THANK YOU::
The Secret Successor has found his family as well as his love! There’s no one more lucky in the world than one who has a family that loves them. They don’t say blood is thicker than water for no reason. But I’d say, love is even thicker than blood. So, Russell is lucky to have a loving mom, dad, grandfather, and a childhood girlfriend. How lucky are you in your life in terms of relationships? Do you have people who support you when you are down? I hope so.
I started the novel with the thought of finishing it in 500 chapters, but it took this long. To all those who read every chapter and reached this page… you have my humble and grateful thanks.
A big thanks to reader Oyewale Gabriel for your immense support. And then to Mickey Ritch for your votes as well as comment support. Next is Ricky, who is one of the earliest readers of this novel. Good to still see you around.
To Charlie Mcmillen, who has a silent but strong presence, you have my Mcvery thanks.
And then, we have Oyewale Grace, whom I noticed reading chapters fast at some point? If don’t know if you liked the novel or not since you didn’t comment, but I hope this novel made the time and money you spent on it worthwhile.
Next, Atanegbe Desmond… Bro, I will continue to write Strongest Son-in-law soon. It’s 65 percent completed. And I intend to release the rest fast. Thanks for being patient and not giving some one star review, haha.
Next is Tonny Olugu… Thank you for your votes, brother. And then, to Joel, who comes and votes suddenly every other week or so. Hope you’re doing well with your life.
Next is, Tony and Roldolfo… Thank you to you both for being in the top ten voters right now. I appreciate your support.
Then we have Stephen O’keeffe… I owe WHIT to you. I will do my best to finish it this year. That’s all I can say.
To reader Adam Colding, thank you for your support.
To reader Marilyn Richards… I hope you have enjoyed the novel?
To reader Sivaprakash, thank you for your support, bro.
Last but not least, to reader Robert Vincent… If you’re reading this, then I’d appreciate it if you can leave a review of the novel. Thank you.
CHARACTERS::
I hope you can take away some memorable characters from this novel. It’s very hard for me to pick a favorite character in this novel because everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
If I were to pick the qualities, it’d be Russell’s forgiveness, Jessica’s love, Liam’s ethics, Elora’s patience, Nora’s kindness, Kyra’s attitude, and Regan’s sharpness.
What about you? Is there any character that impressed or upset you the most?
LOOSE ENDS::
What is going to happen to Natasha in the future? She tries her luck with Adam Conreid, but she will fail. She’s not going to get married any time soon.
What about Denver? He’s working a low-income job and is barely making ends meet as he also had to take care of his dad. But one day, he receives a gaming gear sent from Russell. This would allow Denver to change his career path.
What about Skarlett? She thinks she’s fallen in love with a pizza-delivery guy from Rye’s Pizzas. She tries her luck with him, but she also fails as he’s already married and doesn’t show any interest in Skarlett. Skarlett goes into depression after that.
What about Roddick? Well, I’ll leave that Rod-dick’s future to your imagination.
WHAT IS UP WITH THIS NOVEL?
Sometimes, nothing works for us. Everything around us tries to beat us down, and if we give up, then that’s it. Russell made the same mistake and almost killed himself by trying to jump from the cliff. He was given a second chance, and that allowed him to meet his grandfather, his dad, and to also share his future with his childhood sweetheart Jessica who loved him as a mother would.
Not everybody gets a second chance in life, so try to make use of the present like it’s the only chance you’ve got, guys.
FUTURE::
Russell’s story continues from five years ahead in the future in my other novel ‘System Within: Million Dollars From Today.’ Don’t expect too much of their presence, but there’s enough for you to feel nostalgic or satisfied, I think.
Also… are any of you interested in gaming novels? I’ve been wondering if I should write a novel centered around Dream Creed or not. It will have a cool premise because players can’t distinguish between players and NPCs initially, so, give me your opinion. Do you think it’s worth writing?
REQUEST::
This is my third finished novel. Please do leave a review so that it’d help me assess my own work better. Also, vote with a gem or two, so that the novel will reach more people. If you don’t want to vote or leave a review, then Russell might hack your system(s) one of these days! So, beware!
Last but not least, I hope you enjoyed the novel and learned a thing or two from it. May Lord Jesus bless you in your endeavors.
Cheers.
.
.
.
Signing off:
Yours ‘openly secretive’ VKBoy.
