2023-12-27 13:05:00"This has to be some terrible mistake." She thought, flinging a stale stare towards Austin, who was able to maintain a strange calm around him, getting her spilling over with rage.
Her frown deepened. "I can't believe that you have the guts to accept the manager's acquittal." Rose's voice was like the clap of a lightning bolt.
And before it could get to the mind of anyone in the hall, the air hand was already high up in the air, wanting to throw Austin off balance with a slap.
But before she could achieve her aim, her hands held her up in the air, preventing her from doing anything.
Her eyes made a swift pull towards the one that was holding her hands high up in the air only to notice that it was Ramsey.
Her face filtered with dread, making her to pull off her hands away swiftly but that didn't stop her from trying to explain her point."Have you suddenly gone mad?" Ramsey thundered with so much disgust in his voice as he slapped her across the face, making her almost stumble to the floor.
A sudden gasp re-echoed in the hall. So shocked was everyone that it was difficult for them to believe what lay before their very eyes.
Her breath was heavy and it took her a while before she could make out words as she could still feel the pain vibrating through her body.
"Master Ramsey. I don't know what you have told you but don't believe even a single word of what he says. He is a con man and as someone who has known him for a long time, I can assure you that having anything to do with him will certainly lead to no good.Just take a really good look at him, Master Ramsey. He looks so detestable and no good can come out from him." She continued.
For a while, Ramsey could not make out words to express his utmost shock as he continued pairing at her in disbelief.
Soon, a slap flung towards her again, so hard was its power that he almost flew off to the floor but she was able to maintain her balance in the end.
"You still have the guts to spew trash from that Goddamn mouth of yours?" He snorted, her hands messaging her aching face and not daring to stare into his eyes.
"Do you realize that the person that you are referring to can end your life in just a twink?" He thundered at her, his words sending cold shivers down her spine.
"But." She was about to say but he waved his hands in the air, preventing her from spitting out another word from her mouth.
"Not another word from you. I have heard enough of you saying trash already." He fired with his voice flooded with so much disgust.
"Do you realize that this is the reason that I am where I am today? In this position?" His voice seemed to blow higher with every word that proceeded from his mouth.
Chatters filled the hall at the sound of this.
"Is that true?"
"That means that he must be really powerful. Even more than Mr. Ramsey."
"But who is he?" Gossips went round the ha but there was no satisfactory answer to their questions.
"But how is it possible?" Her words shivered under her lips almost immediately.
Everyone in the room was stunned by the swift turn of events as they could not believe what they were hearing.
"I wonder how powerful he is for Master Ramsey to have such a great respect for him." Another said, the words were laced with so much confusion.At this point, Rose didn't know what to do as she shuddered with fear, knowing that her life was on the line at the moment.
She fell swiftly to the floor, drops of sweat dripping down from the corner of her face. But not because of Austin but for the sake of Ramsey.
Her feet shivered and she could hardly make a statement without shuttering.
"Please forgive me. I did not realize that I was dealing with someone this important to you. I would have treated him with more respect." She pleaded but it only attracted a long hiss from Ramsey.
He could already tell that her apology was not genuine and he turned towards Austin with a swift.
"Why are you apologizing to me? Am I the one you are wrong with?" She shot the words at her
With a strange mute, Austin walked slowly towards staring at her right in the face.
"I don't need her pretense to apologize. But I must remind you that you have lost your bet and it's time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain." He said briefly.
Rose's face turned pale almost immediately as she never imagined in her wildest dream that she would be kneeling before Austin and calling him daddy.
Her eyes skimmed through everyone in the hall, their camera already set to capture the beautiful moments.
Her heart raced and a large lump went down her throat.
"I can't do it." She thought, shaking her head, thinking of the shame and embarrassment it was going to cause her.
"I will never be able to walk around in the city again with my head high up. The air." She muttered under her breath but not loud enough for anyone in the hall to hear a word of what she said.
Austin could already see the vivid hesitation in her eyes as she didn't want to do it.
"Are you going to stoop so low as not to fulfill your promise?" He frowned almost immediately.
"Even when you have this vast crowd before you and someone as prominent as Mr. Ramsey?" He snorted.
Rose's eyes pooped from her eyes socket as she knew now that there was absolutely nothing that she could do about it.
Still on her knees, she crawled over to him with tears in her eyes and licked the dust off from his shoes.
She felt like throwing up but Mr. Ramsey's cold stare prevented her from moving away from the spot that she was kneeling.
Finally, Ramsey went ahead to announce
"You are fired." The sound of it vibrated in the hall.
Rose's heart almost jumped off from her chest knowing that she would never be able to get a job again.
