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The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 38 • A Friend Or A Boss?
Elena straightened her back, meeting his glare with an equally defiant one. “What are you angry about? Is it because your plan to humiliate me in front of the board failed?” Raymond didn’t bother to respond; he just walked away. Naturally, Matthew grew inquisitive, and as they returned to their offices, he asked Elena about what Raymond had said. “What was my uncle talking about earlier when he said don’t forget why you’re CEO?” His voice was laced with curiosity. Just when it seemed he was uncovering the dynamics of the Houston family, there always seemed to be a new layer to uncover. “I’m not sure I should tell you this, but let’s discuss it in my office,” she responded. While inside her office, he shut the door behind him to ensure nobody could overhear their conversation. She moved over to her chair and plopped down, throwing her back against the backrest. Silence stretched out between them, and the expression on her face was that of someone reminiscing. “I have been working f
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 39 • No Coincidence
His hands were wrapped around the steering wheel as he sped down the road, his eyes fixed ahead. As he drove, he kept wondering what the matter was. Finally, the view of the mansion was within the frame of the windscreen. He pulled up in the compound's parking lot and then alighted from his car. Charles, standing by the door, welcomed him with a slight bow. “What’s going on?” he asked the butler, looking at him and then into the foyer. “I believe you should go in and find out for yourself, young master.” He walked into the hallway, gentle steps guiding him toward the dining table. It was evident that he was a bit late, as everyone was already seated. Their heads turned to face him. At the edge of the dining table, Martha was seated beside Raymond, looking petrified as usual. There was particular alertness in her eyes and in the way that she carried herself that made it clear she was suffering from severe anxiety. Amelia harrumphed, “Welcome, Matthew. Have a seat.” Her voice was sh
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 40 • Vanessa vs Amelia
Vanessa was a short woman who had a similar body frame with Amelia. Her face was still vibrant and her silver hair added to her fierce look. She wore a gray knee length dress with slingback heels that completed the entire look. What others would have believed to have been a forced look seemed to irritate Amelia the more as she stared on.Vanessa descended the steps slowly approached Amelia, a sly smile sat across her lips as she greeted Amelia once more, “how the years have gone by,” she chided, her hands folded before her and stared Amelia down.“They've certainly not done those wrinkles justice,” she sneered, her expression remaining the same as though she hadn't just commented on Amelia's looks.Amelia scoffed, “all those years of botox barely paid off,” she retorted while she wondered what exactly had brought them back to the country, and more importantly, New York City.Vanessa held back, pinching at her fingers at the backhanded insult she had just received, but there was nothi
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 41 • Fluoxetine
His fingers grazed the name on the label of the drug, "Fluoxetine." As he was putting it down, the door clicked open behind him and he froze. “You seem to want to spend more time with my own mother than I do,” Xander said.He quickly set the bottle of the drugs down and then spun around. “She’s my aunt, is she not? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me wanting to see her, especially since she’s been here all this while and you barely made efforts to relate with her.”Something about what he said pushed Xander to the wall, making him lunge forward and grab Matthew’s collar tightly, the sudden movement startled Martha and she crouched by the corner, covering her face with her hands and cowering in fear. “Don’t you ever in your life assume things you know nothing about,” he warned through gritted teeth, moving his face closer to Matthew’s and leaving no room for personal space. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed how Martha was trembling. “Xader stop, you’re scaring her,” h
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 42 • Matthew Vermont or Houston?
Lola’s face twisted into a frown,the betrayal evident in her features. She knew Matthew from his poor days, there was no way that all of a sudden he could afford a black card. To even own one of these, there had to be a minimum balance of at least several hundred thousands in the bank account.That wasn’t the part that confused him the most, it was the fact that it had his name on it, and instead of it reading Matthew Bremont, it read Matthew Houston. She couldn't believe her eyes. The card was still clutched within her grip as she stepped forward, shoving it against his chest. “Who are you?” she asked in a low voice.She began to question everything she knew about Matthew, was he ever poor? Was he just lying about his identity the whole time? Several thoughts began flashing in her mind. He moved forward, attempting to grab her hands but softly but she took an equivalent step back. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I just didn’t know how to bring it up,” he said truthfully. At first h
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 43 • Kiss
Matthew clutched the flowers he was holding so tightly as he looked at Xander walking into Lola’s house. He wanted to leave but he was also rooted to the spot. Her eyes met his and they were locked in a long staring contest while Matthew was completely oblivious as he had his back turned to the street.Lola was about to open her mouth to speak but Matthew backed away and disappeared into a nearby alleyway, retracing his steps to where his car was parked. He tossed the small bouquet he was holding into a large metallic trash can before entering his car. “What's wrong?” Xander asked, following her eyes to see what she was looking at, but he was too late as Matthew had already left that spot. She shook her head. “Oh it’s nothing, I just thought I saw something.”He didn’t quite believe her so he leaned forward, his expensive cologne wafting into her nostrils. “Are you sure? If I’m making you feel uncomfortable in your house you can just say it, I’ll be fine standing outside,” he offere
