Zayn’s face turned ashen when he saw the 180 in the netizens’ discussions. As his hands shook, he made a call. “I want the internet to be wiped clean! Now! I don’t care how much it costs! I want all the information about me deleted! I’ve already f*cking said, everything needs to go! Including my confession this morning! All of it!!!”After hanging up, Zayn upended the table in front of him, sending all the plates crashing to the floor. “Who was it? Who was it?! Who leaked that information about me on the internet?! That f*cking b*stard!!!”Zayn’s 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. “I can’t 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 her…”When 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.‘Reject me all you want, but do you really want to see your grandpa’s life’s work ruined at the hands of incompetence personified?’It was a hit below the belt that plunged itself deep into Jade’s 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.“—which doesn’t change a thing! Just because I’ve assumed leadership, it doesn’t mean I’m beholden to him. If he thinks he can make me marry him, well, he’s got a better chance of dreaming about i
Matthew had no idea what kind of thoughts were swimming inside Herschel’s 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.“Sorry but not sorry, bud. Odello Corp. doesn’t make a habit of letting outsiders in for no reason. Get off the property.”“But he’s not an outsider. He’s the driver I just hired,” Jade rebutted. “The driver Drakon Real Estate had arranged for me doesn’t give me a sense of security so I hired my own
Javier drove Jade to Sky Loft’s 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 Estate’s boss, yet Sky Loft instantly treated her arrival with utmost warmth and hospitality. “Welcome, 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!”Jade thanked the friendly employee and dropped down on the couch to wait. Ten minutes later, she saw Sky Loft’s general manager hurrying toward her and greeting her. “Ms. Odell, right? Pleased to make your acquaintance! I’m the general manager of Sky Loft, Will Schumer. Welcome!”Jade was caught off-guard by how effusive he was. More than that, she found it curiou
Matthew and Neve had mistaken the paper in Jade’s hands for the notice from the board of directors the latter had passed to Jade earlier this morning. To them, the fact that it was an A4-size paper as well had made it impossible to guess its contents.Jade’s retort, however, smothered their laughter instantaneously. Startled, Neve snapped out of her shock and said curiously, “No way. That can’t be…dare I say it? It’s…your resignation, right?!”Then, an ear-splitting guffaw of even greater intensity filled the room. It was shrill enough that even those outside of Matthew’s office could hear it.Jade considered the chortling duo impassively. God knows which one of them was more insane than the other. She marched ahead, closing the distance between her and Matthew before shoving the agreement into his chest.“Read it yourself. Get your daughter to use a dictionary if some of the words are too complicated for you two,” she rasped. “Morons.”She turned on her heel and stormed out of th
She sounded placid enough, but the smug glint in Neve’s eyes was unmistakable.This piece of “great news” immediately ignited Jade’s rage. “How low can you disgusting pr*cks stoop, Neve?! I was the one who secured this deal! You’re not even coveting it in the shadows—no, you’re just gonna rob me in plain sight! You two think that just because Grandpa’s sick, your daddy can rule the family business however his despotic *ss feels like, don’t you? That’s why you’re acting like you can do whatever you want!”The more livid Jade was, the more satisfied Neve felt.“Oh, it’s so embarrassing just how right you are. Of course, we’re taking this chance to squash you under our boots. And you’re hardly the end of it. We’re gonna teach your mom a lesson too. Hell, we just wanna screw you guys over so hard that the only way you could survive is by begging for charity on the streets!“Oh, right! Almost forgot. To be frank, I didn’t actually need to come here to tell you this. So why did I? Silly
In Odello Corp.’s meeting room, Matthew had called an emergency meeting, summoning the corporation’s executives. He announced the good news of the partnership between Drakon Real Estate, a company under Odello Corp, and Sky Loft.“Thanks to Ms. Neve Odell’s persistent efforts, she finally managed to score Sky Loft’s sales agency authorization!“What’s this? It’s a miracle! Sky Loft has its own sales company, but it’s authorizing Drakon to sell its property. What is this if not a miracle? This is the first miracle that Ms. Neve Odell has worked after entering Odello Corp. based on her own capabilities. We should—”Matthew was about to encourage the occupants in the room to learn from Neve when the latter called him. Matthew thought that she must have just signed the agreement, so he answered the call and put it on speaker with the intention to boast.“Hello, Ms. Neve. You—”“Daddy, it’s true that Jade got the sales. The agreement is also real, but they shredded it when I came for t
Jade had not taken Javier seriously when the latter had speculated that Matthew might have a favor to ask her. It was not until now when Matthew implicitly told her that Neve had ruined the project with Sky Loft, that she realized Javier had guessed correctly.Recalling how insolent Neve had been in the office previously, Jade felt fury brew within her. She looked at Neve. “Good job, that’s really something. The agreement was signed, yet you still ruined it. You even sent the letter back for them to shred it. I have to say…well done!“I can’t compare to your capabilities—no regular person could. You’re fantastic!”Jade’s ridicule put a scowl on Neve’s face while she fumed inwardly. She could not help retorting, “Of course, I’m not like you. Who knows if you got the deal with Sky Loft by spreading your legs?”Jade’s blood boiled when she heard the insult. Before she could say anything, though, Matthew berated Neve.“What are you talking about? You’re a girl, yet you keep making up
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