2024-12-01 23:19:24“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 last part of my late son to be taken away from me and she wanted you to live a normal life. So we agreed that the day you turned eighteen, you would come back home and take your place.
“But your mother suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth after four years. All this while I'd thought that she had decided to renege on her word but we've only recently found out that she died and you were sent to live in an orphanage home. I went to sleep with an ache in my heart every day for the past twenty-five years because I wouldn’t get to be part of your life. And I guess now life has caught up to me and taken me to my final resting place.”
Jonathan collapsed into the nearest chair, his brain spinning.
“I left instructions for my will and last testament not to be unveiled before the entire family and for me not to be buried until you are found! I am confident Bernard, my right-hand man, would make sure this happens.”
The picture that this man had painted before Jonathan still looked a bit scanty but it all started to fit in clearly in his head. It would explain everything…
The very little he could remember of his mother, she'd always been very flighty. Shooing him into the house every day and telling him he couldn't be seen playing outside with the other kids.
“This is going to be the first time anyone apart from myself and my manager Bernard would be hearing this.” Jonathan’s grandfather’s voice echoed through the whole room.
Everyone present was engrossed in all he had been saying.
“This is my last will and testament.” The man boomed.
“I hereby will the control of the entire Hazel Empire to Jonathan Hazel as the only heir to my first son Robert Hazel. All the companies in my name, no matter the location – Japan, The United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Africa, and various states here in Venice.”
Grandfather William Hazel paused for a while in the video recording and then continued,
“I give each access of one trillion dollars’ worth in stake of my empire to Peter, Ryan, and Eva Hazel, my wonderful grandchildren.”
Somewhere in the room, a person's fist clenched until the knuckles were white, but no one else saw.
To Jonathan, everything seemed like a dream. Was this even possible? His net worth was in trillions of dollars all of a sudden. In fact calculating or doing any form of mental math in his head would lead nowhere!
The Hazel Empire consisted of over two hundred of the top 500 companies globally, all of which had market capitalization of not less than one hundred billion dollars, spanning across all continents and industries.
Everything legal that moved and shook the economy of the entire world, they had a major stake in it. Governments of nations were loyal to the Hazels, they basically controlled a quarter of the entire world!
And now he was in control of it all.
All his life he had had to survive on the little he could get and recently whatever his ex-wife and her family deigned to give him. But now, what they were compared to who he was, was like comparing a grain of sand to the tippers of sand at a beach. He was suddenly richer than continents and not just nations.
His heart raced, he felt like he would faint.
His cousins clapped him on the back and rejoiced on his behalf. Eva even hugged him from behind. But he couldn't feel anything, his brain was running helter-skelter.
“You have unrestricted access to the plethora of vehicular transportation you will definitely need as a man of your status. Three luxury yachts. Two private jets and a private chorper. A beast limousine and a host of various other land vehicles worth millions of dollars. You will also be presented with the gold card, granting access to an account with a sum of one trillion dollars to do with as you wish.”
Jonathan felt the lawyer place the golden card in his palm but his mind was flying about the place.
William grinned widely,
“You are my blood and because of this, I know you will do nothing but the best. I am still with you in spirit to guide you and Bernard Lampley will be with you all the way. I love you my grandson.”
And the clip ended.
“Mr. Jonathan!” Bernard Lampley rushed into the room at that moment, not giving Jimmy time to recover. Jonathan didn't even know when he'd left the room.
“There's something you need to see!”
