When Archer had agreed to let Tangie into his bed, she had no idea he would let go of his bed completely and settle on the couch.Even though it was an honorable and respectful gesture towards Tangie, she still felt disappointed.Archer tucked her in, he increased the degree of the a.c in his room to a considerable temperature for her sake.Then he went to the couch."Do you like the lights off or on?" "Off..." She replied shyly.A few minutes later, the whole house went hushed with silence. Not a single sound infiltrated the night.Tangie lay still on the bed, unable to toss around or twirl for fear that she would disrupt the silent night. But one thing was certain, she wasn't going to sleep- not in such conditions.There were about ten rooms in the house and Archer was on the couch, "just because I got greedy," she cursed under her breath."Why do I keep jumping the gun?" She muttered. After the moment they had, she thought they were at least a step closer to being comfortable wit
Tangie and Archer settled on the empty seat next to him, their eyes sparkling with peak curiosity."Let's hear it..." Archer said."I have worked for Sterling Groups for six years, Sir. In those six years, never have I seen this man..." Celestine said, pivoting the laptop screen so that Archer and Tangie could have a look."Down here, it states that meetings will be attended by a representative. It is just a feeling, sir, but I suspect, the representative here is Maverick Jr."Archer and Tangie exchanged glances at each other, it sounded believable, logical. "And if I'm not being too presumptuous, we may have found Big Dot too..." Celestine paused, "him, he is Big Dot..."Archer rested on the base of the chair without a word, he was thinking deeply about Celestine's words. "We just need a confirmation..." Tangie chimed."I know someone who would know for certain," He interrupted, Celestine's eyes popped out in surprise, "you do?!""Yes, Master Woods would know..." Archer replied."
Archer spent the entire ride to Utah's National Broadcasting Company thinking about Tangie. She was too good to be true.Perhaps, that is what happens when you are betrayed by your ex-wife. His past had him questioning Tangie's intentions for him, even though her eyes glowed with nothing but genuineness and sincerity, he just could not completely believe her. Despite his doubt and cautiousness, one unsettling thing was the way his heart had a mind of its own. Why did it race that fast when their gazes met at the parking lot, why did he suddenly feel the need to cancel their plan just to protect her? But he couldn't help it, he couldn't expose her like that to Maverick, Libra, and the unknown Big Dot."I can't do it..." He blurted out, startling Celestine and Tangie who was revising her speech. They suddenly raised their gaze to him, looking at him in confusion."What are you talking about?" Tangie asked, puzzled.Archer looked out the window, he was surrounded by a convoy of his s
Marcellus chauffeured Archer and Tangie to the luxurious rooftop restaurant in the Central part of town. The view up there gave a quality of time about to be well spent- and two things intrigued Tangie as he guided her to their seats- his refined taste, the point he was making.As they settled at the reserved table for two, Tangie began to admire her ring again, but suddenly felt that maybe she should have splurged more than just a Tiffany®️ if she knew he would really put it on her finger."You keep looking at that," Archer commented.A shy smile escaped Tangie and she sat up, "It's beginning to feel real," she replied.Archer's eyes brightened up with admiration for her, he watched her tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear, intrigued by her effortless grace.Tangie glanced at him and noticed his intent gaze on her, she averted her gaze, seeking for control over her racing heart, gulping down the glass of wine before her like she was thirsty."Are you okay?" Archer asked, "Sh
The sun rose before anyone in the Williams family, sending its warmth through unopened windows to each room. The warmth carried with it, the whooshing sound of the morning breeze, tugging on Tangie's face first before Archer. She rolled over, avoiding the sun, eager to continue her morning sleep.Archer blinked his eyes open as she curled into his body. He looked around the vaguely familiar surroundings of the room, and sighed as Tangie's tantrums replayed on his mind. He couldn't help the amusement brewing within him. Now, although he associated her tantrums with the many bottles of wine she downed, he didn't deny the one question that had been bugging him;"Do you still love her?" As he lay beside her, quietly acting the pillow Tangie had made him to be, he stole a glance at her, wondering if he had given her a reason to think that he was still in love with Eva Austin."All that is in the past now," he muttered silently. "What is...?" Tangie's morning voice came out groggy and s
With newfound confidence, Archer and Celestine entered the dimly lit Boardroom where the Shareholders were seated.As they crossed the room, glances darted their way, each person glaring at them as they briskly made their way to their positions at the table.Celestine stood behind him while Archer took the executive seat at the head of the long mahogany table."Let's begin," He announced.The boardroom went hushed with silence, each person brimming with unspoken comments."I understand that you have questions about my decision to postpone the Release Dates of the Asthma Cure..."Before he could complete his first sentence, Maverick jolted to his feet with eyes furrowed in anger."Mr Williams, we don't only have questions, we object to your decision to postpone the release date""I acknowledge your objections, but I only made that decision for the company’s best interest," Archer replied, his voice though calm gripping the room with dominance. "We are Shareholders of this company, not
