Matthew sat on the cold, hard bench in the police station, his head still throbbing, his ribs aching and his entire body weary from the earlier ordeal.
Out of nowhere, three men in black suits had arrived and picked him up from the car wash, forcefully taking him to the police station. So there he was, handcuffed with his face low as he regretted his life.
He regretted ever meeting Ashley! He regretted falling in love with her!
Policemen walked about in the station, there were low voices and the clattering of keys. It was a busy day, and no one cared to listen to his pleas of innocence.
“Look at you,” Darrell Ferguson, who was standing just a few feet away, sneered. He was flanked by two officers who seemed more like his personal guards than upholders of the law.
“Pathetic, useless thing. You thought you could stand up to me? You, a mere car washer against the man who runs this city? You're as stupid as you're poor! You’re nothing, Matthew. Nothing but a worthless piece of trash.”
Even though it was painful, Matthew lifted his head to glare at him, anger burning in the pit of his stomach. If not for the handcuffs and the reality of the situation he was in, he would have lunged at Darrell. He wanted so badly to wipe that smug grin off his face.
“You’ll regret this,” he muttered with a hoarse voice. “Somehow, I am going to make you regret this.”
“Ha ha ha ha!” Darrell laughed mockingly. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that, you miserable little pup? Mhm? Did you not hear when I said I run this city? I’ve got the upper hand here, you idiot. The cops are on my payroll, and you’re just another loser in a long line of nobodies who’ve tried to cross me.”
Matthew narrowed his eyes, not giving up on his promise.
This only made Darrell angrier. “Take him away!”
One of the officers grabbed Matthew by the collar and hauled him to his feet. “Time to move, scum,” the officer growled, shoving Matthew toward the holding cells.
As they walked through the hallway to the cells, Matthew began to feel like it was a death match. He was a nobody and he knew that if someone as powerful as Darrell wanted him dead, no one would care to question it.
“Get in!” They arrived at a cell, and the officer roughly threw Matthew inside. The cell door clanged shut behind him, and the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by a group of men.
But not just any men, these were tough, hardened criminals who had committed some of the most heinous crimes in the nation, and they were all glaring at him with malice.
One of them, a muscular man with a serpent scar running down his cheek, stepped forward and cracked his knuckles.
“Well, well, well, boys. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a new punching bag,” the man said with an evil grin. The others chuckled darkly and they began to close in on Matthew.
Matthew gulped, his eyes wide with fear as he began to back up. They came closer… and closer, and he continued to back up until…
He hit the wall. Now, there was nowhere left to run.
“Hehehe!” a malicious laugh came from one of the prisoners. “Get ‘em!”
The first punch landed on his stomach and drove all the air out of Matthew's lungs. The second hit his jaw hard, snapping his head to the side. Matthew collapsed to the floor, as more punches rained down on him.
He could not defend himself, not against men as strong as these. The world spun around him as the beating continued and pain vibrated through his battered body.
He tried to curl into a ball, to protect his head and vital organs, but the kicks and punches continued relentlessly, while the men laughed as they inflicted this torture on the poor boy.
Slowly, Matthew felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, unable to withstand the pain anymore. Even the guards outside the cell were laughing, turning a blind eye to his suffering.
Then finally, it was over. The cell door opened and the men were pulled away, but not without them spitting on him, calling him all sorts of names, the one with the serpent tattoo gave him the greatest disgrace by pissing on him.
And after it all, Matthew lay there, barely conscious, hating his life, tears and blood blurring his vision as his body trembled from the brutal torment he’d endured.
“Get him up!” Matthew heard a voice bark. Rough hands grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Matthew could barely stand, his legs were shaking, his body battered and he stank of blood and urine.
He was dragged down another corridor and then thrown into an interrogation room, where he collapsed into a chair, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Matthew looked around as he tried to get to his feet. He saw a detective with a hard, cold face sat across from him, looking down at him with thinly veiled contempt.
“Who are you? My lawyer?”
“Ha ha ha! You think scum like you can afford a lawyer?!” the detective laughed.
“Don’t I get one? By the government?”
The detective suddenly frowned, realizing that the kid was smart. “Shut up, idiot. Let’s get this over with.” He flipped open a file. “You’re in deep trouble. Battery and assault, disturbing the peace... you’re looking at some serious charges here. Lawyer or no lawyer, you're not escaping this one, especially since we have an eye witness to all of it. Darrell Ferguson’s girlfriend, Ashley Sterling.”
Matthew scowled hatefully. ‘Why does she want to destroy me so badly? All I ever did was care and love her!’
When he tried to speak, he was interrupted by the sudden cry of “Chief!”
A young officer burst into the room, fear in his eyes. “Chief, we’ve got a situation!”
The detective, now revealed as the station’s chief, scowled at the interruption. “What is it, James? Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”
“It’s—it's him… He's here.” the officer stammered.
“What are you talking about? Who's here!?”
“Harold Wellington, sir,” the officer answered. “Harold Wellington is here.”
The chief’s expression instantly changed from irritation to fear.
Harold Wellington; the most popular and respected lawyer in the country. An undeniable force in the legal world, known for his ruthless tactics and near-perfect record in court. Because of this, he was completely unaffordable for just anyone to purchase his services.
One of his notable clients were the Houstons who owned the legendary Houston Empire that ruled over most of the businesses in the country. If Harold Wellington was here, it meant trouble. Big trouble.
“Did he say what he wanted?” the chief asked, already dreading the answer.
