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10|A Man's Word
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 11|Human Truth Serum
A thin film of sweat covered Marybeth's palms as she gulped back her anxiety. When Austin said she'd meet everyone later, she assumed it would be more like two weeks or even a month from today later.She didn't think it would be so soon. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready for his life. She hadn't even begun to wrap her head around being married to him, let alone the possibility of his involvement in illicit activities.She wasn't an idiot. After their ritual-like ceremony with Friar John, she'd figured Austin belonged to some kind of crime family. But what they dabbled in, or how deep his involvement with the family business was, was still a huge mystery to her. If she had to be honest, though, she wasn't so sure she wanted to know, and she was a little relieved when Google spat out a 'no results' at her when she surreptitiously ran an internet search on him.The only results from her 'Hawthorne family' search were website links to the Hawthorne Foundation and Hawthorne Group
Beautiful Disaster 12|Faith In You
The two men in the front blinked several times in Marybeth's direction when she jumped in beside Austin, giving her appreciative smiles in the rear-view mirror. But they knew better than to speak out of turn, especially in their boss' presence.Nothing would stop Austin from sharing his unnecessary and unwanted opinion, though. "You are beautiful, žena!""Flattery is wasted on me," she muttered, annoyed by the warmth surging through her veins when his appreciative gaze roamed over her form from head to toe, lingering a little too long at the hint of cleavage peeking over her dress.She crossed her arms, huffing as she stared out of her window.Austin laughed, the sound of his amusement rattling the car as he handed her a file. "Here. Read it and familiarise yourself with its contents."Marybeth glanced at the file. "What's this?""Your biggest assignment yet," he announced. "My father will likely ask you all sorts of questions to make sure our relationship is real. You have to pass hi
Beautiful Disaster 13|Full Of Surprises
"Well, well! Who do we have here?" said the elderly gentleman in a low, gravelly voice when Marybeth finally stood before him."Marybeth Tyson," she replied with a nervous smile."Lukas Hawthorne, Blake and Austin's father," the man introduced himself as he pulled her in his embrace and kissed both her cheeks.Old Spice—or some other old man cologne—and a whiff of Cuban cigars and bourbon fumes enveloped Marybeth as soon as he swathed her in his arms. It was an oddly comforting scent on him, but she would have found it downright disgusting on any other man.His eyes, too, as dark as the sky on an overcast day, when he held her away from him to take her in, had a softness—no—a sadness she'd seen in Austin's when he first walked into the waiting room at Home Affairs.It was a look that made Marybeth want to trust him. To like him even.But a man like him, who was clearly the head of what she was now certain was a crime family, couldn't exactly be trusted—"They are the greatest loves of
Beautiful Disaster 14|кума
Marybeth had no idea why they kept calling her 'кума,' and when it came up again, she had to ask the sullen brunette beauty beside her dripping in Swarovski diamonds."It's godmother in Serbian," she said waspishly, malice glistening in her stunning hazel eyes. "I suppose I should congratulate you on the title. But, sweetie, you'll never have Austin's heart. Iris beat you to it. And well, his body… Let's just say I know what makes him tick.""Excuse me?" Marybeth said, baffled by her needless hostility. "Who are you?"Before the woman could reply, Austin waltzed over and drew her to his side, nuzzling her neck. "Žena, I see you've met Hadley.""We were just getting acquainted." Hadley smiled sweetly, batting her long lashes like Tweety, and Marybeth barfed a little in her mouth. She didn't care what their relationship was, but she wanted no part of this drama. If Austin wanted to screw around, so be it. After all, they were married in name only."Come on, a few people are dying to mee
Beautiful Disaster 15|Locked Inside A Gilded Cage
The lunch ended much sooner than Marybeth wanted, and Austin pulled her aside long enough to update her on his plans for the afternoon."I'm heading into a meeting, and I'm not sure how long it will take," he said, rubbing her arm lightly. "Benji and Arno will drop you off at your place if I'm not done by five."Marybeth didn't understand why he was carrying on with his charade of a doting couple in the throes of a whirlwind romance. Half the people in the room may have bought it hook, line and sinker, but judging by the shrewd way old man Hawthorne kept looking at her throughout their meal, he hadn't."Beth?" Austin shook her a little to get some reaction from her.She sighed, her voice heavy with irritation when she spoke, "Seriously, there's no need to report every little aspect of your day to me; after all, my job is to look after your daughter. Where is she, by the way? When will I meet her?""For as long as we're in company, žená, you will act like a glowing bride, so quit your
