"Suite 200.ââ Franklin Miles gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath.
He was dressed in his gray pants and white shirt, delivery uniform as he walked into Golden Gate Hotel, looking for the suite where he had to deliver the food.
He checked his pocket for the suite's number, he felt the ring in his left pocket and took it out. He looked at the ring with a mix of feelings, gently touching it as it sparkled in the light.
He smiled, thinking about the romantic moment he planned with his girlfriend, Daisy Bernard. This ring was his engagement ring, and he was going to propose to Daisy after work today.
He carefully put the ring back in his pocket and took out the card with the suite number written on it.
Franklin knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a man in his early thirties.
"Hello, Sir," Franklin said, with a polite smile. "Your delivery is here."
"Oh, excellent!" the man replied, his eyes twinkling. "But why don't you come inside? I have something I'd like to show you."
Franklin was confused because it was against the rules for delivery people to enter clients' suites.
This was the first time he faced such a situation in all his delivery experiences. "Sorry, Sir, I can't come in. It's against the rules," Franklin replied.
The man looked a bit disappointed. "But I just want to show you something," he said. "It'll only take a minute."
Franklin felt a bit guilty for refusing, but he knew he had to follow the rules. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I really can't," he said, trying to sound apologetic. "The hotel has strict rules about this sort of thing."
The man's face looked genuinely arrogant. "I'm Richmond, the CEO of this hotel," he said, sounding proud. "I just thought it would be nice to have a drink with you."
Franklin hesitated, unsure if it was a good idea to go into the CEO's suite. But the man seemed friendly enough. Plus, he was clearly a man of means, so what harm could it do?
"Honey, who's at the door?" a woman's voice called out, sounding amused.
"It's just a delivery man," Richmond replied, sounding slightly cocky. "I'll be right back."
The woman giggled again, and Franklin could hear the rustling of bedsheets. He felt awkward, knowing that the two were clearly having a private moment.
"You're such a naughty boy," the woman purred, her voice low and sultry. "Making me wait while you play with the delivery man."
Richmond laughed.
"Why don't you invite him in for a drink? I bet he'd rather stay here and watch us," the woman continued in a husky and seductive manner. "After all, we're much more interesting than his boring old delivery route."
Franklin's cheeks burned with shame, but he was used to it.
The man grinned and opened the door wider. Franklin was shocked by what he saw in the room: His girlfriend, Daisy, almost naked, lying on the bed with flushed cheeks.
"Daisy?" he called out, hoping it wasn't her. But it was his Daisy, the girl he planned to propose to after work today, nearly naked in a hotel room with another man.
"What are you doing here?" Franklin asked, trying to stay calm despite his nerves.
"Frank! Why are you here?" Daisy responded, clearly surprised to see him. She knew there was no point in defending herself; the situation was obvious.
"I called him here because I thought it would be fun seeing your miserable boyfriend being here," Richmond said with a strange smile.
"Daisy, you told me you were studying in the library! This is how you study?" Franklin couldn't believe what was happening. He had been dreaming of proposing to Daisy and having a happy marriage, but now he felt intense pain.
"Well, since you are here already. I guess you know what is happening now. There is no explanation for whatever is going on here," Daisy said indifferently, showing no remorse. âBy the way, our relationship is over, so just leave and continue to deliver your food now. Don't disturb me every day, I felt queasy staying with a poor guy like you," she mocked.
Franklin felt his heart race. He tried to hide his hurt. "Why? You said you loved me, we would be together forever." He quivered, his voice barely audible. He hoped she would say it was all a joke, but she didn't.
"Franklin, don't you get it? I cannot be with a man like you! I want iPhones, designer bags, and limited-edition dresses! Not the cheap necklace from a little shop!" Daisy blustered. "I'm so embarrassed telling my friends and family that my boyfriend is a delivery man!" Daisy continued arrogantly, forgetting she also came from a poor family.
Franklin spoke with a trembling voice, "But I thought we loved each other, we could..."
"Love? The one who truly loves me would give me a $10,000 stipend, expensive cars, and beautiful houses, not like you! You only say, but never do," Daisy sniggered.
Her words echoed in Franklin's mind, causing more pain and breaking his heart.
As Franklin and Daisy argued, Richmond watched from the side with a smirk on his face. He enjoyed seeing Franklin's pain, and he seemed to relish adding insult to injury.
"You know, I've heard that delivery men are known for being unreliable," Richmond said, his voice laced with malicious intent. "It's no wonder she decided to ditch you."
Franklin's face turned red with anger. He wanted to punch Richmond in the face, but he restrained himself. He knew that violence wasn't the answer, no matter how much this man had hurt him.
"But I gave everything I had to you. Is the love from a poor man worth nothing?" Franklin whispered.
"Yes, if you're just a poor delivery man, then how dare you talk about love?" Daisy snickered.
