2024-05-08 11:55:34Standing in front of room 184 was Chase. He had his head bent to the ground as he contemplated on whether he should go in or not.
Having spent four months with Raven with no dates or even a friendly conversation, he was skeptical about the whole thing. His instincts kept bugging him but at this point, he didn't know whether he should leave or not. After several minutes of standing in front of the room, he grabbed the handle and then pushed the door in only to be greeted with an empty room. “Raven.” He called, looking around but there was no sign of a human in the room. “I knew it was room 284.” He muttered as he walked towards the door. Grabbing the handle, he tried to pull it open but he couldn't. Wondering what the issue was, he did it the second time but it was the same result. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and he swirled around only to see a lady who was half naked walking up to him. “What are you doing here?” He asked, his eyes bulging with fear as she closed the distance between them. Ignoring him, shs proceeds to take off her bra and before he could know what was happening, she was holding onto his shoulder, trying frantically to kiss him but he wouldn't give in. “Please let go of me.” He yelled. He didn't want to push her away for fear of causing her harm which was going to do nothing but to escalate the issue. Still struggling to escape from her grip, the door creaked open and Katherine stepped in followed by Raven. “What is going on here?” Raven yelled, clutching her dress tightly as she glared at Chase who was as surprised as they were. “She tried to…” Chase wanted to explain what had happened but before he could even complete his sentence, Katherine sent her palm to his face, causing him to stagger backwards. The next time Chase raised his head, the strange woman was nowhere to be found. “She…” “Shut your mouth, you filthy thing.” Katherine yelled, she was seething with anger while Raven paced around the room as she bit her bottom lips. “Not only are you incompetent, you are also a cheat. I would have known long ago but I was blinded with pity.” “I didn't do anything. She was the one who…” another slap followed and this time around, he staggered backwards until he fell to the ground. “Get the lawyer this minute.” Katherine yelled at Raven who quickly picked up her phone as she muttered incoherent words. “Raven, please you have to believe me. I wouldn't try to cheat on you, never.” He was trying to hold back his tears but they kept rolling down his cheeks. Raven made a quick call to the lawyer who didn't waste time in showing up. After everything was explained to him, Raven requested a divorce paper but instead of giving her one, he said, “I’m afraid, the late family head isn't in support of a divorce.” “What?” Mother and daughter yelled in unison. “He stated clearly in his own handwriting that if there was a cause to get divorced, each party should be given a month break to pull themselves together…” “This is trash.” Katherine yelled, tossing the paper in his face. “There must be a divorce… I can't put up with a cheat.” Raven yelled, seething with anger. Suddenly, the bathroom door creaked open and Zara stepped out, drying her hair with a hand dryer. When she noticed all attention was on her, she recoiled and then went back to the bathroom only to return a few minutes later. “Making a video was a hassle though.” Zara said, walking towards them. Crouching beside Chase who was just staring, she patted his shoulder, “Well done.” “How did you get here?” Raven asked, her blood turning cold. The sight of Zara was enough to give her goosebumps and seeing the way she was smiling now was making her go crazy with each passing minute. Ignoring her sister and mother, she turned on the TV which played out what had originally happened. Chase was relieved with this, only for her to switch the video to that of Raven making out with someone else. Startled, Raven pushed her and then turned off the TV. Cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she was unable to raise her head as she panted in anger. “You're the cheat here.” Zara snapped at her. “Shut your mouth.” Katherine yelled back at her, her neck veins popping out. Ignoring them all, Zara made her way towards the window only to turn around the next second and with a loud and firm voice, she said, “I overheard your plans of setting him up with a random lady and out of pity, I decided to come save his ass.” “What plan?” Raven asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about. “Are you even a part of this family? Why are you denting our family's name in public?” Katherine yelled at her. She was livid and if looks could kill, Zara was sure to be dead long ago. “I see no reason when you all decided to hate on someone who has nothing to offer.” She shot back. Pushing her hair behind her ears, she turned towards the lawyer, “Mr. Moon.” She called. Still stunned from the twist of the situation, he just turned towards her with a blank expression on his face. “In father’s will, he said Chase shouldn't be thrown out of the family, right?” “Yes, that's true.” “Get the divorce paper for Raven and Chase then wed me and Chase.” She said. “What?” Chase gasped, staring back at her with widened eyes. With her hands across her chest, she let out a low chuckle before passing him a wink. “Zara, what the hell are you talking about? This man here has nothing to offer.” Katherine screamed. Closing the gap between them, she grabbed her shoulder and began to peer into her eyes. “Daughter please, join us and send him away.” She cried. “Zara, you shouldn't settle for him. Mom already said he has nothing to offer. He is a parasite and he will live off your hard work.” “Do I look like I care?” she yelled in her face and pushed her off. “Do it.” Shs snapped at Mr. Moon who was just staring. He had been trying to speak for a while now but words had refused to form. “Mr. Moon, proceed with the divorce and not the wedding.” Katherine yelled. “Then I will have no choice but to release the video of Raven making out with someone other than her husband.” She said with a smirk as she waved a flash drive in their faces. “Stocks will drop rapidly, the company will begin to fold up and everything you have worked so hard for will crumble right before your very eyes, not a threat though.” Shs shrugged, chuckling at the same time. “Mrs. Bernard, what am I to do now?” Mr. Moon asked, arranging his glasses that were perching in his nose. “Go ahead with it.” She replied, her gaze to the wall and her face rigid. “I know you will make the right choice.” Zara said and then began to shriek with laughter.
