A few minutes earlier.“I cannot believe that she actually destroyed the pool facility!” Subrina felt anger just thinking about it. “I knew she was crazy, but she’s become uncontrollable ever since Richard died.”“She needs to pay for this,” Catherine said. “She took some of Dad’s savings, didn’t she? Make her give that money to me. Otherwise, I will never talk to you both, because you’re always supporting her. That’s why she does anything she wants, without any limits!”“D-Don’t talk like that. Both of you are equal to me,” Subrina quickly said.“Words are meaningless, Mom,” Catherine folded her arms and said firmly. “Prove it to me with your actions. Or else, I won’t believe you in this matter.”Subrina frowned. “But your sister… she will never give a penny of hers. You know that, right?”“That’s why you should force her.”“This house is written in her name, and we sold our old property,” Subrina said. “We have nothing on her. So, how can we force her?”“Aren’t you our mother? You ha
Subrina was utterly stunned to see what happened.Diane felt a stinging pain in her gut, but what shocked her even more was how her younger sister kicked her in her abdomen with no sense of care or concern. She was finding it hard to believe that this actually happened, but the reality was that she was now lying on the floor, grabbing her belly in escalating pain and frustration.“Catherine! How could you kick your sister?!” Subrina howled as she helped Diane get up to her feet.Catherine looked a bit guilty of what she did. Nevertheless, she still was angry. “Why don’t you also tell her that she shouldn’t talk without restraint? Denver is no longer her fiance,” she grabbed Denver’s hand. “He’s my man. I will not condone it if you keep disrespecting him.”Subrina was astonished to hear Catherine’s words. “Are you really taking his side over your family? He’s a stranger, Catherine!”“My family?” Catherine’s eyes turned teary, the hurt in her voice breaking through her usually calm faca
As Denver was driving, he looked at Catherine’s elbow injury. “Should we go to a clinic?”“No, I hate the smell of the hospital,” she said. “I don’t want to go there anytime soon. I’ll just buy some ointment, and it should dry up overnight.”Denver smiled but not for long. “Are you really planning on distancing yourself from not just your sister but also your mom?”“She always takes Diane’s side,” Catherine’s voice contained anger as well as pain. “It’s like she’s in love with her or something. Why do some parents treat their children differently? My dad treated us both equally. In fact, I should say that you become his first priority more than me. Logically, I should be jealous of you…”“Haha, were you?”“No. Maybe, if Dad brought you when I was little, then I would have been angry, but I finished college by the time he brought you into the house,” Catherine said. “I think that’s the best thing he’s done in his life. He was proud of himself, too, that he managed to steal a good man a
At Sage Clarke’s mansion.He put his grandson to sleep by reading a story, and then came to his room. There were a few missed calls from his assistant, so he called her mobile. “Why did you call so many times?”“Boss, I did research on Denver and Cat Pools as you wanted,” the assistant replied. “Denver worked in our company for the past three years as he said. But it seems that Stephen Creamer is involved in the destruction of the pool property.”“Who’s that?” Wait, Creamer? Is he related to Edward?”“He’s Edward’s son, sir.”“Oh… I guess he didn’t have a good reason to destroy the pool property?”“I couldn’t get much information, but there’s something interesting I found out about.”“And that is?”“Denver is a diamond-card holder of the Den bank.”“Diamond card?” Sage’s expression changed. “Isn’t that an extremely rare card?”“Yes, Boss. I was shocked, too. Maybe he found it on the street out of luck?”“Haha,” Sage laughed loudly. “You think such a card can be randomly found on the s
“You may own a pool, but your apartment is very small. No guys will be willing to move in together.”“Yeah, you should at least buy a bigger couch and bed. Also, wear some colorful clothes. Put some makeup on. Don’t you want guys to look at you?”“These days, situations are reversing. Guys are not approaching girls anymore, so it’s us girls who have to do the work to obtain good men.”“How long are you going to wait for the right man, Catherine? You’re wasting the prime years of your youth! You will regret it all later.”Their words suddenly woke her up. She was even huffing and sweating a little. “These damn hyenas… they are disturbing me even in my sleep.” She thought about her friends who had always tried to demoralize her one way or another. “They said nobody will sleep in my apartment, but the biggest guy I know is sleeping in my room, on my bed, bitches. What do you say about that, huh? Mm?”Just then, she realized that she wasn’t sleeping on the couch, but her bed.“Wait, why a
Catherine told Denver that she’s going to find a job for herself and left the apartment after giving him the spare key.Denver cleaned the place first and was about to leave, but Catherine’s friends just happened to visit.They were all surprised to see Denver coming out of her flat. Two of them knew him, but the other two didn’t.“Is that a thief?” one of the girls quickly said.“No, he’s Catherine’s sister’s fiance,” another girl said, “though I don’t remember his name.”“Look how big he is. Are those real muscles, or is he wearing a fake body within?”All four of the girls were in sports outwear as they were athletes trying to win medals for the state and the country. They all looked fit and healthy just like Catherine, though one of them was as tall as Denver.“Hi,” the tallest girl introduced herself first, “I’m Sia. Diane’s friend.”“She’s not inside. She went out for an interview,” Denver said.“Interview? Is he looking for a job?” Sia and others were shocked. “Did she give up
Denver came to Cat Pools.The Clarke company members were already clearing out all the broken rubble. The new manager was showing different plans to Denver. “Pick whichever one fits you for this place, sir.”Denver didn’t even sign the contract, so he was surprised to see how the Clarke company was rushing things. On one hand, he was happy for the work happening rapidly, but on the other hand, he was also a bit nervous that Sage Clarke might be expecting something from him in return.“I need some time to pick one design,” Denver told the manager.“Sure, sir. I’ll ask you again after we prepare this plot for the construction,” the manager told him.Denver then sent the design pictures to Catherine.She was sitting outside the interview room and was surprised to see the pictures. She called Denver quickly. “Why did you send me those dreamy pool pictures?”“Which one do you like the most out of all those?” Denver asked her.“Why are you asking?”“Can’t I casually ask you such a question?
