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118|Three Oaks—Part 4
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 119|Three Oaks—Part 5
"Is everything okay at home and at work?" Dr Sawyer forged on with her fact-finding mission as she checked the reading on the machine before going through the motions again. She clearly wasn't happy with the first reading. "Are you under a lot of stress?""Not really," Marybeth lied. She didn't want to get into her messy life with her. After all, she barely knew her. But Austin had no problem airing their dirty laundry—or some of it, at least. He was quick to rat her out, announcing, "yeah, she's been under a lot of stress lately.""Is that so?" Dr Sawyer turned her curious gaze on him but directed her question at Marybeth, "What's keeping you awake at night, Mrs Hawthorne?""Nothing," Marybeth shrugged. "I'm not stressed.""We've recently gotten married, and her work has been more than a little stressful," Austin willingly volunteered the information Marybeth was trying so hard to keep under wraps. She was sorely tempted to kick him in the shins at that moment. She would have if she
Beautiful Disaster 120|If You Have To Hate Someone
Their window table at Sunny-Side Up Cafe, the in-house coffee shop in the north wing, offered them a stunning view of the sparkling Mediterranean swimming pool overlooking the wellness spa. But the gorgeous scenery wasn't enough to lighten the tense mood hanging over them, and Marybeth couldn't even understand why Austin invited her father to lunch.Thankfully, Orlando seemed oblivious to it all—or maybe she was far more intuitive than the adults gave her credit for. She picked up their slack and kept the conversation going, asking Lionel all kinds of questions, from his age right down to his living arrangements.He played along, answering them with an unwavering smile, but when Orlando doubled down, and her inquisition became a little intrusive, Austin stepped in, "Orlando, that's enough!"She shrugged innocently and stared at the chicken and mayo sammie on her plate. "I didn't do anything wrong, Daddy!""She's right," Lionel said quickly, smoothing things over between father and dau
Beautiful Disaster 121|Lovers' Walk
Austin must have sensed her mood because as soon as they pulled away from Three Oaks, he asked, "Is everything okay?"Marybeth gave him a sidelong glance before allowing her gaze to wander off, "why do you ask?""You seem a little subdued," he replied. "Did you and your father get a chance to talk and work things out?""We did," she nodded as she shifted in her seat and made herself comfortable. "We also tried to sort out the rehab bill, but you beat us to it."Austin didn't say anything for a long stretch, and she was starting to think that he hadn't heard her when he finally spoke, "you don't seem happy.""Happy?" Marybeth scoffed. "Why would I be happy about any of this?""You were worried about how you were going to settle the bill—"She turned around so fast to glare at him she wouldn't have been surprised if she'd gotten whiplash. "It wasn't your place to settle it! Now my father and Danica will never learn their lesson.""You think I did this for your father and his crackhead w
Beautiful Disaster 122|This Life We Didn't Choose
Still reeling over their fight, Austin grabbed his laptop and headed straight to the administrative building as soon as he saw Marybeth and Orlando off. Apparently, he wasn't that good at hiding his emotions. Either that or his cousin knew him too well because as soon as he stepped inside Blake's office, Tim asked, "Who pissed you off?"Sitting behind the all-glass executive desk, Angelo looked up from his phone and frowned at him but kept his mouth shut."My wife!" Austin grunted as he placed his laptop on the coffee table and stretched out on the leather couch. He stared at the high ceiling, amazed at its intricate design. He'd never noticed it before. But then again, he never spent more than a few minutes here when Blake was around."What did you do?" Tim asked."Why do you assume I did something?""Because it's always the guy's fault, genius!" Angelo replied.Austin glanced at Tim, and he quickly shook his head, silently mouthing, 'Don't ask'.Austin was happy to drop it. He had e
Beautiful Disaster 123|His Achilles' Heel
When Austin returned to Blake's office, his capos had moved on from the sex tape and were now crowded around one of the laptops, watching Nadia and her crew."They just got here," they announced before Austin could even ask them anything."But they're one man short today," Angelo said, sipping his whiskey."Who's missing?" Austin asked as he took his place on the couch."The older son, Josef Something What's—His—Name," replied Tim, his eyes barely moving from the screen."Did you track down their hideout?" asked Austin as he reached for his laptop and got down to some work."They're renting a place in Montague Cove," replied Angelo."Swanky," said Austin. If it wasn't obvious before that Nadia and her little gang were raking in the money, it was now. Montague Cove was an upmarket neighbourhood in the east of town, and the rent was R20K minimum for a two-bedroom place."Well, they have to use their ill-gotten gains somewhere," Tim said wryly."Any word on Friar John?" Austin enquired a
Beautiful Disaster 124|Must Be In The Water
Turning back to the couch, Austin wasn't surprised to find his capos gawking at him like he was from outer space. He really shouldn't have placed Blake on speaker phone; now he'd have to field their fifty billion questions."If you have something to say, just spit it out!" he said with a heavy sigh as he returned to his place on the couch."The sex tape—" Angelo stammered, leaving the rest of his question hanging in the air, clearly at a loss for words.Tim didn't have his problem, though. He barraged on in a surprisingly coherent manner, asking, "It wasn't with a woman, was it?"Austin held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity but could have only been a few minutes before he spoke, "What makes you think that?"This was the last thing he needed; Blake's secret coming out like this. His capos may not have heard their entire conversation, but they were smart enough to add things up, and Tim was proving to be a dog with a bone, pointing out calmly, "Well, he wouldn't be so damn prot
Beautiful Disaster 125|Expedition
Pigs!They were all pigs, Austin fumed as he and Angelo waded through the unkempt rooms. They weren't even inside the Van Staden's five-bedroom apartment for five minutes, and he was ready to get the hell out of there.He didn't know what was worse—the bug-ridden kitchen overflowing with dirty cups and plates and days-old garbage bags, or the living room, where a heavy stench seemed to stain the very air they were breathing.He didn't even want to venture into the bedrooms because he was terrified of the madness he'd find in there.How anyone could throw away R40K on rent just to live in such filth was beyond him.With the amount of money Nadia was bringing in, he would have expected the woman to at least hire part-time help—"Don't just stand there! Help me!" Angelo said, breaking through his disgusted thoughts as he threw a pair of latex gloves at him.Austin caught them swiftly and reluctantly slipped them on. He wasn't a germophobe by any stretch, but even he had his limits, and i
Beautiful Disaster 126|I Want Him To Know That I Know
They made it back to Gold Rush just after 3:00 PM, and Tim was nowhere to be found. Austin figured he was dealing with Josef."I'd love to tag along and watch the bloodbath, but I have a meeting with Willem and Jaco," said Angelo as he threw his laptop in his backpack and headed out."Tell them we are not backing down. I refuse to clean their money until Willem gets on his knees and apologises to Beth!" Austin reminded his capo before he slipped out and slammed the door shut.Alone, Austin contemplated the laptop and notebook they'd brought back from the Van Staden's, wondering if they were worth anything now that they had Josef. He was prepared to beat the truth out of him. In fact, it might even be quicker than figuring out what the numbers in the notebook meant or trying to access the laptop. But he took both anyway and the plastic bag with the rhino horn and headed across the quad to Gold Towers, an old events venue currently undergoing renovations.As soon as Austin swiped himsel
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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
