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249|Like Brad Pitt In Fight Club—Part 2|
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Beautiful Disaster 250|Not A Good Candidate
Since it was the last day of school, Marybeth finished work early on Friday. By 10:30 am, she was in Dr Khan's rooms, even though she didn't have an appointment.Anette, the receptionist, fussed as soon as she saw her, thinking something was wrong with the baby. But after a quick reassurance from Marybeth that she and the baby were doing okay, Anette returned to her workstation and asked her to wait a bit; the good doctor was on a call with a patient. Thankfully, the call didn't take long, and moments later, Dr Khan invited Marybeth into his office. They spent a minute or two chatting about her pregnancy, and when Marybeth had nothing more meaningful to add to the conversation, she changed the subject, stating the real reason for her visit.The whole time she pleaded with Dr Khan to add her father to the transplant waiting list, the man wore a thoroughly unimpressed look. The tight frown lodged between his eyebrows and his thickish lips pressed in a thin line were enough to scare of
Beautiful Disaster 251|Scab In Your Heart
"Scar and Lewis will pick you guys up after five," Marybeth told her father, placing her phone on the coffee table beside the bowl of mushy oats."What's the rush? I thought we were only driving up later tonight?""You know Scar and food, she wants to check in before supper time.""It's amazing how she's so tiny but can eat everyone under the table," Lionel said with a laugh. Marybeth laughed along with him, thinking back to all the times Scarlett had stayed at her place during their varsity breaks and impressed her father with her healthy appetite. Soon, though, Scarlett and her past antics were forgotten as their cold, harsh reality sank in again when Marybeth's gaze landed on the liver disease brochure peeking through her handbag."I saw Dr Khan today," she said, unable to look her father in the eye because she was so ashamed of herself."It's alright, Sweet Pea," Lionel said."No, Daddy, it's not," she replied, utterly defeated. She'd talked a good game, but when it came down to
Beautiful Disaster 252|Always
After a long three-hour flight, plagued by the worst turbulence Austin had ever experienced, he was a little confused, not to mention annoyed, when instead of his bodyguards, he found Mirko and Henry waiting for him at the heliport in the Bay."Who's looking after my wife when you're both here?" he asked Marybeth's handlers as they took his and Elizabeth's bags and placed them in the boot of their car."She's playing at the Back Of The Moon with Arno and Benji," replied Mirko.Austin wasn't exactly thrilled that his handlers had shirked off their responsibilities, but he nodded anyway, recalling a conversation he had with them some time back about inviting Marybeth to join their band. He never brought it up with her because he didn't think playing in a small has-been venue with very little foot traffic was her cup of tea. But, after dropping Elizabeth off at her apartment a few blocks from the pub, he was genuinely surprised to find his wife having the time of her life on stage with
Beautiful Disaster 253|Dark And Disturbing
They removed their shoes and rolled up their pants before taking the stairs at the end of Pier #3. "This is nice," Marybeth sighed loudly, allowing the stress of the past few days to slowly melt away from her limbs when her toes sunk into the squishy sand.Smiling like an idiot, she turned to Austin, asking, "Wasn't that the best concert you've ever seen?""When did performing at a dive bar turn into a concert?" Austin retorted, flicking her nose with his thumb and index finger playfully. "Ouch! That hurts!" Marybeth whined, her mouth forming a perfect pout."Let me kiss it better," Austin said, suddenly pulling her in his arms. He held her close, nuzzling her neck before moving in for a heated kiss. "I've missed you so fucking much—" "How much?" she taunted him. "Enough to take you right here," he replied with a roguish smile, and it was enough for her to throw caution to the wind. "Take me somewhere," she whispered, burying her face in his neck so she could breathe him in and f
Beautiful Disaster 254|End Of A Long, Painful Chapter
The walk back to the pub was sombre and very different from earlier when they'd run to the beach like silly kids without a care in the world.Marybeth didn't understand how things could change so drastically in so little time. An hour ago, she was excited to have Austin home. But now, she couldn't help but worry and fear for their future. "What's on your mind?" Austin asked, giving her a sidelong glance when she sighed for the millionth time since they left their rendezvous spot."I'm just so terrified, that's all," she replied, admitting she feared for their safety, especially his. "Beth," Austin gently shook her out of her thoughts. "Do you trust me?"Of course, she did. But she didn't trust the people in his world. She didn't trust his father and Nikolai and Vishal. And she sure as hell didn't trust her mom. "Do you trust me?" Austin prompted, holding her by the shoulders as he stared straight into her eyes."Of course I do," Marybeth replied. "But I don't trust The Corporatio
Beautiful Disaster 255|Fireworks—Part 1
The Old Pour House was one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms, nestled at the foot of Mount Marion in the farming town of Aurora. With luxury accommodation, a gorgeous fruit and vegetable garden, a beauty spa and a host of award-winning restaurants, the family-run wine farm was ideal for a romantic weekend getaway or a welcome ball fit for one of the country's crime families. Too sleepy to appreciate the rustic beauty and splendour of their farmhouse suite, Marybeth didn't argue when Austin suggested she get some rest. After all, they'd left Pelican Surf at the crack of dawn, and she desperately needed some shut-eye. "What about you?" she asked, not bothering to change out of her lightweight tracksuit as she slipped under the covers. "I still have a ton of work to catch up on," he replied, switching on his laptop.Marybeth watched him for some time as he furiously typed away, thinking about the revelations the last few hours had brought, from Jaco being Iris' killer to her mom running
Beautiful Disaster Fireworks—Part 2
They spent the rest of their afternoon locked up in their suite, avoiding the worst of humanity. Marybeth was doing most of the avoiding while Austin immersed himself in his work. By the time 5:00 PM rolled around, Marybeth was a hot mess, anxious out of her wits about meeting the Hawthornes' business associates. If she wasn't pregnant, she would have finished an entire bottle of whiskey to still her nerves. But since she was expecting, she had to settle for sparkling water instead. "How do I look?" she asked Austin for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, he told her she looked like a dream come true. "Are you sure?" she said, picking up a small figurine from a side table beside the fireplace. They were in the Old Cellar, waiting to receive their guests, and she couldn't sit still to save her life. The place used to be a barn but had since been converted into an event venue perfect for parties and conferences. "Relax," Austin said, taking the figurine from her. He pl
Beautiful Disaster 257|Family Reunion—Part 1
"Get me out of here," Marybeth whispered in a panicked voice. Her bewilderment was enough to prompt Austin into action. He grabbed her hand and forced his way through the crowd, leading her to a veranda overlooking the vineyards rolling in the distance."Žena," Austin said, holding her face in his hands. "You need to breathe. Just breathe, sweet Beth. Just breathe."Grateful to have him as her anchor during what was undoubtedly one of her most ungrounded moments, Marybeth closed her eyes at his almost hypnotic voice coaxing her out of her meltdown. She tried to empty her mind of all thought and ignore the dreadful sense of impending doom. But she couldn't just power through it or block it out. After all, she had just come face to face with her worst nightmare."I don't understand," she said, her eyes shooting wide open, the look of incredulity on her face as clear as day.Austin drew her closer. The hard planes of his manly body and his comforting scent were a much-needed distraction w
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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
