The Gift

Andrew drove Maliya home. As they drove home Maliya could not take her mind away from the meeting with her family and the task her grandfather Stanley Coker had given her. "How can I accomplish this task in such a short time?“ she kept asking herself.

This task was a very big one and she was scared she might not be able to get the contract. “What if I can't get this contract?” Maliya wondered again, “I will be a laughing stock in my family, grandfather will be so angry with me.” Maliya was very disheartened and lacked confidence in negotiating a cooperation with the multinational company, Green Group.

Andrew comforted her, assuring her that they could do it, “My dear Maliya I know you are very worried about this task. It is a big task but I'm sure we can do it”.

As they got home, Maliya remembered her friend who worked at the Yale group. Susan was Maliya's high school classmate. After returning home, Maliya called her high school classmate.

She dialed her number on her phone, and after ringing at least three times Sophia was happy when she heard Linda's voice. “Hello, who is on the line?” Susan asked in her slightly loud voice. “Hi Susan, this is Maliya your high school classmate,” Maliya replied. They talked for a while about other things before Maliya talked about the main reason she called, “Susan my friend I need your help”.

“I hope everything is okay my friend,” Susan asked.

“Yes, everything is fine. I need your help in securing a cooperation with your company the Green group”, Maliya said.

“Okay come to the office tomorrow I will see how I can help” Susan replied. Maliya thanked her and ended the call.

Meanwhile, Andrew returned to the Clifton palace and used his privilege as dragon Marshall to summon the Chairman of the Green Group Fred Green.

When Fred met Andrew, was trembling in front of Andrew. He had heard tales of the Dragon Marshall's strength and ruthlessness that upon meeting him was overwhelmed by his presence and did not want to offend him.

“My wife Maliya Coker will be coming to your company tomorrow seeking a cooperation deal with the Coker family company and your company. I want you to personally sign the contract”. Andrew said.

“Yes, dragon Marshall, I will do as you have said, my lord,” Fred replied agreeing to the cooperation without asking any questions.

Fred leaves the Clifton palace shortly after, still trembling. The last time Pete was with Andrew, Andrew had instructed him to return south and he had agreed to do so.

Yet, while Andrew was walking towards the gate, on his way to the Ruthaford family mausoleum, he heard a man singing and decided to check who he was only to surprisingly find Pete sitting casually and singing like he had nothing else to do.

“Pete!”, he screamed, his face red with anger.

“Did I not instruct you to go South earlier?”, he asked.

“I'm sorry Marshall...” Pete started to say. “Call me Andrew not Marshall I've told you that too many times already!”, Andrew interrupted angrily.

“I'm very sorry sir”, Pete replied bowing slightly. The smile on his face before Andrew came to meet him had completely cleared. Now he looked like a puppy about to be beaten. “Sir, I made sure the rest of the men returned South. I only stayed back so I could help with errands here. Like there would be no one to drive you if we all left sir”, Pete said explaining his reason for not leaving.

Andrew saw his reasoning and could not stay angry at him. He relaxed his face and said, “Take me to the Ruthaford family mausoleum”.

The drive to the Ruthaford family mausoleum was quiet. As soon as they arrived at the mausoleum, Andrew walked over to his father's tomb. He stood there for a while, his heart filled with grief as he remembered how he lost his family.

“Ten years,” he said to himself as he recalled. “He married her only ten years ago and look he didn't even live up to ten years more,” Andrew said to himself angrily. His heart was filled with hate for the woman his father married.

Ten years ago, Andrew's father remarried. The woman he married was a daughter of the Shaw family. Her name was Julie Jefferson.

His father had married this woman and made her his stepmother. “Fucking bitch” Andrew cursed, he hated that woman for all she did. Julie Jefferson, the daughter of the Jefferson family, and her family ruined Andrew's family.

She was a woman of lies and it was one of those lies that literally destroyed the Ruthaford family. Julie Jefferson falsely accused Andrew's grandfather of raping her.

The accusation was so deep it caused a serious disagreement between Andrew's father and Andrew's grandfather. It was obviously a lie but Andrew's father had fallen deeply in love with his new wife and he couldn't see past this ugly lie. “I didn't do it, my son. How can I rape my son's wife” Andrew's grandfather had said but Andrew's father refused to listen. He was just too angry. He died an angry man. Julie Jefferson angered his father to death.

At his father's death, the Jefferson family and the other three powerful families burnt his grandfather and the rest of his clan to death. Remembering this always left him feeling angry.

The four families did all this because of greed. They all wanted a share of the Ruthaford family's heirloom.

A lava heart is a priceless ruby. Owning even a single piece of lava heart could make a man rich for the rest of his life and the Ruthaford family was known to have an uncountable amount of lava heart.

“The four families killed my family for lava heart”, Andrew said.

“The Jefferson family is hosting a celebration banquet tonight, Sir,” Pete told Andrew as they drove back home.

“They are hosting this family banquet to celebrate the long-term cooperation between the Golden Link Group and the Green Group”, Pete continued.

The Golden Link Group was originally owned by the Ruthaford family.

“These people killed my family only to take over my family company”, Andrew thought to himself and this thought filled him with so much anger.

“The celebration banquet is also in honor of Vlad Jefferson, their family patriarch, my Lord. Today is his eightieth birthday. The Jefferson family organized this celebration banquet as a double celebration celebrating their grandfather and his accomplishments” Pete said. All the time, Andrew had listened to Pete talk without saying a word but his anger gradually built up in his heart. Hearing Pete call his family company Vlad Jefferson's accomplishments made him angrier. He managed to stop himself from talking.

He sat down for another twenty-five minutes taking in deep breaths and trying to organize his thoughts. Then he turned to Pete and said “ It's Vlad Jefferson's birthday celebration, prepare a coffin. It is my gift to him”.