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2024-10-29 19:42:56Matthew was surprised to see them standing behind him, he looked at Darrell, anger bubbling within his chest, and then at Ashley. He never thought the day would come when he would look her in the eyes and feel nothing but disgust.
The look on Darrell’s face mirrored that of Ashley's, they were both wondering what a common car washer like Matthew would be doing in a fine establishment like this. Darrell quickly concluded that perhaps he was here to apply for a new job as a cleaner or maybe even a carwasher and so he stuck his hand in his pocket and scoffed, shaking his head lightly.
Matthew stepped forward. “What are you two doing here?” he asked.
Darrell scrunched his face in disgust as he glared at Matthew, looking him head to toe like he was a church rat. “I should be the one asking you, last I checked, they don’t hire low lives like you around here.”
Ashley held on to Darrell tighter with a sense of pride and she adjusted. “If you must know, my boyfriend is so influential, he’s here to see the CEO of the Houston family company to seek a business partnership,” she boasted with shoulders raised high.
His eyes caught how Darrell and Ashley locked hands and he felt infuriated. How could she just throw all this away like it meant nothing? She even had the guts to rub it in his face. After all these years of dating her, he was just beginning to realize just how despicable she was as a person.
To some extent, he berated himself for failing to see the signs.
He took a deep breath and turned around, making his way into the office building without paying them any further attention. Darrell and Ashley who were still standing outside were shocked, how could he have the effrontery to waltz into the Houston office.
“Would you look at that fool, does he think just anyone can come here to beg for money?” Darrell sneered, shaking his head.
“He must think wearing a suit could automatically make people take him seriously, how simple minded of him,” Ashley said, also shaking her head. A wicked smile formed Om Darrell's face and he couldn’t wait to witness the shame that Matt would go through when security got a hold of him.
“It’s almost a shame I won’t be here when they bundle him out and throw him in the streets like the nobody that he is.”
Ashley felt second hand embarrassment for Matthew so she decided to step forward and go talk to him.
She moved faster so she could catch up with him and she grabbed his shoulder, tugging him so he could stop and turn around. His face twisted in anger because of the sudden interruption.
“Matthew, you should leave.”
He was stunned. “What?” he managed to let out after a few seconds.
“Are you deaf? I said you should leave, what in the world do you think you’re doing here?”
His nostrils flared as he exhaled. “If you must know, I came here to work, so can you stop bothering me?” he spat.
“Work?” Darrell, who had just stepped inside and had overheard their conversation, remarked. He took a few steps forward, arms folded against his chest. “What kind of work would a pauper like you do in this fine establishment?”
Matthew wanted to open his mouth and speak but he shut it when he realized that there was no need for him to try and prove himself to a man like Darrell, it wasn’t worth it. So he turned around and was about to walk away, deciding that silence was the best answer.
“You’re nothing but a car washer who isn’t even qualified to clean the toilet of the Houston family, so get lost and don’t cause a scene here.” Darrell smiled wickedly.
They were expecting Matthew to be downcast but much to their surprise, he was beaming from ear to ear, smiling triumphantly. Matthew remembered his grandmother’s words, that he was the heir to the family empire, meaning that he would become a figure of importance in the company soon.
He turned around confidently, “You said you came here because you want a business partnership?” he began.
Ashley and her boyfriend shared a confused look, unsure as to where he was going with this.
Matthew smiled, “Well, be rest assured that you won’t get the deal. The CEO of such a prestigious company surely can’t work with useless trash like you.”
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The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 11 • Do As He Says!