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Now standing outside the hotel, Chase exhaled and with a hand tucked into his pockets, he made his way towards the road to flag down a taxi. “Where are you heading?” Zara asked, appearing in front of him. He didn't see her coming so he was a bit startled seeing her standing in front of him. “What are you doing here?” He asked, taking in her features. This was the second time he was seeing her after he got married to Raven. “I came to speak to my husband to be… is that a crime?” She didn't allow him to give a response before tossing her car key towards him. “Can you drive?” She asked. “Yeah.” “Gray Honda Civic.” For more than five minutes Chase remained where he was not making any effort to move his feet. He had his gaze fixed on her as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening. “Fine, if you are not driving, I will.” Zara said, trying to snatch the key from him but he didn't let her. Holding her arm, he pulled her to himself, “Why are you doing this?” His voice was
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Getting home after spending the whole day outside with Wembley, Chase was greeted with a strong odor of burning food that he flew into the house to find out what was happening. Getting to the kitchen, he pushed the door open, only for smoke to welcome him in and he began to cough. Relieved that it wasn't the house that was burning as he had thought earlier, he proceeded into the kitchen and then pushed the windows open before proceeding to open the door so that the smoke would get out. About half an hour later, he snapped his head upwards, he had just remembered Zara who was now living with him. Facepalming himself, he began to look around the house, searching for her since she wasn't in the kitchen.When he got to the rooms, he started checking them one after the other until he started hearing sobbing sounds emanating from one of the rooms.With a speed he never knew he possessed, he reached out for the door handle and then pushed it in, revealing the coiled-up figure of Zara at
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It's been three days since Chase got married to Zara. These three days had been the best in his life after a very long time. Unlike Katherine and Raven who always loved to make his life a living hell for him, Zara was different. She was lively and always loved indulging in every phase of her life. This morning, since it was the weekend, they had a late breakfast and at the moment, Chase was in the living room while Zara was preparing to meet with her friends like she always did during the weekends. Scrolling through TV channels absentmindedly, he had his hand under his chin as he thought of the direction his life was now headed. He was tired of sitting at home idle all through the day and it seemed Wembley was finding it difficult to find the right spot for his proposed restaurant. Zara had no idea about this plan, she strongly believed that he was hunting for a job whereas he wasn't even making any move. Digging his finger into his hair, he let out a low sigh and then reached o
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After getting off the bus, Chase pulled his phone out of his pocket, “Oakdale.” He muttered and then snapped his head upwards. With a smile on the side of his lips, he allowed his eyes to roam around his current environment for a while. Oakdale was a little town which bustled with different activities all through the year. Pubs, restaurants, clubs and several other businesses were found there. Out of all the restaurants that were in Oakdale, the best belonged to the number one food company in the state. Still looking around, Wembley walked up to him and then intertwined his hand in his. At once, Chase pulled away and with a scowl on his face said, “Are you crazy?” “What?” Wembley chuckled. He knew Chase hated bodily contact but he still went ahead to hold his hand whenever he had the chance to do so. “So why did you call me?” He asked, digging his hands into his pocket as he exhaled. “I'm done.” “Done?” “Come with me.” In silence, Wembley led Chase to a buildin
The Heir 013
FlavorQuest…It had been three weeks since Chase opened the restaurant but the progress had been slow. On most days, they had just one customer and so they had been experiencing a lot of loss which left them discouraged. Sitting behind the counter with his hands resting under his chin was Wembley who had his lips caged in between his teeth as he stared at the door, waiting for the second customer of the day and Chase, who had stepped out to return. “Can I speak to you?” Maurice said, pulling a chair out. “Sure, go ahead.” Wembley replied, trying to keep a brave face when on the inside, he was scared. Scared that Maurice wanted to leave the restaurant and find a more profitable job. “Why do boss keep paying us each weekend when we don't even make up to a quarter of the amount?” Maurice asked. This was the exact question Wembley had asked a few days ago, but he didn't get a satisfactory answer to it. Chase had told him that he had always wanted a job that paid on a weekly basis an
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Ignoring Chase, Zara kept pressing on. She felt if she had the chance, she would be able to change the restaurant for better and she would stop at nothing until her request was granted. “Can you just stop it already?” She yelled at Wembley who was scowling at her. “You're rude, we don't want you working here.” He snapped at her, wrapping his hands across his chest. “Really? I only pointed out your mistakes to you and as it should be, you're supposed to make corrections instead of making a fuss about it.” “Correction you mean? The last time I checked, no one asked you for that.” While they were arguing, Chase plopped on the chair, his gaze never leaving Zara even for once. Since she had proved herself without him asking, he felt that he needed her and at the same time he was skeptical about the whole thing because of her family. “They're going to try and ruin everything if they find out about this.” He said more to himself but everyone heard what he had said. “Boss, what did yo