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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
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 10 (An invitation to dinner)
"Good morning, Jonathan." Bernard greeted as he entered the office. "Morning, Bernard! Nice to see you this early morning. What’s my schedule for today, sir? He asked chuckling in between. "Well, sir you have a meeting with some of the members of the executives, unlike the last time we are getting detailed reports of the companies that each one of them is heading over, after which your schedule is free for the day. If you’d like me to add an activity to the schedule let me know sir." Bernard briefed him as they proceeded to leave for the car. "I think that's enough for one day. A man also needs his rest," Jonathan replied, and Bernard smiled as he opened the car door for Jonathan to step in. While in the car, Jonathan watched some clips from his grandfather. He stopped to pick up a call that came into his phone, "Hello Via! Good morning," he greeted, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He turned to Bernard and noticed he was smiling, and his own smile widened. "H
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 11 (Plots and Schemes)
Jonathan turned toward the small wooden dresser, where his neck tie lay waiting. Picking it up, he began to loop it around his collar, getting ready for the dinner party which Via had invited him to. Suddenly, the quiet creak of the door startled him. He looked up, just as the door swung open, and Eva stepped in, unannounced. She held a mischievous smile as her gaze swept over him, taking in the scene of his preparation."You look fabulous, where are you going?""Yeah for a dinner party between the Jackson’s and Turkey’s family and I happen to be Via’s date." Jonathan replied turning for her to get a good look at him."Do I look good or it’s too much?" He smiled, even if he already knew he was looking just perfect.“Nothing’s wrong with the outfit Jonathan you look perfect!" Eva replied returning the smile.Since Jonathan arrived at the Hazel’s mansion, Eva was the only one among his three cousins who really shared in the joy of being the heir to the Hazel’s empire. As for Peter and
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 12 (Follow your heart)
Jonathan sat at his desk, the pale glow of his computer screen casting shadows in the dimly lit office. His fingers drummed rhythmically on the desk, betraying the frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior. The sales strategy for the head company demanded his full attention, yet his thoughts kept drifting back to Via.They had almost kissed the previous night after the dinner with Via’s mother and the Jacksons. Via had walked him to the car, and was thanking him for agreeing to be his date for the dinner when something mistakenly fell into Via’s eyes. While, trying to help her remove whatsoever it was that had found its way into Via’s eyes, an atmosphere of romance just enveloped them after Via told him that the speck which had probably found its way into her eyes had gone.He was lucky that Roseline came out just that minute, and that prevented the two of them from kissing. He muttered under his breath, “Alright, Jonathan, focus. You’ve got a team counting on you. The success
The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 13 (Make the rumours spread)
Bernard paced back and forth in his office, his mind racing with the weight of the press accusations that had been flying all over the place against Jonathan that he was mismanaging the Hazel’s assets in satisfying his selfish interests.He clutched the newspaper tightly, his eyes scanning the pages.“All lies!” He exclaimed.He picked up his phone answering the numerous calls coming in, determined to provide explanations and clear Jonathan’s name.“Hello, this is Bernard speaking. I understand there are concerns about the news regarding Jonathan and all that the speculations regarding how he is managing the Hazel’s empire. Let me assure you, Jonathan is doing a good job, and I’d appreciate if you just debunk whatsoever news that is flying all over the place. The press has distorted the facts.”“But Bernard, the headlines are everywhere. How can we trust that Jonathan is really competent enough to manage the affairs of the Hazel’s empire?” The first caller asked, he was desperate to g
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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
CH. 43 (Angry investors and shareholders)
CHAPTER 43Patricia sat in her room, her voice hushed as she spoke into the phone. The tension in her shoulders was palpable as she listened intently to the voice on the other end. Her words were barely audible, and her expression was a mix of concern and apprehension.Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Elina's voice cut through the room. “Mum, are you in here? I've been looking for you everywhere."Startled, Patricia quickly ended the call and turned to face Elina, her eyes wide with nervousness. "Elina, I didn't hear you come in. What's wrong?"Elina stepped further into the room, her brow furrowed with worry. "I heard you talking on the phone, and you seemed... troubled. Is everything okay?"Patricia forced a smile, trying to appear composed despite the unease that gnawed at her. "Oh, it's nothing, just a work call. You know how it is. Is there a problem?"Elina sat across from her mother, her eyes filled with concern as she relayed the events of the previous day. "Mom, you won't
CH. 42 (Falsified Apology)
CHAPTER 42Jonathan arrived at Via's home after finishing up at the office, eager to check on her and see how she was doing. He had called earlier and was told that Via had been discharged from the hospital.Arriving at the Turkey’s mansion, Via greeted him with a warm smile, appreciating his thoughtfulness. "Hey, Jonathan! Thanks for coming by. It means a lot to me," Via said, her voice filled with gratitude.Jonathan returned her smile and replied, "Of course, Via. I wanted to make sure you're okay. How are you feeling?"Via sighed and leaned back against the couch, her face expressing a mix of exhaustion and determination. "Honestly, Jon, I'm getting better each day. But I can't help but think about work. I feel like I should be back there already."Jonathan gently placed a hand on Via's shoulder, offering her reassurance. "I understand your drive, Via, but it's important to prioritize your recovery right now. Your health is the most important thing."Via nodded, appreciating Jona
CH. 41 (More problems ahead)
Jonathan drives to the office, his mind still preoccupied with Via's condition. Despite the doctor’s assurance that Via was eventually out of danger, Jonathan still couldn’t help but worry about her.The head injury she had sustained from the fall of the ballroom light at the restaurant was still a mystery to him. If not for the text he had received after the incident happened, he would have sued the restaurant. But then, after receiving the text, he knew it was not the fault of the restaurant’s management, and that someone had done it deliberately.As he hurried to the office, his phone rang. It was Bernard, informing him about the reporters seeking an interview regarding the recent news. Bernard had left him earlier to attend to some of the pressing matters in the office, assuring Jonathan that he would stand by him no matter what it’ll cost."I'm on my way," Jonathan replied, his tone composed but with a hint of concern.As he navigated through the busy streets, his thoughts raced.