Franklin smiled, suddenly feeling calm now that he knew what kind of person Daisy truly was. âI hope you don't regret this, Daisy!â
Daisy chuckled, "Regret? What's there to regret? I've got nothing to lose. Don't act like you're something special, Franklin. I know who you are, just a poor delivery guy! Now get out of here!" She taunted."This is why I said it'd be fun," Richmond laughed, "A naive poor guy thinks a pretty girl would stick with him for life." He jeered, "But he'd never know the good time I had with his girl while he was off delivering food, thinking she'd marry him. Your food's good, but your girl tastes better."Daisy playfully slapped Richmond's shoulder, "You're terrible!" Her voice sounded timid, but her actions spoke otherwise as she hugged him from behind.Richmond remarked, "I heard you've never slept with Daisy. Too bad bro, you'll never know how good she is in bed."Franklin felt his fists clench again and his teeth grit as irritation flooded him."Thinking of fighting him, delivery boy? Just leave. You'd be in trouble if you touched him. He's rich, you're poor, that's the difference!" Dais
The next morning, Franklin was roused from his sleep by the shrill sound of his alarm clock. It was time to start the day. But before he could get out of bed, he had to turn off that blasted alarm!Finally, he managed to silence the alarm and sat up in bed. As he stretched and yawned, he looked out the window and took in the morning view.It was a new day and there was much to be done. He had to go to his father's company to sign some papers and documents after which he would be introduced as the new CEO right away.He showered and went to his wardrobe, only to realize he had no other clothes besides his delivery uniform. "Oh well, I'm used to wearing this anyway," he smirked.He drove his delivery scooter to the Miles' Empire. The Miles Empire building was a towering structure, standing 130 stories tall and stretching high into the sky.Franklin parked his scooter in the company's parking lot where he saw lots of people walking around and going about their business in different attir
Franklin pushed the door open and was surprised to find Mr. Russell, the acting CEO, waiting for him in the office. He had been expecting Franklin's arrival.Walking inside, Franklin closed the door behind him and looked around with satisfaction. The office was furnished just the way he liked it â simple yet elegant.Mr. Russell noticed the pleased expression on Franklin's face and smiled, saying, âThis is the document, please sign in your signature."Nodding in agreement, Franklin accepted the documents handed to him by Mr. Russell. Sitting down, he carefully read through each line before confidently signing them with a smirk."Congratulations, young master. You're now the CEO of Miles Empire," Mr. Russell congratulated him."Thank you," Franklin replied gratefully.Reflecting on his previous attempts to convince Franklin to take over the company, Mr. Russell felt relieved that Franklin had finally agreed.He immediately sent an email to the management team, introducing Franklin as t
Ms. Deborah had hurried to get back to the scene but stopped to check her phone, which had just beeped, indicating a message. It was an email informing her about the new CEO's arrival with a short description of, and the photo of Franklin Miles attached to it.Ms. Deborah clicked it open, and it showed his picture in full. Her heart sank when she saw his picture. He must be the delivery guy the junior staff were talking about. "This is worse than I thought," she said, realizing the severity of the situation. She needed to stop them from causing any further problems.The junior staff turned to tell Ms. Deborah that he was the man they were looking for. "Miss! look, it's the delivery guy we were telling you about.""Yeah, it's him, the delivery guy causing all the fuss."Instead, they met what seemed to be the shock of their life. It was Ms. Deborah with a phone in her hand, showing them the picture of the person Reina had just slapped.Reina walked closer to be sure she was not dreamin
The bank was a sight to behold, with its looming height towering towards the sky. Even the security guards were dressed in suits, looking more like bodyguards for celebrities than ordinary bank employees.Franklin approached the entrance, where a man with a black outfit stood behind the door. He looked him up and down, his eyes narrowing at the sight of his uniform.âWhat are you doing?" He asked in a tone that suggested he didn't think he belonged there."I need to make a verification," Franklin said confidently despite the looks he was getting from the man and the others.âGo inside and join the line?" the man said.Franklin walked into the grandiose bank, his delivery uniform sticking out like a sore thumb among the well-dressed clientele. He was out of place, but he was here for business and wasn't going to let his attire deter him.Geschäftskredit Bank was a prestigious institution, well-known for catering to the rich and powerful. It was owned by a group of German influencers, w
Shock was evident on the faces of the bank's patrons and the workers. They thought the individual before them was merely a delivery person.But it appears that whoever this guy was, he must be from a wealthy family.The teller found herself in a state of panic. Seeing how the manager showed so much respect to an ordinary delivery guy! "Sir, may I inquire why such respect is shown to a delivery person?" she politely asked.Receiving no response from the manager, she continued. âSir, he is just an ordinary delivery guy who lost his way." Instead of a reply, the manager's hand struck her cheek hard. "Do you know who this man is?" he demanded.With a shake of her head, she responded âNo!âThe manager swiftly produced Franklin's Bank ID card and presented it to her. Upon examining the card, she was taken aback.It belonged to a senior VVIP client with a staggering 100,000,000,000â dollar account balance.At first, she suspected he must have stolen it until she recognized Franklin's photo
