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 announced. “All of them gone. The Delacroix name is now synonymous with failure and disgrace.” Each time a name was mentioned, Spencer felt a hammer blow in his chest, and it was clear that the power of the Houstons could not be truffled with. “Father, this was only because of a misunderstanding. I did not mean to disrespect the Houston family or the Young Master.” “It doesn't matter what your intention was, Spencer!” Edgar Delacroix stood up and slammed his fist on the desk. “Your stupidity has brought shame and ruin upon this family, and you will fix it!” Spencer flinched. “But how?” he stammered desperately. “The Houstons—” “I don’t care how!” Edgar roared, his face red with anger. “You will go back to the Houstons’ mansion, and you will beg! Get on your knees, kiss the heir’s feet if you have to, but you will make this right!” Spencer gulped. It had been a long time since he'd seen his father this angry. And did he hear that right? His father wanted him to kiss the feet of the Young Master? They had lost everything already, and he wants to lose his dignity as well? “Am I understood, Spencer?! Because God help you, if you do not fix this, I will take the Delacroix business away from you. I’ll hand it over to your sister, Susana. She’s been waiting for a chance, and you’ve just handed it to her on a silver platter!” Spencer's heart almost stopped this time. Susana was his cunning and ambitious sister, and she would want nothing more than to take over the family business. And she wouldn’t hesitate to push him aside if it meant securing her own power. “I’ll do it!” Spencer declared. There was no way he was letting her take the business from him. “I’ll go to the Houstons and fix this.” Edgar's glare didn't soften. “You’d better,” he said coldly and sat back down. “Because this is your last chance. If you fail, you are no longer the CEO of the Delacroix Business.” — — — Back at the Houston Manor, everyone was busy with the return of the heir being the talk of the house. First, Matthew had taken a bath in an expensive tub, washing away all the stress of the day, including the smell of urine from his body. Then, he had been taken to an opulent, white room and laid on a soft bed. It was the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in but even in that comfort, his body still ached from the injuries, and his head still hurt with the whirlwind of emotions that he was still struggling to process. A team of respectable doctors and nurses took care of him. They were led by Dr. Kennedy Smith, who was the Houston Family’s exclusive doctor. He made sure all of Matthew's needs were met, and that the process wasn't too painful. The attention was almost too much to bear, and Matthew began to believe that he was living in a dream. After the doctors finished their work, Matthew was lying on the bed with bandages all over his body where the injuries had been sustained — which included his head. Apart from Dr. Kennedy standing by the door, Matthew was left alone, listening to the faint ticking of a grand clock on the wall. He could not stop thinking about what a day it had been. He kept struggling to make sense of the fact that he was, apparently, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the world. The door to the room opened, and Matthew looked up to see the old lady—his grandmother—entering the room. She shook Dr. Kennedy's hand and gave him a check. The doctor told Matthew to take it easy, then he left. The matriarch then turned to Matthew. She had a stern face, but it was softened by an expression of deep care and concern. Slowly, she approached Matthew’s bed, and then sat on the chair placed beside it. “How are you feeling, my boy?” she asked gently, taking his hand in hers and rubbing it warmly. Matthew struggled to find his voice. “I... I’m fine,” he managed. “But... is it true? Are you really my grandmother?” The matriarch nodded with clear pain in her eyes that were already misting with tears. “Yes, Matthew,” she said softly. Then the tears began to fall. The stern, powerful matriarch of the Houston Empire was crying beside the bed of her recovered grandson. “Twenty years we have been searching for you. Others would have given up, but I continued. I knew you were somewhere out there in this horrible city, suffering, trying to get by, and the thought of it hurt me everyday. But now… I have found you. I’ve never been this happy since the day you were born.” Matthew felt a lump rise in his throat. There was no need trying to deny it anymore. It was true. He was the Young Master, the heir of the Houston Empire. The old lady reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek, black and gold card. It had the name; ‘Houston’ written on it, with their family logo of three stars. She handed it to Matthew with a smile. “This is for you,” she said. “Every year, since your disappearance, we’ve deposited fifty million dollars into this account, hoping that one day we would find you and be able to give it to you.” Matthew stared at the card in shock. “Fifty million... every year?” he repeated, hardly able to believe it. “Yes,” his grandmother nodded. “In total, the account now holds over 1.6 billion dollars.” Matthew's eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. “What?”Related Chapters
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 9• CEO
“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
The Inheritor Of The Houston Empire 10 • Look Her In The Eyes
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
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
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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