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92|Compromise
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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
Beautiful Disaster 100|Playing With Fire
Leeuwkop, home to Noah Boshoff and 3600 other inmates, was located an hour away from Rock Union. The prison was one of the very few maximum security facilities in the country, with the pleasure of hosting some of the most hardened criminals.Despite the heightened security measures, once in a while, some brazen inmates would attempt daring prison breaks with varying success. The most recent grand escape was three months ago when two prisoners pulled a Houdini from the courtyard after making a hole through the fence. The pair was still at large, even though Rawlings had vowed to throw all his resources and more of the taxpayers' money into their recapture.After jumping through a thousand hoops and security checkpoints, Austin was finally led to the visitors' area.He sat at one of the few unoccupied tables and waited for Noah to make an appearance.Since it was a Saturday, the place was as busy as a fish market, and minutes into sitting down, Austin wanted to bolt. The din of voices i
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