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44|Pandora's Box
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 45|Between Right And Wrong
"Let's take a photo of the pizza and send it to Daddy just to make him jealous," Orlando suggested before they could dig in."Okay, let's do that!" Marybeth laughed as she snapped several photos of their meal from every angle and sent them off. Austin read the text and sent a string of heart emojis. She showed them to Orlando. "I don't think your daddy's jealous.""He is!" Orlando insisted.Sure enough, Marybeth's phone pinged again with another message from Austin. 'Žena, the pizza looks divine. Did you make it from scratch? Wish I was there to enjoy it with you guys. I'm working late, don't wait up for me.''I wasn't planning to,' Marybeth typed back, wondering what other illegal shit her husband was up to tonight. But since she had no control over any of it, she pushed all thoughts of Austin out of her mind and focused her energy on Orlando.By the time they were done with their meal, she knew all about the cliques at Liberty Prep, who had a crush on who, and who was given afternoo
Beautiful Disaster 46|Pulled Rank
True to her word, Liliana was at Austin's front door in under an hour. When Marybeth checked the surveillance TV screen on the wall beside the security keypad and saw Zukiswa beside her, she breathed a huge sigh of relief, glad that the other half of the 'we' Liliana had mentioned in her text wasn't Hadley. After the hot mess of a day she'd had, there was no way she could have handled the other woman's snooty attitude."We brought wine and chocolates," Liliana announced as soon as Marybeth let them in."And clothes," added Zukiswa, waving several elegant-looking garment bags in her hands. "I get the wine and chocolates. Not sure about the clothes, though. Are you guys staying the night or what? Have you cleared it with Austin first?" Marybeth asked as she closed the door and followed them into the kitchen, where Liliana was already pulling out wine glasses from the cupboards. "Seriously, ladies, what's with the bags?" she asked again, joining Zukiswa at the breakfast island. "For
Beautiful Disaster 47|Human Mind
"Why don't the De Jagers have a relationship with Orlando?" she asked again. "They resent her," Zukiswa blurted out, blowing Marybeth's mind with her utterances. Why anyone would resent a child, let alone one as loving and pure as Orlando, was unfathomable to her.Zukiswa must have noticed her shock; she quickly clarified her comment, "I mean, not resent per se. She just reminds them of everything they've lost." "She's a child," Marybeth whispered. "She's their grandchild and a huge part of Iris.""But she's also a part of Austin. It's not a secret that the De Jagers hate him. If it wasn't for old man Hawthorne's bullheaded persistence that the two tie the knot, the De Jagers firmly believe their daughter would still be alive today," Liliana said.Zukiswa picked up the threads of their conversation, painting a rather disturbing picture for Marybeth the longer she spoke. "They never got over losing Iris, and four years on, they still blame Austin for her death. They even told the Haw
Beautiful Disaster 48|Human Heart
Marybeth had told Austin she wasn't planning to wait up for him, but sometime after midnight, when the front door beeped open, she was still wide awake, tossing and turning, thinking about everything she'd learned from Liliana and Zukiswa. She heard Austin's footsteps as he trod up the stairs, stopping in Orlando's room before he circled back down the hall. A minute passed, maybe two, and still no sign of the man. So she kicked off the covers and padded out of the room. She found him rummaging through the linen cupboard, the dim light in the hallway casting his shadow on the walls. "What's going on?" she asked, leaning on the door frame. Austin turned and smiled, "what are you doing up?" She ignored him, pointing at the pillow and blanket in his hands, "what's with that?" "Oh, this?" he shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I thought I should spend the night in one of the guest rooms, you know, to give you space—" "Why?" Marybeth frowned at him, wondering what bullshit games he was pl
Beautiful Disaster 49|No Good Deed
People always say things will look better in the morning.It wasn't true.Not in Marybeth's case, at least.Despite falling asleep in each other's arms, the tension between her and Austin the following morning was almost palpable as they tried to get on with their routine. Suddenly, his massive kitchen wasn't big enough for the both of them. Everywhere she turned, he was practically on top of her, taking up space.So after whipping up a bowl of oats for Orlando and making sure she was comfortable at the breakfast island, Marybeth escaped to the balcony with a steaming cup of black coffee. The biting morning breeze chilled her to the bone, and she brought her cardigan closer as she gazed at the darkening sky. If the heavy clouds weren't a bad omen for her first state of the city address, she didn't know what was.She was still sipping her coffee, lost in thought, as she stared at the gloomy clouds when Austin came to find her."Beth?"She turned, arching her brow at him. "What is it, A
Beautiful Disaster 50|Spiralling
Austin spent half his day in a meeting with the legal team. By the time they adjourned just after 1:00 PM, they were very close to finalising the nightclub acquisition deal, but his mood was still hovering on the foul side.When he returned to his office, and the first thing Elizabeth did was bombard him with a ton of messages from his father, all summoning him to Clarence Estate for an urgent discussion regarding Rawlings and the cop, the mild irritation Austin had felt since his tiff with Beth earlier that morning quickly morphed into full-blown rage."Tell him I'm busy!" he barked at his assistant when she knocked on his door for the umpteenth time."I'm sorry, sir, but it sounds urgent," she explained."I don't care, and I don't pay you to be my father's errand lady. Now, out!" Austin scowled at her and jerked his head at the door.Without saying another word, Elizabeth quickly saw herself out, leaving him to stew over the shit with the cop.It was bad enough he had to hear about
Beautiful Disaster 51|Nadia Van Staden
"How far is Angelo with the financials?" Tim asked, turning on his laptop."He knows a guy," Austin replied and hit play on the security footage he was watching before the unplanned break. "I'm guessing we'll know more about the other accounts in a week or two.""So I heard the girls met up last night. Something about Orlando's ancestry project—"Austin nodded, but he was barely listening. All his attention was on the full HD clip of the VIP room at Gold Rush, more specifically, at the elderly grey-haired woman with a pen and paper in her hand. She looked like a harmless, ordinary punter, but from all the footage Austin had seen of her so far, he'd quickly worked out she was the captain of this ship and ran it with military precision."Interesting," he murmured, rubbing his chin, a thoughtful look in his eye.What would possess an elderly person to even think of running such a scheme was beyond him. But then again, he decided, as he threw off his tie and contemplated the array of bott
Beautiful Disaster 52|Chain Reaction
Tim had just left when Austin's office door burst to life again.He looked up from the Van Staden file just in time to see his assistant run after the man he knew was Detective Elijah Boshoff, thanks to several photos Arno had included in his detailed report on the cop."I'm sorry, Mr Hawthorne, he refused to set up an appointment like everyone else," a flustered Elizabeth explained as she wrung her hands."Well, I'm not everyone else, am I?" Elijah retorted in a flat, toneless voice."It's okay, Elizabeth, we'll forgive him just this once for barging in," Austin said, furrowing his brow as he stared at the cop.To say he was taken aback by the man's audacity was an understatement. Sure, when he reached out to Rawlings last night and demanded the bastard's badge, he'd figured their paths would cross at some point. He just didn't think it would be so soon, nor in such a dramatic fashion."Are you sure, sir? I can call security," Elizabeth said, darting her eyes between him and the dete
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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