“Sir, you can’t just run off. They are expecting more!” Celestine whispered, his eyes flaring with excitement. “We have successfully bought their hearts, now is the time to butter them up!”“Celestine, I just received a message that my fiancée is not safe. I don’t think buttering up anyone will help me. How about you handle that part?” Archer replied, striding briskly across the room. Everyone’s eyes followed him until he vanished from sight. Panicky murmurs erupted among the shareholders, “What do we do now? He just left? Where do we stand?” Their voices were rumbling thick and loud around Celestine who felt his apprehension increasing.“Everyone…” he began in a voice barely above the noise. Celestine clenched his fist in his pocket, gathering all the volume within him.“Everyone!!” He bellowed at the top of his voice, although his voice wasn’t deep and commanding like Archer’s voice, it got the work done. All eyes pivoted in his direction, glaring.“Celestine Devant?” A sharehol
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow on the city, Archer found himself at the waiting couch of Elon and Clyde Bridals saying ‘yes’ to literally everything she wore because she looked beautiful in all of them. But every ‘Yes’ he muttered seemed like a fuel to search for more dresses.After the last one, Tangie came to vent about her frustrations, “all the dresses are either too plain or too much. I can’t find anything that screams ‘me’” she cried. “I think you’re just hungry,” Archer teased, “let’s at least get something to eat. We’ve been here for hours…”Tangie swiveled her head around, glaring at him as if he had said something abominable.Archer squirmed uncomfortably, wondering what was wrong.“How can I have an appetite at this point? What if I never find a wedding dress? What will I wear then? How can you be so indifferent about these things?” From venting, Tangie was rambling, and soon tears began to pour from her eyes.Archer widened his eyes in unbelief,
Despite the turbulent three months that drove Archer to the brink of insanity, he was grateful for the life he had. A new life where he wasn't looked down on. His wife believed in him and loved him for him, not the money or the status.He had someone he could call a friend, a best friend, and he could take care of the people his Master left behind. At thirty two, he was the City's most wealthy CEO, and he was still as humble as ever.His asthma cure was a hit in the medical industry, recognized world wide, but the billions of dollars he made from the sales was not compared to the relief that his wife was no longer an asthma patient. She was in fact, just a healthy eight weeks pregnant woman."I'm going to be a father soon," was Archer's new mantra. For every decision he made, he considered his new status- Father.Every morning he woke up, he kissed Tangie on the forehead and then progressed to the stomach and spoke to his baby until Mariah announced breakfast was ready.This morni
The ride back home was quiet, unsettlingly quiet for Celestine. Archer had not said a single word since they left the court. He simply clutched on the document and kept his face turned to the window.Every passing moment had him wondering what was going through his mind. Did he feel sorry for Master Woods? Was it guilt?Celestine shook his head, snapping off the thought quickly. Master Woods had what was coming, he was only lucky to have faked his entire existence and go unnoticed for ten years.The car rounded into the large mansion, the sun had began to dip in the horizon, casting a golden afterglow on the contours amd corners of the house.Tangie hurried out of the house at the sound of the car zooming into the compound. She had been eagerly awaiting his arrival, desperate to wrap her arms around him and reassure him that his new family would always be with him.But she instantly went blank as Archer approached her. He looked so devastated that she couldn't bring herself to say any
"The President of Sterling Groups," the court officer announced immediately Archer stepped in.Celestine cast a disapproving glance at the announcer as they settled into their seat.Master Woods was guided onto the dock in hand cuffs. He couldn't save himself from the Supreme Federal Court.While bribing the authorities of the city, he had forgotten about the higher authority- The authority of the federal."He looks worse than the last time we saw him," Celestine whispered, almost excitedly. Archer remained quiet, unmoving in fact. Despite the nice and relieving feeling that a criminal and terrorist of both him and the city had finally been caught, Archer couldn't deny the fact that the man in questiom was his father, at least to an extent.Even as he confessed to his crimes, Archer wished it were not true. He silently wished everything could go back to how it was, before it all went bad.However, it was impossible. He was now awaiting the Jury's verdict and Archer was certain, it wou