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Stamping her feet against the floor, Zara looked around the restaurant, leaving the rest of the staff in suspense, even Chase was not let out in this. He never allowed his gaze to leave her even for once as he tried to guess correctly what she was up to. “Aren't you going to say anything?” Maurice scowled. “Of course, I was going to commend your new looks.” She winked at him, causing a smile to appear on his lips. Just when he was about to respond to her compliment, she waved her hand in his face, “Now you have to work on your clothes? It looks like what the slaves in history passed down to you.” “What?”“You heard me.” She affirmed with a smirk, rolling her eyes at him.“You're rude, that's not a nice way of speaking to someone.” Wembley muttered. “Why do you look scary? Are you a part of the Mafia in Italy? Your accent screams it.” At once Chase exchanged glances with Wembley who took a step backward, digging his hand into his hair. “I'm on the roof, please excuse me.” He mu
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During the one-week duration, while they were trying to put things in order, Zara kept raising awareness on her social media page. She was an Instagram influencer with over three million dedicated followers so the awareness went a long way to help. Chase and Wembley focused their energy on repainting the restaurant in bright colors and replacing the bulbs and different decorations with more appealing colors. A night before the reopening, Zara arrived at the restaurant but before she could walk in, her phone began to buzz and at once she pulled it out of her pocket. “What does she want?” She mumbled, glaring at the screen which displayed Raven. Pushing her phone back into her pocket, the call came through again, and then time around with a frown she yelled, “What?” “I know you're busy but can you spare me five minutes?” “Why?” “We need to talk and it's urgent.” She snapped and at once Zara swirled around, her gaze falling on the vehicle that was across the road. “Yeah, come si
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034
Fuming with anger, Finn tossed the throw pillow he was holding aside, yelling out his lungs as anger coursed through him. Shutting his eyes, he titled his head to the side only to fist pump the air the next minute. Meanwhile, while all these were going on, his mother was watching him from the dining table where she sat. “Son, is anything the issue?” She asked, joining him on the couch and holding his hand. When he wouldn't stop throwing a fit, she decided to question him. Still filled with rage, he didn't waste time in telling her what had happened, making sure not to leave any details. “Really?” She asked, raising her brow. “I can't believe they want me to bring back their staff who voluntarily left. Also, he shouldn't even be there in the first place when he can't cook good meals, how did they intend to retain their customers if they turn a blind eye to it.” He huffed. With his hands across his chest now, he leaned into his seat, tossing his head backwards. “It's sickening.”
033
On arrival, furious that her family had decided to create a scene, she stormed into the building only to meet Chase, Wembley and Jasper seated around a table. “What is going on?” She asked, looking from one person to the other. “I want to leave. I can't handle my duties anymore.” Jasper replied, biting his lower lips. The previous night, some customers were complaining about the food in low tones, and then he also stumbled on the comments on Zara's page. Just when Zara was about to speak, the door flung open and Finn walked in, grinning from side to side. “Good morning boss.” When he was done exchanging greetings with everyone, he plopped on the next seat, wondering what they were talking about that made them wear a serious look. “Am I missing out on anything?” He asked but he didn't get a response, instead, Jasper pushed his resignation letter towards Zara. “Please endorse it.” He said, taking off the badge from his shirt. “I can't believe you're doing this.” Zara snapped, gr
032
With her hand under her chin, Zara was pacing around her living room. She had been trying to come up with the perfect strategy of curbing the issue at hand but couldn't come up with anything. Frustrated, she grabbed her purse off the table and then headed straight for the door. Immediately she stepped out, her eyes went straight to Chase's apartment and for the next few minutes that followed, she kept staring hard at it until a neighbor came along. She was already scurrying away when the woman grabbed her shoulder and with a little smile on the edge of her lips said, “Do you know who your next door neighbor is?” Not knowing why she had asked, she nodded, pushing her hair away from her face. “Yeah.” She replied. “I haven't gotten a chance to speak to him even for once but I can tell he is a good man. Last night, he got my granddaughter a cake at the confectionery shop when I couldn't afford it…” she kept on talking about how he had helped her until she exhausted everythin
031