Beautiful Disaster 16|Love Means Nothing
The meeting wasn't going as well as Austin had hoped. In fact, it turned into a circus as soon as they sat around the oval table in one of the conference rooms on the fifth floor, with everyone demanding to know what had possessed him to blindside them with his shotgun wedding.His father was the most aggrieved. He couldn't understand why he'd keep such a huge secret from him or deny him the opportunity to be at his wedding."Marybeth wanted something small," Austin explained for the hundredth time.Frustrated, he eased out of his seat and paused in front of the window. A pang of nostalgia hit him hard as he watched a handful of surfers ride the waves in the distance. It had been a while since he'd gone to the beach to unwind and be one with the ocean. Maybe he should go surfing one of the days. Better yet, he should take Orlando and Beth for a weekend getaway on the yacht. They'd make it a pre-honeymoon vacation. Not that he'd pitch it as that to Beth. She'd made it clear how much sh
Beautiful Disaster 17|Make It Make Sense—Part 1
By the time the birds began to chirp their morning call, Marybeth was long awake. She sat at the kitchen island, nursing a cup of instant coffee in her hand, and contemplated the several empty boxes scattered around the open plan living room floor.When she moved in two years ago with her bestie, Scarlett, she vowed never to see another cardboard box in her life again. Not until she'd found her soulmate, at least, and they had to move into their seaside mansion.But here she was, faced with a damn near impossible task of stuffing twenty-eight years of her life into cardboard boxes she'd rounded up from the building manager the previous afternoon when she got home after her disaster of a lunch with the family.A door down the hall creaked open. Barefooted steps on the tiled floor treaded closer, followed by a loud yawn as Scarlett paused inside the entryway. She blinked several times at the boxes and rubbed her bleary eyes, shaking out her messy blonde hair. "What's going on? Are we mo
Beautiful Disaster 18|Make It Make Sense—Part 2
Scarlett gently nudged her shoulder, shaking her out of her melancholy. "I'm sorry. I'm guessing Austin didn't mention any of this to you?"Marybeth brushed off the question with a quick shake of her head. "Why would he? We're married in name only. In exactly a year, after Daddy pays him off, we'll go our separate ways.""Are you sure about that?" Scarlett asked."What do you mean?""I mean, it's not just you and Austin. There's also a little girl involved. Can you honestly walk away from her after your time is up?"Marybeth tilted her head slightly and played with her hands. "Please, Scar, don't put me on the spot. I'm still getting my head around everything. My father, his debt, Austin and our fake marriage. It's all too much for me.""I understand," Scarlett said, stifling another loud yawn with the back of her hand. "But seriously, I think this whole thing is absurd. I mean, who marries someone just to pay off a debt?"Marybeth could only nod her agreement. She, of all people, kne
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Beautiful Disaster 300|Beautiful Disaster
Rock Castle was a breath of fresh air in many ways for Austin and Marybeth. Once they'd put down their roots, they embraced their new life, immersing themselves in the community and the social scene.When they were not entertaining or attending various social events, Austin focused all his energy on growing Stardust Inc. while fulfilling his duties as a board member of De Jager Inc. and Orlando's proxy.Marybeth, too, kept herself busy with various home improvement projects, including setting up the baby's nursery. She also joined the PTA at Green Meadows Primary, championing a few fundraisers. As if she wasn't already busy enough, Lukas low-key began sending her Foundation documents to review, mostly company policies and NPO funding applications. Never mind that she'd had zero orientation since she was only supposed to start the following year.She was so busy embracing her new life as a stay-at-home mom and the Foundation's silent CEO she didn't have time to miss her old job. And tim
Beautiful Disaster 299|Loved And Wanted
Austin left Clifton Bay under a heavy cloud of complex family dynamics, his departure shrouded in controversy. But Rock Castle welcomed him with open arms. The people close to him didn't care at all about the drama and scandals he'd been embroiled in over the past few months. They were just happy to have him in the same city with them, and it didn't take long at all for Eden and Natalie to reach out to Marybeth and take her under their wing, acting as her free tour guides, pregnancy encyclopedias or sounding boards.Completely sold by their raving reviews of Dr Emily Waylon, they set up an appointment, immediately falling in love with her bedside manner on their first check-up. She was attentive, not to mention patient, answering their endless questions with a comforting calmness.Orlando and Adeline couldn't contain their joy when they broke the news about the baby that evening. Marybeth's tummy had gotten so big they could no longer hold off on telling them."Is it a boy or a girl?"
