
A young man arrived at a restaurant with so much excitement, pushing through the double doors that led into the restaurant as he looked forward to an evening of pure bliss, a reminder of a journey that started on that same day two years ago with his beloved wife.
It was the evening of his second wedding anniversary with Elina, and despite his humble means, Jonathan had made an attempt to make the evening memorable, reminding Elina that he valued her as his wife and was ready to do anything to make sure that the marriage stayed the way it was no matter the opposition that were thrown at him from Elina’s parents who never supported the marriage from the very beginning.
But as he stepped through the door, his breath caught up in his throat, the bouquet of flowers he was holding, dropping from his hands at the sight before him.
This was supposed to be a special evening for him and Elina, but to his surprise, every member of the Jackson’s family was present, a crowd he had never expected to meet at the restaurant.
His eyes fell upon a table which was adorned with candles and flowers, a perfect setting for a romantic evening, but it was obvious it had nothing to do with the evening he and Elina had planned to have together. From where he stood watching in surprise, still trying to understand what exactly was going on, he saw Nicholas Ray, the son of billionaire Ray, and one of the most eligible bachelors in Venice City get down on one knee, a dazzling diamond ring in his hand, a heart-warming smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Will you marry me?" He heard Nicholas say, the crowd around them cheering and Elina's eyes sparkling with excitement, looking ready to say yes.Jonathan blinked, rubbing his hands over his eyes just to be sure he wasn’t imagining things. This was supposed to be the evening when he and Elina would reaffirm their love for each other, reflecting on their shared struggles, their little wins and promising each other never to give up on what they already have.
“Say yes,” he could hear from the crowd as they continued to clap, waiting for Elina to give her reply.
At that point, all Jonathan could feel was the pain of being betrayed as he watched Elina smiling like there was no marriage anniversary to celebrate with him that evening.
Unable to stand the sight any longer, just before Elina could accept Nicholas's proposal, Jonathan burst in, his voice cutting through the cheers. "What do you think you're doing?" Jonathan shouted, his anger palpable. The room fell silent, all eyes turning towards him. Elina looked up at him, her expression shifting from surprise to disdain. "What does it look like I'm doing?" She sneered. "Of course, I'm moving on from you. I'm tired of your endless poverty.Nicholas, still on one knee stood up slowly, his own irritation evident in his facial expression. "The nerve of you to interrupt such an important gathering." He snarled.
"You'd better stay out of this," Jonathan warned. “What are you doing here?” Jacob Jackson, Elina’s father asked, irritated by Jonathan’s presence whom he believed had come to ruin a perfect evening.If there was one thing he didn’t want to happen, it was for Jonathan to ruin his chance of being a beneficiary of the Hazel Forbes Initiative.
The Hazels were the most powerful family in the whole of Venice City, and to mark the death and burial of the grand patriarch of the Hazel Empire, some of the members of the Hazel family had decided to throw open an initiative that could afford few families within Venice City to become beneficiaries of the initiative, and since Nicholas was also from the top families in Venice City, he had promised to have the Jacksons family included in the list of the beneficiaries on the condition that Elina would become his wife.
And since Jonathan wasn’t meeting up as the son in-law which they wanted him to be, they had given their approval to Nichols’ proposal, and since Elina was also tired of the difficult life that being married to Jonathan had plunged her into, she too, had agreed to the proposal, and hence, the meeting that evening where Nicholas would propose to her in the presence of friends and families.
“E…Elina, please don’t do this?” Jonathan’s voice crackled with emotions. “Remember everything we’ve been through,”
“Oh shut up!” Elina snapped, “Will you fucking shut up!” She screamed, irritated by Jonathan’s presence. “What have you been to me since we got married? Every day wherever I go I'm taunted and sneered at because I have a delivery boy for a husband! You unashamedly parade yourself around, living off my family like a leech! I can never present anything worthwhile to my friends and say my husband got me this! I can't proudly introduce you to anyone as my husband and you're so comfortable in your situation, it makes my skin crawl!”
Jonathan blinked, moisture filling up his eyes.
This is what Elina thought of him?
“I've… I've been trying Elina. You don't know how hard… I've really tried.
“Tried? How?” Elina barked at him.
