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
“It’s so cold,” Charlie muttered while staring into the balcony. She sipped on her hot chocolate before taking a deep breath. “I wonder how long this bad weather will last.”“I checked the weather. It will rain until tomorrow. Classes will most likely resume the day after,” Taylor said behind Charlie. He drank his hot beverage and sat on another sofa, his eyes also studying the heavy downpour. There was a storm, and so classes were temporarily suspended. Thus, Charlie was stuck at home with Taylor. “So, what’s the story with you, Charlie Blondie? If we are going to be housemates, we might as well get to know each other,” Taylor suggested. Charlie turned to him, her gaze lingering longer than she intended. Taylor usually let his hair fall freely, but that morning, with his hair pulled back into a man bun, his sharp features were in full display. “Mmm. What do you want to know?”“Where are you from?” Taylor asked without looking at her. He resumed drinking his coffee. Charlie made a
“Eww! This is sticky—wait! I have gloves!” Charlie exclaimed after attempting to mold the ground chicken with her hand. Charlie was in the kitchen of the new apartment at seven. Her roommate was not home yet. She was watching You*Tube, learning how to make cheesy chicken croquettes. Earlier, she had followed instructions, mixing spices and condiments into the meat. Now, she was forming balls and putting a big slice of cheese inside. “Yummy cheese,” Charlie said with a smile. She loved cheese. “Cheese is life!” She claimed it.After making ten balls of chicken croquettes, she prepared the olive oil. Charlie muttered, “I’m getting the hang of this. I’m so good at this.”Charlie happily began frying her chicken croquettes. She was so excited to eat them that she took pictures of her cooking while she was at it, which she happily sent to her family’s group chat. [Look, guys! I’m cooking a very complicated dish!]Riley: [Meatballs? I’m so proud of you, Charlie!]Charlie: [Mom, it’s ch
As Taylor had promised, he was up early and about to leave for basketball practice at seven a.m. He was already in his basketball jersey, but given the bad weather, he wore a jacket over his frame. He was really tall. At six feet, he towered over Charlie.Taylor caught Charlie having another food delivery. He frowned and said, "It's not healthy, you know. You should cook on your own. There are a lot of videos on You*Tube."Charlie unpacked her food and said, "Oh, I can cook. I just haven't done my groceries yet."That was a lie. Charlie wasn't good at cooking, but she knew it was about time to learn. She had to admit it: Sofia and Ashley somewhat spoiled her by doing most of the cooking. Her contributions to the previous apartment were mostly cleaning and washing the dishes. "Anyway, I have to go," Taylor said, his voice still a little hoarse. I'll be back at noon.""I won't be here," Charlie said. "Good!" Taylor said before leaving. Well, she did not die. Thank god. Charlie conclu
At the condo, Charlie and Taylor sat in their seats, staring at each other. Both of them were clearly second-guessing the situation.“I still can’t believe I ended up in this mess,” Charlie muttered. “You are the worst possible roommate I could ever have.”“Really?” Taylor reacted. “This is given your experience of being roommates with other men?"“You -” Charlie gritted her teeth, her face burned in anger. “Why don’t you tell me, Charlie Blondie, why were you looking for another place to stay just weeks into the first semester? Where were you staying before this?” Taylor scoffed and suggested, “Maybe your roomies couldn’t stand you, and you got kicked out!”“You don’t know what you are talking about!” Charlie retorted. “I have my reasons, and it’s none of your business.”Clearing his throat, Taylor said, “Well, anyway, Charlie Blondie -”“Stop calling me that!” Charlie snapped. “It’s a way for me to differentiate you and Charlie Slade,” Taylor answered. “Who is Charlie Slade?” Cha
