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136|A House Divided—Part 2
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Beautiful Disaster 137|With Time
Austin was about to pull out of the driveway when Hadley careened out of the house, waving her hands at him frantically."What now?" he mumbled as he rammed the brakes. He didn't think his day could get any worse, but the universe was determined to prove him wrong.He rolled down his window and asked, "what do you want, Hadley? Shouldn't you be with Blake right now?""He's with your father," Hadley said. "They're going over the wedding plans.""Shouldn't you be with him then?"She shook her head, asking, "can we please talk?"Austin didn't think they had anything to discuss, especially after she and Estelle tried to poison Orlando against Marybeth. But he found himself nodding at her to jump in, his heart softening at the lost, almost shattered look in her eyes.Hadley dashed to the passenger seat and made herself comfortable.Austin killed the engine and waited for her to state her case. But when two minutes passed, and she still said nothing, he turned to her, frowning, "can you tel
Beautiful Disaster 138|Not Different From Him
Austin glanced at the digital display on the radio, groaning when he saw it was after three and schools were long out. Going to Sea Point now would be an utter waste of time. So he found the nearest exit and headed to Pelican Surf, calling his handlers on the way to the beach to check where they were.Arno picked up and confirmed they were headed to Tidal Wave for Orlando's swimming lesson."Is Beth okay?" Austin asked."Why do you ask?""I don't know. She called me out of the blue today and told me she misses me.""And that's a bad thing, why?" Arno asked."I can't shake this feeling that something's wrong," Austin said.When Arno remained evasive and tried to rush him off the call, he knew something was definitely wrong. He figured the other man couldn't talk because Marybeth was with him."Anyway," he said, wrapping up the call. "I'm at the beach. Bring them straight here after the swim lesson.""Will do," said Arno before hanging up.Austin found Jerome wiping down the tables. The
Beautiful Disaster 139|Beg For It
Marybeth didn't know if she should be offended by Austin's comment or what, but she'd never turn up her nose at a bubble bath. So she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, her lips brushing the corner of his mouth."I can get used to this," Austin murmured, spinning her in his arms to give her a back hug. "I can seriously get used to you missing me, kissing me, and begging me—""Forget it," Marybeth said, laughing, as she sprung away from him and dashed to the master bedroom. She rested her back on the door while she willed her heart to stop racing. The man just had to look at her, and she turned into putty in his hands.She didn't know how much longer she could do this...how much longer she could hold out on Austin and his tempting cock. It was becoming harder every day to not beg him to fuck her brains out."Just swallow your pride and put yourself out of this misery," she told herself as she stepped into the bathroom and ran herself a bath.She slipped inside the tub, squealing wi
Beautiful Disaster 140|Awakening
Marybeth had just finished changing into her pyjamas when Austin strolled in, a towel draped around his waist.She gawked at him, her lustful gaze jumping to his rock-hard hard abs and Adonis belt."You want more?" Austin teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "I'm open to hearing you beg me again.""Dream on. That was my only moment of weakness. It won't happen again!" she said, throwing her towel at him before sitting on the edge of the bed. She tapped the empty spot beside her for him to join her."What's wrong now?" he asked as he sank beside her.Marybeth took a deep breath before blurting out quickly, "I think Iris's death may be connected to the dead editor and the other three people murdered last night."Austin's face crumpled under a storm of emotions, cycling through confusion, heartbreak, disbelief and back to confusion again.He opened his mouth several times and shut it without uttering a word, and Marybeth wished she could have worked a little more on her delivery."E
Beautiful Disaster 141|This Love You Speak Of
The Gopals were scheduled to arrive at 8:00 PM, but Austin was at Royal Lights at six, just to make sure the venue was in tip-top condition for what could very well be his final Battle Royale with The Corporation.Austin trusted his assistant to do her job well, but for anything involving The Corporation, he liked to be a little hands-on. So as soon as he'd settled down in his office and responded to a few burning emails, he headed to the Cigar Room at the heart of the casino's dining hub in the south wing.He found Elizabeth hard at work, coordinating with the lounge's staff."Mr Hawthorne, you're here!" she said, briefly looking up from the clipboard in her hands."In the flesh," Austin replied, rocking on the balls of his feet as he shoved his hands in his pockets, a pleased smile on his face. "How's it going over here?""As well as can be expected, I suppose, for something so at short notice."Austin narrowed his eyes at her snippy tone. He didn't like being here more than she did
Beautiful Disaster 142|The Old Guard—Part 1
At 8:00 PM on the dot, the Gopals' motorcade pulled up at the entrance. Austin would not have expected anything less. After all, Vishal, the head of the Gopal family, was a stickler for time.The bodyguards were the first to step out of their cars, surprising Austin when two of them helped Vishal out of his sleek Bentley and placed him in an electric wheelchair.Austin had known for some time now that the patriarch's health was failing him, but he would never have imagined such a rapid decline. The man in the wheelchair was a far cry from the one Austin last saw at the Foundation's charity benefit four months ago.While he was still trying to hide his horror at the elderly man's pitiful appearance, Austin's world was thrown off balance yet again when Navya, Vishal's only daughter, stepped out of the second Bentley, their capos right behind her.Exquisitely dressed in a navy power suit that did very little to hide her stunning figure, her raven hair styled in an angled bob, Navya playe
Beautiful Disaster 143|The Old Guard—Part 2
"I had nothing to do with that attack. You have to believe me," Andrei said as soon as they were alone."You had everything to do with it. If you'd kept your mouth shut about Iris' journal, your unhinged psycho father wouldn't have had any reason to come after me!" Austin growled, his anger rising to the fore again when he remembered his terror. Not for him, but for Orlando and Marybeth. "Did he tell you what he did?"Andrei shook his head, stating, "No. But I heard from my capos. And I can't apologise enough.""He crossed a line, Drei. Your old man crossed a line. Orlando was in the car with me. He always talks about how much he loves her, but the first chance he gets, he lets his dogs loose on us, and for what? For some stupid journal that doesn't even mention him?""I'm sorry," Andrei said, his face crumpled in remorse. "Tell me how to fix this. You and I…we go back a long way. You've been more of a brother to me than Leks has ever been. I don't want the shit my father pulled to af
Beautiful Disaster 144|The Old Guard—Part 3
Austin didn't know if he should be impressed or disturbed by how indifferent Winston was towards Navya and her father when they stepped into the Cigar Room moments later.If Marybeth was in the same room with him, and Austin knew she was about to marry another man in a few months, there was no way he would have been able to remain calm. But Winston was clearly a professional at hiding his feelings. Nothing about his relaxed demeanour hinted at just how madly in love he was with Navya as they all sat at the bar and nursed their drinks while they feverishly discussed the role of the private sector in the country's energy crisis, with Blake leading the conversation.At some point during the impassioned discussion, Tim leaned in and whispered for Austin's ears only, "I have mad respect for Win right now. How does he remain so…""Unbothered?""Yep, that's the word!""He's in denial," Austin said. "Give him a few weeks. He'll call. I won't be surprised if he thinks up a kidnapping plan the
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