Russell was driving in a borrowed Range Rover, going to a familiar children's amusement park, where he was going to surprise his girlfriend by proposing to her in front of all of his schoolmates. Russell’s mobile kept ringing from the medium flood of messages his friends kept sending. Most of these same friends wouldn’t even look at his face for long in general, but things have been different ever since he started dating his current girlfriend. Though his vlog account didn’t have many followers, a few loyal followers were now wishing him good luck, and he felt grateful for their kind messages. He never felt so happy and also so anxious before, hoping that none of his friends would mess things up for him. Even though he was driving and stealing glances at the mobile fixed on a heart-shaped stand, one of his hands still held a small gray box that he kept rubbing with his fingers. It wasn’t just what his friends might do that worried him. Would his proposal get accepted or not? That was
After leaving the park, heartbroken, Russell gave the Range Rover back to its owner, then came walking directly to a small duplex home built on top of a hill, offering a wonderful view of the suburbs.There was an old man in modest blue clothes, trying to feed biscuits to a golden retriever.“Excuse me, sir?” Russell respectfully addressed him, his voice still laced with annoyance. “Do I know you?”The old man shook his head slightly. He seemed to be in his early sixties. “I found the dog cute, so I couldn’t help myself.”“Oh, but biscuits don’t easily digest, so take care of your health.” Russell then put a dollar bill in his hand. “I wish I could give you more for feeding my dog, but that’s the best I can give.”“It’s okay,” the old man put the money in his pocket and smiled. “Thank you.” He kept staring at Russell.“Don’t want to be offensive, but you should leave,” Russell said.“Ah, yes,” the old man turned around and walked away.Russell entered through the main gate, and his do
Though Kyra didn’t directly say it, Russell had enough functioning brain cells to use the context and figure things out. As a result, even as the seconds needle in the clock kept ticking, the shock in his face wasn’t fading away.The one his father Arnold had arranged a marriage with was Kyra who used to be called the Millenium Beauty of Meadows High School?Moreover, Russell had just told this woman that he also had a crush on her.Everything that ran through Russell’s mind made him feel so embarrassed, but he did his best to quickly collect his emotions.“Uh…” still, he was at a loss for words.“I take it that you have no issues then?” Kyra asked again since he responded with silence.“Actually, I…” Russell wanted to tell her about Natasha, and he was gathering his courage. It wasn’t easy because he was afraid of how his father would react if he were to reject Kyra. Even though, looks wise, Kyra was definitely prettier than Natasha, he had a special place in his heart for Natasha. H
“Pfft,” Russell spilled the water on the table. “I’m sorry. You’re expecting what?” his eyes were filled with infinitely more shock than when a thorn had pierced his palm back in school.However, the same could be said for Kyra. (He didn’t know?) The frown on her face deepened. She was worried that this might be the case and came here to fully clarify things before proceeding to the next stage, but she didn’t think she would get into this situation, where a man would insensibly look at her like she needed to explain something so private to her. She swallowed all the pain and shame without showing it on her face as much as possible before saying without hesitation, “I’m pregnant, Mr. Russell Bennett.”Russell’s face looked like a frog that had been electrocuted. What the hell did she mean by she was pregnant? She must be joking to test him or something. Yeah, that must be the case, he thought. “If you’re pregnant, then I’m also pregnant,” he joked.“What?” Kyra felt more than a little
Almost ten long minutes later, Russell stood from the sofa and picked up the plate that had four chocolate biscuits, specially made by Jennifer.He went upstairs and knocked on a door.“Come in,” a deep voice came from inside.Russell entered the room, and his dad had just come from his bath. Arnold had the habit of bathing three times a day unless his schedule was really busy. He believed bathing multiple times a day was the key to maintaining his good health. His phone rang, and it was Fredrick calling.Even though Russell tried to talk, Arnold made him wait until he finished the call. “I’ll take care of it. You don’t worry.” He hung up.“Mom told me to give you these,” Russell put the plate down on the bed. Though Jennifer hadn’t actually said that, she generally used to say ‘if you don’t want to eat, at least give them to your dad, and he’ll eat them.’Russell picked up one biscuit. “One is enough for me. You can have the rest.” Russell also grabbed a biscuit and took a bite. As h
Kyra came home to her estate. Her father, a tall and bulky man with a perfect mustache, was waiting for her while acting like he was watching television.Kyra ignored him and headed straight to her room.“Didn’t I tell you to not go outside until you get married?” Liam spoke just loud enough so her daughter could hear him.Kyra stopped and turned around and looked at her father who had eight platinum rings decorating his fingers, three thin platinum chains in his neck. He also had a couple of golden teeth fixed in his mouth. He would definitely pass for a gangster that could easily scare adults with his mere gaze.“Where did you go?” Liam patiently asked.“To… my fiance’s house,” Kyra responded, with her head slightly lowered.“The dead one, or the living one?” Liam’s voice grew a little harder.“I wanted to know if he wanted to marry me or not,” Kyra hesitantly stated. “As I suspected, he didn’t know I was pregnant.”Liam’s expression didn’t change. He slowly stood up and picked the
