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147| Change Of Guard
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 148|To Serve And Protect—Part 1
The sense of dread Austin had carried around since he saw the look of horror on his father's face finally melted away when he stepped into his penthouse.From the entrance hall, he had a clear view of the open-plan living area, and there, he saw something that made his heart flutter. In the blue and white glow of the TV light was Marybeth lying on the couch, strands of her long red hair draped over the armrest.His feet moved of their own accord and carried him forward, finally stopping in front of the couch, where he stood for some time, gazing at Marybeth's sleeping form.He pushed the magazines on the coffee table out of the way and sat down, listening to the peace filling his heart as he ran his hands on her arms, revelling in the smooth feel of her stardust skin on his fingertips."Žena, wake up. I'm home," he whispered as he bent over and slowly brushed her lips in a fleeting kiss.He was about to kiss her again when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arno stroll down the sta
Beautiful Disaster 149|To Serve And Protect—Part 2
Once Marybeth's breathing had returned to normal, she swiftly rolled away from Austin, turning her back to him, almost as if she couldn't wait to get away from him.He frowned at her clammy back, wondering what the hell was going on.Leaning over her, he caressed her face and asked, "žena, what's wrong?""Why would anything be wrong?" Marybeth mumbled into her pillow.Well, maybe because you can't even look at me, Austin thought. But he was smart enough to not speak his mind. They'd just made love, and the last thing he wanted was to fight with her hours before he was supposed to leave for the Blue Mountains. In fact, he'd prefer it if they could just cuddle and maybe have another go at it. So he pulled her close, pleading with her to look at him."Can you not do this, please? Can you not shut me out?""I'm not shutting you out," Marybeth murmured on his chest, her breath on his skin sending exhilarating shock waves all over his body."Then what do you call this?" Austin asked, bringi
Beautiful Disaster 150|Promises
Austin wasn't exactly surprised when he stepped into the kitchen and found his handlers at the breakfast nook with fresh mugs of coffee, speaking in hushed tones. He'd figured they wouldn't leave until they'd thrashed things out with him.They both stood up at the sound of his footsteps, with Arno asking, "кум, can we talk?"Austin waved at them to sit while he made himself a cup of coffee."Get the second team to stay on Marybeth," he told them as he sipped his coffee."You can't be serious about firing us," Arno mumbled glumly from inside his mug."What can we do to fix this? We like кума!" Benji jumped in."If you liked her, you would have put her safety first. Now because of you, my father is all over Marybeth, and it won't be long before he puts a target on her back. You can return to your old roles, and I'll get new security for my wife!""We can't just—" Arno tried to push back, but Austin quickly shot him down, demanding a status report on Jaco's movements before Iris died.Be
Beautiful Disaster 151|Trust Is Earned
Orlando was beside herself with joy when she stumbled into the kitchen with Marybeth and found Austin hard at work, getting their breakfast ready."Daddy!" she screamed gleefully as she ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "So it wasn't a dream! Last night when you came to my room, I thought I was dreaming!"Austin picked her up and sat her on the counter, pinching her cheek playfully, "no, Squeak, it wasn't a dream. Did you sleep well?"Orlando nodded and promptly moved on to more pressing issues, "Daddy, can we get a puppy, please? Pretty please?"Taken aback by her request, Austin frowned, "why?""To keep me company when I can't go to Neli's house."Austin glanced at Marybeth, silently pleading with her with his eyes to save him. He loved dogs, but they were too much work.Marybeth shrugged, laughing her way to the coffee machine, her message loud and clear. This was his decision, and his alone."Who'll feed it, Orly?" Austin asked."Me, of course!""And the shit? Who'
Beautiful Disaster 152|Deception
Adrenaline kicked in right about the same time Austin's shock and disbelief wore off, jump-starting his brain to life.He gathered up the papers and haphazardly slipped them back inside the folder, not in the least bothered by their exact order now.He placed the file and gun on the desk, sat down, and patiently waited.He didn't have to wait long. Piper walked in two minutes later, chirpy as ever, blissfully unaware of how precariously close she was to losing her life."We should get your results in a day or two," she announced as she shut the door behind her with the heel of Louboutins and crossed the room, stopping in her tracks when her eyes fell on the gun beside the file.The terror painted on her face said everything her lips couldn't. She opened her mouth to speak but snapped it shut without uttering a word. Her jig was up, and there was nowhere for her to run to. Even if there was, Austin would have her brains splattered all over her white walls and marble floors before she c
Beautiful Disaster 153|Cooler Head
When Austin returned to Piper's posh, air-conditioned office, she still looked a little green around the gills."Austin, can we talk about this, please?""Sure, where would you like to start?" he asked, reaching for his gun and twirling it in his hands. It wasn't loaded. He'd removed the magazine before she came in, but she didn't need to know that."Iris…at first, she was furious about being forced to marry you.""I guess that gave her license to fuck my brother and one of my closest friends within what—days, weeks of fucking me?" Austin snorted.The rumours about Iris' infidelity had haunted their relationship almost from the beginning. Whispers about Orlando's paternity, too, had filled the hallways of his childhood home in Clarence Estate.But because Orlando was a baby when Iris died and didn't look like either of them at the time, he never paid much attention to the chatter. But now, as she grew older, she was starting to resemble Iris a lot more. She had no traces of him except
Beautiful Disaster 154| Anchor—Part 1
Devastated beyond measure, Austin operated on autopilot as he left Piper's office, only coming out of his trance-like daze when Arno snapped his fingers in front of his face to get his attention."Where to? To the office, penthouse or straight to the Blue Mountains?"His heart in pieces, his brain a frazzled mess of chaos, Austin could only give him a blank stare, unable to process his questions."He asked where you want to go? Home or the office," Benji clarified.Austin would never focus on work now, not in the emotional state he was in. His home, too, was the last place he wanted to be, especially with all the traces of Orlando sprinkled in every room and Iris' photographs taking up space in the living room."Sea Point Primary," he murmured, making up his mind right then and there."Is everything okay?" Arno enquired as he turned the key in the ignition and shifted the car into drive."Sure, everything's just dandy!" Austin lied, giving him a wan smile."You do know that кума has t
Beautiful Disaster 155|Anchor—Part 2
It took exactly five minutes for Marybeth to grace them with her presence. Judging from her breathless panting, Austin figured she must have run over, believing it was an emergency."Principal Smith," she gasped as she shot through the door. "You called for me?"Her boss pointed at Austin, still seated along the wall."Your husband wants to see you," she said, gently patting Marybeth on the shoulder before excusing herself. "I'll give you some privacy."As soon as the door slammed shut, Marybeth turned to him with a sour look on her face, ready to take him on for stopping by her workplace unannounced.But something in his demeanour must have given away his anguish because in an instant, she opened her arms for him, and he walked straight into them, and everything was perfect as a calm he hadn't felt since his chat with Piper descended on him. His mind and heart were at peace again, banishing all the chaos and noise from his discovery."What's wrong?" Marybeth asked over his shoulder a
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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
