Unsheathed Heir

Chapter five

The morning sun streamed through the window to the bed. Joshua groaned and stretched his body like he hadn't done for the last few days.

He reached for his phone beside him, that is where he usually left it but couldn't find it, only to realize he connected it yesterday.

"Oh no, it's after eight. What happened?" On the norm, he never sleeps this late, not when he would hear a loud thud on the door from Mrs Bridget Mason waking him up very early.

He wrapped his towel around his waist, he had such a built body and his abs were sexy. He had girls flocking all over him if he was to go to a brothel or the beach, even when he had nothing, they still tripped over him.

At the diner, they were all seated for breakfast. Trisha along with the mother-in-law was shoving the sausage in their mouth. 

Pamela mouthed. She intended to break the news that Joshua would no longer be babysitting his mother again, just then he walked in and there was a glare that set the room to a lousy thunder.

"Mum, I want to make an announcement."

"Go on, I think it's going to be in your favour, what is the essence of having a good-looking and yet unestablished husband? Are you going to divorce him? If not that! I'm not interested." She quickly snapped and Pamela rolled her eyes.

 Even when she had little hope in her husband, she had never thought of considering a divorce, but the pressure on her recently was driving her nuts.

"I never expected you to stoop so low Joshua." Diving her fork into the food at her front, Trisha shot in.

Joshua, stunned at her word, was silent and the same goes for Pamela who was playing with the clumps of pasta with the fork.

"Can we just stop all this and eat? We're in the middle of breakfast unless you don't want us to have a bite."

"Sure you can have a bite, I'm not stopping you, they say the truth hurts." Mrs Bridget Mason supported, rolling her eyes towards Joshua.

"You always say that like a mantra."

"If you don't mind I would be stepping out." Joshua quickly snapped.

"No. Where are you going? You haven't done the laundry or cleaned the house yet. We can't feed you and still do that!"

"The maid would take care of that and Joshua here is coming with me."

'Wait has he bewitched you? You took his side. It's very unusual or you're telling me you had…" She held her hand to her mouth disgusted. 

"I'm not taking anyone's side, Trisha. Joshua would no longer be free, I put in some words and he would start working at the museum."

"That is illicit! You want the family to be a mocking mirror."

"What do you suggest then?" Pamela asked her mother, bellowing as she tugged her hand into her bag.

"Does your father know about this?" She questioned, her fury met an abrupt end, and her throat almost choked up from the spices.

"Of course, it's Mr Clark's museum, besides he won't have to be far from the estate, it's down Marpole." She leaned into the seat. "I guess he will make an impact."

Joshua was observing, he wanted his wife to be happy, if not he never liked the fake museum Mr Clark owned to talk more about working there, not that he had no idea—not dumb.

 Under Mr Clark? That man has a poisonous mouth that is more deadly than venom.

She rode through the road, it could have been a perfect couple ride. Just then a text chimed in;

Mr Simon Stark: Son, let's meet up.

Exhausted from the long hectic day Joshua fell asleep with the card in his hand.

He looked ahead and saw the museum close by, it doesn't look like if he gets the work he would start working today. 

He alighted at the front of the museum without saying a word and he silently walked. Behind him was a woman dressed in a red stunning gown that showcased her alluring body in a smooth gown.

"Who is this sluggish guy? Get out of my way, trash!" 

The people present watched in awe, as their eyes drifted toward him.

"That's Harley, she is such a bitch, if you wanna survive here, don't get on her bad side." The other worker whispered in his ears. He knew the woman, she was one time at a conference meeting with him, he had helped her carry out some jotting; his rare face and eyes could not easily be forgotten even though he had grown stubbles.

"Excuse me, do you recognize this face?"

She stared at the records in her hand, without raising an eyebrow." She ignored him like a piece of trash. How lowly.

"I sure recognise you. Mr Mason recommended you and let me be straight because you're his son-in-law, doesn't mean I would give you any preferential treatment, you obey me and do things accordingly, I heard how lazy you've been, I don't tolerate such indiscipline. That is if you don't want to be fucked." Deafening silence followed. 

Joshua wasn't expecting this. 'They're all the same,' he thought.

"In addition, you should be careful not to provoke customers!"

"Yes, Ma'am." He affirmed. Harley was unaware of who he was, he stuttered until he went to the desk, or was she feigning to have forgotten this face? His face.

"She is tough and meticulous, that way she has kept this place running," Victoria said, smiling seductively.

"Now get to work!"

"Now?"

"She made it clear! " I don't tolerate indiscipline." So you start now!"

Joshua kept glancing at his wristwatch, he was supposed to be with Mr Stark, but the walk-in clients and their tours kept disrupting him.

"Hey, you sure ain't as lazy as they said," Victoria grilled as she passed him.

"Excuse me, sir, where is the restroom?" He looked down. He pointed his finger to the corner by his right, smiling at the boy.

 The boy busted into a loud cry, Joshua surprised by the charade stood staring at the boy in awe.

The father came rushing and snatched him by the collar; his eyes had already turned red.

"What did you do to my boy?" He asked furiously.

"Nothing, he asked for directions and—" before he could finish, the man fist-slapped Joshua in the face and dropped to the ground by the unexpected blow, and he coughed out the crimson as he had bitten the inside of his mouth.

"Watch it, peasant!"

He spat, Just then the assistant manager came and interrupted.

"I'm very sorry sir, he is a new intern, we will take disciplinary action." He bowed his head and the man let out an annoying scoff.

"Better take care of your workers before I get back at you. What a lowly pig to make my precious son cry." He dragged his son to his chest, the respect he got shows he was in the first army.

