The book on Cheryl's hand fell to the floor, her eyes flickered between Blake and Mr. Martin while Blake stood there with a confused expression.
“I am just an acting CEO, how dare you talk to a member of the Richardson family in that manner? The overall owner and CEO of Gold Corp?” Mr. Martin voiced.
The commotion drew the attention of other workers who were as shocked as both Cheryl and Blake himself.
Blake is the real owner of Gold Corp and a member of the Richardson family, the most powerful family in the world. They could make anyone disappear in seconds and they won't be reprimanded for it.
It was rumored that the real owner of Gold Corp had been away for years, the whole world knew he was going to come back but Cheryl didn't know he would come back looking like this.
How could she not have known? Cheryl's shoulders slumped in defeat, right there in front of everyone, she dropped to her knees in front of Blake.
“I am sorry Sir, please have mercy on me. I had no idea who you are but I have gravely insulted you, please forgive me” she implored.
Blake stared at her, he was too stupefied by everything that just happened. “You are fired, Cheryl. Take her out of this premises” Mr. Martin dictated to the securities.
Standing in front of Blake, he pointed in the direction of the elevator. “This way, Sir” everyone paved the way for them to pass.
Once in the office, Mr. Martin closed the door behind him, offering his seat to Blake who casually sat on the sofa trying to process everything.
What his mother stated was true but how is he the owner of Gold Corp? He is someone who has never had any affiliation with conglomerates.
How did he rise to the top? There were so many questions navigating through his mind.
“I apologize on behalf of that employee, she was ignorant” Mr. Martin beseeched. Blake waved that aside, choosing not to answer.
“I know you have a lot of questions to ask, I will ask my assistant to cancel all my schedules for today. We can go somewhere else and talk” the middle-aged man suggested.
Again, Blake shook his head. As much as he wants to know who he is because at this point, he doesn't know himself anymore, he has something important to do.
“Can we schedule a meeting for another day? Right now, I am in need of money for my sister's surgery. The only thing I have with me is this” he spoke, touching the necklace around his neck.
Mr. Martin recalled the necklace, it was handmade by his Lord years ago. Although it is in demand, no one except Blake owns this same necklace, not even the rest of the Richardson.
“You can't sell it” Mr. Martin sauntered towards his desk, he picked a black card and passed it to Blake.
“This card is now yours, the amount in it is unlimited. You can use it to get anything you want for now” Blake's eyes lit up in gratification.
Everything doesn't look real to him but if he can pay the bills in the hospital, that's enough for him. He thought of the possibility of the card being fake but he died the belief instantly.
There is no way a reputable person like Mr. Martin will hand him something like that, right?
“You can call me anytime you are ready to know more about yourself and of course, your position is vacant too, I will start making preparations at your demand”
Blake moved his head with vigor, signaling disagreement. “I just want to take care of my sister for now, thank you for this” Blake didn't wait to get a reaction from him, he strolled out of the office.
Right after he left, Mr. Martin dialed a number. “Follow him and find out the hospital where young miss is being admitted, send enough guards to secretly guard her ward. She will be the first person they will go after”
*******************************
Blake arrived at the hospital, he went candidly to the admission desk for the payment. “Welcome back Sir, is there anything you want me to help you with?” the nurse polled.
“I am here to process the payment for my sister's surgery” he spoke, a little too confident as he stretched out the black card to her.
Her eyes widened the moment it landed on the card, anyone would recognize it without being lectured. This black card is only owned by the Richardsons, it has never been issued to any family aside from them.
If they are from such a prestigious family, why did he hesitate to pay for the bills? Was he thinking of transferring his sister to a better hospital?
Her eyes met with his and she hastily looked away. “I will process the payment and inform the doctor to schedule a date for her operation, sir” she spoke in a softer tone, scared she would end up getting a member of the Richardsons angry.
Without wasting time, she imputed the amount and slid the card on the machine then handed it back to him. “I will bring the receipt to you, sir,” she volunteered.