Tears flowed down from her eyes as she swiftly went ahead to plead.
"Please forgive me, Mr. Ramsey. It was all a mistake." There was swift pain in her voice.
"So you finally realize your mistake?" Ramsey growled swiftly under his breath which was laced with so much anger.
But it was already too late as she went on pleading for his forgiveness.
"Please forgive me. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that I make up for this." She pleaded with tears dripping down from her eyes.
But all her pleading fell on deaf ears as he would not listen to a single word that she had to say.
Bringing out his phone from his pocket, he placed a call across to the chief security officer.
Soon, there was the swift pattern of military feet and she knew that she was done for.
The chief security officer bowed slightly before him and finally said.
"How may I help you sir." His voice was deepened with every sense of respect as he said.
"Your call seemed urgent."
"Yes. She is causing trouble here." He Said pointing over to Rose.
"Kick her out of this place right this moment and if you do a great job. You might get a promotion." He said.
The security officer's eyes brightened as he moved swiftly towards Rose with so much enthusiasm in his steps, chasing her swiftly out of the place.
Together, Austin and Ramsey walked away from the place. Ramsey shot a swift smile at Austin.
"Glad to see you again." His voice was laced with so much smile as they exchanged hugs.
"I think that you will want to see your father and Uncle already." He finally noted with a smile still on his face.
Austin could feel the pounding sensation of his heart, sipping in a really deep breath that enabled him to forge ahead.
Random thoughts ran through his mind as they finally got to the door that led to the meeting room and with every step that he took, the sound of his racing heart seemed to go ten times faster.
He drew a really deep breath as his hands crawled into the door and he parted it open, walking swiftly into the vast room.
Immediately he stepped in, there was a sudden silence in the hall like dead air and only the sound of his footsteps re-echoed.
His eyes surveyed every single outline of it, pushing his eyes back and forth.
He could see his father seated at the far end and they exchanged glances.
For a while, he didn't know what to do, seemingly to be washed off of thoughts and emotions.
"Austin." His father finally called out his name, making a really strange sensation go down his spine.
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Mr. Rufus Gerald pulled off from his seat, hugging Austin tightly until he could feel the warmth of his hands.After a while, he pulled off and held on to his face."I'm glad to have you back and see your face once again even though it's not going to be for long." His father noted.Mr. Rufus' face was so flooded with so much joy that he didn't notice the extreme words of his father. His heart was racing fast."Glad to have you back too father. And I promise to have a great time with you now that I am back." Austin addedBut he could feel that something was wrong with his father. His breathing beat and his extremely cold hands.And immediately he said the words, there was a sudden change in his facial expression but he could not pinpoint what exactly it was that was wrong."Are you okay father?" He inquired staring right into the eyes of his father with so much passion.Mr. Rufus pushed a smile forward almost immediately as he gestured to a seat that was right before him."I'm fine.
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Meanwhile, Luther walked into the room with a smile on his face. It was Ariel's birthday as well as the day that he was officially going to be divorced and start a new life altogether.She could feel her heart racing fast. Overjoyous as she could not wait to get over with the punk already."Finally, we are getting rid of that fool from our lives forever." He muttered under his breath swiftly."I wonder how he is going to survey on the street." Lady Willow said swiftly under her breath as everyone in the room burst out into laughter."This is going to be the best." One of them said under their breath.Just then Luther cleared his truth, walking gradually towards Ariel with a smile on his face.Ariel had a weird expression on her face, flooded with so much confusion as he continued to stare at him."Is there anything wrong?" She could no longer help it but inquired swiftly.Her heart was beating hard against her chest as though it was going to burst through, still staring right into hi
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Austin could barely hold his laughter as he continued to stare at him with so much awe.His heart beating hard against his chest as though it was going to burst through. He watched as Ariel walked up to him, her hands firmly around his neck, and she kissed him."I never knew that I had gotten a blessing in disguise." She muttered under her breath.Soon, Austin could no longer control himself as he burst out into laughter making everyone in the room fling in his direction."Is the fool real right now?""What makes him think that he can laugh?" Another voice streamed swiftly into his ears.He could already hear the pattern of feet from behind and he turned around to see who it was only to notice that it was Lady Kate.His hands had a tight frown on her face, one that was enough to throw him off balance."And what right do you think that you have the right to laugh?" She thundered at him, her voice laced with so much hatred and disgust but even at this, he was still calm."I just wanted
