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109|Two Minutes
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Beautiful Disaster 110|A Fool For You
As they drove to the Ivanovs storage facility on the outskirts of town, an unsettling silence wove its spell over the car. No matter how hard Austin wanted to lighten the mood and ease the tension swirling in the back seat, his rattled brain couldn't come up with anything appropriate to say. So, he eased back in his seat, oddly comforted by Orlando's soft, rhythmic breathing as she slept in his arms. He kissed her forehead, grateful she was a heavy sleeper. He would have hated for her to wake up in the middle of the chaos and be confronted with the brutal reality of their world."We're here," Jakov announced almost ten minutes later as they pulled into the parking area where Nikolai's shiny Bentley and the three cars his men had used in their ambush just moments ago were now parked.Having been here a few times before, Austin knew that not everything stored at the facility was legit. In fact, the place was the Ivanovs' home base for their drug operation.The main floor of the single-s
Beautiful Disaster 111|Beaten
Marybeth dozed off with Orlando in her arms almost as soon as they took off for the Blue Mountains, giving Austin a chance to quickly draft the agenda for the family meeting. He sent it off to Tim and Angelo when he was done.Next, he tackled his reports and contracts.His interest was piqued when he checked his emails and saw a vague message from his assistant asking him to call her ASAP.Austin reached for his phone, dialled Elizabeth's number, and had to wait exactly twenty seconds before she picked up, "Mr Hawthorne, I didn't expect to hear from you until you landed in the Blue Mountains. Is everything okay, sir?"Most people were usually cranky and disoriented at 1:00 AM on a Sunday. Not Elizabeth. She sounded chirpy and lucid. But then again, why was he surprised? She wasn't like most people. Sometimes Austin wondered if she was even human."I saw your message," he said, skimming through his mail. At the rate things were going, he'd have to hire someone just to man his inbox; th
Beautiful Disaster 112|Take The Throne
Austin was pleased to see that his message about expecting full attendance was well received. Everyone—from their soldiers right up to top management—was present and waiting with bated breath to find out why he'd called them in at the crack of dawn. They couldn't even keep their curiosity in check long enough to give him a chance to turn on his camera, firing their questions as soon as he opened the meeting. "We're leaving The Corporation with immediate effect," he said calmly, his gaze unflinching as he stared straight at the camera. For the longest minute in history, stunned silence followed his announcement. Then the virtual meeting room descended into chaos when his words finally sunk in. Everyone spoke at once, demanding to know what possessed him to take such a drastic decision. "Have you lost your mind?" Lukas bellowed from the comfort of his living room in Clarence Estate. "I told you Blake was far better equipped to run this family. Look at the mess Austin has made!" Fria
Beautiful Disaster 113|Can No Longer Be Trusted
After the meeting, Austin asked his father to stay behind; he had a few urgent matters to discuss with him."What's this about?" Lukas asked as soon as the last of their men dropped off the call. "Don't tell me there's more to the mess with the Ivanovs!"There certainly was more with Nikolai, but Friar John was a far more pressing concern for Austin."It's not the Ivanovs," he told his father. "It’s your consigliere."Lukas leaned back on his Chesterfield couch and crossed his legs, his gaze steady as he stared back at Austin through the screen, "John? What's the matter with him?"Ignoring his father's question, Austin proceeded with his own fact-finding mission, "I know you two go way back, but how exactly did you meet? And how well do you know him?"Lukas seemed taken aback by his question, but he took a moment to mull it over before replying, "We met in '89. Back when I thought abalone trading was good business.""So you know about his past life as a game ranger, then?" asked Austi
Beautiful Disaster 114|Powerless
It took Austin a little while to get a hold of his emotions, and when he felt calm enough, he phoned Blake. He wanted to give him the heads up and check how far he was with his plans to get Sebastian and his family to safety. But his call went unanswered. So he sent him a brief text, letting him know the cleanup was about to begin.Dog-tired as he was, Austin still had a few more fires to put out, starting with briefing his handlers about Marybeth's security.He turned to the kitchenette, where they were lounging around, sipping on bourbon while they played a fierce game of crazy eights.They set their cards down on the counter and gave him all their undivided attention when he strolled in."What a shit show, huh!" commented Benji.Austin wasn't sure if he was referring to the family meeting, Lukas or the stuff with Nikolai, but he nodded anyway, snorting under his breath, "You have no idea!""What did Ivanov want?" Arno asked as he picked up his glass and twirled it in his hand befor
Beautiful Disaster 115|Three Oaks—Part 1
Three Oaks, the rehab facility Danica had checked herself into, wasn't too far from Gold Rush, forty minutes away to be exact, and Marybeth had planned to take an Uber there. But Arno and Benji wouldn't let her out of their sight, insisting Austin had given them strict orders to stay close to her.They'd just left the hotel's premises when Arno's phone rang on the dashboard, blasting out a Beetles' tune.He quickly snatched it up, hit the answer button and listened to the caller for a moment or two before wordlessly handing the phone to Marybeth."It's кум," he mouthed at her.She sighed, bracing herself for Austin's Spanish Inquisition. She'd barely said hello when he bombarded her with questions, demanding to know what had possessed her to head out on her own."I'm not on my own," she pointed out as she glanced at his handlers. "Arno and Benji are here—""That's not the point, Beth!" he muttered on his end. "Why didn't you wake me up? Christ, Orlando, set that bowl down! I told you
Beautiful Disaster 116|Three Oaks—Part 2
Sitting at a small round dining table in front of a window overlooking the horse stables, Lionel and Danica immediately burst into tears when they saw Marybeth, their tearful wailing reverberating through the room."You're both acting like you haven't seen me in ages," she scolded them as she wiped her father's tears before doing the same to Danica. "Seriously, it's only been a week.""A week too long, if you ask me, Sweet Pea," said Lionel as he took her in his arms again and held her tight.When they finally drew apart, Marybeth couldn't help but notice he'd lost a lot more weight since she last saw him. He was practically drowning in the pale blue button-down shirt and dark cotton slacks he wore.Danica looked just as awful, and Marybeth didn't know what was worse: the raccoon-like circles around her eyes, her brittle hair falling limply around her gaunt face, or her bony frame protruding through her cheap satin pyjamas.Aware that she was staring, Marybeth averted her gaze and sca
Beautiful Disaster 117|Three Oaks—Part 3
Marybeth hung back but watched, in awe, her father whisper gently to the animal. She'd never been on a horse. Never been fascinated with them either. And she blamed her lack of experience on her irrational fear of the animals. But it was nice to see her father so at ease with them. Maybe this place was good for him, too. Maybe someday she'd take him away from the city and set him up on a small farm somewhere in the countryside."I couldn't let them hurt you, Sweet Pea," he said, turning away from the horse to look at her. "If I hadn't reached out to Hawthorne, they would have come after you.""So you did this for me? Unbelievable!" Marybeth scoffed as she eased out of the barn; she'd taken all she could of the stench."I know it's hard to believe, but I did this for your safety—""I'm sorry, but did you honestly think selling me to the mob was the best way to keep me safe? Daddy, do you have any idea the week I've had? I've been harassed by Eli because I'm married to Austin. I've seen
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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