In Diane’s house.“You’re kidding, right?” Diane was also taken aback. “What do you mean I’m pregnant?”What sort of news is this right after she woke up after having a tough day twice in a row?“There’s no way this can be true…” Diane was lost in thought. It was evident from the shock on her face that she was not at all planning on getting pregnant. Who would even plan for such a thing before marriage unless they were utterly foolish or had some bad intentions?Subrina looked even more upset and horrified right now. If others were to learn that Diane was pregnant, what would happen to her family image?“Mom, do you really think I’m pregnant?” Diane’s forehead was growing in stress marks. Her voice contained nervousness.Subrina just kept staring at her daughter in shock.“Why aren’t you saying anything? You’re making me nervous,” Diane said. She had a relatively decent image in society, so the fact that she got pregnant before marriage will ruin her life. “What should I do now? Shoul
After talking with the governor, Denver personally escorted him to the car. “Please look into the dumpyard land I talked about, sir,” he reminded the governor.“Oh, I’ve already talked about it with the land management bureau, and you can consider that public land as yours,” Gerard broke the good news to him. “All you need to do is go to the register office and either lease it or register it, however you want.”“Thank you so much,” Denver went in for a hug, but the guard of the governor stopped him.“It’s fine,” Gerard stopped the guard and then shook Denver’s head. “It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you. Though you’re so much younger than me, I wish I had your heart. I hope we meet again one day.”“I’ll be sure to meet you later,” Denver assured him.After the governor left, Denver came to his car.To his surprise, Diane was waiting for him, leaning her back against the black Mercedes as if she owned it.She showered a thin smile, but Denver didn’t reciprocate.The cool air of the
On his way home, Denver met the governor at a restaurant.“Edward Creamer is not as big as he used to be because of his partner betraying him,” Gerard told him while munching on steak. “But he’s still feared by his peers, not because of his strength but because of his ego. Once he focuses on something, he sees it through to the end. And I’m sure his focus is on you now.”Denver, however, was looking at the steak on the plate. “Can I pack this and also order an extra plate of steak to take home?”“Of course, you can, sir,” the waitress politely said. “Do you wish me to pack any more orders?”Denver then picked a dessert and along with an ice cream.After the waitress left, he looked at the governor and smiled, “I know Edward is dangerous, but I already did something to keep him in check.”“Do you have some dirt on him?” Gerard asked. “Can I see it?”“Uh, you might lose your appetite,” Denver scratched his chin.“Oh, it’s that kind of dirt, huh,” Gerard rolled his head once. “Don’t spar
Diane’s mind numbed after realizing that it was Denver who had beaten Stephen in the Creamer club.Denver saw Diane and came up to her, with his hands in his pockets. “Are you wondering how I am still alive?”“W-What? No,” Diane played dumb. “Why are you in this hospital? Are you sick?”“Don’t pretend like you care for me, Diane,” Denver’s voice wasn’t cold, but it sure wasn’t warm, either. “What you did to me sure shocked me, but what you did to your sister is worse. However, you won’t be smiling for long.”“I wasn’t the one who destroyed that pool. It was Stephen,” she said. “I told him not to do it, but he did it anyway.”“You think I will believe anything that comes out of your mouth?” Denver calmly asked her back. “I’m sure you’re here because you are still trying to hook up with Stephen for whatever reason, but the longer you stay with that guy, the harder you will fall. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m not saying this because I care for you, but for your dad’s sake, I’m giving y
A few minutes earlier.Diane hid in her car as the Creamer gang members were caught and were being taken away.However, one of the police officers recognized her Corvette and told his superior, “Sir, that’s Stephen Creamer’s car.”Diane saw the officers looking at her, and she started the engine and drove backward. The police chased her on foot, so she drove away fast and ended up hitting the road’s divider. “Shit! Fuck!” She still tried to drive away hurriedly, but the police quickly surrounded her car, leaving her no choice but to squeeze the brake pedal.The officers were about to attack the windows with their batons, but seeing Diane inside, they stopped attacking.“Open the door,” one officer growled.“W-Wait,” she grew so nervous she couldn’t even open the door properly. It was as if she forgot how to open the door. Eventually, she took a deep breath and then lowered the window instead of opening the door. “What’s wrong, officers?”“What’s wrong? Why are you in this car?” the of
