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228|Informant—Part 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 229|Informant–Part 2
"Informant for what? Informant for who?" Austin shrieked in a voice he couldn't accept was his because it was unusually sharp."For Violent Crimes," replied Gordon. "I'm sorry, didn't Iris ever mention this to you?""Would I be this fucking surprised if she had?" Austin snapped as he began pacing."I'm sorry," said Peterson. "We thought you knew. She told the Unit her family was on board. And by 'family', we assumed you, Mr Hawthorne. It's clear now that there were things she didn't want you to know. Maybe you were part of the problem—""Watch your mouth!" Austin snarled as he yanked Peterson by the collar and slammed him into the wall. Gordon quickly intervened, separating them."You don't want to add assault of an officer to your long list of crimes," said Gordon as he pushed Austin back onto his armchair."Alleged crimes," Austin corrected him.Before Gordon or Peterson could give their comeback, Anna reminded everyone she was still in the room when she cleared her throat and asked
Beautiful Disaster 230|Blood Means Nothing
When Lukas called shortly after their shower, summoning them to a family supper that evening at Clarence Estate, all hope Marybeth had of an uneventful Sunday quickly vanished.She listened to Austin's side of the intense phone conversation for some time while she got dressed. Eventually, the heated argument between father and son lost its steam, and a fuming Austin threw his phone on the bed, cussing out his old man for his stubbornness."Can you believe him?" he seethed as he stormed to the walk-in closet to throw on some clothes. "I don't have anything to say to Blake! I'm not going to sit at that dinner table and sing fucking kumbaya—""Austin!""What, Beth?""Well, you did attack Blake last night," Marybeth pointed out as she quickly ran a brush through her hair, noticing how long it had grown over the past few weeks. It looked thicker and glossier, too. Maybe being pregnant wasn't terrible, after all—"Because he sent a bloody hitman to take me out, Beth!" Austin said, breaking t
Beautiful Disaster 231|Meal Ticket
They spent a blissful few hours at the beach, soaking up the sun while Orlando collected sea shells and built sandcastles.For Marybeth, those few hours were as perfect as life would ever get, and everything was as it should be.She didn't have to think about her father's illness, her ex fighting for his life in some undisclosed hospital somewhere in the Bay, or Iris being an informant and very likely getting killed for it.She didn't have to worry about the upcoming ball and possibly having an unwanted family reunion with a mother she hadn't seen in twenty years.With the sun rays dancing on her skin, the gleeful sounds of children splashing in the water, and the smell of hotdogs wafting in the air, it was so easy for Marybeth to fall under the idyllic spell of the breathtaking sea and forget the dark, ugly world of the Hawthornes.But, like all good things, their time at the beach had to come to an end, and they soon found themselves heading back home, where she and Austin spent the
Beautiful Disaster 232|Blue Star
Marybeth looked up from her plate, surprised she'd spoken her thoughts out loud when she found four pairs of eyes staring at her."What did you say?" Blake pressed, leaning forward in his seat as he glared at her."Back the hell up," Austin snarled, squaring off with him.Marybeth had taken just about all she could of the madness. She pushed her plate away and dumped the napkin on the table before jumping to her feet, preparing to leave.Looking Blake dead in the eye, she murmured, "You are a disgusting human being, and you should be ashamed of yourself for trying to profit off of a little girl.""Wait a minute!" Blake yelled as he pushed out of his chair. "Listen here—""No. I've listened to your shit long enough. Now it's your turn to listen to me," Marybeth said firmly. "After everything Austin has done for you…after going through all the trouble of keeping the shit about your sex tape quiet, this is how you repay his kindness? What is wrong with you?""She knows about the sex tape?
Beautiful Disaster 233|Not Even Once
"I can pack my own bags, you know, žena," he said, watching her pull some underwear and socks from the drawers."I'm aware of that, but you've had a long day," Marybeth smiled warmly at him. "Anyway, things are so much clearer now.""With?""Iris and Aero," she replied. "Anna told me the Ivanovs were planning to buy Blue Core.""Blue Star," Austin corrected her with a hint of a smile."You knew about that?"Austin nodded. "It was an open secret.""So maybe that's why she became an informant? Maybe Blue Star was into some shady shit—""Beth," Austin said softly as he stood up and crossed the room. He took her hands in his and continued, "We've talked about this. You are off the case.""No, Austin, you talked and didn't give me a chance to decide if I want to be off the case.""I'm sorry, I didn't realise this was up for discussion!""A lot of things in a marriage are usually up for discussion!" Marybeth countered, holding his gaze."What do you want from me, Beth?" he asked, blowing out
Beautiful Disaster 234|Deadlock
Despite promising Marybeth to shut down the nonsense at Crush real quick and be back in the Bay in no time, three days in, Austin was still in Rock Castle.The negotiations with his staff had reached a deadlock, and the mood in the corner boardroom on the top floor of Blaine Inc, the law firm catering to the country's top one percent, was slowly deteriorating.Austin had spent his entire Monday at Crush, listening to everyone gripe about promises of a salary increase made by Gabe, the previous owner. Austin knew they'd been duped, but out of the goodness of his heart, he'd made them an offer. Six per cent. Nothing more, nothing less. But the greedy bastards had pushed back, insisting his offer wasn't worth the paper it was typed on; Gabe had promised them more.On Tuesday, Austin contacted his legal team and instructed them to make the entire mess go away.But by Wednesday evening, they were still nowhere close to a resolution.Austin was tired of sounding like a broken record, and his
Beautiful Disaster 235|The Client List
Elizabeth retired to her room as soon as they reached the hotel, assuring Austin she'd order room service and he didn't have to worry about her eating alone.Glad his PA didn't need his company for the night, Austin headed to his suite, took a quick shower, and changed into chinos and a lightweight sweater before heading to Skyline, the rooftop restaurant where he met Seth and Kieran the last time he was in Rock Castle.Levi was running fifteen minutes late, giving Austin time to catch up on work with his capos."How far are you with the journo?" asked Tim. "Did you have a chance to meet with her?""When? You know damn well I've been holed up in negotiations for the last three days!""I take it your guys and gals are playing hardball?" said Angelo."To their own detriment," Austin replied. "I'm prepared to take this to CCMA. Anyway, is Nadia fitting well with the team?""As well as can be expected," replied Angelo. "But I reckon it's strange for all of us. I mean, we've never had a fem
Beautiful Disaster 236|Hoes Over Bros
Over a thousand kilometres away, Marybeth, like her husband, wasn't having the time of her life; their separation had taken its toll on her.Between her morning sickness, worrying about her father's health, and finalising report cards before the end of the third term on Friday, she was a hot mess of note. Thank heavens she had Anna to help her with Orlando.Monday, the day Austin flew out to Rock Castle, began like any other. But, when half of Marybeth's class still hadn't shown up for their first lesson, she resigned herself to the fact that they weren't coming. Now that they were approaching the end of the school term, it wasn't unusual for her pupils to start their break a week earlier. What she didn't know, though, was if Adeline had joined the rebellious gang willingly or if Carol had kept her home.Just the thought of Carol Scheepers made Marybeth's blood boil. Other than Austin, she hadn't told anyone about the wretched woman's crude attempt at extortion. Thank heavens she'd sto
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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
