After the financial sniping incident, Matthew suspected that Beacon Tires had something to do with the incident, as it was all too much of a coincidence. However, Mary Jane had already made plans for someone else to take the fallâunder the pretense that a minor company had somehow been the instigator of the entire incident. By doing so, Odello Corp. would have no way of linking this incident to Beacon Tires. There was no way Matthew was going to let Beacon Tires off the hook despite not being able to link the two together.Over the next month, he coerced Odello Corp. into using all kinds of extreme methods to pressure Beacon Tires. However, all of these attacks were easily handled by Javier, rendering all of Matthewâs efforts moot, causing the latter to be extremely furious. At the same time, the young Dunham, who was the person pulling the strings from behind the scenes, was feeling frustrated as well.Judging by the manâs tone during their conversation, Matthew could tell tha
At Javierâs question, pin-drop silence fell over the party.Dick stood before him, his eyes emanating a look full of scorn. âWhatâs wrong? Do you not like what I said? Are you going to hit me just like you did all those years ago? Come on then!âIf you dare touch a single hair of mine, Iâll send people to hound you and make sure that you end up dead! Go ahead! Try me if you dare!!!âDespite how arrogant Dick was at that moment, he did not dare do the same to others of their group because most of them came from wealthy families with decent careers and a certain amount of influence behind the scenes. However, he thought that Javier was just a useless piece of trash that he could mock over and over again without any fear of backlash! Right at that moment, someone suddenly crashed the party! A clean-looking, handsome man rushed in with a fresh bouquet in his hands. âHello, my dear female schoolmates! Itâs meâŠZayn Dunham!âZayn was one of Javierâs schoolmates and the biggest dra
On the way back, Javier questioned Jade about her prior actions and the reason sheâd called him âhoney.âJade then explained, âYouâre the one who sent me a text saying that you were having a reunion with your former schoolmates here and would be back home late tonight. Thatâs why I came over. âI thought that reunions usually involve people criticizing one another. Also, I know that youâre a man who prefers to keep a low profile, so I was sure that you would be one of those being criticized. Considering how much youâve helped me in the past, I thought Iâd come over and make you look good!âAfter saying that, Jade turned to look at Javier with a smile. âHurry up and thank me!âFeeling flabbergasted, Javier chuckled and said, âThank you.ââYouâre welcome!ââSheâs really pretty when she smiles. I can feel my heartstrings being pulled whenever I see her like thisâŠâJavier thought that this matter would end now that the reunion was over and nobody would bug him anymore. Alas, that
Javier was surprised by Zaynâs sudden appearance but did not think too much about it. In his eyes, Zack, Kendrick, even Zayn, made no difference to him. All three of them were like insects and vermin in the face of a giant elephantâthey would all be squashed in the end. After hurling the luggage out of his window, Javier carried on working without any emotions going through his mind. However, half an hour later, someone arrived at the office once more. This time, the person in question was not there for Javier, but for Jade. The newcomer glided across the shiny floor tiles, her high-heeled shoes making loud tapping noises as she rushed into Jadeâs office. Not even Jadeâs secretary could stop the woman. When Jadeâs office doors swung open, the secretary hurriedly tried to explain the situation to Jade. However, the woman stormed forward and landed a tight slap on Jadeâs face, leaving the secretary stunned. Jade rubbed her burning cheek and told her secretary, âLeave us and c
Zaynâs face turned ashen when he saw the 180 in the netizensâ discussions. As his hands shook, he made a call. âI want the internet to be wiped clean! Now! I donât care how much it costs! I want all the information about me deleted! Iâve already f*cking said, everything needs to go! Including my confession this morning! All of it!!!âAfter hanging up, Zayn upended the table in front of him, sending all the plates crashing to the floor. âWho was it? Who was it?! Who leaked that information about me on the internet?! That f*cking b*stard!!!âZaynâs rage went on for more than ten minutes before he finally calmed down. He sat down and fumed some more, muttering to himself under his breath for another five more. He then pulled out his cell phone and gave Matthew a call, still muttering to himself. âI canât let this happen. I must make Jade see that my feelings toward her are genuine! I must make her feel that and not let this negative information affect herâŠâWhen the others return
Zayn made two more calls after that, but Jade spurned all of them. She was just about to shut her phone off to keep him away when she saw a new message from the man. His words seemed to be dripping with concern.âReject me all you want, but do you really want to see your grandpaâs lifeâs work ruined at the hands of incompetence personified?âIt was a hit below the belt that plunged itself deep into Jadeâs chest, right where it hurt the most.She had grown up with Grandpa since she was just a child, so the depth of their emotional bond could not be underestimated. It hurt her to see Odello Corp., the very thing her grandfather had devoted his soul to, be torn down to ruins at the hands of her useless uncle.That was why she had to do it. She had to become the leader of Drakon Real Estate.ââwhich doesnât change a thing! Just because Iâve assumed leadership, it doesnât mean Iâm beholden to him. If he thinks he can make me marry him, well, heâs got a better chance of dreaming about i
Matthew had no idea what kind of thoughts were swimming inside Herschelâs head, and neither did Jade. The only one who did, of course, was Javier, and he was naturally not going to let him commit murder. Matthew was just too pathetic and was such a small fry that killing him would attract way too much fame and attention than the maggot really deserved.He shot Herschel a glance, and the man immediately bent to pick up a wooden stick before returning to his car, acting as though he was just trying to find the perfect tool to scratch out the little pebbles lodged in the car tires. This effectively removed all the attention from him, and Matthew returned to the previous topic straight away.âSorry but not sorry, bud. Odello Corp. doesnât make a habit of letting outsiders in for no reason. Get off the property.ââBut heâs not an outsider. Heâs the driver I just hired,â Jade rebutted. âThe driver Drakon Real Estate had arranged for me doesnât give me a sense of security so I hired my own