Ashley was the first to react, she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as her eyes grew wide, the last thing she expected was for Matthew to talk to Darrell like that. Darrell tightened his teeth, visibly angered, his face was turning red.He balled his fists by his sides, ready to walk over to Matthew and beat him to a pulp but as he proceeded to move forward, Ashley grabbed him by the arm, holding him back. If he caused a scene here, it might just give him a bad name in front of his potential business partners.What would they think of him if he was fighting outside with a pauper? Surely that would be bad for his reputation. Plus, he had heard tales of the powerful no-nonsense matriarch, if he did anything to cross her, he would be done for,He cleared his throat. “Matthew or whatever your name is, I will surely deal with you later.”“I’d like to see you try,” Matthew spat and then turned around, walking away from them. Ashley stood there in shock, wondering what had gotten in
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 12 • Chased Away
“He wants to see me?” Elena asked.The secretary nodded.“Well I’m busy now, tell him to wait for me a bit.”The secretary nodded politely and backed away from the door, shutting it gently behind her.That name rang a bell in Matthew’s head and he raised his head, a crease forming between his brows. “Ferguson…” he said the words out loud, testing the name on his lips.Elena nodded. “Yes, we’ve had dealings with them in the past, and I’m sure he’s here to discuss business,” she said, mindlessly sorting through the documents before her.“Discuss business? What kind of business?” he pressed on.Sensing the seriousness in his tone, Elena paused and straightened her back. “Well, we have been running business deals with the Ferguson’s for a while. Truth is, they offer us little to nothing, they’re more or less dependent on us, the only thing we gain is the publicity that comes from our projects together, big names get people talking you know.”“So you’re saying we don’t need to do business
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 13 • The Club
Ashley got on her feet, swatting the dust off her skirt. In all her years of dating Matthew, she had never been embarrassed to this point. They were practically picked up and thrown on the streets like garbage.There was a low buzzing sound, and it was Darrell's phone ringing. He reached into his pocket and slipped it out, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the caller ID. It was his father.“Hello, dad? You're just the person I wanted to call, something crazy just happened right now.”“Yes I know, my secretary just told me that the Houston's don't want to ever work with us again and have canceled all affiliations.”Darrell nodded even though he was on a call and his father couldn't physically see him. “I don't know what happened-”He was interjected by his father who sounded visibly pissed. “If you don't do something to fix it, You're going to regret the day you were born! Do you know how important the Houstons are to our company?!”The call ended before he could even say anything
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 14 • Here For A Drink
The line went silent as Matthew contemplated Anderson's invitation, maybe this would be a good avenue for him to tell his best friend all that was going on in his life.“Sure, I'll meet you there, just send me the time.”With that to call ended. Shortly after he received a text about the time for the meeting.With nothing else to do, Matthew continued his tour of the company building and then familiarized himself with some of the staff around.Since he had the map there was no way that he could get lost in the enormous structure.****Since all of Matthew's clothes were old and tattered, he stepped into a clothing store and used his black card to purchase some new t-shirts and trousers as well as shoes. He had multiple shopping bags with him by the time he returned home.His grandmother was the first person to see him, and her lips twisted into a bright smile when she saw him with the clothes that he bought.“I am glad you went shopping, you're officially a Houston now and it is impor
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 15 • Big Shot
Vito felt insulted and her face turned red, she unfolded her arms and scoffed. “You’re such a low life, why would the Houston family ever employ someone like you? You dream too much Matthew, it’s no wonder Ashley left you, and I’m glad she did because she ended up with a much better man.”The girls standing behind Vito chuckled at her statement but Lola, one of Vito’s friends, wore a slight frown on her face. With a deep breath, she stepped forward. “Vito, let’s go, it’s enough.”Her face twisted in confusion as she stepped back. “Don’t tell me you feel sorry for this loser?” her tone was harsh and judgemental. Vito had never really thought much of Matthew even when he was still with Ashley.For the most parts, she only tolerated him.“Vito, it’s not nice to bully people like this, we came here for a drink, not to pick on someone, please let’s just go already, Matthew has been through so much these past few days,” Lola remarked with a hint of sympathy in her voice. Even from her expre
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 16• Lola
Vito was the first to burst out laughing before the rest joined. They laughed so hard that it hurt their stomachs, especially Vito and Sophie who almost lost their balance and had to lean on the bar stools.They knew Matthew the car washer, there was no way he could be the owner, even if he sold everything he owned, it still wouldn’t be enough to buy just one tire. Lola felt embarrassed for Matthew, but she also felt sorry. She knew he was a good person and he didn’t deserve what they were doing to him.“He’s not just delusional, it seems he’s crazy too,” Vito said.Matthew, who was now standing calmly, dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out a car key. The moment Sophie caught a glimpse of what was in his hands, her eyes grew wide. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” she exclaimed, with her mouth slightly open and her eyes popping out of her sockets.Some of the people who were looking covered their mouths with their hands. If he could afford such a car, it meant that he was a big sh
