"I’m sorry, but you seem to have made a mistake. I am not who you are looking for," Alexander stated firmly.
"Master Caspian, even after ten years, I still would never forget your face," the elderly man insisted.
"The name’s Alexander, now get lost,” he replied with determination.
The white-bearded man paused, contemplating.
His name was Geoffrey, anc he was or rather, he used to be Master Caspian’s butler.
He took a closer, more concentrated look at Alexander. His demeanor and appearance seemed vastly different and unrecognizable from the boy he once knew. He looked thinner, more disheveled, with overgrown hair, but his eyes… his eyes held a different story.
"Young Master Caspian, I know it is you," he said with a gleeful smile, bowing his head.
"The name is Alexander, Alexander Chase. The Caspian you seek of is long dead, at least to you all," Alexander retorted.
"But Master Caspian, you are needed back at home," Geoffrey insisted.
Alexander paused, his mind spinning. "I am needed? So you're telling me that I am needed by the same family that banished my mother out to the street like a stray dog?"
"We are sorry. I am sorry. I would have helped you if I could, but as you know, her banishment was way above my power and control," Geoffrey explained.
Alexander chuckled bitterly. "O yes, my dear old father. Tell me, what does he have to say about you coming to drag his bastard son back? Does he even know you are here?"
"Your father is dead," Geoffrey stated plainly.
Alexander froze. He had a retort for every sentence Geoffrey uttered, but this news left him speechless. He felt his tongue tied between his lungs.
Despite his hatred for his father, the realization of his death hit him hard. He hated his father, he hated him so much and often wished for the opportunity to kill him, but he never thought the old fart would die. He hated his father, but in the end, he was still his father.
"How did he die? You know what, I don't even want to know. Just get lost," Alexander managed to say, his voice strained with emotion.
Geoffrey persisted, addressing him as "Master Caspian."
"My name is Alexander, and I am not your master. The next time you refer to me as such, I will cut off your tongue and feed it to stray dogs," Alexander threatened, his stare piercing.
Shocked by Alexander words, Geoffrey realise one thing, Alexander was right, the boy he once knew was long gone.
"Okay then, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. We will get on our way now. Here is my card in case you need any settlement for this inconvenience," he said, handing Alexander his information card.
Alexander snatched the card from him and walked away, Geoffrey's voice trailing after him. "Your mother, what would she have wanted you to do?"
Alexander paused, turning slightly. "After what he did to her, she would have wanted me to kill the old bastard myself," he declared before storming off.
Walking back home, Alexander tried to push his encounter with Geoffrey out of his mind. But Geoffrey's final question and his response kept replaying in his head. 'What would his mother have wanted him to do?'Of course, she wouldn't have wanted him to kill his father. Her heart was too pure for that.
He halted, raising his gaze to the clouded sky as it began to drizzle. 'What would she have wanted?' he asked himself, reflecting on his life.
His name was Caspian Alexander Chase, heir to the Stellar Nebula Conglomerate, one of the richest companies in the world. His life was good until it wasn't. His mother was banished from the Chase family while Alexander was away on a business venture. When Alexander got back, he was furious at the news and left the Chase Family Mansion in search of his mother.
But by the time he found her after many long years, she was in a hospital, diagnosed with colon cancer, and needed an immediate colorectal resection, which cost way more than Alexander could afford at the moment. It was during that time he met Luther Lockwood, Seraphina’s father, through unconventional circumstances.
Luther Lockwood made him a deal; he promised to take care of all of Alexander's mother’s medical bills in exchange for Alexander agreeing to marry his daughter. Alexander accepted without hesitation, and thanks to that, his mother lived for three more long years before her eventual passing.
Alexander blamed his father for everything his mother had to go through and vowed to never return or have anything to do with him or his company.
Lost in thought, Alexander realized he had reached home. With the car parked in the compound, Seraphina was back.As he entered the house, a thunderous slap landed on Alexander's cheek.
"How dare you make a fool of my daughter in front of Lady Chase, you penniless brat!"
It was Caroline, Alexander's mother-in-law, the greatest thorn in his life as a live-in son-in-law. She blamed Alexander for her husband’s and Seraphina's choice to marry him and detested him for his lack of wealth and status. To her, Alexander's existence was a constant reminder of her failure as a mother.
