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160|Trouble—Part 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 161|Trouble—Part 2
"How do we get in?" Marybeth mumbled to herself when she noticed there was no intercom."Daddy keeps the gate remote in his drawer," said Orlando as she wedged herself in the small space between the two front seats."Drawer?" Scarlett asked, her eyebrows fusing together in confusion."She means the glove compartment," replied Marybeth as she pulled it open and fiddled around."Yes, the glove compartment! That's what I wanted to say!" Orlando chimed in. "Press the green button, Marybeth, and the gate should open."Marybeth followed the instructions to the tee, and a moment later, the gate slid open, barely making a sound despite its humongous size.They drove up a long winding driveway and stopped near the colossal fountain facing the front door. When Orlando removed her seatbelt and tried to jump out of the car, Marybeth nicely asked her to stay put. She didn't know the situation inside the house, and the last thing she needed was to lead her into a minefield."But I want to see Gramps
Beautiful Disaster 162|Old Dog New Tricks
Leaving the Hawthorne family home without telling Lukas exactly what she thought of him would be a deep miscarriage of justice, in Marybeth's humble opinion. So she hit the brakes, bringing the car to a halt, much to the surprise of Arno and Benji following behind them."What's going on? Why did we stop?" Austin asked, addressing her for the first time since they left the house."I have to take care of something," Marybeth replied as she removed her seatbelt."Beth!" he gritted his teeth as she pushed her door open. "Where are you going?""I'll be back in a bit," she told him before jumping out of the car, well aware that she didn't exactly answer his question. In her defence, though, he would have likely tried to stop her from returning inside if he knew she planned to have another royal rumble with his father. Like earlier, Marybeth let herself in, hardly paying any attention to the housekeeping staff side-eyeing her as she made her way down the now-familiar hallway.She found Luka
Beautiful Disaster 163|Her Whole World
Marybeth drove a kilometre or so before pulling up on the roadside when she noticed Austin's hands trembling violently on his lap. She killed the engine and turned her entire body to look at him, taking both his hands in hers."What happened back there," she began as she gently kneaded his hands to soothe him. "Should never happen to anyone. And I'm sorry it happened to you, of all people. I know how much the family means to you—""I'm okay," Austin cut in, but Marybeth quickly hushed him up as she held his face in her hands, gazing into his eyes, "you are not okay. And no one can fault you for it. But whatever your feelings are about Iris and the stuff with your father, I need you to put a firm lid on them because there's a little girl who loves you with her heart and soul, waiting for you at home. Can you do that? Can you do that for me, please?""I'm sorry, I don't know if I can," Austin said, pulling away from her, adding as he stared off into the distance, "how do I look at Orly w
Beautiful Disaster 164|This Justice Of Yours
Orlando fussed over Austin as soon as they walked through the front door, demanding to know who'd messed up his face."Were you in a fight, Daddy? Did they punch you? Did you punch them back? I hope you kicked them and put them in a headlock like this—"She stopped talking long enough to show them exactly what she meant as she twisted her arms and got into a headlock position.Marybeth didn't know if she should be delighted or horrified at Orlando's enthusiasm and propensity for violence.Despite hurting all over, Austin was clearly proud of his teachings. He couldn't stop grinning, and Marybeth was glad to see him smile again."Of course, I did, Squeak! Just like I taught you! You should see their faces!" he said as he crouched down to give her a hug."It was more than one guy?" Orlando asked, her voice light with wonder.Austin nodded, "yep, about six guys.""Yes! Good job, Daddy!" Orlando cheered again. "That's how we handle bullies!""Always," Austin agreed, kissing her forehead. M
Beautiful Disaster 165|Keeper Of My Heart
As soon as Orlando conked out while they read Beauty and the Beast for the millionth time, Austin headed to his study and jumped on the phone.He was exhausted and emotionally spent, but too many pots were burning, and they all needed his attention.The first order of business for the night was a call to Blake.As brief as their chat was, Austin couldn't help but wish he could jump into the phone and strangle him. There really was a fine line between love and hate, and he couldn't believe how quickly it could blur. But furious as he was, Austin was glad Blake was out of town when he confronted their father. He was way too emotional earlier, and if he wanted to destroy his brother, Austin knew he needed a cooler head and enough time to work on his plan."Why are you pulling me off Nadia?" Blake demanded on his end, interrupting Austin's thoughts of revenge. "I thought we agreed—""I'll handle it!" Austin cut in, praying he didn't sound as enraged as he felt. "Your fiancée is pregnant. Y
Beautiful Disaster 166|His Light
Austin was up at the crack of dawn. Not that he'd slept. How could he when he couldn't get his mind to shut down and stop reliving the horrific day he'd had?At some point between coming to bed and Marybeth falling asleep in his arms, a plan had slowly begun to form itself. And it was that plan, more than his strained relationship with his father, that had kept him awake. It wasn't anything solid. But it was still a plan, and vague as it was, he had to get cracking on it. So as soon as the birds began to chirp outside sometime after 4:00 AM, he jumped out of bed, took a leisurely shower, and headed to his study to make a few calls. Seth was first on his to-do list, and he didn't sound too excited to hear from him when he eventually picked up after Austin's fourth attempt. "Mr Hawthorne, do you know what time it is?" Seth grumbled. "Someone had better be missing, or your money was stolen. Those are the only acceptable excuses for calling me like this at the crack of dawn!""But it's 4
Beautiful Disaster 167|Music To His Ears
Austin's rage hit him like a ton of bricks when he stepped into the living room, and his eyes fell on all the numerous photographs of Iris covering every corner and crevice. He didn't mind when Orlando brought them back last week, figuring she missed her mom. But now…knowing everything he knew, he couldn't stand seeing Iris' face, and he was so terrified that if he continued to stand there like his feet were stuck in a block of concrete, he'd trash his living room. So he forced himself to move along and get Orlando's pancakes ready. Austin knew how to cook, but it wasn't something he enjoyed. Today, though, he was grateful for the distraction. It kept his mind from wandering into dangerous territory. The first batch of pancakes was done forty-five minutes later when Orlando bounded into the room, dressed in her school uniform and her hair tied in lopsided pigtails."Where's Marybeth?" she asked as she jumped onto the barstool and watched him pour a thin stream of batter into the non
Beautiful Disaster 168|Close To His Chest
After dropping Marybeth and Orlando off, Austin went for his morning jog and ran twice as long, pushing himself until he thought he couldn't possibly go any further.When he returned to the penthouse, he was surprised to find his capos waiting for him. "When did you get here?" he asked, taking off his sweaty hoodie and t-shirt. "Two hours ago," said Angelo. "Tough day at the office?" Tim asked. "You never run more than ten kilometres." Austin ignored his banter and grabbed a bottle of still water from the fridge. He gulped it down in one go, crushing the plastic bottle in his hand when he was done. "Can you not do that, please? That sound is damn annoying!" Angelo snapped, glaring at the bottle in Austin's hands. Austin turned to Tim, silently asking him what was wrong with Angelo. His cousin shrugged and rolled his eyes, mouthing something about trouble in paradise. Austin backed out of the room, choosing not to engage. He had enough problems. Meddling in Angelo's was low p
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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
