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91|Chameleon
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 92|Compromise
Rattled by her sudden epiphany and terrified of where she was headed if she didn't start thinking with her head again and keep her heart under lock and key, Marybeth went limp in Austin's arms."What's wrong?" he asked, breaking their kiss.Marybeth opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.How did she explain to him that she was an idiot and that her heart had gone and done the one thing it wasn't supposed to do?How did she tell him she was falling in love with him?"Beth?" Austin gently flicked her hair away from her face before kissing the tip of her nose. "Talk to me.""It's nothing," she smiled feebly.It was too soon and too quick to start opening herself up to him in such a huge way. She needed a little time to process and regroup."It's nothing," she said again, just to convince herself that the discomfort in her heart was really in her head and not a start of what could very well be a beautiful disaster...their beautiful disaster—"Are you sure?" Austin pressed. "We
Beautiful Disaster 93|Dread
Two housekeepers, dressed in classic black and white uniforms, dashed through the stately front door and whisked them inside to a large parlour decked out in Russian-inspired furniture and decor."Please make yourself at home, Marybeth," Andrei waved at the armchairs in the room. "Can I interest you in a drink?""No, thank you," Marybeth shook her head, asking as she sat down, "where is Orlando?""She ran upstairs to see my father as soon as we came in," Andrei explained as he handed Austin a glass of Scotch. "He'll be down shortly.""How has he been?" asked Austin."As well as can be expected, all things considered," replied Andrei as he joined them in the seating area."He had a bypass surgery a few years ago, and he hasn't been the same," he added for her benefit.Just then, Orlando ran into the room, an elderly man Marybeth assumed was Andrei's father trudging behind her."Young Hawthorne," he effused in a husky voice when his gaze fell on Austin. "Come here and give this old man
Beautiful Disaster 94|An Interesting Fellow
"I got your email," Nikolai said as soon as they walked into his study. "It's unfortunate what Willem tried to do.""Good," said Austin, allowing his gaze to wander through the room. "I'm glad we're on the same page."Like the rest of the house, all the luxuries and comforts in Nikolai's study were reminiscent of the Russian Imperial era.It was hard to believe the place still looked exactly as it did a decade ago. The only thing that was different was the burgundy damask wallpaper. The old, cream one had to be stripped off after Nikolai shot the pool boy in here—"Please have a seat," said Nikolai, waving at the settee facing his large oak desk."Did you get a chance to review my complaint?" Austin asked as he dropped his frame on the couch.Nikolai picked up a miniature world globe and spun it on its axis a few times before placing it back down. "The best I can do is a fine—"Austin firmly rejected his offer. Nothing less than an expulsion would quell his rage. And if Nikolai couldn
Beautiful Disaster 95|The Woman He Can't Forget
"Everything okay?" Marybeth asked when he jumped in the back with her and Orlando. "You were in there for a while.""Yeah, we had a lot to discuss," he replied, keeping his response vague."Daddy, can you please check why this isn't working?" Orlando shoved the drone controller in his hand.Marybeth, though, replied before he could check it out, "Uncle Andrei took out the batteries.""Why?" Orlando asked."Because you can't fly a drone at an airport—"Austin missed the rest of her explanation because his father called just then."What is this nonsense about expelling Willem from The Corporation?" Lukas ranted as soon as Austin reluctantly picked up his call. "Son, you have seriously lost your mind! What the hell is he supposed to do with his profits? You know damn well he needs us!""How many times have I needed him in the past, and he wasn't there? How many times did Orlando need him, and he couldn't bring himself to care?" Austin asked calmly, doing his best not to lose his temper i
Beautiful Disaster 96|Not His Circus
When the spindly guy with rimless glasses and tousled dark hair introduced himself as Seth Andrews, Austin's mood quickly took a nosedive. This guy—no, this kid—didn't look old enough to be out of college, let alone run his own PI agency."How old are you?" Austin couldn't help but ask as they sat down. He'd booked a balcony table right in the corner, away from curious eyes and ears. The stunning view of the sunset didn't hurt either."I was wondering when you'd ask me that," Seth grinned as he reached inside his backpack and took out his laptop."So it's a common question, then?" Austin mused, oddly comforted by the knowledge that he wasn't the only one who found the man's age questionable."Yep, it is," the PI nodded, his fingers rapidly stroking the keys on his keyboard as he brought up a couple of windows on the screen. "And to answer your question, I'll be turning twenty-seven in December."Austin's eyes lit up at his response; Marybeth's birthday was also in December. He wondere
Beautiful Disaster 97|Barking Up The Wrong Tree
As much as Austin wanted to sleep in and snuggle up with Marybeth and Orlando, he had too many meetings and too much to do before Indigo's launch party in the afternoon. So when his alarm screeched at 6:00 AM, he shook himself awake and jumped out of bed.By seven, he was freshly showered, dressed and ready for his first meeting. He kissed a still-sleeping Marybeth and Orlando goodbye before heading out.When he found Andrei waiting in the lobby with two Americanos, his morning, which was already shaping up to be a good one, got even better."I had a feeling you'll need this," said Andrei as he handed him one of the cups. "How did it go last night?""Thanks," Austin mumbled, wasting no time taking his first sip as he followed him to the car.Crush was only a few blocks away from The Castle, and he could have easily walked there, but he wasn't complaining. The air con in the car was a welcome relief from the scorching sun. The oppressive summer heat was probably one of the many reasons
Beautiful Disaster 98|Below His Station
They met Mrs Allan at Rise, a coffee shop in the food court of Rock Castle's fancy new shopping mall.It wasn't Marybeth's choice. She wasn't a huge fan of their coffee and found them overpriced. But since she wasn't familiar with the town and didn't know where the best haunts were, she'd gone along with Mrs Allan's suggestion.Minutes into walking into the coffee shop, Orlando and her former nanny were in tears, and Marybeth had to fight back her own waterworks as she watched their emotional reunion."I've missed you so much, Mrs Allan," Orlando sniffled on the older woman's shoulder."I haven't been gone that long, you silly girl," Mrs Allan replied as she held on tightly to her former charge."Look how big you've grown!" she gushed, holding Orlando away from her to give her a proper look. "And I love your French braid!""Marybeth did it for me," Orlando announced.Mrs Allan stood up, the wattage in her smile dimming considerably when her gaze fell on Marybeth."You must be the new
Beautiful Disaster 99|If Moses
Marybeth's first stop after leaving Rise was a fancy boutique on the third floor, and after spending almost an hour browsing through their collection of cocktail dresses, she eventually settled on two, adding a pair of shoes and some accessories.Next, she stopped at the hair salon on the second floor, her heart bleeding when she saw the bill after her quick wash and trim. She could have done the same job, maybe even better, at no cost. Annoyed with herself for spending money that wasn't hers, she headed back to the hotel, thanking Andrei's men when they dropped her off at the entrance.When she walked into their suite, the silence was a little more than unsettling, so she turned on the TV and left it on a true crime channel. While she half-heartedly followed a family's quest for answers over their beloved daughter's disappearance, she video-called Scarlett."Oh good, you finally remember you have a best friend!""Quit being dramatic, or I won't take you on a tour of the place!" she t
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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