The man who stepped out of the car was just coming back from the club With his babe, more like his sex partner. He was steering the wheel at a high velocity, while the speakers in the car blared with music.He had been kissing at intervals while driving which made him run out of control and had knocked Franklin down."Oops," the girl in the car exclaimed, though her tone lacked any real concern.He could have just driven past, but he wanted to have fun. He came out of his car to meet Franklin, who was just getting up from the floor.Franklin spun to face him, about to say something, but he didn't get the chance as the guy had already started shouting, Franklin just looked at him, muddied."Watch where you are going, you moron. Now, look, you hit my car with that thing. Do you know how much this car is worth? You, and your assets--if you have any, are not worth this expensive car," the man spouted, his voice full of anger.Franklin was very sure he did not crash into his car; it was the
The road safety officials lowered their heads and expressed regret. "I'm sorry, sir," one of them said."I'm sorry," the other officials echoed.They did not want to encounter the prospect of becoming involved with The Howards. They were aware of the experiences others had had with The Howards, and they most definitely did not want to go through what they had.One of the officials scowled as he turned to face Franklin. "Young man, you must pay for the damages you caused," he declared."What damage? You cannot ask me to pay until after you have verified that there is damage. It was he who struck me and caused me to fall. Why should I make any payments at all? He is required by law to pay me back for breaking my scooter." Franklin replied."You better obey, or I might arrest you," the other official said.Franklin grinned. "Do you believe that I am afraid of the two of you? Are you certain you don't want the damages to be confirmed?"Confused by his audacity, one of the officials asked.
Franklin's hands were folded in front of him. The room was filled with a few people that had been there for hours.Conor had just left, taking the responsibility of tracking the Insider. Now, it was time for Franklin to make the next move.He glanced at the faces of Vera, Deborah, Mr. Hughes, and Ashley. The group was waiting for him to speak.Franklin inhaled deeply, gathering his thoughts before speaking.âIâve made a decision,â he said quietly, his voice carrying an undercurrent of urgency. âWeâre locking down the building. I want everyone out. No one gets in or out until weâve figured this out. We canât afford to take any more chances. If weâre going to settle this, we need complete control.âVera, always the first to act when things got serious, nodded immediately. âUnderstood. Iâll see to that. details. Everyone will be escorted out, and weâll make sure the perimeter is secure.âDeborah didnât say anything, but Franklin could see the gears turning in her mind. She, too, knew the
The day had been full of tension, even as the Insider walked out of the meeting room, he felt a sense of fear.He had convinced the others that he was just Paul, a simple logistics employee, and for now, it seemed like they believed him still.But as he made his way out of the building, he had no idea that Conor was silently following him. Franklin had ordered him to keep a close eye on the Insider.Conor stayed far enough behind to remain unnoticed but close enough to follow the Insiderâs every step. He saw the Insider turn into a narrow alley, change the face mask and clothes he was wearing and pull out his phone.Conor stopped and crouched down behind a parked car, straining to see him changing and to hear the conversation.The Insider was speaking to someone on the other end, his voice low and hurried.âI donât know how they found out,â the Insider was saying. âBut the son of Mr. Miles is back. He knows about the plan and they have footage and fingerprints of all of us. Iâm on my
The Insider stood at the center of everyoneâs attention, his face calm but his eyes darting nervously around the room.Franklin watched him closely, noting every twitch, every sign of unease.The room was still except for the quiet hum of the laptop, which had just finished playing the damning CCTV footage.âI donât know who this person youâre talking about is,â the Insider said, his voice steady but with a hint of defensiveness. âYouâve got the wrong man. Iâm Paul. I work in logistics. Check with my teamâtheyâll tell you.âFranklin narrowed his eyes, his fingers tightening on the edge of the table. Paul? Is that the best he could come up with?Conor exchanged a glance with Franklin, then stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. âPaul, huh? If youâre so innocent, then how do you explain the fingerprints on the server equipment? They match yours.âThe Insider shrugged, trying to look unconcerned. âItâs not uncommon to have similar fingerprints in large companies. Maybe someone