"A trip?" Celestine repeated, surprised that he was suggesting a trip in the heat of things. "Have you noticed the high demand we have? It is almost impossible to produce enough for one continent, save five continents and you're talking about a trip?"Archer exhaled softly, a slight frown crossed his face. "We've had a very rocky time, I thought we could all just take a nap somewhere in Vietnam or Thailand, anywhere but here...""We can't be anywhere else but here for now," Celestine scolded, "As your executive manager, I forbid it." As he spoke the last bid, a smile of pride etched on his features. "Are you that happy?" Archer asked, observing his wide smile."I'm beyond happy," Celestine replied quickly, "I'm going to work so hard, I didn't do anything to earn this position but now that I have, I must deserve it."As Archer gazed at him, a thought crossed his mind but he kept it to himself."Let's go home," he said. Celestine glanced at his wristwatch only to notice that it was
THREE WEEKS LATERFor the past three weeks, Master Woods of the Bennett Temple, foster father and mentor of Archer Williams was dragged to pieces on the internet. His double identity, his atrocities, the chaos he secretly instigated, and the people on his payroll. No one was safe. Archer made sure of it. The truth of the brutal murders of Mr. Mathew Sullivan had finally surfaced, and everyone who had once looked down on Archer was on their knees begging to be on his good side, but that was far from what Archer wanted. He wanted all of them to keep away from him. He only wanted to be with his family and friends. To be a good father to his child, a good friend to his friends, and a good mentor to the people who now looked up to him. For the first time, he craved a normal life, a life as normal as a regular man.However, that sort of life was almost impossible for him. He was, after all, the only son of his parents, and he knew his father’s belief in the supernatural was not just a me
Chapter 152Fred watched Mercy’s lips move without hearing the words come out.The unfolding revelation had him analyzing and examining his life. Just like Mr. Mathew, he had allowed Master Woods detect his life. He did everything Master Woods just to be accepted and be genuinely acknowledged, yet the harder he tried, the lesser the man thought of him.“Tangie is right,” he thought to himself, “Just being disqualified to be an Arhat is not enough after he had taken many innocent lives and buried their dreams, both the living and dead.”The whole room went silent, stopped by his soliloquy which he didn’t know had been said out loud. “What are you talking about you ingrate?!” Master Woods burst out, like someone who had had enough of the banter. “You bunch of ungrateful idiots, especially you, Archer, I picked you up from the gutter and brushed off your specks of dirt, but here you are trying to destroy what I have spent years building?”“No!” Archer objected, his voice risingwith an
Everyone's heart raced with anticipation and curiosity. Wide eyes followed him as he pranced around the room, about to say something he was less than confident about. He had seen it in a vision, more like a dream, but what if it was just his imagination? What if he was so desperate to find the connection between Mr Mathew and Master Woods that he began to imagine and invoke unbelievable thoughts?Then again, he believed in the supernatural, after all, his father was a curator of the supernatural. He was confident in the gifts that had unlocked within him, yet he found himself doubting the very essence of the dream he had."You were so confident about the Master's atrocities a minute ago, but now your tongue is tied and you can't prove it." Li sneered.Archer paused and turned to face him. "Li, what's the one thing that can keep our Master from becoming an Arhat?"Master Woods leaned forward, putting a hand on Li, "Don't answer that," he urged.Li turned to the Master with mischief
Chapter 150Archer's voice resounded with conviction and no empathy. Master Woods squinted his eyes, gazing at him pensively.The room held its breath, both Mercy and Celestine were speechless, unaware if Archer was speaking in truth or if this was his way of coercing the truth from Master Woods.Tangie rose from her seat, disturbed by the tension of the room and needing some comfort, she walked over to Mariah. "I don't feel too good about this," She whispered. "Me neither," Mariah responded, her gaze flickering from Master Woods to Archer."Could you excuse us?" Master Woods finally spoke, breaking the silence.Everyone turned, exchanging confused glances at each other. "Everyone leave!" He bellowed angrily."Everyone here is my family, Master, and they will stay. I don't think there's anything to hide." Archer interjected, his voice laced with vigor.Master Woods chuckled wryly, "Archer, son, you cannot be greater than your master." "Sir," Archer returned, "I do not aspire to be
Chapter 149As he grunted in pain, he struggled to keep himself composed. To fight his enemy with his head high, he needed to wipe his tears and stand strong. But how could he fight against the one person he had trusted? Despite the truth of his betrayal, his heart yearned for him to tell him that it was all a lie. Tired and weak, Archer strolled over to the study desk, longing for something to lay his weight on.It was barely midday, yet he could feel his body giving out. Maybe it was the lack of rest, maybe it was the heaviness in his heart, but just as he settled on that desk. He caught his eyes closing against his will, completely oblivious to the faint footfalls outside the door. Celestine had been pacing up and through the hallway, unable to go in or walk away. His heart raced with empathy, he wondered what he could do to help his friend, without any answers coming to mind. As he stood there, glancing at his wristwatch repeatedly, approaching footsteps echoed in the distance,