Ringing the bell twice would mean that the car dealership had made two sales at the same time.When Zack found out from the staff beside him, he was upset about it. He and Javier were the only two customers in the dealership. Who else could have bought a car after him?“F*ck this sh*t, no way I’m accepting this. I bought an AMG. Why should his cheap A-Class get to share my glory?“That dirt-cheap A-Class standing next to my car will be a big humiliation to it. I…”As Zack shot off his mouth, he saw the special edition G63 that cost 387 thousand dollars parked in the showroom being driven out. There was no denying that the car looked lofty and Zack let the admiration color his eyes. He thought that he was definitely buying himself a G63 too when he had the money in the future!When he unintentionally discovered that Javier was paying attention to the car as well, he sneered almost instinctively.“Kersey, yo, you’re not thinking that this car is yours, right? Stop fantasizing. They
The call that Jade had received in the meeting room earlier had been from her mother, Catherine Nance-Odell, who had urged her to return home.The moment Jade opened the door, Catherine hurried up to her and spoke urgently, “Jade, your Uncle Matthew’s here to ask you to get married again…”“I know, mom. You told me on the phone. Don’t worry.”Soothing Catherine, Jade entered the living room and was greeted by Matthew Odell who was sitting on the couch, smoking with one leg crossed over the other.“Uncle Matthew, according to the agreement I’ve made with the family, there’s still two months before the end of the quarter. What are you trying to do by coming to our house and forcing me to get married?”Matthew frowned instantly. “What do you mean forcing you to get married? Am I doing that? This is for your own good. I’m doing this for my niece’s sake!“My elder brother passed away early and left the two of you all alone. I want to find you good in-laws so both of you mother and dau
This was…interesting. Javier had no idea where this guy had come from, or who he was to have the right to sit in his chair and have the gall to tell him that he did not have to wait on him hand and foot. Javier’s thoughts wandered off, realizing that he actually had never waited on anyone’s hand and foot before.Faced with the young man, he even felt like his lines had been snatched. Lines from ten years ago, at that.The young man fiddled with his phone as he made himself comfortable in Javier’s chair and introduced himself. “I’m Kendrick Odell, Jade’s younger cousin.“You don’t have to care who I am in particular. Just report everything about Jade Odell to me as soon as possible in the future and you’ll be rewarded.”Kendrick pulled out a bank card from his pocket and tossed it on the table carelessly.“The pin is the last six digits of the card number. I think there are some 3 to 4.5 thousand dollars of fun money in the card. Take it and enjoy yourself! If you do a good job, I’
With his advance being shot down mercilessly, Zack was too embarrassed to keep trying. However, it seemed that they were quite fated as Javier and Ciara went into the room opposite of Zack’s. When Javier turned around, he caught a glimpse of Kendrick who was toying with his phone inside.With a quick ponder, Javier, who had also come from a huge family, understood the situation instantly. The Odells had tried to get some sort of benefit out of arranging a marriage for Jade, but the latter had refused. So Kendrick wanted to find out about Jade’s business direction through Javier, but he had turned the man down.Hence, Kendrick contacted Zack who was decently acquainted with Jade, wishing to find out the same thing through him and secretly sabotage Jade, so she would go along the family’s wishes and get married when she failed to fulfill the quarterly deal.Despicable motive and a shabby move, Javier thought. Their family was not even that influential, what was the point of playing al
No matter how Kendrick flirted with Ciara, Javier kept a blind eye like it was none of his business. Zack, who was observing Javier’s reaction, despised the man, thinking that he was a coward for not daring to fight back when someone was making a move on his woman right in front of him.The reality was that…Javier truly did not care. He was well aware that Ciara was incredibly gifted in pranking others. She had basically been born with that ability. There was no need for him to worry. As long as Kendrick did not force himself on her, he was dead meat. If he did force himself on her, Javier would make sure he was deader than dead meat.Under Ciara’s request, the four of them made their way out of the hotel to the biggest club in town. Zack led the way, while Javier drove Ciara in the Volkswagen Passat, and Kendrick followed behind with his Audi Q7. The sibling pair chatted in the car, none of them cared enough about Kendrick or Zack.When they entered the establishment, the DJ was sh
Throwing more than 900 thousand dollars into a little game did not just shock Zack and the club manager, Kendrick thought he was very impressive as well. Spending that sum with a wave of a hand was practically the most impressive thing he had ever done in his life.That was why he had a cocky look as he looked toward Ciara, sparing Javier a slight glance, as if to tell him, “Look! I’m rich!”Using the bottle keep program to see who was richer attracted the attention of patrons who passed by the area.“What the f*ck? It’s like he’s not spending money. I don’t even get 900 thousand dollars when I play Monopoly!”“Hah, who do you think you’re comparing yourself to? That’s Kendrick Odell from the Odello Corp.!”“Ah, yes, my eyes have been blessed. The golden goose, Kendrick Odell, huh? I finally got to witness it today. He’s crazy rich!”The exclamations and praises from the onlookers inflated Kendrick’s ego, but the majority of his attention was still on the beauty who was seated on