The light from the overhead lamps made the space feel brighter. Franklin, who had arrived earlier than the usual time, took a seat and his hands rested on the table, fingers lightly tapping as he waited for the others.His mind raced with thoughts about what was going to happen today. This is the time. No more hiding. Itâs time to face Bill Ford and his evil schemes.The door creaked open, and Conor stepped inside, carrying a laptop bag and a small black case.Behind him was Mr. Hughes, who looked serious as always.Then came Ashley, her expression calm but her fingers nervously clutching a folder.Vera and Deborah entered last, talking quietly between themselves.Everyone greeted and took their seats around the table.Franklin stood up, clearing his throat. âThanks for coming, everyone. We donât have much time, so letâs get straight to it.âConor placed the black case on the table and unlocked it, pulling out a small stack of papers and a flash drive.âWeâve gathered enough proof to
The executives sat frozen, each man consumed by anger or fear. Papers lay scattered across the table, evidence of the evil scheme Bill had stirred. He stood at the head of the table, his presence commanding, his eyes scanning the room like a hawk.Franklin Miles, seated in a secret room around the corner, watched everything unfold with a tight jaw. Something about the whole ordeal didnât sit right with him, but he kept his expression neutral. He glanced at Conor, who was standing by the wall with his arms crossed. The two exchanged a subtle look before Franklinâs gaze returned to the table. He had other plans to figure out what was really going on, and those plans required patience.Bill tapped the table lightly with his fingers, the sound breaking the uncomfortable silence. âGentlemen,â he said, his voice calm yet piercing, âitâs clear we have a serious issue here. Investors like me donât appreciate seeing their money vanish into thin air.âLee leaned forward, his face pale. âI didnâ
The morning sun shone brightly over the grand headquarters of Bill Enterprises. It was a day of high pressure, as Bill Ford and his entourage were finally visiting the Miles Empire. This wasnât just a casual meeting. Bill had been well articulated about his evil scheme with the way Miles Empire handled investor money, and today he planned to address it.Bill stood in front of his mirror, adjusting his tie. He was wearing a sharp black suit, his expression calm but cold.His assistant knocked on the door.âMr. Ford, your convoy is ready,â the assistant said.Bill nodded and grabbed his briefcase. âLetâs not waste time. Today, we will finish what we started.âDownstairs, the convoy waited. His entourage, including Professor Arjun, Ivan, Viktor, and Igor, stood by their separate car. Each of them wore a similar grim expression and had their own different role to play.âWeâre ready when you are,â Viktor said.Bill looked at them, his lips curling into a small smile. âThis is going to be q
Franklin sat at his desk, staring at the laptop in front of him. His office was quiet, but his mind wasnât. The things Jake had told him about Daisyâs plan and now his worries about Miles' Empire wouldnât let him rest. He ran his hand through his hair, leaned back in his chair, and picked up his phone. It was time to act.âConor, come to my office,â Franklin said after Conor picked up.A few minutes later, Conor entered. He was dressed casually but moved with the ease of someone always on guard. âWhatâs up, boss?â he asked, sitting down.Franklin leaned forward. âWe have a problem. I installed surveillance cameras in critical areas of the headquartersâquietly, without anyone knowing. I need you and Mr. Hughes to check if theyâre working properly. Donât let anyone suspect what youâre doing. I have a feeling something's going on.âConor nodded, his brows furrowed. âYou think someoneâs trying to mess with things there?ââI do,â Franklin said. âAnd I want proof before we act. These camera
Daisy pushed the door open and stepped into her apartment, kicking off her shoes by the entrance. The place was quiet, but not the comforting kind of quiet. It felt tense, like the walls were holding their breath. She dropped her bag on the couch and ran a hand through her hair.âSophia?â she called out, her voice echoing in the stillness.âIn here,â Sophiaâs voice came from the kitchen.Daisy followed the sound, her steps slow and careful. When she got to the kitchen, Sophia was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, her face tight with frustration. A cup of tea sat untouched in front of her.âHey,â Daisy said, trying to sound cheerful, though her stomach twisted at the sight of Sophiaâs expression. âWhatâs with the look? Did something happen?âSophiaâs eyes narrowed. âYou tell me, Daisy.âDaisy froze for a second, her mind racing. âWhat do you mean? Did⌠did something happen with you and Jake?âSophia let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. âOh, yeah. Jake happened.
Franklin was having breakfast with a coffee cup that had gone cold, and a laptop blinking with unread emails. The day had been long, and he was already feeling drained.Just as he reached for the coffee cup, his phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number.He hesitated for a moment, then picked it up. âHello, this is Franklin Miles,â he said in his usual calm tone.âFranklin, itâs Jake. Daisyâs brother,â a nervous voice came through the line.Franklin frowned, sitting up straighter. Jake? Daisyâs brother? This was unexpected. âJake? Why are you calling me? Is everything okay?âThere was a pause on the other end, and Franklin could hear Jake take a deep breath before speaking again. âNo, everything is not okay. I need to tell you something importantâabout Daisy.âFranklinâs chest tightened. âWhat about Daisy?âJakeâs voice was shaky but firm. âSheâs lying to you, Franklin. About the baby. Itâs not yours.âFranklin froze, the words hitting him like a pun