowing they were about 3 airlines in the city he could choose from. But knowing Charles, he would want to go for the best one. “From my research, Autoair is the best airline in the city.” Vera smiled when he responded like she expected. “I think we should visit them after breakfast.” She nodded and took a spoonful of yogurt. “That’s a great idea.”After
The cold evening air filled Charles home as he and Vera sat, nursing his physical and emotional wounds. The encounter at the private jet and the subsequent showdown at his hotel had left him battered and bruised, but more determined than ever. Ice packs and pain relief medications were hastily put to use as they talked about their next line of action. However, a call disrupted their conversation and it was from the manager of his hotel. He hesitated for a moment before picking up the call. The voice on the other end was urgent, and it carried news that churned his stomach.“Mr. Charles.” The manager said urgently. “We have a problem. Some government officials are here and they are trying to shut down the hotel. In fact, they are already evacuating everybody and I decided to call you.” Charles rose from his seat immediately, his hands trembling with fury. “Who is in charge of this evacuation?” “I don’t know Sir!” The manager replied. “They are not even permitting me to ask questions