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 44 • You Should Leave
Lola’s brain did not immediately process what was going on until she felt Xander’s fingers going up towards her hair. “Um,” she mumbled,pulling away from the kiss. Her face was red with embarrassment and anger. Xander leaned towards her in an attempt to initiate another kiss but Lola immediately stood up. “I..” she stuttered. “Come on.” Xander probed and Lola cleared her throat. “Th…that wasn’t supposed to happen.” She said, “I thought you wanted it.” Xander responded and Lola looked away. “Alright, I’m sorry. I just got carried away. Let’s just keep watching the movie. I’ll try my best to stare at the television this time.” He flirtatiously remarked, flashing a smile at her. “No.” Lola immediately said, causing Xander to lift a brow. “No? You want me staring at you?” He questioned in feigned ignorance. Without saying a word, Lola picked up the remote and switched off the television then she folded her hands, glaring at him. Xander glanced at the blank television screen th
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 45 • New Doctor
Matthew went into the office and gracefully sat on the executive chair behind the desk. Lola remained at the door waiting to get a go-ahead from him. Matthew didn’t mind her at first as he immediately turned on the desktop computer in front of him and began to type the keyboard.“You may sit down. Stop hanging at the door.” He ordered without looking up at her.“Yeah…right.” Lola replied. She walked to the table and pulled out one of the chairs before sitting on it.Matthew didn’t say a word to her but it was evident there was a lot in his mind. Lola waited for him to question her about the incident but he didn’t say anything about it. She became nervous again and decided to bring up the topic.“Matthew, I can explain. I didn’t accept the bouquet of flowers, in fact, we are not even friends. I have no idea why he showed up at my doorstep uninvited and then I saw you and I didn’t even know what to do at that point because I still felt mad at you. I told him to leave my house after a wh
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200 • Novel Finale
Darrell was watching the news when he saw the news about Vanessa’s arrest in Los Angeles. At first he didn’t believe it but when Vanessa’s mug shot was shown on TV, he growled in anger and smashed the remote control on the ground.“What is going on?” Mrs Ferguson asked from the hallway on hearing the crashing sound.“She has been arrested and she is yet to give me my money.“ Darrell complained.“Who are you talking about?”“Vanessa Winchester. She got arrested while trying to escape for her crimes. There are multiple count charges against her.” Darrell responded and his mother walked to the living room to see for herself.“Well, to me. This is great news. She can no longer torment our family again.” Mrs Ferguson said and Darrell scoffed.“Don’t be a ridiculous mother. She didn’t pay us our money, that is even worse torment.”“Being a taxi driver was enough to get us a new TV right? Keep doing it.” She responded and walked out on him.***Ashley had returned to her previous life but sh
199 • Sightseeing
Matthew and Amelia were at the hospital’s waiting room waiting for the doctor's feedback on Xander. He had been rushed to the emergency room for immediate treatment after Raymond had shot him twice. Amelia folded her hands together trying to pray for Xander, while Matthew on the other hand was restless.Martha rushed in, with her eyes teary.“Where is my son? What happened to him?” She wailed but Matthew only pulled her into a hug, letting her cry on him. “It’s okay. Let’s all be strong for him right now. He’ll be fine, I have high hopes.” Matthew said even though he knew he was lying to himself, he just wanted to make Martha feel better because when Xander was brought in, he was in a very bad shape.“How could Raymond do this to our only child? Does he even have a heart anymore?” She lamented and Amelia took her hand in hers.“Martha, I’m sorry about my son. I apologize for everything, your life could have been better without…”“Mother, what are you saying? You are the best. Raymond
198 • Police Round Up
Xander stared into space confusedly, he didn’t want his father to go to jail but at the same time, he was tired of all the drama. He walked down the stairs looking lost. He had to go tell Hernandez and Amelia. Luckily, both of them were in the dining room having tea together. Xander walked into the dining room and Amelia instantly knew something was wrong.“Xander, are you okay?” Amelia questioned and Hernandez turned to him as well.Xander rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath. “Yeah, I am. Dad called.” He announced and Hernandez looked more interested.“What did he say to you?” Hernandez questioned.“He wants us to meet.” “Great. Let’s all go meet him. Where?” Hernandez asked again and Xander sighed. “Do you think I am happy doing this? This person in question is my father.” He said.“And he is also a criminal who killed your uncle and his wife, he also attempted to kill your grandmother..” Hernandez explained but Xander scoffed.“All this isn’t changing the fact that he stil
197 • Battle for the Phone
Vanessa spent the night in a hotel but early the next morning, she was out of there. The hotel was the wrong place for her to be. She had also found out that Richard had been arrested by the police, that jerk had a big mouth and he was probably the reason why the police were after her now, he had implicated her. She kept driving round town as everywhere looked like someone was watching her. She finally saw an alley and decided to hang around there for a while as it was close to the mall as well. She needed to go to the mall but she knew her credit card could be used to track her location. The police were already on the lookout for her everywhere, she couldn’t bring herself out even further. She stood in front of the alley, rubbing her forehead and trying to think of the next way she could go from there when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, from the strength and the masculine strength, she knew he was a man. The man had covered her mouth with his hand so she couldn’t even s
196 • Care to Explain the Blackmail?
