2025-01-25 16:13:38
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The legacy of the supreme ruler The visit
The sizzling sound of the beer opening momentarily blocked the hum of the engine. He swallowed, wiping his lips with the back of his hand before he spoke.“Douglas, do you have the guns?”Douglas nodded, his hand sporting weed and the other squeezing a can of already consumed beer. He grinned, billowing smoke into the air.“They're here.”He opened the bag he had brought with him, revealing about three to four revolvers. There was only one rifle in the bag, and Richard eyed it, struggling to keep his eyes on the road entirely.“I would love to hold the AK-47. Slam a few rounds into those fat bastards who call themselves security guards.”Hal chuckled. He looked out of the window, his hand holding up his beer.“You can't risk that, remember? Any gunshots and the countryside will call the sheriff. We don't want that. And you can never tell with these people. They own guns as well. I don't want to be shot at.”Douglas said, crushing the weed beneath the sole of his boots. Richard nodded,
The legacy of the supreme ruler Robbery at the ranch
“Cat got your tongue, Natalie?”Aurora asked,an eyebrow raised. She knew her best friend. She hardly saw a handsome man and let him go. She hoped that for now, she would gain some self respect, even though in Natalie's case, it never seemed to exist.“Well, maybe not a cat. I never expected you, girl. Maybe I did, but not until evening. How are you? And how is work? Who's the prince charming behind you?”Aurora glanced at Lutenant, who smiled knowingly. She didn't know what was going through his mind, but she knew that after telling him why Natalie was in the hospital in the first place, and hearing how she had referred to him, he had put two and two together.She rolled her eyes at Natalie as she decided to do the introductions.“Natalie, this is Lutenant James, my boss. Lut, Natalie, my best friend. The headstrong Natalie which you've heard about already.”Lut walked forward, and took Natalie's hand casually. While Natalie tried so hard to make an impression by trying to sit up even
The legacy of the supreme ruler The horse rustler
Without being told, Douglas swung into action, his fist flying onto the old man's face, rendering him unconscious.The next events were swift.The two men were securely tied up, and their mouths were gagged.As was the plan, Richard didn't utter a single word because he was afraid that the security guards might know it was his voice. So, armed with a mask on his face, he gestured to Hal to take over while Douglas followed him.It was showtime. *Ariel woke up, startled.She missed Richard so much that she had fallen asleep next to the window while she imagined the happily ever after married life they were going to lead.How was it possible that she missed him so much even though he said he was going to be back the next day?She didn't know why, but she hoped that the love they shared would always wax stronger.She left the window, heading for the bed. There, she retrieved her phone and the laptop that had been on the bed, placing it on the bedside table. She scratched her neck tired
The legacy of the supreme ruler Panic
What was she doing, being up at such odd hours?“What in heaven's name is going on? Why is she screaming?”Douglas asked, straining to control Daisy as she almost spiraled out of control in his hands because of the ensuring confusion.Stopping Midnight, Richard unslung the AK-47 rifle that had been on his shoulder all this while.Aiming for the window where the screaming was coming from, he shut his right eye as he took aim.The gun exploded four times, rattling the silence of the night and making the horses neigh even loudly.“Come on, atta girl. Let's go!”There was no time to waste anymore. He only hoped that he hadn't shot Ariel. She was his ticket to the life he had always dreamt of. Without her in the picture, that dream disappeared into thin air.In minutes,they were at the gate.Hal stared at them, frowning.“What took you guys so long? And I thought we said no gunshots?”Without caring to reply, Richard gestured to the door. The three men left the Johnson's ranch house, their
The legacy of the supreme ruler Stolen merchandise
Natalie said something, but Lut didn't hear it because they were already out of earshot, heading towards the exit of the hospital.“I've never seen such an unbalanced friendship in my life. You and Natalie. You're very different. Two women, you don't think alike, you don't even act alike. How then did you become friends?”Aurora smiled, then shrugged.“Opposites attract?”Before he had a chance to agree to her answer, his phone rang. Staring at the caller, he found himself wondering if he wanted to answer the call. It was his father.“I need to take this. You can wait in the car.”While she nodded, collecting the key from his hands and doing as he had told her, he picked the call.“Hello, dad?”“Hello Lut. Good evening from Washington DC. Is it evening there yet?”Lutenant forced a smile. He wasn't happy Accountwith his father's persistence for him to go back to school, but he knew that the old man only wanted what was good for him.“No, it isn't, dad. Barely three o'clock here. How
The legacy of the supreme ruler The sale
Before he had the chance to brandish it, Douglas had stepped in between the two men, a frown on his face.“Come on, guys. Why act as newbies? The earlier we sell these horses, the faster we get out of here. Instead of getting worked up over price, why not negotiate till we land on something reasonable, huh?”Richard swallowed hard, his hand leaving his waistband.“Seven, last and final offer.”“Five.” Garrett muttered under his breath, a smirk on his face.“Oh, come on!”Richard muttered, irritated, “This can't be the only horse buyer in this region. You've got to be kidding me!”Garrett grinned, his fingers caressing his mustache which to Richard, was an annoying fake. He was getting increasingly irritated by the man and his outrageously low prices.He would have agreed to something lower, but the fact that he had stolen from his soon to be father in-law and the amount of risk he had taken to achieve such a feat, to him, couldn't be downplayed, no matter what.“I might not be the only
