August 9, 2024. Chapter 1-2.
Charles stayed with Riley and Adrian in their villa for two days. He worked remotely while ignoring all of Leni and Ramona's calls. Charles discovered many details about Renee and Raelyn's suffering in Calvin's hand, further fueling his anger toward his older brother. At the same time, he spent more time with Riley. He wanted to stay longer, but not only did work await him, Charles knew he needed to find more evidence that connected Ramona to Calvin. "I'll miss you, Dad," Riley said while embracing Charles tightly. Charles pecked Riley's forehead and said, "I'll miss you more, my daughter." He turned to Adrian and shook his hand. He said, "Just a few more days, Adrian, and you'll be out in that chair."Adrian smiled and answered, "I love my wheelchair. I'm not in any hurry, Dad.""Sir?" Ben, the bodyguard, opened the rented car door for Charles, and he walked in. "I'll be in touch. Take care, both of you."Riley did not want to part with her father, but she knew they had to do what
"No one is kicking Adrian out!" The loud voice came from none other than the chairman, Anthony King. "I am tired of this!"He gestured towards Leni and questioned, "Who do you think you are? You may be Leni Eros, but you don't have a place in the King's Enterprises! You are no better than me and my son!""In fact!" Anthony declared, making eye contact with everyone. "We are all more accomplished than Leni! Many of us are business or marketing graduates who tackle complex challenges, while this woman is just a spoiled brat who does modeling!""How dare you?" Leni objected, but Anthony cut her off. "No! How dare you?" Anthony shot back at Leni furiously. "What do you know of what we need?" Anthony contested. "A promise of a fifty-billion-dollar deal that doesn't even have a contract?""Let's say this offer is true. Sure, a big project can provide a significant short-term boost in revenue, but it’s the CEO’s responsibility to ensure that the company continues to thrive after the project
A hush fell over the room as the confidence of the opposing board members began to diminish. Tonet's face especially turned ghostly white. "No," Fredrick said under his breath. "This can't be true.""ACE Construction who?" Leni asked.Because everyone was shocked, no one responded to Leni. Nolan and Oliver were the first to inspect the contract. "It's notarized," Nolan muttered. Another board member also remarked, "And it has supporting documents from the Megaworld Entertainment Plaza project. There is an approval for the shared work.""Yes, that's right," Adrian confirmed. He shifted to Engineer Philips and said, "Mr. Philips will explain further.""Megaworld Plaza agreed for the project to be shared with the King's Enterprises, provided that we continue to be the primary firm overlooking the construction progress and reports," Engineer Philips said before gazing at Adrian. "Our CEO, Mr. King, and I had already agreed on the appropriate task allocation to balance the project cost."
"Anthony, can't you see?" Tonet wept as she pointed at Adrian, implying, "He is influencing you to make these decisions. You are not thinking straight -""As a matter of fact, I have never seen more clearly since I married you, Tonet," Anthony declared. "How could you bring Leni here when you knew I was against her offer? You were there when she requested to marry Adrian, and I denied it!""The offer that Fredrick got from Leni is not because he worked hard for it; it was mere retribution from Leni because Adrian did not want to marry her!" Anthony pointed out. "And the fact that you sided with her scheme tells me more about you - who you really are!""But - but," Tonet stuttered. "Does it matter? What matters is we are going to get the support of the Eros -""So you think kicking Adrian out will improve the company?" Anthony barked at Tonet. "Do you think that we will thrive with Fredrick's leadership? I used to deny how wrong I was to choose your son over my own, but I can't hold ba
“Oh, look! It’s Ramona, Charles Eros’ lover! And Leni too!” The media referred to Leni and Ramona as they walked toward the grand ballroom. Very quickly, reporters crowded around them. Leni was always used to striking a pose when there was a camera, and Ramona also desired attention. Hence, she posed for her pictures to be taken.“Leni, you look so beautiful!”“Miss Ramona, turn this way!”The shutter clicks went on for a few more minutes before Ramona finally said, “Excuse us, we need to enter the ballroom now.”“Miss Leni, are you here to support the King’s Enterprises? Has the issue between you and Adrian King been settled?” One news reporter questioned. Leni turned to the camera and announced, “The matters between Adrian and I remained unresolved, but I am giving the King’s Enterprises a chance to make things right. That’s all.”Ramona nodded. She and Leni had agreed to give the media a vague answer about their presence because they never truly got Charles’ approval for a partner
Fredrick was ecstatic. He was within arm's reach of Kyle Wright, one of the most influential businessmen in the country today. Not only would he establish a connection with the Wrights, but he was also already in partnership with Charles Eros!'Huh!' He thought. Fredrick could already imagine Adrian's envy. How pathetic was his stepbrother? Adrian may have regained the sympathy of their father, Anthony, but in the end, Fredrick still came out victorious!"Mr. Wright, this is an amazing surprise! How can I help you?" Fredrick asked, beaming. Kyle Wright squinted and said, "Yes, you look like the perfect man for the job."'Woah!' Fredrick hissed inside. He wondered what good he did to deserve such luck!Kyle was holding a woman's trench coat. Then, he removed his jacket and gave it to Fredrick, saying, "These coats cost thousands of dollars. Make sure they are well kept."Frerick frowned as he received the jackets. He asked himself, 'Did he think I was one of the cloakroom attendants?'
The anniversary party was bustling with guests. While half of them mingled in small groups, enjoying appetizers with wine or juices, the rest were captivated by the intriguing interaction between the Wrights and Adrian King.Everyone's expressions varied. Some were simply dumbfounded, a good number were happy for Adrian, while a few were brewing with jealousy, and Tonet was one of them. It was just minutes ago that she and Fredrick were gloating about being partners with the Eros family, but Adrian was apparently connected to the Wrights. How in the world did this happen?What further irritated Tonet was the noticeable humiliation Kyle had done to her son. It was clear to Tonet that Adrian had put them in a bad light before the Wrights, and she wasn't going to let that pass. Tonet's blood boiled as she screamed, "No!"She rushed to them and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Wright, how are you associated with Adrian and Riley? I think there is a big misunderstanding here.""The way you treated my
'What's happening?' Leni wondered, seething with anger at the way she was being treated. She couldn't grasp why Kyle Wright was backing Adrian, especially after all her efforts to tarnish his reputation. It was as if her status as an Eros meant nothing!Wasn't it a practice for the powerful and wealthy to rub shoulders with each other? Shouldn't Kyle be favoring her since she was more affluent than the Kings?Leni nearly shook her head in disbelief. She reacted, "The Wrights are known to be competent, but why are you insulting us, not Adrian? Don't you want to be associated with the Eros family?""We are selective about who we affiliate with. I'm generally good to those who are kind and have good intentions," Kyle replied. "To my enemies and the enemies of my friends, I am unforgiving."Leni was shocked, and her second mother, Ramona, was equally dumbfounded. Ramona asked, "What makes you think we are not good people, Mr. Wright? It's Adrian who is in the wrong here, not us! He started