CH. 40 (Allegations and threats)
Jonathan sat in the sterile waiting room, his leg bouncing nervously as he clutched his phone, waiting for any news about Via. He couldn’t believe that his enemies had also made Via their target, and it made him really scared. What he feared the most was already happening, and he couldn’t help but wonder who else would be their target. Stepping into the position of his grandfather’s successor, he had thought everything will go just fine, and he wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore, but he was now realizing just how wrong was.Just when he was still in deep thoughts over everything that was happening, his phone buzzed, and it was a call from Bernard.“Jonathan, what’s this I’m hearing about Via? Who could have tried to kill her?”“I don’t know Bernard,” Jonathan admitted. “At this point, I feel like I’m losing my mind already. How’s your wife and daughter?”“They’re fine Jonathan. I already made them leave the country. They left in the first flight and called me a couple of m
CH. 39 (Have fun, Jonathan!)
Jonathan woke up the next morning feeling groggy and disoriented. His restless night had taken its toll, and the weight of his failure from the previous night still hung heavily on him. But as the morning light streamed through the blinds, he resolved not to let his disappointment defeat him. He had come too far to give up now.After a quick shower, he sat down at his desk, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and began going through his notes. He spread out the documents he had collected so far—files from his grandfather’s vault, the cryptic papers from Mr. Koeman, and the scant information he’d been able to gather about the IAS. Everything seemed disjointed, like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together. But he was determined to find a pattern, a thread that would lead him to the answers he sought.As he sifted through the papers, his mind kept returning to Mr. Koeman. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that the strange caller was indeed the man who had han
CH. 38 (The Hazel's Empire's vaults)
That same night, Jonathan decided to visit his grandfather’s secret vault within the empire. Having turned around in his bed, and unable to get any sleep, he decided to confirm for himself if what the strange caller had told him over the phone was true.The IAS was beginning to appear more than he had envisaged, and with each new revelation unfolding by the day, he decided he’d look deeper into it, and to find out for real what it had to do with the whole of the Hazel’s empire and how it was connected to the death of his father.Throwing off the blanket which he was using to cover himself, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet dangling in the darkness. The weight of everything that was happening was becoming too much on him, but he knew this wasn’t the right time to quit—not until he has found all the answers to the questions that were bothering him.He dressed quickly and quietly, changing from his pajamas, his hands shaking with uncertainty. He knew he had to be caref
CH. 38 (Unravelling more secrets)
The streets outside were bustling with the usual city energy, but Jonathan couldn't help but feel a sense of vulnerability as he made his way home. Bernard’s wife had finally been discharged from the hospital, and he had given him time to be with her and their daughter Michelle.With everything that was happening, he decided to take a stroll round the city's street, as a way to clear his mind of all the things that were weighing heavily on his shoulders.It would be the first time in a long while that he'll be taking such strolls since he took over the Hazel's empire. It made him miss the good old days when he didn't have much to worry about—the days when he had nothing to protect and didn’t have to drag other people into his problems.All his life, he had thought that having money and power would make his life better, but only now had he begun to realize that he was wrong. Since he took over the Hazel’s empire, his life had really changed. He had made more enemies within the few mont