The legacy of the supreme ruler Aftermath
“Not really, but I guess you can come with me. I could use the company.”She wanted to chip in “so why did you let me get out of the car in the first place?” but decided to keep her thoughts to herself as an afterthought. His mood was still sour, and she didn't want to make it worse.She opened the car, entering inside.She watched him change gears, then move the car out of the sidewalk. She desperately wanted to squeeze his hand and hear him talk about his troubles, but she also knew that she didn't want to rush him into telling her.She wanted him to do that of her own accord.“Your seatbelt, Aurora, we're nearing the highway.”*“Armed robbers broke into the house yesterday. Stole Midnight and Daisy.”She couldn't keep the news to herself as soon as she saw him.Holding a cup of coffee and a plate filled with pancakes she hoped he wouldn't refuse, she wanted nothing more than to tell him about everything that had transpired the previous night.“What?”She smiled at the shock on his
The legacy of the supreme ruler Turning point
“The countryside air is different. And I have to admit, I've wanted this for a long time. We'll go back in a week, when my vacation is over. I've needed rest away from all the chaos in the city.”“Well, I miss the chaos in the city…”“I’m sorry this happened, sir. I desperately wish I was here to help.” Richard said, interrupting her without batting an eyelid.“It's okay, boy. You would've only gotten yourself hurt. I'm making my plans though. My horses won't go away just like that. I know some men, gifted in solving cases like these. I'll have a meeting with them this afternoon. My horses might be gone, but those robbers will be properly dealt with.”Richard nodded, smiling. “Totally agree, sir. Can I come to this meeting with you?”She watched her father brush him off with a wave of his hand.“No son. Enjoy the countryside. Enjoy the beach, I'm guessing you've not been there yet. Take Ariel with you, have a good time. Leave the investigation of these bastards to me, huh?”Nodding,
Latest Chapter
Accept or decline
“I'm acting as your father's sales representative. We're finding potential buyers for the company, meeting with them. So far, we've received good offers, but your father holds the key. Only he can decide if he wants to sell or not.”She was looking at his lips so closely that she hadn't heard a word of what he said. Gosh, she had missed him so badly.“What time do I expect you back?”“Going to another party already, huh? You can't go without me this time, I assure you.”She rolled her eyes, punching him playfully across the shoulder.“No. I'll be helping mum to cook today. I think dad has forgotten, but today is their anniversary. He's been busy with everything, and you can't blame him. Mum says she'll love to have the anniversary dinner in the house, a specially prepared meal.”She had said a lot, but in actuality, all she wanted was him in her cold bed before she slept off.“Good. I'll try to convince him to come back early then. Hopefully, this client says something positive.” He s
A kiss
“Well, I'm sorry. I wasn't myself, and I'm certain we both know why.”Ariel's answer wasn't the best because she knew she was at fault, but she didn't care if the man she was about to marry had fought another man for her sake. He had put her in that position. If he had agreed to at least acknowledge her, she wouldn't have thought about going to the party or getting drunk in the first place.She didn't want to tag it his fault, but she felt that way.“Drink your coffee. It'll help you get yourself better.”She eyed him angrily, then sipped the coffee. She had missed him.Even when she had gone to the party, she had found out to her chagrin that she was badly in love with him. They were good-looking men at the party,but she wasn't attracted to any of them.She found herself comparing the men to him, and it was at that moment that she knew that she was far gone. Now, the question was, did he love her as much as she loved him?The question made her pause her drinking for a moment, but she
Something more
“Good morning sir.” Hubert, his driver, greeted him with enthusiasm. He looked as if he had been waiting for him all the while. The car key was already in the ignition, and the man looked ready to peel the car into the road and begin driving at a speed that pleased him, which was Hubert's customary way of driving.Lutenant didn't care much about the way he was going to reach work that day. He preferred Hubert driving him because no matter how fast he drove, he was able to slow down before the police noticed that he was going past the speed limit.It was a fun thing to do.Hopefully, he never got caught because Lut knew how difficult it was getting the police to believe that he hadn't intended to drive past the speed limit.A few minutes later, he was out of the car as it had stopped in the garage of the consortium. Leaving the car, he made his way into the elevator, which took him directly to his office.As soon as he opened the door, he was hit by the strong scent of Aurora's perfum
A befitting welcome
