The food had been served while the plates were steaming hot, but Suzanne had no desire to start eating."You can build a car, and if you don't agree with Heisenberg Group, you can still build a car on your own. But I can't. I don’t have the ability to develop independently in Chinea, nor do I have the ability to develop and handle independent manufacturing. I don't even have the qualification to own a patent."To tell you the truth, I developed a vaccine to prevent a certain disease when I was 20, but at the time, my mentor told me that I was still young, and I couldn’t hold this honor all by myself because I would get questioned by the public. He would co-sign as the developer with me."I was so happy to have a good mentor who was so considerate of me, so I signed my name on a series of documents he provided that I couldn’t understand. I was hoping to be published in academic journals as someone this young and gain fame in the medical field."But in reality, none of that happened.
Javier did not bring up their collaboration again.Suzanne had already stated her condition, which was to take back the honor that originally belonged to her.In her eyes, it was an obstacle, a hurdle that was set up to keep Javier out of the door.But in Javier's eyes, it was a challenge that would prove his ability.He liked Suzanne and the medical team she led, so he was going to make it.Javier and Suzanne held up their juice glasses and clinked lightly. Javier then said, "In order to celebrate us knowing each other, would you like to have a glass of wine?"Suzanne smiled sweetly. "I think it's better to have a glass of wine when we celebrate the return of my reputation."Javier nodded. "That’s not a bad proposal. That’s a deal.""Deal!"Suzanne happily agreed. Her rosy lips touched the side of the cup lightly, and she picked up a fork after taking a sip.However, just after she picked up the fork, she realized that Javier had finished drinking his juice and gotten up."
That day, Javier, who chose beauty over pride, left with Herschel in the afternoon.Javier's intention did not matter because he would have to return soon anyway, but Herschel would not forget his duties because of Alyssa."The boss and the woman, which one is more important? Of course, it's the boss. If I go with my boss, I’ll get all kinds of women. If I go with Alyssa, what should I do if my boss gets kidnapped and killed? Will I starve all by myself in the future?"Javier only had one answer to Herschel's argument, "Buzz off. You’re the one getting kidnapped and killed!"In fact, Herschel and Javier knew very well that Alyssa was just a way out to Herschel's needs.But to put it another way, Alyssa was just the same.They were just human beings made of flesh, and they had needs. It was understandable...When the plane returned to Chinea, it was nearly 12:00 p.m. local time, and it was a direct flight to Medb.Initially, Javier wanted to find a hotel near the airport to stay
Lying on the big hotel bed, Javier mulled over the matter with Suzanne’s medical research team.He felt that it might not be Suzanne who was reluctant to leave. It was most probably the consortium that might not let them go. Anyone who had a nest of chickens that could lay golden eggs would make sure to have a secure leash on them as they were the source of profit.That was why Javier thought that taking care of Manny was the least of the problem. The actual issue was still waiting for him.Nonetheless, he had to resolve it step by step now. The first step to start things off would be to make Suzanne realize his ability and be willing to lead the team back to the country with him. However, to accomplish this, he still had to take care of Manny first.The next morning…Javier had just finished his breakfast when Luca, who had been on a call with Herschel and got to know the address, rushed here. Seeing Luca’s bloodshot eyes, Javier knew that the man must not have had a good night's
After Javier left, Luca did his best to persuade and advise Manny, but he was chased out as well. There were a few times that Luca had wanted to spill how powerful Javier actually was, but there were things he could say and then some that he could not.If Javier had not been nice, Luca would never deserve to know about the Kerseys—not even his father deserved to.It was already a taboo that they had learned something they did not deserve. It would be an even bigger faux pas if he disclosed it today. If something happened and got sourced back to him, the Panganis would all be doomed.Hence, Luca held himself back ultimately despite the impulse to blurt it out numerous times.After he left Manny’s place, he went to Javier.“Mr. Kersey, boss, give me one last chance. He’s my uncle, after all. I might be too young and insignificant to give him the advice. I’ll let my father do it, okay? Please, Mr. Kersey.”“Sure!” Javier grinned and kept his phone.He had just published a task in t
Luca’s father felt his heart drop at what Javier said, and he panicked.“Sir, that’s not what I mean. I-I…I forgot myself and babbled. I—”Javier patted his shoulder without saying anything and put on his shoes to leave.Luca could care less about wearing shoes as he hurried after the man to apologize, but Javier had only left him with a cryptic smile.Luca was antsy upon returning to their mansion.“Dad, have you lost your mind!? He calls you uncle, and you really think you’re his uncle? Why would Mr. Kersey come here personally to talk about this if it weren't necessary? He’s already done us enough favor, and you ask him to stop? Have you gone crazy!?”It was inappropriate for Luca to say that as a son but forget that he did not currently find it inappropriate as even his father felt that he must have lost his mind. A wire must have been connected wrongly somewhere in his brain for him to ask Javier to step back without even thinking.Why should Javier take this step back? Jus
When Saoirse came in, she looked beautiful with a fair face and carefully applied makeup. When she left, she was glowing in radiance with a fresh face and a sense of purity that did not match her age.Whichever version of her it was, she was incredibly charismatic to the men and attracted countless lustful gazes.Javier did not mind one bit about this. They could look all they wanted because they could only look anyway. They could come and try to fight for her if they were capable—whether it was a contest of brawn or wealth, he was not worried.Wrapping an arm around Saoirse’s slim waist, Javier pressed a kiss against her pink cheek.Saoirse was shy. “What are you doing? There are so many people around!”Javier’s answer was unrepentant. “That’s exactly why I kissed you. I’m like a territorial lion. I need to prove that you’re mine. Of course, if you think this is ineffective, I can pee on you like an actual lion too.”Saoirse gave Javier’s waist a hard pinch. “Nonsense!”She whi
Manny loved calling people a dog as an insult. Like when he was going to call the security to chase Javier out, he had said that he would make sure the latter was beaten up like a dog.At present, though, he could care less about it. All his attention was focused on the photos on Javier’s cell phone. He panicked while looking at them. “No! Where did you get these photos from? You—”Words tumbled out of his mouth, but Javier put out a finger and wagged it at him to gesture for his silence. It was then that Manny remembered what Javier had said earlier, about barking like a dog before he spoke, but he could care less now as he went on.“You’ve photoshopped these photos. This is slandering. I’m calling the police on you!”Javier pulled out his phone and pressed the digits right in front of Manny—the first two tones sounded the same.Manny panicked at once. He would be doomed if Javier actually called the police! Not being able to care about embarrassing himself as the hospital direct
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