Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56He made his way to the now familiar road leading to the café to get breakfast. He didn't know where to start from but breakfast was a very good start.
He walked into the café and this time, it wasn't as crowded as the last. He walked straight to the barista and she still very much looked like a doll, while chewing her signature gum.
"Look who it is. I almost didn't recognize you. You look bad" she said and he mentally rolled his eyes but stopped.
"What do you mean I look bad?" He asked, feeling a tinge of sadness. That was literally the best outfit in that wardrobe and if the lady who had zero fashion sense said it looked bad, then he could only wonder what other people would think.
"Well," she started, waving her manicured fingers in his general direction. "You looked horrible the other time so today, you just look bad," she finished and laughed at her own joke.
"Whatever. I'll have a large chicken burger with fries. I'd prefer the chicken undercooked with extra mustard and a large cup of latte with whip," he said and was surprised when she finished the order with him in a bored tone.
He glared at her and she glared back harder, both of them daring each other to look away.
He finally looked away because he wouldn't be caught in some childish staring contest when he had more pressing matters to attend to.
He waited for a while and soon, his order was ready. He carried the tray and sat in a booth at the far end of the café.
He ate silently as he opened the newspaper that sat on the table and went to the ads section.
He circled 5 jobs that matched well with Theo's qualifications.
He rushed up his food and as he was about to leave, he realized that the locations were distances away from each other and he didn't have money to commute.
He looked back at the girl as she scrolled lazily through her phone.
She was his only hope.
"Uhmm hi" he started but she kept scrolling through her phone and in that moment, he realized he didn't even know her name.
"Hello," he tried again, waving his palm in front of her face.
"What?!" She gritted her teeth.
"You see…I need your help," he started and she looked at him with the same bored expression.
"Well hurry up, I have a lot of customers to attend to," she said and he looked behind him but he was the only one on the queue.
He cleared his throat again. He already felt very embarrassed before the words even came out.
"Uhm I wanted to ask if you could help me with $80. I will return it you as soon as possible".
Her eyes widened and she gasped. "I knew it. I knew there was something sneaky about you. I know your type. You would come to a place and make them feel you are trustworthy then do away with their money. What you have spent here this past two days isn't even up to what you are asking for. How dare you?!" She spat all in one breath and her loud voice had drawn the attention of some of the patrons and they began to whisper.
He'd never been so embarrassed in his life. In his whole existence, never did he think that Chase Andersons would be begging for $80. But you know? life always has its ways.
He hung his head in shame as he turned to leave with slumped shoulders.
"Hey!" She called and he looked back back.
She beckoned to him and he retraced his steps.
"Here" she slapped a $100 bill on the counter, not looking at him.
"What made you change your mind?" He asked silently.
"A thief or scammer would have said something back in their defense." She said and he stared blankly at her. "Take it before I change my mind." She glared at him.
He immediately grabbed the money and thanked her profusely.
He left and opted for a bus instead of taxi, to save cost. He had never commuted before and he didn't know he had to hold the railing while he stood, as all the seats were taken.
It took him a nasty fall in the bus and people laughing and making mockery of him to make him realize that the people that held unto the rail didn't do so because they were bored.
Soon, we got to the bustop of the first place. He looked around and this place was far different from the slum Theo lived in. It was more like the city he was from. Tall buildings and people all over the streets going about their busy days.
He looked up at the tall building and the words 'Ace-Cee' were written in gold letters.
He got in and walked to the reception and greeted the lady behind the counter.
Her sharp blue eyes pierced into his soul as she sized me up. If he wasn't once a successful businessman, he would have flinched at her cold scrutiny.
"We don't give alms here," was the first thing she said and he felt a jab in his chest. Her tongue was obviously sharper than her eyes.
"I'm here for the interview for sales auditor" he said, ignoring her harsh comment.
She laughed, throwing her head back and clapping her hands. He stood there as she guffawed.
When she was calm from her fit, she wiped away tears from her eyes. "Ohh that was so funny." She said, still giggling.
He stood there with a hard expression on his face.
"Wait, you weren't joking?" She asked seriously and when he didn't respond, she went back to her hard tone. "Well sorry, you don't qualify." She said and started typing away on her laptop.
"Excuse me? I haven't even showed my credentials. I haven't even been tried." He tried to reason. This was unfair.
"There's nothing to be tried. You are obviously a beggar and you don't stand a chance here."
He was about to argue when he got interrupted by a male voice.
"Hi Gorgeous" he said and the woman looked up at him in his Armani tux. From a distance, Chase could tell it was fake because even the glitters from the suit rubbed off on his wrists.
"How may I help you sir?" She asked smiling sweetly at him.
"I'm here for the interview for the position of sales auditor" he said and sent her a wink.