Four days later.The Bennett family members were having a wonderful breakfast. Arnold, Jennifer, and their kids, James and Viola, were all in a good mood. James was 19, and Viola was 20. James got his mother’s features, and his face was more oval compared to Viola who got her dad’s features. She had a sharp physique compared to him.Russell came walking down the stairs slowly and occupied his seat. Russell’s biological mother was a foreigner, so he had a different skin complexion and facial structure compared to his step-siblings.Russell didn't greet anyone, and he looked dull.“Brother Russell? Why are you acting a bit strangely since yesterday?” Violo asked, looking a little worried. “Did you hurt your foot or something? Is everything alright?”Russell didn’t say anything.“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Viola pressed him for an answer.James nudged his sister and whispered, “Maybe he’s got a rash or something. Women aren’t the only ones who get moody every once in a while or fee
Tears streamed down his cheek nonstop as Russell stared down from the clifftop. However, because he was hypnotized, his expression was flat. Nevertheless, his heart was heavy. He jumped without even closing his eyes.A fall from that height would result in a quick death for sure.However, Russell felt someone grabbing his shirt and pulling him back just in time. It was a vicious pull where he got tossed onto the ground.“Whoa, dude, you couldn’t find a better time to commit suicide than when I’m going out to make pizza delivery?” a guy removed his bike helmet and kept looking at Russell’s face to better assess his state of mind. He snapped his fingers right before Russell’s face, and Russell was snapped out of the spell he was put in.Russell, for a second, found himself staring at this man. He was so good-looking even though he wasn’t tall like Russell. He had one of those ethereal faces you wouldn’t mind looking at for hours. “W-Who are you?” he looked around, wondering where he was
THANK YOU:: The Secret Successor has found his family as well as his love! There’s no one more lucky in the world than one who has a family that loves them. They don’t say blood is thicker than water for no reason. But I’d say, love is even thicker than blood. So, Russell is lucky to have a loving mom, dad, grandfather, and a childhood girlfriend. How lucky are you in your life in terms of relationships? Do you have people who support you when you are down? I hope so. I started the novel with the thought of finishing it in 500 chapters, but it took this long. To all those who read every chapter and reached this page… you have my humble and grateful thanks. A big thanks to reader Oyewale Gabriel for your immense support. And then to Mickey Ritch for your votes as well as comment support. Next is Ricky, who is one of the earliest readers of this novel. Good to still see you around. To Charlie Mcmillen, who has a silent but strong presence, you have my Mcvery thanks. And then, we hav
A few weeks later.Charlotte was at her home, eating peanuts, which didn’t taste good on her tongue right now. It wasn’t the peanuts that had the issue, but her tongue and her mind.“Even the food isn’t going inside,” Charlotte pitifully said. She called Kyra’s mobile, but Kyra didn’t answer.Seconds later, Kyra sent a text message: Don’t bother me.“Tsk, she’s completely cut herself off,” Charlotte tossed the mobile away at the wall. “But she’s sticking with Liam and Russell when they’re not even related to her by blood. It doesn’t make any sense!”“Do you want me to kidnap her and bring her here?” William asked.“Do you want Liam to kill both of us?” Charlotte asked him back.“N-No.”“Forget about Liam…” Charlotte looked at the file in her hand. “This bastard Russell came up with such a clever contract. If I sign this, I’ll basically be giving up my shares in the company, but in return, I’ll earn in the billions.”“Since he’s going to trouble you anyway, he’s giving you a profitable
Jessica was never gifted so many chocolates by anybody before. She immediately hugged Russell with excitement. “You’re the best!”“Wait, they are not just for you,” Russell said. “You’ll be sharing these with everyone at the table.”“U-Uh, of course,” Jessica couldn’t smile as freely anymore because there weren’t multiples for some types of chocolates, and she didn’t want to give those away to others. “I-I will do it after we finish dinner,” she said. “I mean, if we eat chocolates before, then we won’t be able to eat the meal properly.”“You can just distribute them now,” Russell said.“U-Um,” Jessica reluctantly got up and began to distribute the chocolates to everyone at the table. But when she came to Russell, she didn’t put any chocolate on his plate.“Wait, you forgot me,” Russell said.She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Didn’t you say that I AM your chocolate?”Russell blushed. “Ahem,” he quickly controlled his expression. “I see.”Jessica sat down. The waiters began to se
A few nights later.At Tuna Waves restaurant.The entire top floor was booked by the Lynn family for the night.A large dining table was arranged in the center of the floor. Kyra was the first to attend, because she was the only one who arranged this dinner and invited the people she believed she should.As she waited a bit nervously, to her shock, Jessica was the first to arrive. She was dressed in her work attire and didn’t even have makeup on. Was she coming straight from work?Jessica sat down at a chair but didn’t speak to Kyra and just waited.There was an awkward atmosphere between these two.“I’m not going to eat you, so you can talk,” Kyra voiced her mind. “You came here early so that you can make sure nothing ‘strange’ happens, right?”“Well, I have to protect my guy,” Jessica replied, putting her mobile down, “so that I won’t lose him again.”“Don’t worry then. I think of Liam as my dad, so Russell becomes my brother now,” Kyra stated. “I can’t marry my brother now, can I?”