“I had really made plans for the two of us tonight, to celebrate our marriage anniversary. I made arrangement for a cruise in a yacht. Look, here are the tickets for the two of us,” Jonathan dipped his hands into his pocket and pulled out two tickets.
Everyone present burst into laughter, especially Nicholas who found Jonathan really funny.
“What exactly is there to celebrate you fool?” Elina snatched the two tickets from him and tore them to pieces right in front of him.
“Two years of humiliation?” She spat, “And what is one measly yacht cruise going to do? Is it going to make you worthy of me overnight? So because of one stupid cruise, I should suddenly be okay with the fact that my husband is a penniless idiot?”
Jonathan blinked, dumbfounded.
“This is… what you think of me?” He felt as though he'd just been doused with a bucket of dirty water. He felt so humiliated.
Elina’s mother, Patricia snorted and snickered. The few other guests present cleared their throats subtly.
“Urgh!” Elina shot him a very angry look.
“What do you have to say for yourself now?” Patricia sneered in Jonathan’s face, her breath coming directly on his face.
Jonathan’s eyes widened and he moved back, coughing.
Patricia gasped, “Oh my God! What a petty pauper! Are you trying to insinuate that my breath stinks?”
She landed a hot slap on his face. The slap landed on Jonathan’s eye causing him to stagger and wince in pain.
Patricia gestured for the guards to beat him up and throw him out of the restaurant, and they complied, raining blows on his entire body. Jonathan groaned and grunted in agony as Nicholas barked at him angrily, kicking him brutally as the guards dragged him out of the restaurant.
All Jonathan could hear as he was being dragged out of the restaurant were the laughter of every other person. He couldn’t hold back the tears that trickled down his face as it eventually dawned on him that the two years he had been married to Elina didn’t mean anything to her.
While he was still at the mercy of the guards who were deriving pleasure in raining blows all over his body, Elina appeared and dumped a big brown envelope on his chest, and gestured angrily for him to open it.
Jonathan coughed and struggled to sit up. He opened the envelope and pulled out the contents and it was a divorce document.
“This marriage is over!”
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The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 2 (Knocked Out)
"Sign these papers," Elina retorted. I'm sick and tired of being tied to a failure!"Jonathan’s heart dropped to his feet,“E– Elina?” He queried, not looking further than that at the contents.“I don't want to hear anything from you. Marrying you was a mistake I intend to remedy. Now sign these papers and leave my life forever.” She spat.“E– Elina –”Jacob interrupted him with a punch, seeing that Jonathan was proving stubborn and that could affect his chance of being helped by Nicholas Ray“I don't want to hear a word from you, you bastard! You heard what she said, sign the damn papers!”“P– please – Elina please,” Jonathan begged, a tear rolling down his eye without his permission.“You're not worthy of our daughter you scrap! Heck! You're not even worthy of breathing the same air as her!” Patricia shouted into his face.Elina didn't even act like she cared, she spat at his feet and ran back to Nicholas’ side. She caressed him, as she accepted the ring from me, her smile widening.
