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The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 67 • Frozen On The Spot
She was frozen on the spot, squeezing her eyes shut as she clenched her fists in fear. She inhaled sharply and then started walking in the opposite direction, putting some prep in her steps to create a safe distance between her and these strange men. But then, they started trailing her. “Wait up, hey are you running? Are you shy?” another deep voice from the group called and they all shared a long laugh which resonated in her head. Still determined to ignore them, she kept moving. She dipped her hands into her bag to retrieve her phone and it was at that moment someone seized it from her. “Hey! Give it back!” she yelled, instinctively turning around. The four men stood behind her like pillars, their eyes hungry with desire. She could see the sinister look in their eyes, and it made a pit to form in her stomach. “P- please, I just want to go home, take whatever you want,” she stuttered, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Whatever we want huh? Well, you’re the one we want.”Her kne
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 68 • Gone
The next morning, Matthew was already at the office early in the morning, he wanted to get some work done before heading over to Crawford for his classes later today. He looked to his side, noticing Selena’s absence but he didn’t think much of it. He was still trying to sort out the files in front of him when he suddenly realized that his secretary wasn’t on the seat, which was strange to him. As if summoned by his thoughts, he caught a glimpse of her figure. She was marching straight to the entrance of his office. Without even knocking, she pushed open the door and strolled in. There was a strict expression on her face as she came to a stop in front of his desk. He straightened on his chair and raised his head. “Care to explain why you’re late?” he began, his tone slightly irritated. She rolled her eyes heavily. “One, I’m not late, you just decided to show up at work early, and two, I don’t need to explain myself to you because I quit.” She tossed her resignation papers on the ta
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 69 • Fix Your Fault
The rest of the morning stretched out and he couldn't focus on work as he kept thinking of Lola. All the series of messages he had sent her via text were left on delivery and she wasn't taking any of his calls. Not only did he feel deeply troubled, but he also felt like what happened was his fault. The door to his office clicked open and Elena walked in, her perfectly ironed skirt hugging her body as she neared his table. “Matthew, did you get the memo that just came in?” She asked, her voice pulling him back into reality. He shook his head slightly. “No, what was it about?” “It's about a trip to Seoul for a business meeting, it's a 3-day trip and I can't go because I have to run things here, so I was thinking you should go since you're the chairman.”He thought about it for a brief moment. “When is it?” “It’s 3 days from now, and we need to send representatives so I'll figure out one more person to add to the trip.”“Fine by me.”She was about to leave but she couldn't ignore th
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 70 • At His Service
Vanessa was in her car, wearing a scarf around her head with dark sun shades. Her driver moved past a lonely looking neighborhood with old looking structures and potholes on the ground.The tinted glasses of the car window concealed her identity but from the flashiness it was obvious that a rich person was going through the neighborhood. Almost everyone posed whatever they were doing to look at the car as it moved past their street. Because of how uneven the roads were, it made the ride a very bumpy one.Finally they came to a stop in front of an abandoned looking building and she slowly got down from the car. Her driver was right beside her, in a well tailored suit. She made sure to look both ways before heading into the suspicious looking building, todding her scarf around her neck. This part of the neighborhood seemed less densely populated and as such there weren't too many eyewitnesses. The driver was right behind her like a shadow as her footsteps echoed against the concrete
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 71 • Feelings For Her
Edward and Selena were seated on the dining table, the clinking of their cutleries was the only sound that filled the air as they ate in silence. He took a quick glance at his watch and a small frown formed on his face. “Where is your mother? Isn't she supposed to be back by now?” he asked, even though it was more like a rhetorical question then it was a normal one. Selena remained quiet, she didn't know what to say in response. Speaking of the devil, the grand mahogany doors were pushed open and Vanessa walked in. She looked very distant and distracted as she strolled into the house and she made a turn for the staircase, almost completely ignoring her husband and granddaughter until Edward coughed. “And just where have you been?” He asked in a stern voice. She halted by the landing of the staircase and then flipped her hair slightly as she faced him. “I went out, why? Don't I have the freedom to move about?”He sucked in his lips. “It's not that you don't have the freedom to mov
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 72 • The Footages
The next day in the morning, Matthew was looking at the CCTV footage of the house. Some places in the interior portion of the house had cameras but it was mainly the general places like the hallways. He kept looking at the image of his uncle Raymond along with Martha's former doctor, Sinclair, walking into the study. But this on its own wasn't enough proof that his uncle was up to foul play. He needed a more direct approach, maybe if he confronted Sinclair about it he could get answers. Or maybe if he could find a way to prove that Raymond had given Sinclair some money then it would raise enough suspicion for Amelia to look into the matter. Now the only question that was recurring in his mind was; how? He took a closer look on his laptop at Sinclair leaving the study with his laptop bag, surely the money or check had to be in there. There was a slight knock on his door before it opened and Charles walked in. “Are you still looking at those footages, young master?”“Yes, but I ca
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 73 • Reputation and Life's Work
“M- Mr Houston, what brings you over to my neighborhood?” He asked, trying his best not to stutter. Matthew looked both ways to make sure that nobody was watching them and then spoke. “Dr Sinclair, I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries or waste anybody's time, I came here to talk to you.”Now Sinclair was visibly worried, his face twisted into a small crowd and he took a step back. “But why? Is anything the matter?”Matthew's eyes traveled towards Sinclair's door and then back at Sinclair. “I think it would be much better if we discussed the problem behind closed doors.”“As much as I would love to stay and chat, I have something I need to do and I need to get going now. I'm sorry, maybe we can do this some other time.” He moved around Matthew and was about to walk away. “I know that you administered the wrong drugs to Martha and induced her depression,” Matthew said calmly, making Sinclair gasp sharply, his eyes growing wide. He blinked a few times as he turned around. “I-
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 74 • An Emergency
Raymond just hung up the phone and he shoved his phone back into his pocket. His expression has shifted into a more troubled one. He took one large gulp of his wine and then slid the cup away. As he made his way out of the study, he ran into Xander, they had mistakenly bumped into each other in the hallway. “Dad, what's the rush? Where are you going?” “I have an emergency I need to take care of.” With that, he made his way out of the compound but Xander couldn't help but keep his gaze fixed on his father, something felt wrong about the way his father looked. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a voice from behind call him. “Xander.” It was a soft feminine voice, unmistakably his mother. He froze on the spot, his body was stiffening but he didn't turn back yet. Eventually he turned to face her. The both of them rarely talked, and most of it was Raymond's fault. Ever since she got diagnosed with her condition and Raymond had made sure that she was locked up, she limited
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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