Dressed only in his underwear, Kendrick swayed and writhed on the dancefloor, looking absolutely sultry. But really, he felt like crying. He wanted his mommy.As for Ciara, she made a call after exiting the place and stated the club’s name.“Yes, acquire the club and shut it down. Kick the money back to me and donate the guy’s sum to poverty-stricken areas to build schools and stuff. Keep an eye on it, don’t let anyone else acquire it.”Hanging up, Ciara got into a black luxury sedan and left without looking back. She called Javier on the way to tell him that she was going home and asked if he wanted to keep the two bodyguards.“Nah, I don’t need them. I’m not so weak that I need bodyguards yet. You behave and cause less trouble.”“Heh, I don’t have to cause trouble. I’m trouble herself.”The siblings chatted a bit more before Javier hung up and exited the club. As for Kendrick who was still on his “sexy” dance routine, he did not care and did not want to look.Not too long afte
Kendrick had not given much thought about the money he had spent on the bottle keep as he was confident he could have it refunded. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that the girl was so ruthless that she axed that idea head-on and would take over the establishment!“Then, what about the money I’ve put in?”“How does that concern me?”Before shoving Zack and Kendrick out the door, the manager added, “I’ll be the nice guy here. They told me over the phone that the club is to be shut down instantly and it’s enough to make about a million dollars from you.”Kendrick felt like he could die on the spot…Standing outside the club exit, he kicked the tree beside him in anger, feeling an acute sense of resentment over what Ciara had done to him.Zack suggested then, “Kendrick, let’s go to Javier and teach him a lesson!”“For what? If it weren’t your stupid idea, would I have gotten involved with that girl and got tricked?”Once Kendrick thought of it, he was infuriated. Instead
As Bernadetta launched a barrage of kicks against the restaurant door, Mrs. Greene summoned 120% of her strength, holding the fort. The older woman had made a living terrorizing others with absurd accusations and downright unreasonable demands, but this time, she had met her match. Bernadetta James put the “man” in the word “woman”—in that she resorted to violence as soon as things escalated. In the end, it took both Mrs. Greene’s apology and a deal to provide Javier and Bernadetta with three days’ meals, all free of charge, to make the young woman stop. Then—“because I actually have a weakness against people sincerely appealing to my better angels,” according to Bernadetta—she amended the peace offer, changing the three days’ free meals to…a week’s worth. Back in the inn, Javier expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Bernadetta for rescuing him. “I can’t thank you enough for standing by my side when I needed it the most, Bern. But I can thank you a bit more if you refrain from using t
Mrs. Greene opened her flap and unlocked the floodgate, the spit during her tirade so profusive that she could water an old lady’s lawn. “It’s him, officers! It’s all him! He did this to his own camera just to remove himself as a suspect, but we know better than that! He’s the guy who stole my goddamn lingerie!”She turned and trained her finger on Javier. “You vile, disgusting, degenerate piece of sh*t! Ptooey!”‘Back at you! I'd rather spend the night with my left hand than with you!’ By this point in the morning, Bernadetta had arrived at work. Her heels clicked onto the floor as she sauntered toward the commotion. As soon as she heard what had transpired, she laughed, looking clearly amused. She trained her perfectly manicured finger on Javier and piled on. “Oh, it was him. I can testify to that! He stole Mrs. Greene’s bra because he is…the Lingerie Phantom Thief! By day, he is Javier Kersey. At night, he is Jo Ker, the Bra Stealer!” Javier threw his arms up in exasperation
Javier shook his head. By the time his vision was back to normal, the dog was gone. It had escaped! “What kind of hell spawned this little sh*t?!” Javier wondered to himself aloud. “Was this really an effect of the world changing? Is this an example of mutation because of the Storm? Or is there something else at play?”Baffled and unsure what to think, Javier returned to the dorm and told the residents to open the door. Inside, he found Florence huddling the frightened kids closely. She was white from fear, and yet in the presence of vulnerable kids, she had assumed the role of the protector without a second thought. “Hush, it’s alright! It was fake. Someone pulled a terrible prank and put on this white sheet and…” Javier made up a fib to explain the haunting away exactly because the truth could land him in a mental institution. No one would believe him—and for good reason too!Javier drove Florence back to the Yuzuian restaurant, where the latter’s electric scooter was. While