Blake nodded his head with a small smile on his face, heading to Emma's ward. He was beginning to believe everything, the black card was real, and his mother was right.
He is no longer the taunted and useless son-in-law anymore, he is the owner of the biggest company in the world with enormous wealth and power under his feet even though he doesn't know how he became one.
Just as he was about to step into the ward, he heard his name being yelled, chaperoned by the sound of claps.
Turning around, he saw his wife, Maria walking up to him. “And here comes my beloved husband” she emitted in mockery.
“What are you doing here?” Blake queried with a raised eyebrow. It's been months since Emma was admitted, and no one from his wife's family ever visited her. Not even Maria herself.
She must have a motive to be here. “Why else? To see how my sister-in-law is fairing of course” she enunciated.
Blake scoffed, he knew better than anyone else the kind of person she was. “Right, I also came with the money for her surgery. What can you do without me?” she probed, overly boastful.
Maria took a few more steps closer to him, leaving inches of space between them.
“Well, on the condition that we get a divorce. Being married to you is such great work, you are not half as good as my boyfriend” she smudged.
Blake's body stiffened, frozen in disbelief. A mix of emotions flooded him, evident in the trembling of his hands and the shallow breaths escaping his lips.
Uncertain of the rationale, from either the reality that his wife blatantly requested a divorce or just finding out that she has been cheating on him.
He knew their marriage was not all rosy but he never predicted to be cheated on. “Boyfriend?” Blake repeated.
With a sneer curling her lips, she unleashed a scornful laugh that echoed through the walls, each mocking sound like a cruel echo of superiority, leaving no doubt of her contemptuous revulsion for Blake.
“Were you expecting me to stay faithful to you? Even the basic act of purchasing a dress for yourself eludes your capability” she flared up.
“I only got married to you because I had no choice, if I had met Jeffery earlier, I wouldn't have anything to do with a nobody like you”
Blake was dumbfounded, his mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he searched for words that refused to come.
His mind raced, but his tongue felt heavy, immobilized by the sheer magnitude of the situation unfolding before him.
Amid the deafening silence, his incredulous gaze spoke volumes, transmitting a whirlwind of feelings that words could never fully capture.
At one point, Blake thought things could turn out to work between them but he was wrong. He has been fooling himself all along!
In the tense silence that followed, his eyes fixed on her with a piercing intensity, anger smoldering beneath the surface.
Each second seemed to stretch as his gaze bore into her, conveying his frustration and bitterness without a word spoken, his hand clumped into a fist.
“If you must know, I am referring to Jeffery Wilson from the Wilson family and also the most famous surgical doctor in the whole of the city. You can't be compared to the smallest of his toenails” Maria gloated.
The Wilson family is one of the richest families in the city. Maria is already from a rich home, so why can't she be content? She wants to divorce Blake to be with him.
What will be her reaction if she finds out that Blake is not only from the most powerful and wealthiest family in New York but also the CEO of the biggest gold-producing company in the world?