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 3 (A signet of power)
“Are you ready to confess or do we still need to take this interrogation session further?” The tall man with a scar on his face who'd become Jonathan’s kinsman of pain, asked as he forced his fist onto Jonathan’s already bleeding face.Jonathan groaned and spat blood.“You – you've been asking me that –” he coughed and spat more blood as his head lolled forward. “– that question f– for the past t– two days. And j– just like before… I don’t know what you are talking about!” Jonathan yelled the last sentence with all the strength he could pull out of his already mutilated body.He felt pain and anger at the fact that he was going through so much pain for something he knew nothing of.“Fine.” The senior police officer turned around and picked up a damp towel from the table, wiping his bloody fists. “You leave me no choice.”He rushed hastily out of the room, frustration carved in the hunch of his shoulders.Immediately he left, Jonathan burst into tears. How could this be happening? How
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 4 (The Home coming)
Jonathan couldn’t comprehend what had just happened; all he could process at that moment was the unexpected journey that he and the police chief had set on immediately after he'd been discharged from the hospital he was rushed to.His wounds had been treated and he'd eaten a decent meal for the first time in days. He was so confused he was on high alert. What could be going on? Was this going to be another form of torture? Were they fattening him up for the slaughter?“Young Master Jonathan, do you need anything, and are you in any pain?” The Chief asked, turning away from the steering wheel for a second.“There will be a doctor on ground immediately we arrive and you will be tended to more closely.” The Chief added.Jonathan was still trying to adjust to the situation before him so it wasn't out of disrespect that he turned his face away to the window.“Where are we headed, sir Chief?” He asked cautiously.“Call me Chief.” The chief replied, trying to be as cordial as possible.“We a
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 5 (Last will and testament)
“Jonathan it's such a shame that I couldn’t be there to welcome you myself but life has always been so fair to me I don’t mind it playing a smart one on me and making me absent at this time. But enough about me. I’m sure everything still seems very confusing. Especially your identity.”The man cleared his throat.“You are Jonathan Hazel the child of my first son Robert Hazel. I’m sure you are confused as to why you never met me or knew anything of this life before. It is because your mother chose to raise you out of the family.“Your father, my late son died from a tragic plane crash a year after you were born and your mother who had never been a fan of the problems that came with being a member of such a widely known family, more or less blamed the family for his death. She decided to take you far away from us to live out there with the rest of the world where you would be safe.“I didn’t rest, I sent out a search party to find her. We then came to an agreement. I didn’t want the las
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 6 (Final funeral rights)
Elina and Nicholas laughed with her parents as they settled into a chair together, a bowl of popcorn between them, as they sat to watch the funeral program of the late William Hazel on television. Nicholas had eventually secured a spot for the Jackson’s just as he had promised, and the initiative would kick start once the late William Hazel was laid to rest.The funeral procession was nothing like Elina had ever seen in her life before. It was like the whole world had come together to pay their last respect to William Hazel, a testament to the fact that he was indeed, a powerful and influential man who was well known all over the world.The Presidents and Prime Ministers of over 15 countries were all present. Even members of the royal family from Britain along with other royal families across the globe were also present.“Golly goodness!” Elina sat up.“Damn…” Nicholas muttered.The death and burial of William Hazel was for sure going to be the talk of the world for months if not year
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 7 (Settling in to take charge)
Jonathan was settling into his new life quite smoothly so far as he looked forward to the ceremony of his unveiling and the public announcement of the few companies that have been shortlisted to be beneficiaries of the Hazel Forbes Initiative.He'd been very busy familiarizing himself with everything he had inherited. Which was a lot of work seeing as he'd inherited a lot.He didn't intend to be a lazy and passive leader, he was going to be actively involved in everything going on in all of his companies as much as he could.Bernard Lampley had been with him every step of the way. He'd answered all of his questions and was doing an amazing job guiding Dexter on his journey.And Grandpa William hadn't lied, he was truly still with him. The man had left several videos, recordings, and handwritten files to aid Jonathan in his journey.They basically enumerated all the secrets to keeping the businesses thriving and only Bernard knew about them.Jonathan spent all his time in a study, list
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 8 (Humiliated in public)