Before Aurora got to work that morning, she was surprised to see the door open a few minutes after she had sent her best friend the text regarding her moving from the hotel back to the house.“Natalie? I didn't expect you so soon.”Her best friend looked as though life with Carl had its perks. She had a bag of groceries from the popular Macmillan store in one hand, and in another was a box of pizza.“I decided to jump in, arrange my things. I'll be going back to Carl's this evening. Did I tell you he is planning to get a place so that we can start life afresh? He's also planning something huge for my birthday. I don't know what it is yet, but I know that he has something planned.”Aurora didn't comment, knowing how difficult her best friend could be most times. Natalie and misinterpretations were a normal occurrence.The last thing she wanted was her best friend quarreling with her over something that was irrelevant.Such as Carl and his inability to stick to one relationship.“Well,
Father-Son brew
“Come on, man, you were dancing with a drunk woman. My fiancé for that matter. I had to do what I had to do.”“Yes, and it's time for us to do what we have to do as well. No-one hits Frederick and gets away.”Just as they were preparing to launch an attack on him, he heard the sliding doors to the warehouse screech open.The next thing he saw was the guard who he had punched outside enter the room, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rifle in his hand.“Where is he? Where is he?”“There! There!”Richard was fast. He had run a lot back in highschool, and he hadn't forgotten how easy it was to forget everything and let his body glide. Back then, he had hated running,but at the moment, he thanked his stars that he possessed such a gift.Grabbing Ariel's hand, he headed for the nearest exit just as the first shot rang out.The result of the gunshot was exactly what he had wished for.Chaos, pandemonium.Using the chaos and the movement of people who were struggling to leave
Midnight rescue
Richard didn't know how to start. He didn't have an invite, he didn't know the owner of the party, and he was only there because he wanted to get his girlfriend, who he was certain was already drunk and take her home.The first man stared at him in irritation, his eyebrow arched.“I'm guessing you didn't hear me earlier, mister. If you don't have an invite, I'm afraid you can't come to the party.”Richard didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind. He pushed the first guard, the frown on his face huge, and began to make his way into the warehouse.The other man stopped him, pushing him backwards.“Are you out of your mind? I'm certain you don't want to get shot at, mister. And the only way to do that is to pick your sorry self and leave this place this instant.”Richard squared up, refusing to admit defeat.“Look, there's someone I need to see there immediately, and if she doesn't come out this minute, her life will be in danger.”The first guard scoffed.
Party’s over
Tapping the table, he grinned at her.“Well, you've got that right. My father talked to me earlier today, and he maintained that he needed my answer considering the list of companies he had given me to look into.”He watched Aurora nod, seemingly interested.“Well, he said Johnson fabrics and co is trying to sell. From my findings, the company is going for five hundred million dollars, and while that's too much, I can see the advantages of the buy. The forecast considering the lifespan of the business isn't good, but with enough work and effort, I believe we can turn it around.”She shrugged, her beer in one hand, one leg crossed over the other. She looked like something out of a picture, as though she wasn't real, but a model in far away Europe.“Well, you sound as if you've already made your choice, Lut.”He rolled his eyes, sipping the vodka slowly now. The vodka was starting to get to him, the bitterness and the tipsy feeling that was settling like a blanket.If he was going to be
Beyond the boardroom
“Well, that brings our outing today to an end. Mr Cleveland is caught up in traffic and sadly won't be able to make it. We'll have to push the meeting to tomorrow.”Richard barely heard a word of what Mr Johnson had said. His mind was focused solely on Ariel, and the fact that she had just ended the call on him without even waiting to hear him out.“Richard?”“Yes sir, I understand. And I've heard you.”“That's besides the point. Will you be available tomorrow? I have a strong feeling that Mr Cleveland is going to be our buyer. Are you busy tomorrow? Classes or anything of that nature?”Richard shook his head in reply.He had a bunch of classes the next day, but he wasn't going to go. First things first, he had to stop joking with the woman who also served as his next source of livelihood. If there was anything he had to do at that moment,it was to make sure that Ariel was okay, and that she wasn't seeing someone else.Seeing someone else would serve as the fatal blow. It would eventu
Fractured bliss
They're starting to lay off the older workers, and I was sorting the good applications and tossing the rest. It's tough work.”She grinned at him.“Well, I'm proud of you. That shows you're not the lazy brat I always thought you to be.”He laughed, and tapping his steering wheel with his thumb, he began to speak again, eyes on the road.“Guess what? Dylan's elder brother has been arrested. He was on his way out of the state when he was caught by police officers. It's not looking too good for them now. With the phone evidence, the attack on you and the hired killers arrested, they've made this an easy case for us without even knowing it.”She nodded, not knowing exactly how to feel.Sometimes, she felt happy because she was certain that she wasn't the only woman who had gone through harassment in that office, but she was also afraid because she didn't want all the unnecessary attention and publicity on her once quiet life.“Well, you'll have to appear in court by next week, Aurora. The