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Austin's stare was shot from afar. His eyes brightened with so much bewilderment."I'm going to ask you once again, what do you think that you are doing?" There was an obvious frown on his face as he spoke.But Ariel could not hide her stiff hatred for him as she went ahead to speak. "I just want to ask you one question." She began.His eyes were farrowed as he waited for whatever she had to spew, tagging slightly below his thigh with his index fingers."What makes you think that you can get a drink here? Right after you stole your way into this place?" She glared at him with so much fury in her voice."And I should return that question to you, what makes you think that I stole my way into this place?" He responded.Luther laughed out, his voice lashed with so much mockery."Spear us little fools.""And we didn't come here to utter words with you. Not again. We just came here to tell you to leave.""Or what?" Austin's hands were clenched and his stare was fierce."Or you, we are goin
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"You are frightening the guest so that's the only decision that I can make." The guard responded.Thoughts were running through his head and his hands were clutched almost immediately. "And what if I decide not to?" He frowned.Luther burst out into laughter almost immediately and after what seemed to be like forever, he paused, staring right into the eyes of the pauper that was right before him."As though you have a choice." He said but Austin firmly ignored the words."You should leave peacefully at least. I don't want to force you to." The guard said calmly."You should listen to him already and go," Ariel growled afterward.There was a tense air in the place as everyone waited for what was going to be the reaction of Austin but he wasn't ready to leave, even for a single moment."I am not leaving for anywhere. You can make me too." He replied.The guard walked towards the previous post and got the phone that was meant for his work. Luther's heart raced after.The guard said wa
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Before he could say any further words, he received a slap on the face, his face hot red with anger.Everyone in the room was stunned and their jaws were far apart with so much shock."First, you wanted Austin out of this place, and now the both of us? How dare you." Austin thundered at him.Luther's fury increased greatly, wanting to return the slap as his hands were already raised.But before his hands could make a landing effect on Austin, the guard held his hands high up in the air.He already knew that this was the only way that he could redeem himself."What are you trying to do?" The guard sprouted out while Luther continued to stare at him in disbelief."Do you realize that this is the closest person to the Young's family?" He inquired.Immediately he said the words, the crowd that had gathered was awe-struck. They brought out their cell phones from their pockets to search."It's true. It's him." Chatters floated through the hall.Hearing this he was extremely shocked as he co
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It sounded perfect to him and a dark smile hovered on his face."How come he had never thought of it before?" The thoughts swiftly clouded his mind.Luther turned around towards Ariel with a smile still on his face."You are such a genius." He finally said.Meanwhile, back at the party, Austin could already notice the change in Miss. Jane's tone as he nodded his head and said."Okay." He finally said.The duo of Ramsey walked behind her until they finally got into a room where high words could hardly slip out because of the soundproof mechanisms that were already in place."So what was this that you wanted to tell me about?" He inquired, keeping a straight face.Miss. Jane paused again and after what seemed to be like forever, she opened up her mouth to speak but her words were lost in the air.His eyes farrowed, unable to take the suspense anymore. But before he could get to say anything, Ramsey already spoke on his behalf."Are you going to give a response to just keep moping?" She
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The sun shined through the windows of the cab as it exited the State Parkway headed toward the inner city. Austin had just left the hospital after doing the necessary paperwork and making sure that everything about his father's funeral was set in place.Ramsey chose to bear the burden of relating the bad news to the family and make sure the business continued functioning as Rufus would have wanted with or without his presence.Austin was sure things would never be the same. He knew deep down that times would be tougher as the future seemed bleak at this point. His eyes were droopy, dark circles lined his eyes, it was obvious he hadn't had an hour of sleep the past two days.He was staring out the window like some lost tourist visiting for the first time. The neighborhood he had grown up in didn’t look anything like it had when he left home years ago. It had undergone a real transformation, he thought, as the cab passed a strip where a small row of stores had been torn down to make way
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Saint gnawed on his thumbnail, pacing like a caged wolf on the narrow balcony overlooking the bustling city below. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool night air.He replayed the events in his head, calculating the timeline with morbid satisfaction. By now, Rose had to be gone. He was sure she would be dead.He'd orchestrated a "tragic accident" – a forced jump off a moving boat, playing on her crippling fear of water. In his mind, it was a foolproof plan.Rose had aquaphobia and being on the sea would have raised her blood pressure. And for her to even jump into the sea would have been so bad on her.Rose wouldn't have lasted a second in the water. Her aquaphobia was legendary, guaranteed to send her blood pressure skyrocketing and her heart