Due to the large amount of workload they had to handle every day, Zara brought up the suggestion of hiring more workers which was accepted by all. On Saturday morning, D-Day for the physical meeting of all the applicants who had shown interest in working in the restaurant, Zara and Chase sat in the office while Wembley ushered the applicants in one after the other. Since customers on Saturday mornings were always minimal, Maurice and Jasper were able to handle them without a hitch. The physical interview went on for a long time, yet Zara couldn't pick her choice. She kept on making a fuss about each applicant. It was either their appearance or their language skills. “At this rate, we aren't going to get any workers at the end of the day,” Chase said, placing the files of the applicants they had interviewed on the table. “I cannot afford to employ someone who will cause trouble. I need the best and so I will stick to my laid down principles.” She said, pushing a list in front of
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Zara, not wanting Chase to catch up with her, increased her pace as she climbed down the stairs and at the same time, trying to hold back her stubborn tears which were already rolling down her cheeks. The feeling of being rejected was the only thing on her mind. She didn't care about Raven's mockery. Since Chase came into the household, she had been a secret admirer, always fantasizing about getting married to him and all that. When she learnt of how he was being treated by her mother and Raven, she was bitter but there was nothing she could do about it.That was why she decided to stand up for him when they plotted to accuse him of cheating. And now, she got rejected. “Where are you hurrying to?” Wembley asked when she brushed past him. “Out.” She yelled, not bothering to look in her direction. This single act made Wembley turn towards the stairs, trying to fathom what was going on. “She is crying.” Maurice walked up to him, staring at the path she had taken. “Crying?” “Yeah
029
With disappointment written all over her face, Raven returned to her mother. The moment Katherine saw her, she sank into her chair, she didn't need anyone to tell her it didn't go well, Raven's face and countenance says it all. “Mother, we have lost Chase completely. There is nothing we can do anymore rather than to let go of the strife against him.” She mumbled, plopping on the creamy couch. With her lips caged in between her teeth, she pushed her hair away from her face and after a few minutes of silence, turned her attention to Katherine who was staring at her. “What… is anything the issue?” She asked with a raised brow. “You have just five minutes to make the decision.” Katherine replied, her tone cold and icy. Confused, Raven began to dart her eyes around, trying to read a meaning to what she had just heard but the more she thought of it, the more confused she became. “I already told you that I'm going to deal with Chase until he comes crawling back to me. All
028
When she arrived, Chase was drumming his fingers against the table. Though he hadn't requested for her earlier, she was now present, so he decided to spew what he had been saving up until now. “Are you busy?” He asked, nodding at the iPad she was holding. “I’m not. I was going through the sales stats. It's impressive boss.” She mused and even without Chase asking her to tell him what it was about, she went ahead and started blabbing. “Thank you, I mean it.” He flashed her a coy smile as he patted her head. “Come on, I didn't do the work alone.” Smacking her lips she pulled a chair out and now seated across from him, said, “What if we have a team dinner to celebrate?” “It's up to you, fix it.” His response made her smile widen as she drummed her fingers against the table in excitement. “Wembley said you wanted to see me, is anything the issue?” She asked, breaking the short silence in the room. “Not really.” He shook his head sideways, contemplating on if he should spill on not.
027
With a huff, Zara pulled her last luggage through the door and with a tired look on her face, she banged the door shut only to fall on the next available couch. Shutting her eyes tightly, she pushed her hand into her hair as a little smile appeared on the side of her lips. Before dropping by FlavorQuest the previous day, she had made a stop at a housing agent who showed her a catalog she should choose from after which she paid her rent fee.“This is a dream come true.” She mused, now lying on her side as a bright smile appeared on her lips. For a while now, she had been fantasizing about getting a house of her own and now it was a reality. Her excitement was what lured her to sleep that night. ***“Shit!” Zara muttered as she sat up on the couch she had spent her night on. Throwing her legs off the couch, she hurried towards the bathroom to have a quick bath. She was already getting late for work after reading out the new rule and regulations she had drafted the previous night.
026
Still on the rooftop talking, a strong smell began to circulate around the air, making Chase who was seated before to rise as he began to look around. “Seems something is burning.” Wembley said, sniffing the air too. Suddenly, Chase, who had been trying to come up with a reason for the strong odor, slammed his fist against the table, “Shit.” He grunted and before Wembley could even grasp what he was saying, he was already running down the stairs. A customer had dropped by, requesting for a meal. Instead of Zara calling Wembley like he had instructed her, she decided to try her hands on it only to get the food burnt. She was already crying when Chase pushed the door open, revealing Maurice holding a pan and Zara who was sobbing as she paced about. “I'm sorry, I should have come around soon enough. I have no excuse to give.” Maurice rapped with his head bent to the ground. Brushing past him, Chase walked up to Zara and then held her shoulder. In fright, she bent her head in a bid