A few minutes later.The special police arrived at the hospital, causing the gang members of Edward to scatter away. The police chased them and caught as many as they could.Inside the hospital, in a certain room.Stephen was getting treated on the bed. He still looked upset, angry, and frustrated.His dad was sitting next to him, looking like nothing happened.The doctor was tending to Stephen’s wrists.“It’s just a kiss. You kiss strangers all the time,” Edward said, smoking a cigar. “So, why are you upset over kissing your father?”Stephen felt like vomiting just thinking about it. “What if he leaks that picture on the internet? My image will be doomed. Our image will be doomed. The Creamer family will become a joke.”“If he releases that image, then that very same day, his corpse will be hung at our fish farm, too,” Edward said.“What’s the point of doing it after the damage is already done?” Stephen snorted. “You should just kill him now, Dad!”“He’s not just an ordinary guy with
The commotion inside the hospital was still there.Denver brought Edward to the room where Stephen was. To his surprise, Jeremy was still there.“Why are you still here?” Denver asked him in shock.“There are people running everywhere outside,” Jeremy said a bit embarrassedly. “My body is not in a condition to run. But, who’s that on your shoulder? Another patient?”“He’s Stephen’s dad,” Denver put him down next to Stephen and then began to kick Stephen in the gut. He was not gentle.Stephen’s eyes forced open. “Argh, you…” he glared at Denver, “you are still harassing me? When my dad catches you, I will tie you to a chair and have fun with you!”“Look beside you,” Jeremy said.“Mm?” Stephen looked next to him. His eyes sprang out of his sockets. “D-DAD?!” He couldn’t believe that his dad was lying next to him. “How? Who did this to him?”“We fought, and he lost,” Denver said, showing the gun to Stephen.“You beat my dad? That’s impossible,” Stephen blurted. “He was a champion in the
Catherine had a long, thirty minute ride in her car and returned to her apartment.“Wow,” one of the female neighbors saw her and asked in surprise, “did you buy a new car?”“It’s my old car,” Catherine flashed a grin free of burden and full of ease. “My man got this car restored to its new look.”“Your man?” She was visibly surprised. “Who? The big guy?”“Yeah.”“Oh. Don’t think of this the wrong way, Catherine, but don’t you think he’s way too out of your league?” she said. “I mean, guys like that don’t stay with women like us for long. Once he finds a woman with a better butt or boobs, he’ll move on.”Catherine frowned initially but then smiled a bit uneasily. “I never dated anybody. I never chased after love because it looked like an unending rat race to me.” She remembered the times when her friends shuffled boyfriends every season for stupid and silly reasons.Neither Catherine nor Diane were allowed to date anybody because their dad strictly forbade them. Diane considered this
Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting shadows that danced forbiddingly along the whitewashed walls of Harryfield hospital. The sterile smell of antiseptic hung heavily in the air, enough to upset any man into easily losing their cool.In the heart of such a hospital where chaos of a different kind has erupted, Denver was now ensnared in a lethal confrontation.Edward, the notorious head of the ruthless Creamer gang that ruled a part of the city’s underbelly, had a commanding presence. His eyes narrowed as they locked onto Denver, assessing the only figure standing defiant in that corridor.“A big body isn’t enough to fight against bullets, brat,” Edward’s voice was smooth but laced with venom as he put his hand under his suit and reached out for something. “You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that, but guts don’t win fights. Guns do.”The polished item Edward took out gleamed ominously in the overhead light.Denver recognized it at a glance and knew it was loaded with one of these
“Are you going to stay here and wait until my dad arrives?” Stephen asked in a mocking manner. “You acted like you were going to deal with anything that will come at you, but now that you’re seeing the king of the neighborhood, you’re thinking twice, aren’t you? It’s not too late. Fall at my dad’s feet and beg for mercy. He might let you live after severely punishing you, of course.”Denver took a deep breath and walked up to Stephen who was sitting on the chair.Stephen looked up with a cocky, proudful smirk on his face.“It seems just getting the wrists broken isn’t enough,” Denver slapped Stephen with the back of his hand.Stephen spun and crashed on the floor, chin first.“Huhu, you slapped his lights out,” Jeremy loved what he saw.“He was being pretty annoying,” Denver looked at Jeremy. “Can you move?”“I can manage. Why?”“Just in case someone else makes it to this room, you shouldn’t be here,” Denver said. “If possible, go home. Take your daughter and go somewhere else. Keep