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A steaming mug of coffee cupped in her hands, Ariel scanned the bustling coffee shop.Her eyes snagged on a flash of familiar blonde hair – Crystal, pushing open the door with a flourish. Relief washed over Ariel, momentarily eclipsing the bitter aftertaste of her previous conversation with Andrew.Maybe Crystal's infectious energy would chase away the lingering tension. Crystal was so anxious to know about her plans and here they were, ready to spill out.Ariel slammed her mug down a little too hard, the clatter drawing Crystal's attention. A wide grin stretched across Crystal's face as she sashayed over, her hips swaying with practiced ease. Crystal saw her at one go and walked towards her with a big smile on her face."I beat you when it comes to time but it seems like you win the Speed Demon award again," Crystal announced as she slid into the seat opposite Ariel.Ariel laughed, the sound was genuine despite the knot of worry tightening in her stomach. "Always," she conceded. "Tho
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"He's headed to South America. That's far away." Christian muttered more like he was talking to himself and still looking at the tab before him, "He's hopping continents, Christian. That's a long way from the mess he made here." Disbelief laced Christian's voice.Saint, that criminal was traveling very far away from his crimes. He was trying very hard to slip further and further away."He's got a mission, Psalms," Christian said, a steely glint entering his eyes. "And we're going to help him complete it."Psalms scoffed. "By letting him waltz off to South America and hoping he spills his guts on some exotic beach? Christian, that's a crazy plan.""Not crazy," Christian corrected, his voice firm. "Risky, yes. But it's the only way to get him. Think about it, Psalms. If we follow him and get close enough to gain his trust, we can get him to talk. He might slip up, and reveal details about other operations, bigger players. Evidence the cops can't ignore."A tense silence rose between the
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The sterile white walls of the hospital seemed to press down on Vincent as he shuffled behind Ramsey and Austin, their laughter bouncing off the polished floor. Outside, the late afternoon sun casts long shadows, promising the freedom Vincent craved."That's crazy, you know," Austin cackled, nudging Ramsey with his elbow. "Just leave him there. He'd probably start talking to pigeons again."Ramsey slapped Austin on the back, a booming laugh erupting from his chest. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. Vincent, the pigeon whisperer."Vincent rolled his eyes, a familiar warmth blooming in his chest despite their teasing. "So, you're saying I've always been a couple of fries short of a happy meal? That I've always been crazy, yeah?"Ramsey grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Everyone knows that. Vinnie and Trouble, 5&6. You're our resident nutter."The playful banter felt foreign after weeks of IV drips and endless beeping monitors. Vincent winced as he remembered the metallic tang of bloo
Chapter 104
The smirk on Andrew's face didn't reach his eyes."You can just leave, Ariel," he said, his voice tight. This wasn't a joke anymore. "Nobody dumps me. No one."Ariel's smile faltered. She knew Andrew had a temper, but this was a whole new level. He looked genuinely pissed, and seeing his jaw clench, she knew she wasn't helping."That was a joke, baby," she tried, her voice light and playful.She reached out, intending to rub his chest like she usually did, a way to soothe him.But Andrew flinched away, his hand shooting out to block her touch."Leave my house. Right now," he spat, the words sharp and cold.Panic flickered
Chapter 103
Austin's phone buzzed on the table, shattering the quiet of his tiny apartment. He glanced at the screen, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. It was an unknown number, but the call code matched his father's company. With a deep breath, he answered, "Hello?""Mr. Rufus?" A smooth, professional woman's voice filled his ear.Austin straightened slightly. "Yes, this is he." He couldn't help but wonder who this could be. No one from his father's company ever called him.He wondered what could be the reason they were calling."Mr. Rufus," the woman continued, "I apologize for the unexpected call. This is Sarah Jones, calling from Rufus Enterprises."Yes. He was right. It was really his father's company. And Austin wondered why the lady apologized for no reason at all.Austin's stomach lurched. Rufus Enterprises. His father's company."Hello, Ms. Jones," he managed, his voice tight. "How can I help you?""Mr. Rufus," she began and then paused for a beat too long. The silence stretched,
Chapter 102
Frustration laced Austin's voice.He eyed Alison with a mix of concern and frustration. "Here you are, clinging to me when you have this massive issue with your husband, and Angela's health is failing? What happens to the others? What about everyone else?!"Discomfort gnawed at him. He couldn't articulate his own turmoil, but he knew Alison hovering around him like a lost puppy wasn't the answer when her own life was a house on fire.Austin couldn't even explain what was happening to him and how he was reacting but he definitely didn't want Alison to be just over him while her spaces were void in some areas.Alison's shoulders slumped, and she choked back a sob. "You're my son, Austin. You're my responsibility too. I need to be here for you as well." She sobbed, "You're mine.""Mom, that's not helpful right now," Austin countered, a frown etched on his face, "Spare me that.""I will be fine. I can take care of myself. You need to be with Angela. Your husband is probably furious with y