Javier drove Jade to Sky Loftâs local branch office in the afternoon. Standing before its main entrance, Jade took a deep breath, braced herself for inevitable failure, and stepped inside like a soldier given an insurmountable mission.She hardly had the chance to introduce herself as Drakon Real Estateâs boss, yet Sky Loft instantly treated her arrival with utmost warmth and hospitality. âWelcome, Ms. Odell! Good to have you here! Our GM just arrived and is attending to some of our projects at the moment, so please make yourself comfortable. The executive meeting will be over shortly. Until then, have some coffee or tea!âJade thanked the friendly employee and dropped down on the couch to wait. Ten minutes later, she saw Sky Loftâs general manager hurrying toward her and greeting her. âMs. Odell, right? Pleased to make your acquaintance! Iâm the general manager of Sky Loft, Will Schumer. Welcome!âJade was caught off-guard by how effusive he was. More than that, she found it curiou
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 âmanâ in the word âwomanââin that she resorted to violence as soon as things escalated. In the end, it took both Mrs. Greeneâs apology and a deal to provide Javier and Bernadetta with three daysâ meals, all free of charge, to make the young woman stop. Thenââbecause I actually have a weakness against people sincerely appealing to my better angels,â according to Bernadettaâshe amended the peace offer, changing the three daysâ free meals toâŠa weekâs worth. Back in the inn, Javier expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Bernadetta for rescuing him. âI canât 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 ladyâs lawn. âItâs him, officers! Itâs all him! He did this to his own camera just to remove himself as a suspect, but we know better than that! Heâs the guy who stole my goddamn lingerie!âShe turned and trained her finger on Javier. âYou vile, disgusting, degenerate piece of sh*t! Ptooey!ââBack at you! I'd rather spend the night with my left hand than with you!â 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. âOh, it was him. I can testify to that! He stole Mrs. Greeneâs bra because he isâŠthe Lingerie Phantom Thief! By day, he is Javier Kersey. At night, he is Jo Ker, the Bra Stealer!â 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! âWhat kind of hell spawned this little sh*t?!â Javier wondered to himself aloud. âWas 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?âBaffled 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. âHush, itâs alright! It was fake. Someone pulled a terrible prank and put on this white sheet andâŠâ 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 himâand for good reason too!Javier drove Florence back to the Yuzuian restaurant, where the latterâs electric scooter was. While
A resentful wailâinterspersed only by sobs that sounded more like someone was being strangledâwas 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 âhell, naw!â, Florence dove into Javierâs 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 âhelp-me!â sort of way. She was soft and suppleâdamn, 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: âJust you f*cking wait, hooman!ââWait for what? How much can a stupid b*tch like you do to me?â 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 womanâs sentiments for the building she had founded, she was a lot less obstinate and unreasonable as she might appear. âI mean, I donât object to it completely. I know the new place is gonna be better, butâŠâ She faltered a
Florence called half an hour later to tell him where theyâd be having dinner. After leaving the inn in Bernadettaâs 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.âItâs so unfair, man! Why would I bully a dog for no reason?â he moaned. âIâm sure Aunt Constance misunderstood. Youâre a knightly, heroic, kind man! How could someone like you possibly get off on hurting a dog? Iâm sure Aunt Constance was just too worried about the dogâs welfare to think things through. She didnât mean it. I can vouch for
Herschel was dressed quite sharply today. It was the full ensembleâblack 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, âYou brought all the stuff I told you to?ââYo, I would never forget the stuff my boss told me to bring. Iâve got all the preparations down pat. You can check âem if you donât trust me,â Herschel replied. He fished an ID and some documents out of his leather bag. âSee? All the documentation a journalist in the most important room of a news agency would have.âAfter a round-check and some instructions, Javier sent Herschel on his way to complete his mission. The man was strangely reluctant, though. âBoss, you told me you decided to work in that inn, right? Does that mean, you know, that youâre gonna call me âbossâ while youâre there?âJavier had almost forgotten he had mentioned this. It
Javierâs suspicion turned to Constance Hellmanâs white Pomeranian. He turned to the directorâs office and met the dogâs 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 fangsâbeaming as smugly as a teacherâs pet who had managed to subdue everyone through the power of being the bossâs favoriteâmade it look both amusing and chilling. It would have been had the dog not caught Javierâs gaze, suddenly dropped the smile, and put on a face that seemed to be saying, âIâm just your average dog! Nothing to see here!âAnd then it feignedâyes, feignedâa yawn as its one last measure to cover up the fact that it had been laughing smugly to itself. âWhat. The. Actual. F*ck?!â Javier thundered in his mind. âB*tchâs a natural actress! Whatâs it doing here instead of being interviewed on a talk show after becoming viral on TikTok?âIn combination with Russellâs report, the incident inside the directorâs of
As Javier was befuddled, Constance rushed in from outside and picked up the white Pomeranian gingerly to carefully check its injured leg.âOh, baby, whatâs the matter? Did you hurt your leg?âThe white Pomeranian whined in pain and began twitching upon hearing Constanceâs concerned question. This upset Constance so much that she admonished him sternly. âMr. Kersey, I thought that you were a loving person, but I canât help doubting your motive now.âIâm skeptical about you taking good care of the kids here when youâd even hit a cute dog!âJavier felt extremely offended. When had he hit the dog? He hurriedly explained, âMadam Hellman, I didnât do anything!âConstance asked angrily, âYou didnât do anything? Why would it suddenly limp now and whine so pathetically? Why did it hurry over to me? Give me a reasonable explanation!âJavier was in distress as well. âHow 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