The word ‘Bird Brain’ was clearly an insult directed toward him. Was it written by Diane or by Stephen?Either way, it didn’t matter.“You two keep doing these things, and I’ll end up putting my conscience aside one day,” Denver angrily got out of the car.Denver wanted to go home quickly, but he didn’t know how.Just then, a guy and his lover came to their car.“Hello, can I buy your car?” Denver asked.“Pfft,” the girl laughed. “Dude, did you drink too much? This is a Mercedes Coupe Light Sport worth over 70K. You think you can afford this car?” She was purposely rude because Denver wasn’t even wearing a suit.“70K.” Denver took his mobile out. “Tell me your mobile number. I’ll send the money to your account right now.”“Hahaha, now you’re taking too far, but it’s fine, I’ll play with you,” she gave her mobile number.“Is it fine for you if I send the money to her bank account?” Denver asked the guy because he was the owner of the car.“It’s fine. I trust her,” the boyfriend said.
Denver arrived at Catherine’s flat but stopped outside and slowed his heartbeat down.He wanted to bring a lot of food for her, but because of Diane bothering him, he didn’t pack as many items as he wanted.Nevertheless, he hoped that Catherine would eat this food. At least some of it.Denver knocked on the door twice.“The door isn’t locked,” Catherine’s voice came from the inside.Denver pushed the door open.Catherine was sitting on the couch, with an iron rod in her hand. Her eyes were clearly cooking with anger.Denver put the food package and the car keys on the table. “W-What’s that thing for?”“Depending on your reasoning for holding that woman’s hand… I’m going to decide whether I should use this iron rod or not,” Catherine said.Denver touched the back of his head, remembering the moment her sister hit him with a table lamp. He might have survived a hit from a table lamp, but he might die from getting hit by an iron rod. The sisters really seemed alike in this regard.Denver
After the party, Gerard didn’t leave but instead went to the Clarke mansion.Sage welcomed him with open arms because he wanted to share alcohol with his old friend. He couldn’t drink during the party as it was his grandson’s birthday party, and he felt that drinking wouldn’t be appropriate there even though he arranged wine for the guests.Both of them were drinking in the living room on the first floor, with a vintage song playing in the background.Gerard put the gift box Diane gave him next to him.“Are you not going to open it?” Sage asked. “Let me see what gift they gave you.”“Haha, I’m curious, too, but let’s talk about something else first,” Gerard said. “Do you know Denver?”“The big guy you met at the party?” Sage nodded. “Yeah, he worked in my company for three years.”“Three years?” Gerard was surprised. (Is he doing a big mission that takes him a really long time? Still, three years is a bit too much. No wonder I haven’t heard of him all this while.) He couldn’t help but
Catherine was not able to eat all the food Denver brought. So, she called Denver into the bedroom.They ate together, and Denver was very happy, not that he got to eat but that Catherine seemed to have cooled down.“How did the interviews go?” he asked.“Ugh,” Catherine stuffed more food in her mouth. “Don’t even ask me about it. I thought I did well in every interview, but I didn’t get selected in any of those interviews! How’s that possible?”“Maybe, it’s because there’s a gap between your graduation and now?” Denver said.“It’s not like I applied for a senior level post,” Catherine retorted. “I’m trying for beginner level jobs, but the interviewers all act like they want study-smart people only. My grades are average, I admit, but I have a practical experience of running Cat Pools for over two years now. I thought I had an edge compared to others who are just coming out of their colleges, but what the hell? I was completely wrong. The companies are expecting so much from students f
The next morning.Catherine woke up and came out of her room, only to see Denver sleeping on the couch. He looked so defenseless in the way, he sat with one leg on down and one leg above the couch.Catherine tried to put both the legs in a proper position. It wasn’t that difficult for her because she was physically quite capable. So she pulled it off without even waking him up. She didn’t stop there and went on to plant a kiss on his nose and then giggled for some reason.She hurriedly went into the bedroom and put lipstick on before coming out of the room quietly and pecking Denver’s cheek very carefully so that he wouldn’t open his eyes. And he didn’t.Afterward, she went into the kitchen and prepared breakfast. “I only have one interview today. Should I go or not?” She was feeling a bit tired and lazy because she had roamed a lot the previous day.Some time later.Denver woke up to a pleasant smell. He walked into the kitchen and saw a bread pudding.“Tada! A salted caramel bread p
