Settled at the dining table, Mariah had prepared a feast in celebration of Tangie’s return and pregnancy.As taught at Utah Culinary Arts Institute, an excess of delightful dishes lay on the table in silver wares with vibrant garnishing.The main course, a succulent roasted leg of lamb, adorned with rosemary and garlic took the center of the table. Scattered around the table, a full plate of buttery mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and honey-glazed carrots were placed before everyone present.Tangie was amazed at the beauty and the effort Mariah had put into the feast, it was nothing short of a banquet. The aroma of freshly cooked meals wafted through the room, engulfing her like a hug. Perhaps it wasn’t just the food that buttered her heart, perhaps it was the perfect picture of her dad and her husband sitting on the same dining table with her sweet friend, Mariah.Moments like this were all that mattered to her. As her eyes flickered from face to face, Tangie wondered if he was a
Mr Mathew’s lips parted in slight halves while Celestine watched in awe, a sly smirk danced across his face as he acknowledged his move.“Good call,” he chimed, his voice dripping with excitement.“If you’re interested in remaining CEO,” Archer continued, “then I have one sole condition, transfer your shares to Tangie. I’ve already accumulated some shares in her name, whatever you add to her will make her the highest shareholder in the company, hence she can return to work if she wants because basically, she will be the President, according to the rules of the company.”Archer’s voice boomed, lingering in the air as the room went hushed with silence and heavy with anticipation of Mr Mathew’s reply.“Woah” Mr Mathew exhaled, his mind unable to process the fact that Archer was actually rich enough to buy a crumbling seven-figure company. Mr. Mathew nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Alright, but…” “If I hand down all my shares to my daughter, then I have no authority on any seat exc
“What does this mean for us?” Tangie exclaimed, her brows furrowing with concern. “Are you saying that, Big Dot could be any of the Sullivans?”Archer nodded solemnly, “Big Dot could be someone within the Sullivan family or someone married into the Sullivan lineage.” “Like Augustine...” Mr Mathew interjected, his eyes narrowing in thought.“It’s…. well,” he paused, carefully considering his words.“Sir Augustine Dennis, the lord of Leeds, a speaker in the White House married to a Sullivan,”“Aunt May.” Tangie concurred, “it’s a possibility we can’t overlook,”Tangie glanced at Archer, her mind racing with thoughts, “Both Aunt May and Sir Augustine were in the Government and they pretty much do the selections of lords to government.”Unraveling these hidden facts was thrilling as it was scary to her. She’d hate to the idea that her great-aunt was trying to kill her husband.“How much information can gather on these couple?” Archer asked, hoping Mr Mathew would have some insights. “
Game changer, the word that best described the situation Archer found himself.Archer exhaled a deep, long breath. His hands shaky from inexplicable fear.He was going to take Doctor Mason to his home, but as earlier stated, finding a note addressed to him, a note that demanded that he be taken to his home, that changed his plans. He felt like he played into their hands.As they raced through the streets, Archer looked behind him again and again, making certain that he was not being followed.Suddenly, just as they were about to take a left turn to his house, Archer bolted from the back of the ambulance to the driver’s seat.He would not play into their hands.He would not take Doctor Mason to his home. He didn’t know why his address was found in his pocket but, it was sure alarming.“Take a right,” Archer demanded, his identity well-covered by a nose mask.“A right?” The paramedic-driver repeated, “he doesn’t have much time, he needs to be treated.”“Then instead of this address, le
Archer’s mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle of this stranger’s identity. The stranger’s calm demeanor only fueled Archer’s frustration, leaving him in a state of constant unease and assumptions. Desperate for the truth, yet continuously clueless.“Could he just be a member of Libra Group? Or perhaps he was just someone with a personal interest in Doctor Mason.” He wondered.As he stared into the stranger’s eyes, searching for a hint without any success, Archer sighed and turned away.“If you’ve harmed Doctor Mason, you’ll pay for it.” Archer declared as he made his way to the door.The corners of the stranger’s lips widened in a mischievous smirk.“Bold of you to assume you’re invincible and everyone is conquerable.”Archer paused, catching his breath before turning to him, an expression of disinterest etched on his face.“I don’t think invincible, Sir. I just don’t support harming people.”Lebanon scoffed, his wry chuckle, a scornful gesture at Archer’s words.“Did you
Archer stood calmly, studying the mannerisms of the man before him.His wide eyes held hints of urgency, and suppressed desperation.Undeniably the revelation that Big Dot wielded was an alarming news that only confirmed his suspicions about the news tailored for TV.He underestimated him until now. He understood that Big Dot was one step ahead of him, and any more slip-up would lead to a disaster. He needed to act fast and quickly. While he needed allies in this fight, he really did not like the idea of relying on someone whose purpose wasn’t clear.“Lebanon,” Archer spoke, breaking the silence between them, “what exactly do you need from me? How valuable is this information about Big Dot?”Lebanon’s gaze hardened, his expression solemn.“President Williams, the information is not good enough to cripple him, but I promise it can slow down his movements.”That was all Archer needed, to slow him down… then he’d figure the rest.“What’s the other answer?” He asked.“I will give you the
The night of the Poseidon in the city of Utah was otherwise known as the night of sin. Not that the Government actually cared about the number of atrocities committed in the city that night, but due to how bad it made the government look, the day was declared a lockdown.“But this year’s Poseidon night is different.” Celestine chimed, his eyes flaring in a frenzy. “After three years of nothing but successful shutdown of the Poseidon night, the government announced this year’s Poseidon night for the first time in three years.”Archer shot to his feet, swiping his eyes across the watch on his wrist.“Celestine, I can’t process any more information.” He mumbled, his eyes holding the depth of his tiredness. Without waiting for their approval, Archer made his way out of the dining room, slowly trudging upstairs.Archer’s mind was crowded with thoughts, despite his eyes heavy with sleep.The pieces of the puzzle were scattered around without any clear direction.If the many questions on h
Maverick’s heart thumped against his chest, his hands trembling slightly as he signed the petition before him. After his meeting with Big Dot, the officers in charge put a mask on his face, dragging him out of the interrogation chamber to into the back of a prison van.He had not even agreed to Big Dot’s before he was dragged away.“Who are you?” Maverick demanded the moment the mask was unveiled from his face.“You have been freed… well, only for a few days.”“What, what do you mean?!” Maverick asked, glaring at the officers.“Here…” they said, handing a burner phone to him.“Just do as you’re told. Only do as you’re told,” They repeated, their voices firm with the instruction. Without any more information, the van came to a stop and Maverick was shoved out of the vehicle.—————————Archer woke up late the next day, his body was weak from overworking, his head throbbed painfully, demanding to be taken care of.Reluctantly, Archer stepped out of bed, making his way to the bathroom.
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,