"Right. Take the elevator to the 25th floor and you'll see a lady that will take you from there" she said and he thanked her and left.
"What the fuck just happened?" He thought to himself.
"Are you still here?" She turned to him again. "Leave before I call the cops on you" she said and from her tone, there was no argument that she would make do with her threat.
He quietly turned to leave, still trying to process what was going on.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
The Heir Chapter 7
The next three places he tried were even worse. He wasn't even allowed entrance from the security. They all treated him like the dirt under the sole of their shoes. "Get out of here, you homeless beggar." "This place isn't for people like you." Those were some of the harsh words that were thrown at him and he flinched each time a security guard or reception said it with disgust evident in their eyes. "I'm not one to give up" he muttered under his breath as he stood in front of the last place on his list. He wasn't expecting anything different from what he'd already seen but he wanted to be satisfied with himself that he tried his best. 'Gab and Gabe's'. The letters were boldly carved in front of the building. The whole building was painted in white and gold outlines. He had heard of them before. Gab and Gabe's was a chain of high-end hotel. They had branches all over the world. They sat royally in the top 5 businesses in the state and they held the position for over 10 years. Th
The Heir Chapter 8
"I don't….." he began but his sentence was cut in his throat when a punch was landed on his eye. "Fuck" he screamed in pain as he felt his eyes throbbing violently. Huncho pulled out a knife and he began breathing heavily. He traced the tip along Chase's cheeks and stopped on his neck. "This is just a warning. I won't be merciful next time" he said and applied a little pressure on his hold and Chase felt blood trickling down his neck. "Let's go" he said and they left. Chase watched their retreating backs, his vision on his right eye almost shut. He managed to get back to the house and he rushed to the empty fridge and pulled out a pack of ice. He placed it on his right eye and he felt hot tears rolling down from his good eye. "Just what kind of life did this guy live?" He asked myself as the tears continued falling. He was tired. He was frustrated. He was hungry. I He was in pain. He left the pack of ice on his eye till it became numb. He couldn't feel anything but at the s
The Heir Chapter 9
Chase felt like a kid in Christmas as he boarded the bus, making a mental note to stop by the café on his way back from work to properly thank Mia for her help the other day. The black eye he suffered from the hands of Huncho had almost completely cleared off by now and he was very grateful he didn't have to go in for his first day at work looking like a hoodlum. He stood in the bus, a grin plastered on his face. He didn't even know why he was so happy but he believed it had to do with the fact that he was picked for the job instead of the other brazen men. A couple of high-schoolers snickered and pointed at his ratty shoes but he paid them no mind. He wasn't going to let anything dampen his mood. He had brought out the best pair of white shirt he could find in Theo's wardrobe and after ironing it out for what felt like hours, it finally looked wearable. He paired it with a black slack that had more holes that a basket. It was either that or a pair of ratty jeans. He stood outside
The Heir Chapter 10
"Boy, go to the restaurant on the other side of the road and get me chicken taco salad and a large latte with extra whip." Patrick ordered from the head of the round conference table. Before Chase could reply and go to him, he threw a 20 dollar bill at his feet and went back to his work on his laptop.There were six other well-suited men and women and they all began placing their orders and flinging money at his face and feet.With clenched teeth, Chase bent down and picked everything and just as he was about to go and get their lunch order, a boisterous voice stopped him. "Here's some money. You can get a steamed bun for yourself or something. You look hungry," Paul said and threw a one-dollar bill at his feet."Thank you, I don't want it," Chase gritted out."Don't be arrogant, boy, he's doing you a favor and you better not steal my change or something. Make sure you come back with the correct invoice of each item you buy or you're fired," Patrick boomed and the other people in th
The Heir Chapter 11
The day slowly but surely came to an end and the longer Chase worked, he realized what monsters they were."Were all rich people that way? Was he that way to his employees?" He kept asking himself, even as he stood outside and the torrents of rain poured heavily. The weather forecasters had mentioned a little cloud today and if that was what a little cloud looked like, he didn't want to know what a sunny day would be like to them.He stood just outside the lobby, under a little shade as he contemplated going under the rain or waiting for it to stop. He fished out his phone from his pocket and the time was long after 6. He looked up at the sky and when he didn't see any sign of the rain letting up anytime soon, he braced himself to enter the rain.He pushed himself forward and walked on the sidelines. He held his hands across his chest to relieve himself of the biting cold that stung him with each droplet of rain. He kept going, holding on to the promise of a warm shower when he got ho
The Heir Chapter 12