Beautiful Disaster 298|A Fresh Start
The whole time Austin scoffed down his food, he noticed Marybeth wasn't eating, absently toying with her salad. His heart shattered all over again because he knew he was responsible for her lack of appetite and dramatic weight loss."Mr Hawthorne, can we talk, please?" Elizabeth appeared beside him, stealing his attention away from his wife."Sure, let's chat inside," he replied, leading her into his study."Long time no see," he said with a smile as he sat on the edge of his desk. "You look happy and younger, too.""Traveling will do that to you," she replied, flashing a brief smile that Austin found a tad unsettling because it was so unlike her. She was always stoic."So that's what you've been up to since I left the Group?"She nodded. "The place wasn't the same without you, so I left. And that's why I'm here. I want my old job back. If you'll have me, that is.""You'll have to take a pay cut," Austin said. "I'm starting from scratch, Elizabeth, so I don't have a ton of cash flow—"
Beautiful Disaster 297|Family
Barry De Villiers was at Sea Point Police Station at 9:00 AM for Austin's release, and after completing a ton of paperwork, they were finally out of there by 11:00 AM.Austin didn't talk much on their way to Pelican Surf, lost in thought and the scenery. It was like he was seeing everything for the first time. The sun on his skin, the wind in his hair, the light glaring in his eyes…it all felt different, somehow."So, what's the first thing you'll do when you get home?" Barry asked."Hug my wife and kids until they get annoyed with me," Austin replied with the biggest smile. "Maybe eat a nice home-cooked meal...Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the takeaways you got me, but nothing beats my wife's cooking!"Barry guffawed, throwing his head back. "Okay. What else?""Mhh, I think a nice long shower is in order, too," Austin said, sniffing himself, making sure he didn't smell like something out of a garbage can."You don't stink," Barry assured him."I know," Austin chuckled. "Just ma
Beautiful Disaster 296|Bargaining Chip
Austin's altercation with another prisoner was the last straw for Marybeth, the thing that pushed her beyond her limit and sent her over the cliff.He'd asked her to hang in there for a few more days, but the thought of him getting into another fight or possibly getting killed terrified her. The stalemate with his father would only get deadlier the longer he remained in custody. Something had to be done to bring him home, and it had to be done fast. So she called Lukas, begging him to end all the madness. But, he wasn't interested in hearing her out, telling her coldly that he was too busy picking up Austin's slack—running the family and The Corporation—to worry about her fears.Marybeth's desperation got so bad that she reached out to the one person she swore she'd never ask for help. Her mom.They met at a sleepy coffee shop in Virginia after Anna and Willem's joint funeral.As usual, Vivienne was dressed to the nines, dripping head to toe in designer labels despite the sombre occasi
Beautiful Disaster 295|The Folly Of Youth
That night, Austin couldn't bring himself to eat the takeaway Barry had brought him. How could he when his heart was in pieces?A thousand kilometres away, Willem Dejager had no appetite issues. In fact, after Maryke's death and his fallout with The Corporation, his appetite had improved, and the insomnia that had plagued him for years since Iris died had miraculously vanished. If he'd known revenge would cure all his ailments, he would have joined forces with Austin much sooner.He was still furious with him for going back on his word on Maryke. But seeing Lukas so broken, now that he didn't have an heir, more than made up for Austin's betrayal.Yes, things had gotten messy over the past few weeks, but they would only get even more chaotic once he sent the ledger to the cops. He just hadn't found someone he could trust yet. His old contact at the station—the man who'd finally given him the unredacted file on his daughter—had been recently placed on administrative leave, and Willem was
Beautiful Disaster 294|Special Kind Of A Hate
Swarms of reporters were waiting outside Sea Point's police station when Austin was dragged out of Gordon and Peterson's car. They mobbed him as soon as they saw him, pushing their cameras and microphones in his face, screaming for answers. The whole thing reeked of a badly organised PR stunt, and when Gordon and Peterson made no attempt to protect Austin from the crowd, even though it was their job, he began to think one or both of them had tipped the media off. Why wouldn't they, when they had finally taken down a member of the Hawthorne crime family? Never mind that Austin didn't belong to said crime family anymore. Never mind that they didn't have evidence to back up their charges. But who needed evidence? As far as they were concerned, this was huge, and if they miraculously managed to get the charges to stick, sending him away for twenty-five to life would be a huge career move for both of them. So parading him in front of the vultures was totally in their best interest, walking
Beautiful Disaster 293|Long Arm Of The Law
"I'm fine. Vivienne was just leaving," Marybeth nodded, grateful for the interruption; she couldn't handle any more threats from her mom."Yep, I'm on my way out," Vivienne affirmed, spinning around and making her grand exit. She turned back, calling over her shoulder, "Beautiful service, by the way. But I'm not sure if Lionel was worthy of it!""You!" Marybeth shook her fist at her, ready to go after her, but Austin pulled her back by her waist, reminding her people were watching."She's not worth your energy," he said, rubbing her back to soothe her. "What did she want anyway?""To see if there's anything she could do for me," Marybeth replied, shooting daggers at Vivienne's back as she vanished into the crowd of mourners. "And to warn you.""Warn me?" Austin asked, massaging her nape. "What for?""She said to tell you to 'wake the fuck up and fix things with your father'; her words, not mine. Apparently, there's chatter.""What kind of chatter?""I don't know," Marybeth admitted. "B
Beautiful Disaster 292|A Rare Gift
Nothing good ever happens after 1:00 AM.And no one ever calls with good news after 1:00 AM.But it was her father. Marybeth couldn't ignore him. So she hit answer and braced herself for the worst."Sweet Pea," he said, sounding awfully cheerful, considering how late it was."Daddy, what's going on?""I know it's late," he said, pausing briefly before he got to the heart of his call. "And I know we planned a road trip to Still Bay in a few weeks. But is there a way we can move it forward?""Forward?" Marybeth asked, confused by the proposal."Yeah, can we go today? I suddenly have this urge to see the sunrise. And you know how beautiful Still Bay's sunrises are."Understanding what her heart refused to accept, Marybeth's mind made all the decisions for her from that moment onward."Of course, Daddy. Let me grab a few things, and I'll be there in an hour," she told him before hanging up.She shot out of bed like a lightning bolt, threw on a lightweight tracksuit and sneakers, grabbed a
