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169|At The Heart Of It All
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 170|Do No Harm
When Austin was done on the call with Sienna Roberts, he rounded up his stuff and set off for his meeting, colliding with Piper at the front door. "What are you doing here?" he asked, going from calm to furious when flashbacks of being pinned to the floor of his father's study like an animal surged to life again in his mind. "You weren't responding to my texts," she said, playing with the handbag strap on her shoulder. "Or taking my calls.""Do you blame me?" Austin sighed as he checked the time on his Cartier. He had exactly five minutes to spare if he didn't want to be late for the board meeting, and he told his doctor—well, former doctor—as much. "About yesterday," she began, but Austin gave her one quick glare, warning her softly, "don't… don't even think about going there, Piper." "I'm sorry," she went there anyway, pleading her case. "I didn't want to do it. But your father—"Before Austin knew what he'd done, Piper's back was pressed against the wall, her feet dangling in th
Beautiful Disaster 171|Hang Him Out To Dry
They managed to breeze through the moderate lunch-hour traffic, with Arno and Benji making mindless conversation. Neither man brought up the incident in Clarence Estate the previous afternoon. They were happy to pretend all that ugliness never happened, and Austin was more than grateful. Thinking about the fallout with his father hurt more than he cared to admit, and he wasn't ready to talk about it, not with his handlers, at least."Your father is here," said Benji as they drove into the parking lot of Hawthorne Towers almost forty minutes later and passed his father's luxury sedan parked in its usual spot."Blake's here too," noted Arno as he slid into the empty spot beside Blake's bright green Lamborghini. Since Iris' death, they were all supposed to use the Group's armoured cars, but once in a while, Blake liked showing off his luxury cars. Today was clearly one of those days, Austin thought sourly as he left his place in the backseat and headed to the entrance, where Elizabeth was
Beautiful Disaster 172|To The Wolves
"I will not vacate my post!" Lukas shouted when calls for him to step down rippled through the room. "I don't need to remind you that I'm the majority shareholder! Nobody can get rid of me! Nobody!" And the back and forth continued for another heated fifteen minutes before Grayson circled back to the culprit, the person behind the crisis they were all about to find themselves in if news of the embezzlement was somehow leaked."Who did this? Who had the balls to dare and steal from the Group?""It's the same man who bankrupted the Foundation," Austin announced, pointing straight at Blake. For a crushing moment, as he watched the light die in his brother's eyes, Austin could see the beginning of their end so clearly. He'd crossed a line by throwing Blake to the wolves, and there was no coming back from it now. They would have to go all the way, even if it meant destroying themselves and each other in the process."What is wrong with you, Hawthornes?" Rumbled Maxwell. "You're running th
Beautiful Disaster 173|Down A Perilous Path—Part 1
Halfway through the second half of the meeting, Stuart Gardner, one of the longest-serving board members and Lukas's biggest supporter, suggested they should follow the crisis management plan."Which is?" Austin asked pointedly. "We keep our mouths shut, of course!" replied Gardner, rolling his eyes all the way to the back of his head as if Austin was the slowest person on earth for asking something that was clearly obvious to him."Are you out of your mind?" Grayson and McIntyre were on their feet at once, pointing accusatory fingers at Gardner. Unlike everyone in Lukas' camp, they clearly hadn't forgotten whose interest they were supposed to protect, insisting the only way they could all paddle out of shit creek was through complete transparency with the shareholders.The debate continued for another fifteen minutes, with Gardner and Lukas crying sabotage. "That's your best plan?" yelled Gardner, stomping his feet like a preschooler. "Rat us out to the shareholders?"His confidence
Beautiful Disaster 174|Down A Perilous Path—Part 2
Caught out at last and with nowhere to hide, Blake could only hold his head in his hands, his whole demeanour screaming of defeat as he mumbled incoherently. "I can't hear you!" Austin rumbled at him as he closed the space between them and began shaking Blake like a rag doll. "Let go of me, you piece of shit!" Blake yelled, trying his damnedest to wriggle away. But with his arm still in a cast, he was no match for Austin. He dug his fingers deeper into the wound on Blake's shoulder and watched with gleeful fascination as a crimson map spread all over the white fabric of Blake's shirt. "Tell me again how paranoid I am, my dearest brother!" He spat out the words, his mouth curled in a sneer. "Tell me you weren't fucking my fiancée behind my back!" "My stitches—" Blake moaned, his face contorting in pain the longer Austin dug into his wound and showed no sign of easing the pressure on his shoulder. "They haven't healed!" "You know what else hasn't healed?" Austin asked as he finall
Beautiful Disaster 175|Ugly Things
Plagued by fatigue and nausea for a large part of the morning, it was safe to say Marybeth's day was on the shitty end of the scale. Her mood went from mildly irritable to downright annoyed when Carol Scheepers showed up just before she could leave work for the day, demanding a report on Adeline's progress. Marybeth couldn't help but be grateful that the school was already out for the day, and none of her kids, especially Adeline, were around to witness the spur-of-the-moment visit."So? Are you going to show me my kid's books or what?" demanded Carol, her hands on her hips, her eyebrows wiggled in a tight frown. Marybeth was so tempted to tell her to set up an appointment like other parents, but since she was already skating on thin ice with Smith, the last thing she needed was a complaint from Carol. So, with the biggest, fakest smile, Marybeth showed Carol to Adeline's desk and scratched inside her filing cabinet for her pupil's portfolio."Here you go," she said, spreading Adelin
Beautiful Disaster 176|Thorn In Her Side
Estelle, in all her regal glory, was already seated front and centre of Dark Roast, a quaint seaside coffee shop east of Pelican Surf, when Marybeth arrived. She'd asked Orlando if she wanted to join them, but her young charge had politely declined, choosing to stay in the car with Henry and Mirko.As Marybeth weaved through the tables and approached the thorn in her side, she wished she'd been as brave as Orlando and refused to pitch up for what was bound to be a showdown of note.She didn't even understand why they were meeting at a coffee shop when Estelle's place was a few blocks away. But still agitated over her confrontation with Carol, she wasn't in the mood to find out. In fact, she wasn't in the mood to talk, period, and the sooner the Hawthorne matriarch told her why she'd been blowing up her phone with text messages like a deranged stalker, the better. So after they exchanged curt greetings and placed their coffee orders, Marybeth cut to the chase."Why am I here?" she inqui
Beautiful Disaster 177|Cut Him Loose
The whole time they drove home, Marybeth kept going over her chat with Estelle. Sure, changing her phone number was a lot of unnecessary admin, but if it would save Elijah's life and keep the peace in the family, shouldn't she at least consider it?"Are you okay, кума?" asked Mirko from the driver's seat."I'm fine," Marybeth lied."That sigh didn't sound like you're fine," chirped Henry, surprising Marybeth with his comment. She didn't realise she'd expressed her inner turmoil out loud."I'm okay," she insisted as she wrapped a now-sleeping Orlando tighter in her arms and kissed her forehead. She now understood what the little girl had meant when she said she didn't like Estelle. After their meeting and having caught a tiny glimpse of what the older woman was capable of, Marybeth firmly shared Orlando's sentiment. It would be a deadly mistake on her part to underestimate Estelle simply because of her age. It was obvious she was a Hawthorne through and through, and Marybeth had no doub
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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