Other than Arnold, nobody was told that Liam was Russell’s biological father, as Elora and Liam just didn’t feel the need to do so.They believed that revealing that truth now would only bring unnecessary complications.Elora felt like a lot of burden had been lifted off her heart after she told Arnold the truth.Russell also felt happy that Viola was talking to him. Though James was still clouded by his anger, Russell didn’t feel bad about it as James was known for his impulsive behavior.Russell believed that James would understand with time.Liam and Elora went away in a different car, whereas Russell left in his Boyen Redemption. Driving with an injured hand wasn’t easy, but he somehow managed it and got home.Regan was talking with Gage’s dad and introduced him to Russell. “This is the man I trust the most in the world. He’s your friend Gage’s father. His name is Steven.”Russell saw that Steven’s eyes were completely white. “Nice to meet you, Steven?” he looked at Regan. “Is he b
“I don’t get it. Why do you want to marry her of all people?” Teresa asked quickly. “She’s been sick for decades, and no one knows when she might get sick again and die, not that I’m wishing for it, but I’m just stating the possibility. In addition to that, Russell is already your son-in-law, isn’t he? So, if you marry his mother now, what will the world think of it?”Liam smiled and asked her, “You think I didn’t consider all those things?”“U-Uh…” Teresa didn’t know what to say because he looked calm despite everything she had just said. She looked at Elora. “Are you not going to eat anything?”“No, I’m full,” Elora said, even though the real reason she refused was because she didn’t want to eat what was brought by Jennifer. Elora then glanced at Arnold. “Can we talk privately?”Arnold was not expecting that. Without even looking at Teresa or Jennifer, he said, “Sure. Why not?”Jennifer didn’t want them to talk, but all she could do was stand there and watch as Arnold and Elora walk
Charlotte left the hospital, but on her way home, she received pictures from one of her friends.And these were pictures of Liam and Elora eating at a restaurant.“Stop the car,” Charlotte said.William quickly pressed the brake. He looked back, and Charlotte was fuming.She felt like her body was set on fire. She wasn’t able to stand it.“How can he…”Seeing Liam hold some other woman’s hand, she wasn't able to digest it and pulled her hair with one hand. “Fuck! This isn’t happening. Fuck! Fuck!”“What’s wrong, ma’am?” William quickly asked.“He’s getting away from me,” she said angrily as well as sadly. “He’s really getting away from me.”One mistake cost her everything.Her husband, her daughter, and even her sister, all of them moved away from her.The only person that was still with her was William.“Why won’t you also leave my side?” she asked him.“Does a dog ever leave the side of its master?” he said. “They may be manipulative, abusive, but the dog still loves its master.”Ch
“Fuck off, bitch,” Natasha pressed the trigger.However, nothing happened.Jessica thought she died, but she didn’t. She quickly recovered from the mental shock and slapped Natasha’s hand, making the gun fall out of her hand. “That’s an autoloader. You should manually cock for the first shot for it to be fired.” She kicked Natasha in the gut as hard as she could.Jessica was a very powerful woman, and so her kick sent Natasha crashing back violently.Jessica then sat on Natasha and began to hit her.“W-Wait,” Natasha tried to speak. “That gun wasn’t loaded.”“You expect me to believe that?” Jessica began to punch her face repeatedly, making her lips rupture and bleed. Still, she didn’t stop and kept going.The other employees gathered around. One of them picked up the revolver and checked for the bullets. “Ma’am, this gun really is empty.”Jessica was a bit shocked to hear that. “What?”“I told you…you fucking bitch!” Natasha grabbed Jessica’s throat and squeezed it. “I’ll kill you fo
“Aww,” Elora crashed on the floor and cringed in pain. Liam rushed over to help her and tried to help her get up, but she got up on her own, saying, “I’m not that old yet.”“I never said you were,” Liam put forward the bouquet of lilies.“What the… too white and bright,” she blurted. “Your taste sucks.”Liam was shocked because it was Russell’s suggestion.Elora plucked just one lily from the bouquet and smelled it. “Anyway, what brought the great Liam Lynn here. There’s no child in this house, you know.”Liam’s expression suddenly hardened. Whether she was trying to mock him or was purposely trying to tease him, it felt like a joke that went too far. However, he saw not a ounce of negativity in Elora’s eyes. It was as if she was testing him to see how he’d react. “My child, no, our child is in this house, is he not?” Liam replied.Elora somewhat smiled. “Yeah, he is upstairs. You can go and talk to him.” She sat back on the couch. “If you move out of the way, I’ll watch the TV. The c