###FLASHBACK: TWO DAYS AGO ###“You have to try to get out of trouble! I’m tired of the school calling me every time…” Taylor’s father was ranting about the recent fight he had been involved in at school. Taylor was rarely home, yet this lecture served as his welcome-home speech. Taylor, however, barely paid attention.His phone suddenly rang. He interrupted his father, saying, “Dad, hold on. Tanya is calling.”“Tanya?” Taylor answered the call while his father was still talking. He could not focus and rushed the call altogether. “Taylor - a Charlie King - to co-rent the condo,” Tanya said on the other line. “Charlie?” He did not know why, but a certain Charlie flashed in his head. Charlie was a third-year engineering student, and they were in the same Structural Analysis class. Coincidentally, this Charlie had asked him about any vacancies at Fernwood Residence. So, Taylor immediately assumed it was him. “Yeah, I know Charlie,” Taylor said. It did not help that Tanya was out of
“Your new apartment is great!” Charlie’s sister complimented. Charlie gave her sister a virtual tour of the new place through a video call. It was late at night, but she was pumped up. She could not sleep!“I know, it’s clean and spacious. I guess it’s worth $3000. Haha!”“Pfft,” her sister, Freya, scoffed. “I think it’s cheap.”“No! Haha!” Charlie laughed again. “Luxford is not as developed as Halliport. It’s only known for the university. So, rent should not be this expensive, but I’m just glad I found a place to stay.”Charlie smiled as she sat on the sofa. She looked around, the wind blowing on her face from the living room balcony. She said, “I feel like this condo and this view will make me finish the rest of the year in Luxford.”She only had one year left, and it would be really inconvenient to change schools in between. So, maybe, just maybe, she could bear it. Charlie chatted with her family next. They had many questions, especially about her friends, but she said, “I just
Charlie looked up and met the guy’s gray eyes. His eyes were so beautiful, but this man was angry… and had a cut on his lip!‘Taylor West?’ Charlie silently named. Her heart raced as she mused, ‘How did he get into a fight early in the morning?’“I said, watch where you are going!” He repeated. His tone was sharp, and his eyes narrowed. He grabbed a younger student next to him and demanded from Charlie, “Apologize to him!”“I’m sorry. I was in a hurry,” Charlie explained. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Taylor, I’m fine,” the younger student said. “Head back to class,” Taylor told the young man and the latter nodded. He smiled at Charlie before leaving. “Look, I’m sorry. I need to go to class,” Charlie said. Taylor did not respond, so she took off.“Do I know you? You look familiar?” Taylor later asked. Charlie turned around and raised her brow. She answered, “No, we have never met.”“Okay, well, watch where you are going next time,” he said curtly. Just then, a group of students emerged
“Space, huh? You needed to focus on basketball?” Charlie reacted with sarcasm. “Wait, don’t tell me you just met this girl today? Because we just broke up the other night!”Following Charlie’s arrival, The Nook & Brew Café fell silent. She caught a look of horror on her best friends’ faces—Ashley and Sofia.Luke’s hold on Regina loosened. He looked down before meeting Charlie’s gaze and admitted, “I’m sorry, Charlie. I could not tell you. I… I did not want to break your heart.”Charlie scoffed. She felt tears brimming in her eyes, but she held it. Instead, she allowed her anger to take over. “You could have just said so and not leave me wondering what I did wrong!”“I deserve the truth, Luke. I have been good to you for the past two years.” She pointed at him, adding, “You know it!” Then Charlie eyed Luke’s friends, including their girlfriends. She added, “And they all know it!”“And you two!” Charlie called Ashley and Sofia’s attention. “It’s obvious that you knew, but you chose to l
‘I love you, Charlie, and you’ll always have a special place in my heart, but I need space. Let’s break up,’ Luke’s words the other night rang in Charlie’s head. ‘I need to focus on my studies and basketball. Scouts will be in town this year, and this might be my only chance to get into the NBA. I hope you understand, Charlie.’He meant that basketball would be his life from that moment on, and she was nothing more than a distraction.To think, Charlie was ready to introduce Luke to her family. Luke would have been overwhelmed, but sadly, he ended it before he could truly know the real Charlie Rae King. Charlie was watching the game between Luxford University’s The Atomic Heat and The Wall Street Warriors. Their school had four basketball teams, and each year, they competed for the chance to represent the school at the National College Basketball Association. Luke Sullivan was the captain of The Wall Street Warriors. They represented the business courses, whereas The Atomic Heat rep