The young officer swallowed hard. “It’s the boy. He’s here for the boy. He called him his most important client... Matthew.”
Silence reigned suddenly, and so did tension. The chief’s eyes darted to Matthew, who was not even certain of what was going on.
The chief's heart was beating as he gazed at him, wondering why Harold Wellington would call him that. He was just a car washer! A trash that dared to challenge Darrell Ferguson.
Why would the most expensive and decorated lawyer in the country call him his most important client?
The chief narrowed his eyes at Matthew. “Who the hell are you, kid?”
“Get him cleaned up!” the chief commanded the officer. “And bring him to my office. Now.”The officer, along with another that had just arrived, scrambled to obey. They lifted Matthew and half-dragged him to the station's medical room where they hastily patched up his wounds, cleaned the blood and urine with a wet rag, then wore him old, lost and found clothes.Although he was too dazed to comprehend what was happening, Matthew had caught snippets of their nervous conversation. Who was this Harold Wellington and why had he come for him? Matthew had no friends in high places, no connections to power. It made no sense.Within minutes, he was ushered into the chief's office where a man in an expensive tailored suit stood by the window, holding a briefcase. He had dark hair, and his eyes were sharp behind his pair of glasses as he assessed Matthew.‘Who is this?’ Matthew wondered. ‘What is going on?’“You harmed him,” the man said to the police chief once he was done with his assessment.
Matthew sat on the black, plush leather seat inside an expensive Jeep that was being driven by a stern chauffeur. In his mind, he was trying to put together the events that had just happened because none of it made sense to him.Maybe one of the men had hit his head so hard and he was imagining all of this. Beside him was Harold Wellington, the powerful lawyer who for some reason had come to his rescue. Although he felt too overwhelmed to ask them, Matthew needed his questions to be answered.“Why are you helping me?” Matthew finally asked Wellington. “I don’t even know who you are.”Wellington glanced at him briefly, an assuring look on his face. “I understand how confused and overwhelmed you might be after all of this. But I assure you it will be fine, Matthew. My name is Harold Wellington. I'm your family's lawyer—your true family, the Houston family.”Matthew blinked. “Houston family? I've heard that a lot today. I don't know who they are so I don't understand what you're talking
“So because you are the manager of some family business then you think you can mock me?” Matthew asked with a voice that even though was calm, carried his frustration of everything he had been through today.“Ah, so the hick can talk, hm?” Spencer Delacroix mocked, a shark-like grin on his face. “You should learn to watch your mouth. My family is very powerful. We even have deep ties with the Houston family, which is even why I'm here; to discuss business and cooperation. But instead, I have to endure the presence of a beggar like you, sullying this reception hall with your rags.”“You are the one who should learn to watch his mouth,” Wellington said with a stern voice. “The Delacroix family is a small enterprise, your family is barely worth half of the Houston family’s wealth. The matriarch of the family hasn’t even granted you an audience, and yet you dare to humiliate the young master of the Houston family?”Spencer's eyes widened with amusement and he glanced at Matthew, who was s
The presence of the matriarch commanded the utmost respect. She hadn't even said a word, and yet an aura oozed out of her as she walked into the reception hall. She was dressed in an elegant but understated suit, and she walked royally as though she was twenty years younger. Her hair was silver and had been impeccably styled and packed behind her head. The bodyguards that had opened the door for her walked dauntlessly by her sides and scanned the room with their military eyes. Spencer Delacroix gulped. But realizing that this was the woman he needed to impress, he did not waste any time, he rushed forward eagerly, walking past Wellington and Matthew, desperate to make a good impression despite the earlier fiasco. “Mrs Houston!” he said with a big smile. “It’s an honor to see you! I am Spenc—” But the old lady didn’t so much as glance in his direction. It was almost like he wasn't even there, like his presence was meaningless compared to the grandness of the matriarch. Her shar
Inside the Delacroix family’s corporate office, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Spencer Delacroix stood in front of his father in his office, heart pounding, knowing how strict his father was and how much he'd fucked up.Across the large mahogany desk, Edgar Delacroix was glaring at his son with disappointment and anger. A slim, shrewd man in a suit was standing beside him, he was John Lockhart, their family lawyer, and in his hand was a file.“Father, I’m so sorry,” Spencer begged. “I did not realize wh—”“Shut up, Spencer!” Edgar roared. “Shut up and listen to Mr. Lockhart and what he has to say. You must realize the consequences of what you have done. He will list all the names of the powerful families that have severed their ties with the Delacroix business — our business!”Spencer's heart dropped.“Go ahead, Mr. Lockhart.”The shrewd lawyer turned over a page on the file. “The Valences, the Turners, the Maronis, the Carters, the Davidsons, and the Wests,” the lawyer announ
“Mrs Houston, I can't… I can't accept this amount of money. It's too much,” Matthew stuttered, too dumbfounded to take the card. The old lady chuckled softly, but her face still held seriousness in it. “Listen to me, Matthew. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. But as the heir to the Houston Empire, you have taken over a burden of responsibility. It’s important that you learn to spend your wealth, but spend it wisely. Money is a tool—a powerful one—and as a Houson, it’s essential that you use it. Secure not only your future but also the future of our family and our Empire.” She gave him the card and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “This money represents the hard work and sacrifices of our family, even more than that, it represents the struggle we went through in our search for you. It’s your responsibility to honor that legacy, and with time, you’ll learn how to spend, invest, and grow this fortune. But for now, take it one step at a time. Accept this gift with peace
Matthew 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 her
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