Amelia received a call from Matthew that afternoon which was a little weird as he rarely called her.“Hi darling.” She started.“Grandma, where are you?” Matthew asked and Amelia was a little confused.“I’m at home. Why do you ask? Did something happen?” She questioned.“As a matter of fact, yes. You have to come to the station right now. There is something you need to know and oh, please let Charles know that Ashley has been found.” Matthew said and before Amelia could ask any further question, he ended the call.Amelia didn’t know what all that fuss meant but she was certain it wasn’t a joke as Matthew wouldn’t invite her to the police station for nothing but why the police station? She hurriedly dressed up and In about thirty minutes, she was at the station.She went straight to Hernandez's office to see Matthew there as well. “I came as soon as I got your call. What is going on?” She asked, her gaze darting from Hernandez to Matthew and back to Hernandez again.“Hello, Mrs Houst
195 • I Quit
Lola was at her office sorting and signing some documents when her office mate rushed into the office giggling excitedly. All of them turned to her with questioning expressions.“Are you being chased by a clown?” Lola asked sarcastically.“No! You won’t believe it!” She shrieked.“Believe what? Say it already, stop leaving us in suspense.” Another girl chipped in.“I just saw….” She was explaining when the door was pushed open and Xander walked in with a bouquet of roses and a hamper. All the girls gasped and the first girl couldn’t stop giggling as she had seen him already. Xander got to Lola’s table and placed the bouquet and the hamper on it. Lola didn’t bother looking at him, she just went on with what she was doing; sorting the documents, signing on them and placing them in their rightful positions on the shelf. The other staff waited for everything to unfold. Lola hadn’t told them anything but they all knew that she and Xander were having a fight. “Lola, please stop doing thi
194 • Clear her Head
Vanessa lay on the bed in one of the guest rooms of the house. She had refused to share a bed with Edward after she had found out about Vito. Next to the bed was a small luggage she had prepared to go on a vacation as a way of letting off steam but before that she had to make sure Edward leaves the mansion as it rightfully belonged to her. She was watching the ceiling with reddened eyes from crying. She wasn’t just crying from Edwards cheating but the fact that she never thought it would hurt her that way. She could never say he wasn’t cheating but getting the girl pregnant? That was the height of it.The sound of the door opening dragged her out of her thoughts. She turned to see who it was and it was Monica.“Hi mum.” Monica started as she sat on the edge of the bed, and took Vanessa’s right hand in hers.“ Have you had any sleep yet?” She asked and Vanessa shook her head in negation.“You should get some sleep mum, you are…” Monica’s foot hit the luggage at the side of the bed and
193 • Unconscious on the Floor
Matthew now has eye bags underneath his eyes as he had been having sleepless nights trying to get new leads on Ashley. He hadn’t heard anything from Hernandez and he had no idea if Ashley was still alive or if she was dead or if she was still in the country. As early as 7am that morning, he had gone to the station again.Hernandez had driven in some minutes later to see Matthew’s car already there.“You know, I might soon begin to think you are actually a staff here who has refused to reveal the information to the rest of us because why the hell are you showing up earlier than all of us?” Hernandez joked and Matthew laughed.“Very funny, Chief. But you are right, I am beginning to think so myself too. But the truth is I just can’t have peace of mind until Ashley is found and everything is resolved. She got into this mess because of me. After everything is resolved, I might reveal my true identity to you all as one of the secret staff.” Matthew responded.“True. Ashley’s safety is para
192 • Sex Workers and Punching Bags
Ashley was trembling with anger. She sat in her part of the bedroom enraged, Gwen had helped her treat the cut on her face. It was a very deep cut and had taken about ten minutes to stop the bleeding. Gwen was in her own part of the bedroom watching Ashley.“You’ve got to calm down. When Richard has a bad day, he tends to take it out on us, I have a scar on my left arm from one of those times he….”“Is this supposed to help me right now? Look Gwen, I know you take a lot of shit here, but I, Ashley does not take shit. I will make sure I get myself out of here and Richard goes to jail. I don’t know about you, but I can’t and I won’t spend another night here. The worst that could happen is that I would die. He can’t keep treating anyone like this, we can’t be his sex workers and punching bags.” Ashley fumed.“Yeah, you’re right but do we really have a choice?” Gwen asked and Ashley stood up and headed towards the door.“Sometimes, we do not need to have choices, we make use of whatever w