"I'm not going back there," Chase kept repeating to himself as the hot water from the shower hit his skin, loosening his tensed muscles, driving out the cold and probably wash off his shame.He had come to the conclusion that although the pay was in no way small, it wasn't worth the insult and the constant trampling upon his ego.He finished taking his bath and looked at his ruined shirt, saying a silent goodbye to it because he knew no amount of washing would take off the mud and coffee stain that now turned the white shirt to a dirty brown color.After dressing down for the night in pajamas pants that had slacked from excessive wearing and washing, he pulled a long-sleeved top over his head and walked to the living area which also doubled as his room.He walked to the fridge and after scanning the near-empty space, he came to the conclusion that he was going to sleep hungry because the only thing that stood in the fridge was a can of sardine that expired four months back."I'll cont
The Heir Chapter 13
The office was eerily quiet as he entered. Even the preppy receptionist had not arrived. Another woman was there in her stead who didn't pay Chase any mind. Chase let out a breath of relief because the lesser people he had to deal with, the better his day would go.He went took the elevator straight to the 50th floor where the offices were located and walked straight to the conference room. He started wiping down on the large table that took up half of the room and the chairs around it. Soon, voices could be heard."Hey Trent, my office,' Paul called and as Chase turned to correct the name, he was already gone. He felt like the man purposely called him other names to piss him off.Other names are better than illiterate, don't you think?" his conscience mocked him and he rolled his eyes and went to Paul's office.He knocked once and was ready to apologize for not having his coffee at hand, reason being that the café nearest to the office didn't operate till 7am but his apology was imme
The Heir Chapter 14
".......right here is where you get the bleach and any detergent you need. Oh, there are gloves too," she cracked him a smile and he resisted the urge to poke his fingers into her deep dimples. He really didn't understand how she could look so happy in the environment that had been nothing but toxic since he came. If only she couldn't squeeze out some of her happiness and sprinkle it on him….."Huh?" His thoughts were cut short when she looked at him expectantly through the thick blanket of her lashes. She was about six inches shorter than him and as he stared at her, the only word that came to his mind was "cute."She waved her fingers at his face and he realized she had asked him a question and he was pointedly staring at her. He looked away and masked his embarrassment with a cough as his cheeks began to heat up. "Yeah, sure," he didn't even know what he was asked but he had to supply something."Don't be too tense. They don't bite. Some of the at least," she quickly added and bit
Latest Chapter
- The Heir
Chapter 151
"Quickly, place that there," the empress instructed a group of people with a bunch of flowers."Yes, Dame," they said and did as they were told."Mother, you'll only get yourself sick from all that walking around," Imelda said."My grandson is coming back today," the empress replied and continued walking around to make sure everything was in place. "Everything has to be perfect," she added."One would think we're preparing for a president's arrival," Imelda teased.The empress waved her off and continued checking the decorations."Why don't you rest?" She placed her hands on her mother's shoulders. "I'll take care of everything down here. Your grandson wouldn't be happy if he comes back and you're all stressed out," she told her."There's till a lot to be done and little time and…." The empress started."Mother….." Imelda drew out. "I'll take care of everything. Just take a nap," she told her."Are you sure?" The empress asked skeptically."Yes," Imelda assured her."Fine. Make sure t
- The Heir
Chapter 150
"Mother, why aren't you saying anything?" Jacob requested angrily, his hands balled in fists on both sides.The empress, not even sparing him a glass continued sipping leisurely on her coffee.Jacob fumed angrily but his wife, Regina, placed a pacifying palm on his arm, subtly telling him to calm down."Mother, you can't just buy the whole Union consortium," he continued.The empress considered ignoring him again this time, but decided not to.She dropped her cup majestically and squared her shoulders before turning to him."I can and I have," she said in a bored tone.The union consortium belonged to Regina's family. Jacob had seen it as a plan B because he wasn't so sure about his place in Gab and Gabe's consortium with Theo in the picture, hence, he planned to get Regina to inherit the company after her father but much to his surprise, the empress had bought the company."Why?" He snapped."Jacob," the empress said sharply, narrowing her eyes in slits. "I think you forget whom you
- The Heir
Chapter 149
"Why my daughter?" Evelyn's mother asked.Chase stared at her as he tried to make sense of the question.Silver caught on his confusion and proceeded to clarify her question."Out of every other person, why did you choose to help my daughter?" She asked.Chase sighed softly before answering."Your daughter helped me first," he said loud and clear. "So the question should rightly be directed to your daughter," he said.Malcolm, who had been leaning against the pillar scoffed and walked away."There's something I've been wanting to ask but I guess now that we've met, I should just ask you," silver said."Ask away," he said with a welcoming smile."How did you and my daughter meet?" She asked.The question about how her daughter had met someone so high and mighty had been on her mind ever since but she hadn't had the right opportunity to ask.Chase smiled and rubbed his hands together."Well, we..""Mom," Evelyn's voice from the staircase cut him off.Chase stood up and rushed towards he
- The Heir
Chapter 148
