How could Javier possibly let Evanna witness something like that? He had to pick the right course of action. He could try desperately to dampen her curiosity, say there was nothing to see there, and yank her away from the spot. Unfortunately, the sweetest fruit was forbidden fruit. The more he tried to pull her away, the more curious she felt. Evanna took advantage of a millisecond when Javier was distracted and struggled out of his hold.She lunged at the window and peered inside, resting her head on the sill. She then saw her mother gripping the edge of the table, her features glowing in enjoyment. Wilson was behind her, his hands on her hips as he thrust forward over and over again. Evanna’s cheeks turned scarlet. What the hell?!Maybe she should jump off the building right now…She glared at Javier in embarrassment, turned around, and ran. Helpless, Javier followed her. “Why did you glare at me? I didn’t say ‘Look, Evanna, come on! You gotta see this!’ to you. I kept tryin
Practicing the Grimoire of Five had given Javier the ability to sense what was to come, regardless of whether it was grave or trivial. What he did not expect was to be able to predict the trouble caused by three garden-variety punks. Javier was…speechless. Should he be happy about his prediction sensitivity? Or should he be annoyed by how overly sensitive he was?Not that he had any time to dwell on it. Those three punks were adamant to get straight to business. “You, with the whole I-am-f*cking-fly face! You’re Javier-f*cking-Kersey, right? Come on. We have been looking for a fourth ranger to chit-chat with. It’ll be a shame if you don’t accept the invitation,” the leader said, sidling up to Javier before prodding his back with the tip of his pocket knife. “It’d be a shame if this knife went right through you, yeah? Come on, get in this nice car. Don’t be shy.”Javier smiled. “Okay!”He passed his key to the sidekick before climbing into the backseat with the leader. The ca
Javier yanked Eliott’s collar and dragged him to the railing at the top of the building.“Last chance. Like you said before, get on your knees and apologize to me.”Eliott did not know why he needed to apologize to a piece of trash.“F*ck you, you think I’d be scared of you after you beat me up? I’m not scared of anything!“You’re asking me to apologize to you? You piece of trash, you can f*cking dream on! Don’t even think about—AH!”Eliott did not even get to finish his audacious claims when his body was flung through the air and pushed away from the railing. His legs flailed and kicked, but there was nothing for his feet to find purchase on.Other than the hand grabbing his collar, there was nothing else keeping him tethered.It was when Eliott saw how calm Javier looked that he became aware that the latter was not scaring him. He was really going to kill him! And he was only one step away from falling off the building and dying!“Javier! Javier, calm down. Come on, we don’t
Joey dared not assume the same attitude she had just now since Javier had the video. She was scared too. She was already in her forties, so it would be mortifying if that kind of video was published on the internet.Javier told her with a smile, “Keep your mouth shut. This is none of your business. Don’t interrupt.”This was a blatant threat. He was threatening Joey to shut up by using her video.Joey was infuriated, but there was nothing she could do. She could only be told what to do and clamp her mouth shut.Javier then looked at Jared. He was about to say something when the latter beat him to it.“I didn’t want to do anything to you because you’re just an ant in my eyes. As the alpha lion, I really don’t want to stoop to the level of a pest. Stepping on you would mean dirtying my foot. But you’ve completely forgotten your place.“Javier Kersey, say, what’s the meaning of a scumbag like you acting so tactlessly in front of me? Are you trying to speed up your death? I really do
Joey felt that Javier would not dare do that and she did not think he would win this bet either. Who was Jared? He was the heir of North-Griffin Inc!Cold, hard reality proved her wrong in an instant.Jared sprang up with a look of shock on his face. “What? My 22.5-million-dollar investment went down the drain?!”Joey could not hear what the man on the other end of the line said, but she could see Jared’s expression and hear what he said. She simply thought that Javier might have just gotten lucky.Business affairs were ever-changing. Something that had been so sure to make money could turn into a loss. It was possible, though unlikely, but Javier was fortunate enough to run into this and thus win the bet. This displeased Joey. She was not a sore loser, though, especially when Javier had something against her. She took a deep breath and looked at him. “Tell me, what do you want to do to me?”Javier answered, “Simple. I want to remove your clothes.”The demand appalled Joey, as
In reality, Jared did not get on his knees. After holding out until 9 p.m, he took a deep breath and flashed a triumphant grin at Javier.“This isn’t much. Just like I said, I’m rich. This money isn’t anything to me, really. It isn’t anything.”Jared got up to leave the bar after that without even greeting Joey.Joey commented, “I think you lost.”Javier asked with a beam, “Have you ever been a preschool teacher?”When Joey shook her head, Javier said, “Me neither, but I’ve heard from a friend that preschool teachers are stern and do not allow kids to soil their pants. Anyone who does that gets punished.“So when the teacher asks who soiled their pants, no one will admit to it.“Is it the truth, though? Obviously not. Only those who soiled their pants know the truth.”When Javier finished, Joey understood. She knew that Javier was implying that Jared had soiled his pants but refused to admit it. What she did not understand was how he could be so confident about it. Just as she
By the time Joey left the hospital, she was fretting with worry, her usual cheeriness long gone.Javier smiled when he took the diagnosis report from her.“Are you gloating over this?” Joey was upset when she spotted the smile on Javier’s face.He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have suggested that you come to the hospital if I were to do that.”That was all it took to silence Joey, as it made sense when she thought about it. However, she still wanted to know what Javier’s smile meant.Javier told her after they got in the car. “I was just smiling about the doctor’s suggestion. All they know is to do surgery.”Joey asked in delighted surprise, as if she had seen newfound hope, “What are you saying?”“If you trust me, I can help you.”“Huh?!” Joey was stunned. She had wholeheartedly thought that Javier would know some professional specialist, only for him to say that he would be doing it himself.Once Joey remembered where her cyst was and realized Javier was going to treat her him
With Javier’s “treatment”, Evanna finally failed to hold herself back. Her instinct had made her let go of her self-restraint and prepare herself to take what was about to come. She could care less that she was currently in the office.Javier was thrilled when he saw the flushed Evanna get up from the chair. He knew that it was a success—he was definitely experiencing the woman’s sultriness and delicateness today.Just when Evanna was about to throw herself into his arms, looking dazed and passionate, hasty knocks came from the office door.The external factor woke Evanna up entirely, painting her redder like she was going to drip blood. She quickly turned the video off and smoothed her wrinkled clothes down as much as possible before she glared at Javier. “It’s all your fault, stupid Javier.”It sounded like a whiny admonishment, but there was no bite in Evann’s tone.Javier looked at Evanna, who was about to end up with him yet had gotten away in exasperation. There was nothing
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