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
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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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The Rise Of Jonathan Hazel CH. 13 (Make the rumours spread)
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The quiet hum of Jonathan’s office was interrupted by the sudden burst of the door flying open.Bernard stormed in without a word, his face flushed with urgency. He held a rolled-up newspaper in one hand, his jaw set, and his eyes blazing with something between anger and disbelief.Jonathan barely looked up from his computer. “Bernard what brings you here?” he asked dryly, not yet sensing the gravity of the situation.Bernard didn’t bother with pleasantries.With a swift motion, he slammed the paper down on the desk, the pages unfolding with a loud flap. “Explain this.”Jonathan blinked at the tabloid before him. The front page seemed to burn with color, shouting its scandalous message at the top of its lungs.There it was—an image captured in vivid detail: Elina leaning forward, kissing him at the café. Jonathan’s expression was halfway between confusion and resistance, but the frame caught the worst possible second. To an outsider, it looked intimate. Intentional.The headline screa
CH. 53 (The Set-up kiss)
CHAPTER 53 Jonathan’s car pulled up to the quiet corner café, its windows fogged slightly from the chill of the morning. He stepped out, adjusting the collar of his coat, his eyes scanning the place warily. Something felt... off. The street was quiet, eerily so—no footsteps, no car horns, no idle chatter from passersby. Just silence and the low hum of wind rustling through leafless branches.He paused for a moment, studying the modest façade of the café. Pale sunlight glinted off the windows, but the interior was shadowed, still. It looked closed at first—until he saw her.Elina.She sat alone at the far end of the café, a porcelain cup cradled in both hands, steam long faded. Her posture was tense, too stiff to be casual. She was dressed simply, but there was an unnatural elegance in the way she sat—as if every movement was calculated.Jonathan pushed the door open. A tiny chime rang out, crisp and brittle like a bell in an empty church. He stepped in an
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)
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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