“What do you say? Will you choose to let your sister die? My condition is simple. You are no longer needed in my life by the way” Maria declared firmly.She is desperately begging him for a divorce, right? Then he will fulfill her desire.“Since you want to get rid of me so bad, I agree to the divorce but I do not —” “You've made the right choice there, you are not as idiotic as I thought you were. Here is a cheque of 6 million dollars, take it as me paying you off for your one year of joblessness” she interrupted before he could complete his statement. She brought out a written cheque from her bag and threw it at him. “You don't need to pay back, we will get the divorce as soon as possible” she summed upRight as she was about to turn to leave, the nurse strode towards them.“Here is your payment receipt, sir. And congratulations, the doctor has scheduled tomorrow morning for Miss Richardson’s surgery” she announced with a wide smile on her face. From the very moment she learned a
Jeffery's men pounced on Blake, they slapped and booted him to the floor. Blood spewed out of his mouth after several punches. While trying to escape from them, Blake ended up hitting his head on the wall, causing him to wince in unexpected pain. He didn't say he would not get a divorce, how do they expect him to leave his sister alone in the hospital when he is the only family she has? Particularly during an integral period of her life. “Tomorrow, we will get the divorce tomorrow” he enunciated. As he spoke, his voice emerged as a mere whisper, fragile and strained, barely audible. Each word was accompanied by a tremor, a subtle quiver betraying the depth of his uncertainty and vulnerability. Maria's laughter spurted with a hint of derision in her voice. “Useless people like you love their lives too?” she mocked. “There is no need to stain our hands with his polluted blood that screams nothing but poverty since he has agreed to the divorce happening tomorrow” Mrs. Jones interc
Blake's eyes followed her every move as she spoke. He couldn't comprehend anything from her statement earlier. “Who are you?” he inquired, trying to hold the roadside seat for support. The stress he went through during the day was starting to take effect on his body as he wobbled.The lady ambled a bit closer, taking in Blake's formation. “You don't look okay, we can talk after I get you treated. Please come with me” she indicated. Blake creased his brows, his gaze became intense as he took a few steps back. Maria and Jeffery must be playing a stunt on him. This might be a plan to exterminate him and flinghis body into the ocean. That way, no one will ever find out of his whereabouts. With his hand on his hurting stomach, Blake raised his head the second he heard a light chuckle from the mysterious woman. She dipped her hand into her bag, bringing out her business card. “I am glad I brought this, it looks like you have a little trust issue” she beamed, handing the card to him.
Blake grasped his head from the sudden migraine that hit him. With the support of Mr. Martin, he was accompanied to the VIP ward where Emma will be transmitted to.Miss Hannah's assertion kept tolling in his head till they got to the ward. “Was? What do you mean by that?” he queried. Miss Hannah sat beside him with a small sigh, she traded glances with Mr. Martin who nodded his head as a go-ahead. They are not just here because of Emma but also for another reason they haven't had the prospect to talk with Blake about it.“Your Mother was married to Gerald, my late elder brother and the founder of Gold Corp but she vanished with you and your sister after his death”She halted to take in Blake's retort, surprisingly, he didn't say or do anything. “You were only ten years old then” she added, pausing for the second time to give room for Blake to talk and his next question took them off guard. “Why? Why did she leave?” he asked. Miss Hannah coughed, trying to avoid his searing gaze.
Blake walked into his sister's ward with a fervent smile on his face, he was coming back from the doctor's office and the astronomical amount needed for her surgery left him in a comprehensive mess. He won't be able to generate five million dollars with the kind of work he does, even if he is to save for two years. “How are you feeling, Emma?” he asked, sitting down at the perimeter of the bed. “Am I going to die? I find it laborious to inhale and exhale, I can't feel myself, Blake” Emma wailed. She has been suffering from leukemia for the past year. Instead of getting better, it keeps getting worse due to the lack of proper treatment. She feels out of breath because of anemia too.Blake looked away, he dabbed the tears that dropped on his face before his sister could catch a glimpse of him crying. Taking her hands into his, he stared at her in distress and determination. “You are not going to die, Emma. I won't let you die” he pledged. He vows to do whatever it takes to get the
Blake kept the paper aside and emitted into a disbelieving laughter. He was amused, astonished, and skeptical.His mother's dementia must have chipped in for her to think that they are wealthy. She didn't think of writing a small company's name but Gold Corp, the best in the world? What a parody! How is he the owner of such a company? If anything, they have been feeding from hand to mouth since their mother was alive, she was prominently not from a wealthy family either. He picked up the glistening gold-plated necklace. It looked new and shiny as though it was made today, Blake scrutinized it, he needn't be told that it cost a lot. With the necklace in his hand, he speculated the likelihood of what was written there being true, although he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge that. Blake picked up the paper and neatly tucked it in his pocket, there was a number on it. It might come in handy for him. He walked to the mirror and wore the necklace on his neck, walking out of the ro