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183|Game Changer
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 184|Plan C—Part 1
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Austin whispered.He was prepared for a blood bath…To kill and possibly be killed tonight. He was even expecting some resistance from Friar John and his associates.But this little human?Austin wasn't ready for him, and he could only stare at him in horror as his mind raced, trying to come up with Plan C because Plan B—wiping out everyone in their path—was pretty much a no-go now."What do we do?" asked Tim, echoing Austin's thoughts as they watched the boy.He was roughly Orlando's age, about six, maybe seven, and something about the way he sat so still, his eyes fixated on his puzzle despite all the chaos around him, troubled Austin deeply."What's wrong with him?" Angelo asked in the background as he and Tim carefully moved through the room, sussing out possible danger.But after a few minutes and no one had come running in guns blazing, it became apparent to Austin and his men that they were alone.Friar John and his accomplices had to be nearby, though. After
Beautiful Disaster 185|Plan C—Part 2
"кум," Friar John stammered as he moved away from the table.He quickly bowed at Austin, gesturing at his accomplices to do the same."Please don't!" Austin waved them off as he dumped his bag on the concrete floor, pulled one of the metal chairs away from the table and sat down. "Don't insult me by pretending to respect me, John!""кум, it's not what you think," Friar John said, running quickly to Austin's side, but Angelo stopped him as he pointed his gun at his chest."Back the fuck up!" he growled, cocking his pistol when Friar John attempted to take another step forward."Listen, this is all a huge misunderstanding," said Friar John, holding out his hands pleadingly."A misunderstanding, you say?" Austin murmured, tapping his index finger on his cheek while he ran his gaze through the room. His eyes lit up when they fell on three familiar faces—Nadia and her two youngest sons. The oldest, Josef, was nowhere to be found. Austin could only assume he was still out of commission after
Beautiful Disaster 186|Blood Will Have Blood
"Why did you do it?""I don't know what you're talking about!" Friar John kept up with the lie, which only infuriated Austin.Before his capos or handlers could stop him, he squeezed the trigger, the bullet whistling out of the chamber as loud as Friar John's howls when it ripped into his thigh, sending him crumpling to the floor.Martha, clearly not used to the violence and carnage, couldn't control the blood-curdling scream tearing through her lips."Shut the fuck up if you don't want to join him," Angelo warned her as he pushed her to the corner, where Nadia and her sons were huddled in terror."Now, let's do this again, shall we?" Austin said as he motioned at Arno and Benji to drag Friar John to the other free chair in the room.The whole time they carried him to the table, the third most powerful man in the Hawthorne family screamed like a little bitch as he clutched his thigh, and Austin was so tempted to finish him off then and there. But he still needed answers. And the consig
Beautiful Disaster 187|Path Of No Return—Part 1
They all dispersed and returned to the barn after the Van Staden boys had finished burying Friar John. Austin, though, hung back at the burial site for a few minutes, staring morosely at the consigliere's grave, his heart splintering into a million little pieces when he realised the man would never have a headstone or even a homemade cross to mark his final resting place.Austin knew he was going to die someday. Maybe even sooner than he'd prefer. After all, nothing was as certain as death. But when it was his time, he hoped he'd have something a little fancier than an unmarked grave, and he prayed Marybeth would visit him from time to time and place flowers on his grave.The mere thought of his wife filled Austin with a yearning so intense he didn't realise he'd pulled out his phone and called her until he heard her groggy greeting, "Hello?""Were you sleeping?" he asked, stuffing his free hand in his pocket as he gazed at the crescent moon looming bright and proud in the night sky."
Beautiful Disaster 188|Path Of No Return—Part 2
"We'll need funding," said Angelo. He'd clearly decided to join Austin on his new venture."We'll need a shit ton of funding!" he repeated, puffing hard on his cigarette."I'm working on it," Austin replied. "But in the meantime, I need you to assemble a crew of share traders. Get me the best in the business.""It will cost you," Angelo warned him."I know, and I'm prepared to give them my inheritance if necessary.""This is crazy!" said Tim as he began pacing. "This is insane. Uncle Lukas raised me. He took me in when I didn't have anyone."Austin had figured Tim would be much harder to convince than Angelo. Not only because they were blood relatives. But his cousin also felt profound gratitude towards Lukas for raising him like his own when his parents were killed. So going against the Hawthorne patriarch was the ultimate betrayal in Tim's eyes.Austin finished his cigarette and addressed his right-hand man, "I'm not asking you to come with me. But when I'm done with my father, there
Beautiful Disaster 189|Set The Cat Among The Pigeons
"Thank God! Thank you, Jesus! You finally know the truth!" Anna was the first to unravel as she rushed from her seat and threw herself at Austin's feet, begging for mercy, to her husband's horror and disapproval."Anna! What the hell are you doing? Get up right this minute!" Willem bellowed at her, but she rounded on him with something Austin could only describe as resentment burning in her eyes."I warned you nothing stays hidden forever! We should have told him from the start when my baby asked for our help! If we'd listened to her, she'd be here today!" Anna ranted at Willem, tears trickling down her cheeks and vanishing into the creases of her wrinkly neck."We agreed—" Willem tried to split the blame evenly between them, but it was clear Anna was exhausted. Not just from the lies but also from the weight of their secret and all the guilt-tripping he'd put her through."I didn't agree to anything! It was you and Lukas!" she screamed, not holding back as she took her husband down me
Beautiful Disaster 190|Set The Cat Among The Pigeons—Part 2
'Devastated' didn't even begin to describe Willem's demeanour as he sat there, processing Austin's announcement. Every emotion under the sun flitted across his face until he finally crumpled in defeat.He held his head in his hands, silently denying what he'd perhaps long suspected but refused to acknowledge, "No! Not Jaco!""Yes, your golden-haired boy may have had a hand in your daughter's death," Austin said, unable to bring himself to feel sorry for the man. "Like you, I didn't want to believe it at first. I mean, they were cousins. But after reading Iris' journal and learning how deep their hatred ran… I've got to admit, where I'm sitting, Jaco's looking good for the job."Still in denial, Willem rose from his seat and paced the length of his den, growling at Austin, "Are you out of your mind? Jaco is family. He loved Iris. He was devastated when she died. He grieved for her!""Did he? Did he really grieve for her?" Austin murmured, steepling his fingers."Of course he did! He eve
Beautiful Disaster 191|His Home
Halfway through the flight, Anna, sitting directly behind Austin, nudged him awake."What is it, Anna?" he growled, annoyed that she'd interrupted his nap."I called around, but all the hotels in Pelican Surf are fully booked because of some conference or event. I can't remember what the booking clerks said—""Get to the point!" Austin said, pinching his nose."I was wondering, would it be possible to stay with you tonight?"Austin turned around, sorely tempted to tell her to make other plans. But as much as he despised her, she was still Orlando's grandmother, and he wasn't a heartless son of a bitch. Not all the time, at least. So he agreed to let her crash at his place, to the surprise of his capos and handlers."You can stay for as long as you want," he told her, settling back in his seat again.Thankfully, the rest of the flight passed by in silence. The ride to the penthouse, too, was just as quiet. They didn't have much to discuss outside their bond, born from their shared grief
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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
