CHAPTER 1

         DARKEST HOURS 

                CHAPTER ONE 

                JOHN PAUL'S POV

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The sun was extremely at it brightest today and the chirping of the birds could be heard, not too far away .

It was just like another day in the life of the famous John paul cooper .

I had wristwatches worth millions, a private jet to whatever island or country i want to travel to and most importantly chains of businesses around the globe .

My phone was buzzing and i had to see who was calling and that was my secretary Penelope. 

" Hello good morning sir, we have a meeting with Gracewood international corporations by 12. We also have a dinner date with Mr Simons for the construction building initiative by 2PM ". Penelope spoke out of breath. 

She knew one thing i hated slow talks, and wanted everything mapped out quickly and professionally before i step out of my mansion. 

" Alright ,I want you to call them to notify them of today's meeting and keep in touch with me whenever you have any other information " With that i disconnected my cellular phone.

I am a very busy man and every second was important to me and so are my workers. 

I was that stern and hardworking boss but those were just a facade to hide my inner child .

The part of me i feel has been broken and needed healing to survive.

 There were stretches of tedium and emotional barricade to be living the life that is mostly spent in front of the camera just because a man is famous or wealthy. Many people crave wealth but little do they know that most affluent families wallow in loneliness because of their inability to intermix with anyone the way they consider necessary. 

I had my fair share of life woes so far and it wasn't something i would love talking about. 

I am from the famous Cooper family, we were almost like royalty. We had the world on our grasps, sponsoring free health care and so many charity organisations across the globe .

As for me, life would have been more interesting if I had a little freedom just like the morning birds as they engage in aeronautics without being caged. In that caged life, freedom of the birds assumed importance.

My growing up was pretty very strict, I was not allowed to have friends,go to parties or even hold any conversation with anyone than my teachers. 

My parents protective nature didn't end there, they had to keep me safe by all means as they always explained. 

To my parents, they were helping to keep me safe and protected as the billionaire’s son but that wasn’t what I needed from them. I continued struggling for freedom, but it was hard for them to grant my wish. 

Freedom from constantly been watched by their prying eyes,freedom to have even a handful of friends, freedom to state my feelings rather than to be shut down.

Later in life, I got the freedom I wished for, but not through pleasant means but through the saddest way that I could ever think of. This is my story.

My parents were both hardworking and were workaholics, those are the traits imbibed into me through  them.

Despite their fierce aura around them ,they loved  me as parents and were protective of what i had and what the world might see me as.

So many attempts on their lives my dad woke up one morning and stated how he was going to get killed and i was oblivious of his statement. 

 

I was too young to understand all he meant by he was going to get killed ,my dad Paul cooper tightened the security around the house .

Rushing to meet up with a presidential meeting with the president of the United States, my beloved parents hastened into their early graves, meeting the untimely death as a result of a ghastly road accident on Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia.

I felt there was more to their deaths as their lives where cut too short and something fishy led to their deaths .

The memories of their demise remained indelible in my mind’s eye because of the immeasurable love that they showered on me during their days on earth.

After spending much time mourning my parents, I decided to break away from the limbo of self-pity and face the world as it is. Even though I was automatically made a billionaire by having their entire wealth bestowed on me, I lacked experience on how to pilot my affairs since I was groomed to lack much experience except being tied to my parents’ apron strings.

Having graduated with first-class honors from the University of Pennsylvania, I came back home to manage my parents’ investments and ensure the progressive development of the company. It wasn’t easy but I learned a lot from some stakeholders, making me a professional in piloting the affairs entrusted to me.

With good and trusted friends of my father, I was intimated with the modus operandi of Bran-Investment Company, which was a legacy left for me by my father. I controlled numerous investments ranging from the oil business to fashion and real estate.

My knowledge of business administration was the wealth that I employed in the continuation of my father’s dreams. The company experienced much boom, even got much better than it was when my dad was alive.

Life was good to me as i got everything i ever wanted flashy cars,beautiful women,friends from all walks of life and loyal servants in my various mansions.

On my twenty-ninth birthday, I discovered how empty I’d been without a woman I could call my own.

 My life was characterized by carelessness when it comes to women. I enjoyed my wealth and had sex with any girl I felt like, but that never solved my emotional problems. I thought that keeping numerous girls makes life enjoyable but that was a dream that couldn’t be actualized.

 Most times, I screw them and regret it. There were many ladies at my beck and call to warm my bed but I was still lonely and lacking. The vacuum created in my heart couldn’t be sated because I’d been jaundiced with the opinionated mind that all girls around me come to be identified with my fame and richness. With that prejudice, it became almost impossible to have a girl to love and be thoroughly satisfied with.

At a point in my life, I decided to be visiting the church all the time; not because I was the righteous guy who craved for repentance but because of the peace and repose I enjoyed in the church. I always sit and watch the statues in the Catholic Church but never prayed while in there.

My mom even though she was a very busy woman before she died always visited the church.

I was heading back from work and my heart was in turmoil of everything I've been through, yea it hurts to be me sometimes.

I cry in my innermost chambers because of what the world thought i had but in my heart and life it was coldness and loneliness, I felt so lonely with everything I've accomplished.