"Mother!" Seraphina yelled, pulling Alexander away.
"Why do you insist on protecting that gutter bastard? It’s because of him that our family is looked upon with disgust. When will you listen to me and divorce him? Many eligible suitors would kill to take you away from his wretched hands," Caroline spat.
"Mother, I have told you a thousand times, I am never going to divorce Alexander," Seraphina asserted.
"I will not rest until you heed my advice!"
"Mother, my husband and I need to go to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow," Seraphina said, leading Alexander into their room.
...
In the room;
"Thank you," Alexander muttered.
"It’s no problem, but I would appreciate it if you had better control of that loose tongue of yours," Seraphina scolded as she settled onto her bed.
"Understood," he replied.
"Good, you've been invited to the diamonds banquet held tomorrow," Seraphina announced.
"Okay, do you need me to get your wardrobe choice," Alexander replied, confused.
"I said 'you,' not 'me,' I wasn’t invited, I was only asked to extend the invitation," Seraphina clarified.
"What? On whose invite?" Alexander exclaimed in disbelief. Who would invite him to a banquet?
“Jacob Harrington!” Seraphina replied.
“What!!” Alexander exclaimed in disbelief. Why would the King of Diamond himself extend an invitation to him?
After some persistent persuasion from Seraphina, Alexander finally caved and agreed to attend the Diamond banquet. He had no choice but to go solo since he was the sole invitee.Guests flooded in through the grand entrance of the mansion, greeted by a display of extravagance and refinement. Twin marble staircases, draped with flowers, led up to intricately carved double doors flanked by torches held in ornate brass sconces.The air hummed with the gentle melody of a string quartet, mingling with the laughter of the arriving guests.Stepping inside, Alexander was embraced by the warm glow of crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, casting intricate patterns of light on the polished marble floors, flashing back memories from his past life, memories he had worked hard to bury, but now, they were resurfacing due to Geoffrey's sudden reappearance.Navigating through the banquet hall, Alexander felt like a stranger in a strange land, with unfamiliar faces casting looks of disdain
The entire crowd was lost for words. Why would Jacob Harrington know a wretched live-in son-in-law like Alexander?Every jaw in the banquet was dropped as Jacob Harrington gleefully came over to the bar.“Alexander Chase, I wasn’t sure you’d make it,” he said, as he shook his hand firmly, ignoring everyone except, including Julian.“Jacob Harrington,” Alexander greeted with a slight bow.“Sir Harrington, do you know this man?” Julian stammered.“Well, not as much as I would love to. Did you come with him?” Jacob replied.“No, I didn’t,” he answered.“Oh, that’s too bad. Oh, about the business contract with your family, do well to tell your father to consider it a done. Just a few more I’s and T’s to be dotted and crossed, and it’s a done deal.”“Will do just that, Sir,” Julian replied, his entire body quivering with gratification.“Now, Alexander, would you like us to chat, here or go somewhere else?” He said to Alexander, completely ignoring Julian once more.Alexander took a glance a
As Alexander left the banquet, “Maybe they are not all the same after all” he thought to himself about his meeting with Jacob Harrington.The sky was pitch dark, and as he walked through the Billiard Maze Avenue. It was given its name due to its numerous corners intersections and dead ends synonymous with that of a maze. Alexander could feel that he was being followed so he turned around, and his suspicions were correct. He took the next turn to the left and lost his pursuer, but just after a few seconds, he saw another one. Quickening his pace, he took the next corner and the next, but with every turn he took there was always someone tailing him from behind or by the side until he was faced with a dead end. Alexander stood firm, and looked at the shadows behind him, he counted six of them. Alexander let out a loud sigh and said;“Before we get started, do any of you gentlemen want to walk away” he said in a cold still voice. His words sent shivers down their spine. He turned aroun
