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57|In Pieces
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Beautiful Disaster 58|Come Clean
There was a marked difference in Austin's mood when they returned to the Committee Room, and Marybeth was damn relieved. For a moment there, after their little mishap with Blake, she'd worried Austin would unravel and descend into madness. She may dislike him sometimes, and their relationship may be confusing, to say the least, but that didn't mean she enjoyed seeing his world turned on its head.But if she thought his obsession with his older brother would stop with their shocking discovery, she couldn't have been more wrong.While Tim and Angelo finished their drinks, Austin focused on Blake and Hadley, following the couple's every little movement as they worked the room.At some point, Marybeth had to step in and steer him away. "Austin, seriously, you need to stop watching them. If it's starting to creep me out, imagine what it's doing to your brother and his fiancée.""I'm just curious, that's all. I mean, how does he do it?" he said as they headed inside the public gallery in th
Beautiful Disaster 59|Balls Of Steel
They didn't say a word to each other on their way to Sea Point.While Austin typed away on his laptop and caught up on work, Marybeth got on the phone with the principal.Smith sounded unimpressed, but she agreed to contact the social worker assigned to Adeline's case."I'll call you back soon with an update," she said and hung up.Marybeth wasn't holding her breath to hear back from her. If the case was reported months ago, and the social worker still hadn't followed up, there was zero chance she'd drive to Sea Point after hours on a rainy Tuesday night.Sighing, Marybeth placed her phone on her lap and watched the sleek sheet of water slide down her window, comforted by the gentle pit-patter of the raindrops falling on the roof of the car.Her mind was a constant war zone, an endless loop of chaotic thoughts bouncing between her worry for Adeline and her anger at Austin.She should have known their truce wouldn't last. But when he confided in her about his brother, the fool she was
Beautiful Disaster 60|I'll Be Good
"I have good and bad news for you," Smith said. "Which one do you want first?""Hit me with the bad first.""Alright, unfortunately, I can't get through to the social worker."Marybeth rolled her eyes. She could have told her that. "What's the good news then?""We've managed to get beds. It's actually two cots at Safe Haven for the little boys—"Marybeth cut in, asking, "what about Adeline? Where does that leave her? You can't separate them. They don't know where their mother is, and Adeline's been looking after them the whole day. They won't handle the separation well—""With all due respect, are you trying to teach me how to do my job?""Of course not! But you're the one who read me the riot act about not following protocol, and I'm pretty sure leaving one of the children by herself is not protocol!""Marybeth!" Smith inhaled hard, clearly outraged by her brazenness. "You understand Safe Haven is doing us a favour here, right? There is no bed for Adeline. They've taken in four of ou
Beautiful Disaster 61|Not A Good Man
On the brink of breaking down, Marybeth absently began to tidy up the place, convinced that if she didn't distract herself, she'd fall apart.Behind her, Scarlett cleared her throat."We'd love to stay and help you clean up," she said, pointing at her watch when Marybeth turned around. "But Lewis has an early meeting tomorrow.""Of course," Marybeth gave her a small smile and placed the ashtray back on the coffee table before walking them out, leaving Austin and his men huddling in the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones.They lingered in the corridor, with Scarlett dying to share her piece as soon as the front door shut behind them. "You didn't tell me how bad things are!""I did," Marybeth insisted. "But you were too concerned with Smith and signing a warning. Do you see now why we have to get Adeline away from here?""It's not just her anymore, you know that, right? When the social worker eventually shows up, those three kids will very likely be placed in foster care."Marybeth was w
Beautiful Disaster 62|A Tale Of Two Brothers
When the office stirred to life sometime after 7:30 AM, Austin had long been hard at work, going over the Groups quarterly reports.He was on his third when Elizabeth knocked on his door and bounded in with a fresh cup of coffee. She placed it on his desk and lingered, clearly waiting for something. Austin had no idea what she wanted, though. After his restless night, he wasn't in the mood to play guessing games with her."Was there anything else you needed, Elizabeth?" he asked, barely glancing at her."The mayor called, sir," she said quickly. "He was so disappointed you didn't show up for the press dinner after his address. He was looking forward to discussing the city's proposal for the entertainment district—"Austin got a headache just listening to her. He didn't know how many times he had to say it for everyone to understand that if the city wanted to play hardball green-lighting his plans for a new casino in the Bay, he didn't give a shit about investing in Mayor Stone's littl
Beautiful Disaster 63|A Little Heated
"You crazy bastard! You really shot me!" Blake howled in anguish as he writhed on the floor, clutching his arm where the bullet had nicked him.Austin loomed over him, grinning coldly as he watched the once-white sleeve of his brother's shirt turn into a scarlet stream the longer the blood oozed from his wound, "you were right. I can't kill you. But it doesn't mean I can't hurt you.""You've really lost your marbles!" Blake grunted, grinding his teeth, his entire face contorted in pain. "Don't just stand there; do something!""No, brother. I don't have to do shit!" Austin shook his head, a look of sheer contempt in his eyes as he toyed with the gun in his hand, contemplating if he should shoot him again, maybe in the knee this time.But before he could decide, the office door burst open, and a security team, along with Cindy and Elizabeth, ran inside.They all took one look at the mess and lost their heads as everyone spoke at once, demanding to know what the hell happened."He pissed
Beautiful Disaster 64|Everything You Touch Eventually Dies
Shortly after 1:00 PM, Austin set off for St. Anne's Cemetery, six kilometres from the centre of Clarence Estate.He asked Arno to stop at the florist a block away from the church, where he bought two bouquets of pink carnations, his mom's favourites.He and Iris had been together for three years before she died, but he never knew what flowers she liked. Come to think of it, there was a lot he didn't know about her. Maybe because she never needed anything from him except sex. But then again, why would she when she was a spoiled mafia princess with enough resources?"We're early," Arno stated the obvious as he parked the car."That was the plan," Austin grunted as he jumped out of the car, declining Benji's offer to tag along.He took a leisurely stroll to Iris' grave.Surrounded by thriving greenery and centuries-old trees, the cemetery spanned 15.2 hectares of land. It was the perfect final resting place for some of the country's notable figures. He'd had to fight the De Jagers tooth
Beautiful Disaster 65|Desperate Times
As soon as the bell rang, announcing the much-awaited lunch break, Marybeth's kids grabbed their lunchboxes and scrammed out of the classroom.When she looked up from her laptop, she was glad to see Adeline still sitting at her desk. She'd planned to check in with her after school, but there was no better time than the present. So she grabbed her lunch bag and sat at the empty desk next to the little girl's. It was a tight squeeze and uncomfortable as fuck. Not exactly newsflash since she wasn't the target market."Hey, Adeline," she said as she took a piece of cheese and ham sandwich from her lunchbox and passed the other to her pupil. "How's it going?""Okay," Adeline replied, making no attempt to take the bread."Go on, have some," Marybeth coaxed her, but Adeline declined, explaining she had her own lunch."The aunties at Safe Haven made me a peanut butter and jam sammie. They even gave me juice," she said, reaching inside her surprisingly clean backpack for her lunch."Then what's
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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