Chase was already half asleep when the text message from Evelyn had come in.He rubbed his sleepy eyes, picked up the phone and read through the message.A soft sigh escaped his lips when he read the words."Evelyn…." He muttered under his breath and shook his head before tossing the phone to the side and going back to sleep.He was woken up by the blaring of his alarm clock the next morning and he sat up groggily on the bed.His long-term "mini vacation" had finally come to an end and it was time to return home.He picked up his phone again and skimmed through the many unread messages but frowned when none of them was from Evelyn.He dialed her number but got the automated feedback before it went straight to voicemail."I guess this is it," he muttered to himself.He got up and walked straight to the bathroom to get ready and when he was done with his quick shower, walked into the closet.All of his things were already packed and ready and he got dressed quickly.There was a soft kno
- The Heir
Chapter 147
"I know…it's far and…." She started to say."Heck it is," Malcom interrupted her immediately and she sighed softly.Their mother quickly put her hand over Malcolm's hand to calm him down."Let's hear her first," their mother's soft voice echoed.The glare on Malcolm's face didn't lessen but he was quiet now.Evelyn took a deep breath. Even before she started talking, she already knew how difficult the conversation was going to be, given that her mother was still recovering and Malcolm was yet to get a good job. At some point, she even considered going selfish, but she just had to put it out there. "As I was saying, I got a scholarship in NYU," she repeated but her voice was no longer as firm as the first time."Scholarships at NYU aren't easy to come by, sweetie," her mother said softly, goading her to tell them more.Evelyn looked down at her intertwined fingers because that part was going to be a little difficult but it couldn't be avoided. She wasn't going to lie to her family."I
- The Heir
Chapter 146
Quietly, she followed him into the car which was already held open for them.She smiled inwardly at all the respect he was getting because she believed he deserved nothing less, given all that he had gone through."Do you want to get ice cream?" Chase broke the silence between them after contemplating for a while.Getting ice cream after lunch or dinner had always been their thing.Evelyn was still overwhelmed from everything that had happened and had barely been able to get food past her throat."Maybe next time," she said with a polite smile.Her words made Chase happier than she knew. It meant that she was actually considering a next time with him, which only meant that that day wasn't going to be the last time they met."How did you do it?" She asked out of the blue, turning in her seat so she could face him.The partition of the car was up, so they were separated from the driver and could have any conversation without fear of being eavesdropped on."Do what?" Chase asked and arch
- The Heir
Chapter 145
Evelyn's eyes skimmed through the words on her screen again and again as she tried to understand what she was seeing.She looked up at Theo who had a small smile on his face as he watched her because he had a good idea what had her like that."Wha….what's this?" She asked with shaky hands. "Do you know about this?" She showed him the screen of her phone.He read through the email and leaned back in his seat."You know about this," she said softly. "I can't accept this," she shook her head and started to type on her phone but he gently took it away from her."Eve…" he started but she interrupted him."No, this is too much, I can't accept it," she said hurriedly."You've always wanted this," he pointed out.She reached for her phone but he kept it out of her reach."It was a dream. A dream I had no hope of fulfilling," she argued."And an opportunity has come for you to fulfill it," he countered."I can't accept this," she shook her head. Chase studied her for a few seconds without say
- The Heir
Chapter 144
"I know it was you who paid my mom's bills and helped my brother out of jail," she said softly. "I…" Chase didn't know what to say. He had tried as much as possible to hide it from her because he knew how difficult it was for her to accept help. She had done life on her own for a long time and she felt that any help rendered to her was a set up."I just want to let you know how grateful I am and I'll work as hard as I can to pay back every cent," she said and swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat.She hadn't expected her little speech to get that emotional and she wished with everything in her that he knew how grateful she was."I don't need anything back from you," he shook his head. "I didn't do any of that to get anything in return. I did it because I know how much your family means to you and you're my friend. Friends help each other in need," he told her."But I've never helped you," she said and choked on a sob."You have," he replied without missing a beat and leaned
- The Heir
Chapter 143
With a small smile and a shake of his head, Chase tucked the phone back into his pocket but not before sending a quick email to someone."Take me to Hovers," he told the driver, who nodded once and turned on the engine.The ride to Hovers was smooth in contrast to Chase's bumpy thoughts on what to say when he gets there.He hadn't expected her to reply but she did and he was going to see her.He tapped his long fingers on his knees impatiently as each second of the ride felt like a lifetime but soon, the driver was pulling outside of hovers.Hovers was a small café downtown. It was far from the whole bustle of the busy city and Chase could really pin that kind of place to Evelyn.The fresh greenery on the outside and the minimal but cozy decor on the inside was definitely her scene.He pushed the door to the welcoming space that smelled of coffee beans open and he looked around for a couple of seconds before his eyes caught her honey brown hair in a corner.He cleared his throat and r