The next day, Alexander woke up a bit later than usual. His wife, Seraphina, had already left for work, and Caroline, his mother-in-law, must not have slept in at the house. If she had, Alexander would have surely been woken up with a rain of curses and beatings for sleeping a second longer than four hours.Starting his daily chores, Alexander, being a live-in house husband, embarked on his routine: cleaning, sweeping, arranging the house, and cooking. Amidst his tasks, he found a note on the table with folded cash beside it. "We are out of milk, go to the store and get some," it read. It had to be from Seraphina.Alexander swiftly cleaned up and dashed to the nearest supermarket. The sky was cloudy, and as he walked, he couldn't shake off the feeling of being followed yet again. This time, he halted abruptly."Exactly how long you do plan on stalking me?" he said.Suddenly, two men merged from the shadows behind him, and in a matter of seconds, he was surrounded by seven of them.“Ou
Looking down at the world from his top corner office, Wilson Monroe, the kingpin observed the societal hierarchy in its natural order: the poor cowering in fear, those of similar status getting along, and the wealthiest vying for the top spot. Everyone seemed to find their place without much effort.“Sir, we have a situation,” his assistant Vanessa's voice came through his earpiece.“What is it?” He inquired.“We just received word that the Floating Mary K9 has capsized and been destroyed,” she reported.“What happened?” The kingpin asked, puzzled.“We're yet to confirm, but it seems like tidal waves,” Vanessa replied.“Tidal waves?” The kingpin's disbelief was evident. The Floating Mary was a top container ship for Monroe Logistics; a simple tidal wave shouldn’t have been able to take it down.“Yes, Sir,” Vanessa confirmed.“Alright, calculate our losses and contact the insurance company,” Kingpin instructed.“Copy that, Sir.”Despite the loss of the Floating Mary, Monroe Logistics st
'The Fall of the Kingpin’ became the headline in every Pantheon Valley billionaire news outlet, media platform, and bulletin. The fall of the great Wilson Monroe and his multi-billion-dollar company was unprecedented and had never been seen before; it was termed the Black Swan of the century.Another unrelated news story flooded the Pantheon Valley media headlines was: Maverick Corporation's hundred-billion-dollar open contract to a construction company. Every construction-based corporation went on their toes, eager to make a move, pulling every string in thier guitar case to secure this contract. The Lockwood Family was one of them.Lady Charlotte Lockwood knew that collaborating with a company as big as Maverick's would open many doors for the entire family, increase Lockwood’s societal ranking, and elevate their family status. She called for an urgent family meeting at the Lockwood Mansion and sent out compulsory invitations to every available member of the Lockwood family, to bra
After a long first day at Maverick Cooperation, Alexander returned home in the evening. He would have stayed longer, but he had to accompany his wife to the Lockwood meeting. Entering the house, Alexander walked into a heated conversation between his wife, Seraphina, and her mother.“Alexander is a useless pauper of a husband who hasn't a single penny to his name and is of no good to you. Why wouldn’t you just divorce him? You are better offers,” her mother argued.“Mother, we've been over this. I have always had better offers, I always will, and I will always choose Alexander every single time,” Seraphina countered.“Alexander, where have you been? You were supposed to be back hours ago,” Seraphina asked.“I’m sorry, I got held up,” Alexander replied.“It’s fine, let’s go. We are already running late,” Seraphina urged.“Don’t you dare walk out on me, Alexander? You are going to divorce my daughter and allow her to marry Ethan Bishop, someone much more qualified to be her husband,” he
Every eye turned towards Seraphina. Her voice was the least expected to be heard.“Sit down, Seraphina. This is not the time for jokes,” Ariana retorted, causing the entire hall to burst into murmurs.Ariana’s words chipped away part of Seraphina’s confidence, but she remained firm.She cleared her throat and said,“I am very much aware of that, Ariana, but as Grandma said, the Lockwood family needs this contract, and unlike the spineless wimp that you are, I am willing to do what it takes to help us get it.”Alexander smirked excitedly at his wife's witty and snarky response.“How dare you talk to my wife that way?” Ezekiel, Ariana's husband, rose to his feet and yelled.Ezekiel, too, was a son-in-law of the Lockwoods, but he was the complete opposite of Alexander. He was valued and respected by the Lockwood family because he came from a relatively wealthy background. Although not nearly as wealthy as the Lockwoods, but wealthy enough to raise his voice in their meetings.“Your wife’s