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 17• La Bourge
Anderson didn’t know what to say in response, everyone in the city knew how reputable and successful the Houston family company was. “How on earth did you manage to land a job there so quickly?” he pressed on, eager for details.“I’ll tell you all about it later because it’s actually a long story, but right now I need to go home and get some rest,” he replied, deflecting the topic. The wing-like doors of the car opened slowly and Matthew turned to face Lola. “Since I invited you as my plus one to the banquet, I think it’s only fair that I get you a gift, a diamond necklace would be perfect, I think it suits your skin tone.”Lola’s eyes widened as she forced a polite smile, “Oh my-” she felt speechless. She never really thought that Matthew was being serious inside about his intentions to invite her to the banquet, she had thought that he only said that to get back at Vito for all the horrible things she’d said to him. “- I don’t even know what to say, I thought you were just kidding b
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 18• Cash Master
Matthew was confused by the statement and a small frown formed on his face. “What do you mean?” he questioned, trying to understand the clerk.“It’s store policy sir, this is the most expensive piece we have in this store and I would have to ask my manager first for permission before I can bring it out, but in the meantime I can show you other neck pieces I’m allowed to bring out.”He shook his head. “There’s no need, that’s the one that caught my attention, just go ahead and ask your manager for permission to bring it out.”The clerk nodded diligently. “Right away sir, I’ll be back with you shortly,” he muttered and then moved behind the counter, opening the door to an inner room. Matthew folded his arms against his chest and stood there, looking at the other collections of items in the store. He noticed that his grandmother wore bracelets a lot, maybe he would come here one of these days to buy a bracelet for her.“Madam, there is a man outside, he wants to buy the ice necklace,” th
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- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
127 • Fighting for his Life
Lola's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her palms in shock. “He was caught in the explosion? How is he? Is he okay?” “I don't know but I think I have to go to the hospital.”Xander quickly grabbed his car keys and was about to back away when Lola spoke. “I should come with you.”He grew worried, remembering the last time that they had gone to the hospital together. “I think you should just stay here for now, grandma probably still thinks that you are Matthew's girlfriend and I don't want things to become awkward.”She nodded, understanding where he was coming from. “Just keep me updated when you get to the hospital okay?” “Of course.” He planted a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving. He rushed into his car and got in driving straight to the hospital. As he moved down the road he turned on the radio. The presenter was already talking about the bombing of the Houston company building. Several speculations were flying about, there were some arguments that there was an
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
126 • Caught In the Explosion.
Amelia covered her mouth with her palms as her eyes grew wide. An enormous amount of dust rose, enveloping the area.For a moment it was impossible to see anything, and people began to back away slowly. As the dust was beginning to settle, it became clear that the building had crumbled. Yet there was no sign of Matthew. She grew nauseous, her legs buckling and threatening to give away under her weight. Charles was quickly behind her and he supported her as she fell backwards, resting against his body. Tears quickly filled her eyes. “Matthew!” She screamed at the top of her voice. She had never let out a hoarse scream like this before and even Charles did not know how to react. If this woman were to suffer another loss of a loved one, he was not sure to what extent it would damage her. One of the reasons she had dedicated her whole life to finding Matthew was because there was no evidence that he was dead. She made sure that until her last breath, she would not stop looking for h
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
125 • More Chaos
The scene outside of the Houston office building was simply just chaos. People were running about in the street screaming for help.From a distance the sound of sirens could be heard which meant that the firefighters were on their way. Most of the staff that had managed to escape from the building gathered outside, waiting for more to troop out. As soon as Elena was spotted coming out of the building, a group of men rushed forward to receive her. She leaned on them, her lungs already filled with smoke.She kept looking back expecting Matthew to come out of the building anytime soon. By now the flames had grown much stronger and could even be seen from outside as the smoke rose to the heavens.Amelia's SUV pulled up just by the corner and she didn't waste time before getting down from the car. Her eyes surfed the crowd until they landed on Elena.“My goodness! My company!” Amelia screamed loudly, drawing attention to her.Elena dragged her feet towards Amelia. “Matthew–” she pointed
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
124 • Chaos on the Executive Floor