"Are you okay?" He squatted beside his son whose eyes were filled with tears and he rolled out his tongue at Joshua. Joshua's eyes dilated, so he was playing pranks with him.

"Rack sheet! if you can't work here, better get your arse out before you spoil our show." The assistant manager said as he hit his leg at him.

Everybody giggled and Joshua held his face to the ground leaning on his elbow. He cleaned his mouth with the small hankie Victoria handed her.

She was no exception to the mocking but, there was a slight trace of humanity in her, 

"They are harsh and you must be humble. Always looking for a loophole." She said softly with a grin on her face. "Talking out of the experience."

"Thank you." Joshua breathed out. He got up, although stuttering as if wanting to swoon. He made his dash towards the exit. Her gaze lingered and laughed, holding her hands to her mouth.

"What a handsome, useless man." At least he was handsome enough to have gotten compassion from her.

Victoria rubbed her raven hair as she returned to her post and glanced through.

He hopped into the taxi with the instructions of the place he was going. It was in Cobblestone and he happened to have been there during one or two of his sightseeing and visits with his clients in the previous years when he was an independent rich man.

"Hornwort resort." He called out and the Uber driver peeled his eyes through the rearview mirror, observing his cheap clothes and his distorted face, 

"Are you sure, sir?" He questioned.

Hornwort was a resort for the rich, not just the rich but the elite. It was like a mini paradise on earth, filled with the fresh sound of running spring water, birds twittering and a lot of wonders. It could be called one of the seven wonders of the world and even if you go there with the least twenty million dollars, you're most likely to come back empty-handed, considering the extravagance there.

"Yes…" he groaned as he held the hankie to his nose that we were guzzling from the fist that landed on it, 

"I hope I don't crack a bone." He muttered silently.

At the front of the gate, the taxi dropped him off.

 He was about to go in when she saw a man ascending towards him.

It was a member of the Blaze family, they used to come here twice a week to meet entrepreneurs and investors, 

"I was having a gut I would meet something odd today. Here is the rich son-in-law." He teased.

"Joshua, are you sure you're not here to beg?" The other guy slurred, bringing out his phone.

"I think we should tell Mr Mason about this and how he is planning on humiliating their family reputation by begging at Hornwort."

"You're right if he learns about it. He would be furious, come to think of it, he had always been on the good side of the Starks, losing his supreme identity to this good for nothing can be demeaning."

"Well, that has nothing to do with you, I'm here to borrow money, so what?" Joshua countered.

"No one would lend it to you, you're just useless, even if you get it, you can't even start up a business, once a beggar forever remains a beggar, pig." 

"Yes… you're right, but I still need to borrow, what is the difference between us, you're here to get recognition, not because your construction company is the best, but because you are trying so hard to rise, I heard your family owe the Stark a lifelong debt," he shook his head while smacking his lips. "At least I'm not in debt, so let me borrow and live my carefree life, the thing you should worry about is how to amble in your endless IOU."

He walked past them. His word hooked in the throat, and Destiny adjusted his tie to let him breathe.

 That wasn't enough, had there been no CCTV surveillance or security nearby he would have punched Joshua right there and then.

"Did you just hear that?" He said to his partner.

"He has got some balls. And I would show him his place as a lowly nobody." He fumed as he moved towards the gate.

 By now Joshua was already inside and was welcomed by one of the security guards guarding the secret chamber of Mr Stark.

"I thought you weren't going to come," He expressed a heart-mending smile while pointing to the flat seat beside him. "Come and sit with me son." Mr Stark said. 

He was surprised, even the lowly Mason wouldn't have let him come close like this, considering his pennyworth condiment.

"Mr Stark, I'm sorry for the delay—" 

"Come on, you're already family. Call me father, you don't know how I have longed for those six letters." He said teasingly and Joshua let out a smirk, his smile almost similar to Mr Stark's, there was no way he could have believed he was an heir to this supreme real estate tycoon, not even an angel would tell him and he would believe.

He asked for his assistance to bring forth the documents in the briefcase, 

"Eh mm, before we start, I believe you're making use of your premium card." 

"Not yet, I don't even know how to say this but it's strange."

Mr Stark let out a rich man chuckle rubbing his belly.

"Don't worry, it is all yours, the company, everything and even this resort, you will get used to it."

"Here, read the terms, I want you to be acquainted with everything relating to my business and know the terms for management. You see Miss Laura here, she has helped greatly, she knows the ins and outs of the company like the back of her left hand, so it won't be hard on you again." He let out a chuckle.

Joshua thought aloud. Could this help him? Must he tell this old man that he can't necessarily run a business?

"I have something to tell you before we begin." 

He cleared his throat, he might not hit the jackpot again and the man might have an indifferent view towards him, but the earlier the better, he sighed.

"If it is about the suit on you, don't worry it is all cleared, the charges and the embargo, in a week the lawyer will come to you and don't worry no one will dare slander a Stark." He said.

Joshua's mouth was left agape, was this man for real? Even in his wildest dream he never thought of something prolific like this, could today be his birthday no-no could it be Christmas?

I'm not cursed!

I'm blessed!

"One more thing," he breathed deeply, fiddling with the documents.

"Feel free son," he said as he poured red wine into the tumblers.

"Because the charges haven't been officially lifted yet and the family barely know of my existence as the heir, and to study more I wouldn't want to complicate things, I would like to lay low, while Miss Laura here helps me with all the affairs."

"Is that okay by you?" Mr Stark asked, his face glaring into Joshua. "You took after me a lot, calculating and intelligent, we shall go by that, and anything discussed here will remain between the four of us until you feel free to officially come home. Meanwhile, the affairs of the company are secretly bestowed on you, son."