A shot of applause went up as it did for each family that arrived as Elina and her parents arrived at the entrance of the Hazel’s mansion. They smiled and made their way to their seats, Nicholas in tow with them.“You know, I’m still finding it hard to believe that the heir himself, had sent his limousine over to bring us down here. It feels like a dream come true!” Patricia chipped in as they settled down.“Well, we all Nicholas all of these. It was his influence that got us a spot in the Hazel’s Forbes Initiative,” Jacob grinned and raised a glass in salute.~~~~~~A knock sounded on the door as Jonathan stood before the mirror getting ready for the grand unveiling, and the shock he was about to subject the Jacksons to.“Come in.”It was Via.“Hey. I'm ready. And I just got word that most of the guests have arrived. I believe it's time for you to make your appearance.”“And the Jac–” Jonathan began asking as he turned around to face her but his breath caught in his throat.Via was d
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 9 (A desire to get back)
"I have never been so humiliated in my life!" Jacob Jackson thundered as he and his family barged into the house. He threw his coat onto the floor, his face red with anger and embarrassment. The fact that they had gone to the ceremony in a beast limousine, and then had to return in a cab, had added more to the humiliation they had suffered at Jonathan’s hands."This wasn’t supposed to happen this way not after all the care we gave him, talk more of the support we showed him, your mother went to all lengths to make sure he got a job in that delivery company to show she cared, but he does this instead!" He continued his eyes red with anger and pain from the embarrassment.Elina and her mother sat quietly on the couch, Patricia embittered dried up her tears whilst shaking her head in disbelief. Elina lost in thoughts, her mind occupied as to how the Hazel’s heir turned out to be Jonathan, the man whom she had just thrown out of her house not long. She had never imagined it to be him re
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CH. 52 (An unexpected invite)
CHAPTER 52 "Bernard, I don't know how to handle this situation. Finding out about my dad's death makes me want to dig more into the past, I really want to know about this empire left to me.” Jonathan began as he and Bernard sat alone in the Jonathan’s office staring at the computer screen.They had both been together celebrating Jonathan’s engagement with Via. Other employees had also joined in the celebration each congratulating Jonathan and looking forward to the wedding.It was in the midst of the celebration, that Jonathan received an anonymous email in his computer. “The IAS are monitoring every of your movement, and they hold the missing piece of the puzzle regarding the death of your father.Immediately Jonathan received the email, he dismissed the rest of the employees, and, when he was alone with Bernard, he made him read the email.The two of them remained still wondering who could have sent the mail as the email address of the sender was hidden and couldn’t be trace—enough
CH. 51 (A surprise proposal)
CHAPTER 51The restaurant was bathed in the soft, golden glow of candlelight, its elegant chandeliers casting flickering reflections across polished silverware and crystal glasses. The air carried the delicate aroma of gourmet dishes, blending with the gentle hum of conversation and the occasional clink of cutlery against fine china. It was an intimate setting—one of warmth and understated luxury—perfect for an evening neither Jonathan nor Via would ever forget.Jonathan sat across from Via, his sharp navy-blue suit accentuating his composed demeanor, though his fingers betrayed his nervous anticipation as they subtly drummed against the table. Via, resplendent in a flowing emerald dress that brought out the striking green in her eyes, noticed his slight restlessness but assumed it was merely lingering exhaustion from the past few months of struggle.Despite the troubles surrounding the Hazel’s empire, Jonathan had taken this time out to feel the love that only Via’s presence had to o
CH. 50 (A marriage deal)
CHAPTER 50Elina sat in the dimly lit living room, her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the couch. The muted glow of the television flickered against the walls, but the images on the screen only added to the weight pressing against her chest. Beside her, her mother, Patricia, sat stiffly, her face pale and drawn as she watched the news unfold. It was a grim scene—headlines flashed across the screen, painting a sordid tale of betrayal and justice.Elina had tried to prepare herself for this moment, but no amount of preparation could soften the brutal truth. Her father was alive. Alive. After all those times of mourning him, believing the tragic lies fed to her, she now knew the truth. And not only was he alive, but he had been dragged into the headlines, arrested, and publicly shamed. Because of her mother.Feeling the walls close in on her, she reached for the remote and switched off the TV. The silence that followed was deafening. She turned slowly toward Patricia, her voice
Chapter 49 (Uncle Philip is back)
Jonathan parked his car in front of his house, his mind still preoccupied with the IAS and the secrets that seemed to be buried beyond his reach. The weight of his father’s mysterious death, the hidden agendas surrounding Hazel Empire, and the silent war waged in the shadows gnawed at him. He knew he was on the verge of something huge, but at what cost?As he stepped inside, an unusual sight greeted him—his cousins, Ryan and Peter, sat in the living room, deep in conversation with a man he had never seen before. The air was thick with tension, and every instinct in Jonathan's body screamed that something was off.His eyes locked onto the stranger, who leaned back on the couch with an air of practiced ease, sipping what appeared to be whiskey from an expensive-looking glass.“Hey, guys. What's going on here?” Jonathan asked, his gaze shifting between his cousins and the man who had made himself at home in their house.Ryan barely spared him a glance, his expression unreadable, while Pe