A resentful wail—interspersed only by sobs that sounded more like someone was being strangled—was echoing in the middle of the night while Javier and Florence could not see even a single soul out there? Animated by the power of “hell, naw!”, Florence dove into Javier’s arms for protection. Her hands were clasped firmly on either side of her head, hoping to block out the ghastly demand in her ears. Her eyes were squeezed so tightly shut that even a crowbar could not pry them open.Javier himself was just as terrified. He would have felt better if he could see the source of the voice rather than just hear a woman sobbing about getting her head back. At least he would know what he was up against! But just hearing it without any visuals at all?! Nooooope!Then, Florence hugged him in a “help-me!” sort of way. She was soft and supple—damn, that sexy figure in combination with her silky-smooth skin sure was welcoming. She was warm, and damn did she smell good! Nothing competed with fea
The dog barked in protest as it pointed its paw at Javier with the intensity of a mob before executing a monarch. The flames in its eyes were so bright that they could incinerate Javier into ashes in milliseconds. In the end, though, all that protest was for naught. Constance tied it up in the parking garage, while Javier watched in glee. Ah, sweet, sweet revenge! The stupid dog had thought it could set him up, had it? That would teach it!The look the Pomeranian shot him almost felt like a threat: ‘Just you f*cking wait, hooman!’‘Wait for what? How much can a stupid b*tch like you do to me?’ Javier scoffed in his mind. Now that the four-legged pest was gone, Javier turned back to Constance and talked about the new orphanage. As it turned out, despite the old woman’s sentiments for the building she had founded, she was a lot less obstinate and unreasonable as she might appear. “I mean, I don’t object to it completely. I know the new place is gonna be better, but…” She faltered a
Florence called half an hour later to tell him where they’d be having dinner. After leaving the inn in Bernadetta’s care, he hurried to the venue. Florence had picked a newly-opened Yuzuian restaurant. Javier had never liked Yuzuian restaurants, but since Florence had invited him, courtesy stopped him from asking the woman to change their meeting venue. He found Florence quickly enough and sat across from her. They placed their orders, and Javier began his performance: He started sighing and doing his best to look forlorn. It intrigued Florence enough to ask what was wrong, and Javier told her about his unfortunate beef with Constance that day.“It’s so unfair, man! Why would I bully a dog for no reason?” he moaned. “I’m sure Aunt Constance misunderstood. You’re a knightly, heroic, kind man! How could someone like you possibly get off on hurting a dog? I’m sure Aunt Constance was just too worried about the dog’s welfare to think things through. She didn’t mean it. I can vouch for
Herschel was dressed quite sharply today. It was the full ensemble—black leather shoes, black slacks, a white collar, and last but not least, the good old oil-slicked hair. The typical look of a high-ranking office worker, just as Javier had requested. Ordering him to get in his car, Javier asked, “You brought all the stuff I told you to?”“Yo, I would never forget the stuff my boss told me to bring. I’ve got all the preparations down pat. You can check ‘em if you don’t trust me,” Herschel replied. He fished an ID and some documents out of his leather bag. “See? All the documentation a journalist in the most important room of a news agency would have.”After a round-check and some instructions, Javier sent Herschel on his way to complete his mission. The man was strangely reluctant, though. “Boss, you told me you decided to work in that inn, right? Does that mean, you know, that you’re gonna call me ‘boss’ while you’re there?”Javier had almost forgotten he had mentioned this. It
Javier’s suspicion turned to Constance Hellman’s white Pomeranian. He turned to the director’s office and met the dog’s eyes. With its paws on the windowsill, it hoisted itself up to look out of the window. Seeing the dog cracking a lopsided grin and baring its fangs—beaming as smugly as a teacher’s pet who had managed to subdue everyone through the power of being the boss’s favorite—made it look both amusing and chilling. It would have been had the dog not caught Javier’s gaze, suddenly dropped the smile, and put on a face that seemed to be saying, ‘I’m just your average dog! Nothing to see here!’And then it feigned—yes, feigned—a yawn as its one last measure to cover up the fact that it had been laughing smugly to itself. ‘What. The. Actual. F*ck?!’ Javier thundered in his mind. ‘B*tch’s a natural actress! What’s it doing here instead of being interviewed on a talk show after becoming viral on TikTok?’In combination with Russell’s report, the incident inside the director’s of
As Javier was befuddled, Constance rushed in from outside and picked up the white Pomeranian gingerly to carefully check its injured leg.“Oh, baby, what’s the matter? Did you hurt your leg?”The white Pomeranian whined in pain and began twitching upon hearing Constance’s concerned question. This upset Constance so much that she admonished him sternly. “Mr. Kersey, I thought that you were a loving person, but I can’t help doubting your motive now.“I’m skeptical about you taking good care of the kids here when you’d even hit a cute dog!”Javier felt extremely offended. When had he hit the dog? He hurriedly explained, “Madam Hellman, I didn’t do anything!”Constance asked angrily, “You didn’t do anything? Why would it suddenly limp now and whine so pathetically? Why did it hurry over to me? Give me a reasonable explanation!”Javier was in distress as well. “How would I know? It was fine when I was carrying it just now, but it wanted to get down on the floor, so I carefully placed