There was chaos all over the executive floor as people began to hurriedly get up from their seats. Elena rushed out of her office, leaning by the door frame for support as the floor was still vibrating. “What the hell just happened?!” Before Matthew could even have the time to think, another explosion set off, knocking everybody to the ground. “There is a bomb in the building!” A masculine voice screamed. At this point it was everyone for themselves. People try to scamper to their feet and rush down the stairs. The room seemed like it had tilted and they were already cracked on the wall. Some of the ceiling lights had popped out from their fittings and were dangling loosely. Matthew rushed over to assist Elena, just as they were trying to make their way towards the stairs another explosion rocked the building, throwing them to the floor. The explosions didn't stop, in fact it seemed like they kept coming in waves. A final huge blow sounded, making segments of the wall break. M
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
123 • The New Secretary
Earlier in the day When Matthew woke up in the morning he began his usual routine freshening up in the bathroom and brushing before coming out. Sandra was already in the sitting room, arms wrapped around her doll. He didn't know what to say to the girl as it was obvious that she was too angry with her father. “Where is Henry?” He asked, buttoning up his shirt. She slowly looked up at him. “He's in the room.” “I'm going to work but I'm going to put somebody in charge of watching you guys, I'll be back pretty soon and then we can discuss removing you people to a safe house.”She simply nodded and didn't say anything in response. Matthew made his way to the kitchen area and brought out a box of cereals so he could have something to eat before getting to work. “If you're hungry you're allowed to take something from the fridge, take whatever you want. You can also order food from reception and I will handle the bills when I come back.”“Thank you.” He made sure to eat in a hurry as
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
122 • Vanessa's Taunts
Present day Now with all made sense to Matthew, everything that he had experienced growing up was beginning to add up. Sabrina was by the corner listening to her father as he retold the events. She looked angry but mostly disappointed. Her father was deeply involved with trafficking children. “So what about those other kids that you didn't rescue?” Sabrina asked in a soft voice. Henry cast his gaze on the floor because he couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. “I don't know what happened to them, I have no idea what fate befell them.”She shook her head slowly, this was not the father that she knew and loved nor was he the man that she grew up with. The thing was that after Henry gave up his life of crime, he used the remaining 3 million to establish himself and start a family. Unfortunately, Sabrina's mother passed away during childbirth and since then he had been single raising Sabrina on his own. “I can't believe you did that,” she whispered and then ran off to the guest room
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
121 • Flashback
Twenty years agoThe black SUV pulled up in front of the warehouse. Henry was seated among some of the other henchmen drinking some liquor.He noticed that the men that came down from the car were holding a baby. “A new one just came in, put him in the back with the rest of the kids,” one of the men who was heavily tattooed instructed Henry. Henry was the one in charge of the traffic kids. He collected the baby, looking down at him. “Where was this one from?” He asked. The guy looked around before responding. “It's the Houston baby. Gerald Houston's son.”Henry was so shocked that his eyes widened. “I don't understand, did you just manage to kidnap the son of the most powerful family in the country?”“Yes and for a good reward, we were contracted for a lot of money, 50 million.”Henry was never used to hearing or handling figures like this despite being a drug dealer. “Who wanted to kidnap this baby? Do they want to demand ransom?”“From all indications I think they want him dead, b
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
120 • Kidnap Contract
It was already late in the night when they arrived at his condo unit. The receptionist greeted Matthew with a smile as he walked past her into the elevator. Sabrina clutched the small bag which she had packed, she looked nervous which was understandable giving the situation of things.She wasn't even provided a proper explanation, she was just asked to pack some valuable things and leave the house immediately. When they got to the entrance of his apartment and he opened the door, the sound of his puppy barking immediately met their ears. Sabrina and her father entered his condo unit and they couldn't help but be amazed by how luxurious the place looked. Sabrina immediately took a liking to the puppy and she picked it up. “Your room is just by the corner after the main bedroom, it's safe here and you can stay for a while before you think of a permanent solution.”Charles drew him aside to the corner, whispering into his ears. “ Do you think it is a good idea to allow these people t
- The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire
119 • Demanding Answers
The street was a bit lonely perhaps due to the fact that it was late in the night. Matthews' car came to a stop and he engaged the hand brakes with a soft click. Charles leaned forward. “This should be the house,” he said, pointing at a white house in the distance. They get down from the car and shut the door behind them.It was a quiet neighborhood and the sound of crickets echoing was the constant background noise. When they got to the front door, Matthew extended his arms and knocked softly. At first there was no response but when he knocked again, a figure from inside began to move about. “Who's there? it's quite late at night.”“We would like to speak with Henry,” Matthew replied. A young woman opened the door, she looked no older than seventeen. “ Do you want to speak with Henry? My dad?” she asked.From behind her a masculine voice sounded. “ Honey, who's by the door?”She looked over her shoulders. “There are two men here and they say they want to speak with you.”Henry came