CHAPTER 48 (Dropping charges)
Elina anxiously by her mother's side at the hospital, relieved that she had regained consciousness. Wanting answers, she mustered the courage to ask her mother the burning question that had been haunting her. Why had she heard her dad's voice on her phone?With a mix of concern and confusion, Elina looked into her mother's eyes, waiting for an explanation. The room fell silent, the air heavy with anticipation, as her mother took a deep breath and began to speak.“I had only found out a week ago, Elina. I got a strange call from a number and it turned out to be your dad, I was surprised but then he asked me not to reveal this to anyone. He didn't tell me anything about his plan Elina, trust me.” She said her eyes teary, her voice cracked as she talked.Elina paced back and forth, her mind racing to process the shocking revelations. As she tried to gather her thoughts, her ringtone pierced through the air, snapping her back to reality. Startled, she quickly rummaged through her bag, ret
CHAPTER 47 (A cryptic message)
Jonathan looked at Jacob, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How... how are you alive?" he stammered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.Jacob smirked, avoiding the question entirely. "Well, well, well, look who we have here," he said, his voice dripping with a mix of amusement and triumph. “You've finally found me, Jonathan."Jonathan's heart raced as he tried to process Jacob's words. "Found you? What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice filled with a mixture of confusion and apprehension.“Yes you have, you found a dead man.” Jacob said, a grin across his face. Jacob's gaze hardened, and he took a step closer to Jonathan. "You think you can just come out of nowhere, take everything I have labored for all my years?" he spat, his voice laced with bitterness. "I'm the mystery man, Jonathan. I am the one behind everything that has befallen you, behind Via's gunshot, the rumors surrounding the Hazel Empire, and those cryptic messages you’ve been receiving."Jonathan's eyes wid
CH. 46 (Back from the dead)
CHAPTER 46Peter and Ryan sat in Peter's room, the tension choking in the air. Ryan's frustration was evident as he slammed his hand on the desk, expressing his anger over not being appointed chairman. "I can't believe this! How could they overlook me for the chairman position? I've worked so hard for this company, and they just brush me aside like that!" Peter tried to calm his brother down, speaking in a soothing tone. "I understand you're upset, Ryan, but getting angry won't solve anything. We need to figure out our next steps and move forward from here. Now we know that Jonathan would be wary of us, we need to be cautious.” Just then, Eva, their sister, entered the room. Sensing the tense atmosphere, she inquired about the problem. "What's going on, gentlemen? Why the long faces?" Ryan quickly filled her in on the disappointing outcome of the meeting, his frustration evident in his voice. “It's your god forsaken cousin Jonathan, he bribed the executives to vote for him in his
CH. 45 (A call from a dead man)
"Nicholas owns what again? How could this happen? What do you mean Elina? Why's he in possession of your all father's property that aren’t part of the properties limited to Skytop?” Patricia's voice had rose in panic, her tone laced with disbelief after she got to learn that the properties which Elina were talking about were not just those limited to the Skytop but everything that belonged to the Jacksons.Elina had reached out to touch her mother's hand, trying to calm her. "Mom, I told you he went to apologize to Jonathan yesterday, didn’t I? This was also part of what he was fighting for Mum. But we need to stay calm and figure this out together. Nicholas will be here tonight, and we can talk to him then."Patricia's panic had turned into anger as she stood up abruptly, her voice now filled with determination. "No, you need to bring him here right now. I need to speak with him immediately."Elina hesitated, unsure of how to handle her mother's sudden urgency. "But Mom, let's wait u
CH. 44 (The tiebreaking vote)
As Jonathan entered the conference room, he could feel the tension in the air. The executives' expressions grim, and their disappointment evident on their faces as they glance in his direction. Jonathan takes a deep breath and tries to maintain a composed demeanor as he takes his seat at the table.The CFO cleared his throat and began the meeting, his voice carrying a weight of disapproval. "Good morning, everyone. We have gathered here today to discuss the recent developments in our company's performance," he says, his tone somber.Jonathan shifts uncomfortably in his seat, feeling the weight of their collective disappointment. He braced himself for what is to come, knowing that he will have to face the consequences of his actions.The assistant CFO speaks next, her voice sharp with reproach. "Jonathan, we had high expectations from you, but since you took over the Hazel Empire, the results have been far from satisfactory. Can you explain what went wrong?"Jonathan cleared his throat