Denver’s friend, Jeremy, came to Pinkness headquarters, wearing a decent suit he bought with the money Denver had given him.Though Jeremy wanted to bring his daughter Cindy, he couldn’t do it since this was his first day, and he was still finding it a bit hard to believe all this was happening.When he reached the entrance, Joseph, the entrance guard smiled, gesturing to him to enter.“Do you know Denver?” Jeremy hesitantly asked.Joseph was startled and quickly got up. “A-Are you perhaps Mr. Jeremy?”“Yeah,” Jeremy nodded.Joseph quickly saluted. “Good morning, sir!”Joseph was not just surprised but also a bit overwhelmed by it. The guards’ actions did not go unnoticed. The workers also came out and greeted Jeremy inside. He totally did not expect such a reception. He received bouquets from all the workers and the manager.Robert, the former CEO of the company, personally received Jeremy and took him upstairs and made him feel comfortable. “Sir Denver told me to help you with getti
Jeremy was tied up to a utility pole and was being beaten with a stick in front of everyone.Joseph and other workers of the company could only watch but not dare to step forward. Even the likes of Robert was just watching, so how could they step in and do anything?There were a dozen men blocking anyone from approaching Stephen or Jeremy, so nobody stepped in.Lark was watching everything from the third floor, wearing a look of indifference as though he had seen far more cruel things with his eyes.“I was supposed to become the CEO of the company,” Stephen purposely kept hitting Jeremy’s arms and thighs so that Jeremy wouldn’t die so easily. “Your friend Denver ruined it, and to add insult to the injury, he’s appointed a trash like you to become the CEO. Does this big massage parlor company look so cheap that the likes of you can dream of sitting in the CEO’s chair?”Jeremy was bleeding from his face, and from many other parts of his body. He had cried so much already, and he felt so
In the Creamer club, which was owned by Stephen himself.Stephen and Daine were dancing in the crowd, as the DJ played different songs. It was eleven in the morning, but they were all drinking and dancing and enjoying themselves, for it looked like a night inside the club.After dancing for nearly twenty minutes, Diane was tired. She went to a couch and ordered the girls who were sitting there to leave. They were annoyed by her, but they still listened to her and left.“This club is pretty good,” Diane smiled as she looked around. “Lots of girls here to pull men in continuously. They are earning thousands of dollars every day, but that’s only the front. They are using the girls to get the guys’ numbers and then suck more money out of them through relationships. By selling the items they get from the guys, they’re earning tens of thousands of dollars every week while only paying little money to the girls, just enough to keep them hungry for more. It’s a dangerous but brilliant tactic.
A few minutes earlier.Catherine finished cooking two items: butter chicken, and cheesecake.She then took a random romance novel titled Entwined Fingers from the shelves and opened it.She tried to read the book, but she couldn’t focus.She was eagerly waiting for Denver to come home. She wanted to call him, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise.He made her car look new, so she wanted to cook a delicious meal for him, which was the least she could do.Even after Denver and Diane were told to marry by Richard, Catherine didn’t fully give up on him.Nevertheless, she has been mostly sad for the past two years or so.But now, love once again breathed life into every pulse in her body. The heartbeat of a thousand dreams echoed through her thoughts.As she exuberantly waited for him, there was a knock on the door.She sprang off the couch like a deer, rushed over to the door and opened it swiftly.Her eyes saw Denver and Sia’s arms wrapped together just for a fraction of a second befo
The sun was setting over the Salem city’s skyline, casting a warm glow on the buildings as Denver made his way back to Catherine’s flat.It had been a long week packed with pressures, and he was looking forward to a quiet evening with her.He imagined the two of them curled up on the small couch, watching some of her favorite shows, holding hands, maybe sharing a kiss, just enjoying each other’s company.Even though he had just spoken to Diane a few minutes back, she didn’t even cross his mind right now.If he wanted, he could have easily put Diane in jail for destroying Catherine’s pool property, especially as he had the governor’s support now.However, he spared some mercy for her and only got her fired from her job. He believed that Catherine would pay her sister back in the future.At Catherine’s apartment.Denver stopped his car outside the gate.The apartment’s guard was a female in her forties. She saw Denver and was shocked by his sheer size and looks, even though he was still
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