Chapter 7

Mr. Jude couldn't help the joy that rushed down his spine; alas, he had finally fulfilled Mr. Smith's dying wish.

“Thank you, Maxwell.” He said warmly. He grabbed a pen from the stationary cup and passed it to him.

Without wasting much time, he signed the papers, making him the latest multi-billionaire in town.

Suddenly, Mr Jude sprang up from his seat, went on his knees, and bowed slightly before Maxwell.

“Greetings, my Lord.” He muttered, racing up his two hands as a means of honor and reverence.

Maxwell was dumbfounded, he rushed to his feet and helped Mr Jude up.

“No, please. You are like a father to me; you already fill that empty spot in my life; you shouldn't bow before me.” Maxwell said as he pulled Mr Jude up gently.

“But still, you are my master.” Mr Jude insisted while Maxwell sighed.

“Father, don't do that please,” Maxwell muttered, his voice full of love and emotions that Mr Jude's heart skipped a beat. Ever since his whole family was involved in a brutal accident, with only him being the survivor, no one had for once called him father.

“Please, take me as your son, and skip all the formalities.” Maxwell continued, and Mr Jude nodded slowly, trying hard to fight the tears of joy that had formed around the corners of his eyelids.

He moved closer to Maxwell and hugged him.

“Don't worry son, I will be here to guide you.” Mr Jude said as he patted him on the back.

“Also, you will be meeting with the top directors of the brand tomorrow.” Mr Jude said and threw a glance at his wristwatch; it was already some minutes past 9 in the evening.

“How about you have some rest now? I am sure you had a long day, and also, you can prepare yourself against tomorrow.” Mr Jude advised, and Maxwell nodded.

“Alright, I will. See you tomorrow then.” He said politely and was directed by the maids to his room.

Maxwell wasn't much surprised by the elegance and grace of the room they had prepared for him; it was no news to him that everything about the mansion screamed luxury.

“Here is your room, my lord.” The maid said with a slight bow and then stood by the door.

“Got it, thanks,” Maxwell replied, but the maid kept on standing, which surprised him to the core.

“Is there anything you want to tell me?” He asked the maid, who hurriedly bowed her head once more.

“No, my lord.” She replied humbly.

“Then, you can leave.” He said, but the maid just kept on bowing, which was making Maxwell cringe. He was never used to a wealthy lifestyle, and he wondered if it was as sickening as this.

“My lord, I am your maid, and I must wait on you in case you have some needs to be attended to.” The maid said, and Maxwell finally got what her actions meant.

“My maid?” Maxwell muttered to himself, he felt a mixture of surprise and excitement flow through his body. He had never been waited on for his entire life, and it seemed somehow weird.

“Oh! What's your name?”

“My Lord, my name is Amber.” She muttered, and Maxwell smiled.

“Amber, you can take your leave. I don't have any need to be attended to, and if I have, I will be sure to call you.” Maxwell smiled at her. Amber raised her head to look at him for the first time, unsure of what to do.

Maxwell's smile widened, and he nodded his head.

“Alright, my lord. In case you need anything, please press that button by the bedside, and I will be here in a jiffy.” She replied. One thing that Maxwell noticed was that she never smiled throughout her speech. Maybe that was how the maids were trained.

“No problem,” Amber exited the room, her frontal view facing Maxwell as she walked out of the room with her back.

Maxwell sighed; he gently opened the window and glanced through the streets; it was beautiful and fascinating.

“Amelia, if only you had endured for one more day, we would most likely be in this together, but you chose to break me, trample on me, and betray me for a spoilt dandy.” He muttered to himself, his fist was tightened, and his eyes closed.

He lay on his bed after some minutes; he couldn't help the various thoughts that crossed his mind. Somehow, he was still shocked by his sudden transformation from a pauper to a multi-billionaire.

It only took a few minutes before sleep got the better of him, taking him far into the sweet lands of dreams and fantasy.

***

A gentle knock on the door slowly jerked Maxwell to consciousness. He checked the time, and it was already past 8 in the morning.

“How come I slept for so long?” He asked himself in surprise. He was never a deep sleeper, he was probably too tired from the previous day's activities, or the water bed he slept on was too comfortable that he didn't realize he had slept for so long.

“My lord.” The knock persisted, with Amber's tiny voice accompanying the knock.

“Come inside,” Maxwell ordered, and Amber pushed the door open.

She walked in with some pieces of fine clothing, a brand-new phone, and a Rolex wristwatch.

“Good morning, hope you had a great night?” Amber asked in her usual manner, but this time, there was a bit of a smile on her face.

“Good morning. Yes, I did. Thanks.”

“Some men are waiting for you in the study, they are the top directors whom Mr Jude talked about yesterday,” Amber mumbled as she placed the dress on the bed.

“Wow! I never knew they would be here this early. Let me take my bath then.”

“Yes, my lord. Please change into those clothes, I will be waiting for you outside.” Amber said and walked out.

Maxwell wasted no time in freshening up; he put on his clothes and didn't forget to style his usual parting in between his hair.

He wore the golden wristwatch, grabbed the phone, and headed out of the room.

“This way please.” Amber directed while Maxwell followed behind. He didn't know why Amber's back was slightly bent throughout their walk; maybe it was probably part of the maid's etiquette.

“Here is it, My Lord,” Amber muttered, pointing at the silver door which Maxwell was sure enclosed a huge space.

Maxwell pushed the door open and stepped inside. He had just taken a foot inside the study when all of the men rose to their feet, each one of them bowing slightly before him.

“My Lord.”