Although Zayn had now managed to lure Doug into his scheme, he was now faced with another problem... This idiot will be easy to fool. But if Javier joins his side, things will certainly become tricky.‘Looking at the tiff between Javier and me, it’d be a miracle if he actually decides to sell to me. He’ll probably take the chance to raise his selling price.’Zayn carefully pondered over this matter after leaving the restaurant and arriving back in his office chair. ‘Based on the Darton Group’s capabilities, it’s not difficult for me to understand what the “order from the higher-ups” is. Plus, there are other players in the competition, so fossil fuel businesses will definitely be selling like hotcakes.‘Now then, it’ll be impossible for me to approach Javier directly and have him sell it to me, but what if I had someone else do it for me instead?’On top of that, Zayn also wanted to find out exactly how much the Darton Group was willing to fork out for this particular fossil fu
“I admire your sincerity and your ambition…All right then, you’ve got yourself a deal! The fossil fuel company is yours!”Javier’s sudden agreement had the excited Kaecilius jumping in joy, his eyes shining with delight. In fact, he was genuinely delighted because Zayn had promised to pay him 300 thousand dollars should he successfully get Javier to sell him the plant.The handover took place immediately that very afternoon. Meanwhile, Zayn was only able to release such a huge amount of funds because he had given Geoffrey his assurance over and over again. After that, Zayn gathered a few staff from his finance department and hurried to the fossil fuel plant. Now that the handover was already in progress, Zayn had no more reason to hide the fact that he was the real buyer. Thus, he directly met up with Kaecilius. “Haha! As expected of my best friend! You’ve really helped me out big time, Kaecilius. Thank you!” When Zayn spotted Kaecilius, he immediately rushed up and embraced hi
Of course, Zayn had no intention of losing another 300 thousand dollars on top of 12 million. Surrounded by bottles of easy-to-open beers, he drank himself into a stupor as he mumbled…“Best friend my *ss! Money is the only thing worthy enough of being my best friend!“Kaecilius is no longer my best friend, he can go f*ck himself!”As Zayn was angrily drowning himself in alcohol, Javier had just arrived home. When Jade heard that he had sold the fossil fuel plant for 49.5 million, she once again looked at him with reverence as though he was a god.“Javier Kersey, are you even human? You seem more like a god right now…no…you’re the God amongst gods!” Nonstop strange exclamations streamed out of Jade's mouth. She could not for the life of her believe that Javier had been able to get rid of the tumor that she was so ready to cut away despite it being a loss. And Javier had not only managed to get rid of it, but he also did so with such grandiose!“You’ve managed to earn 12 mill
After Doug was done with his phone call to Zayn, he went on to call Javier. “Mr. Kersey, I’ve prepared everything as per your instructions. But, based on the info that I’ve gathered, the Dunham Group holds quite a large quantity of zircons. Don’t you think that…it’s a little risky for us to be paying so much money?”Of course, Javier understood the risks. “A little risky’s a huge understatement. There’ll be a huge risk at play this time, but I trust that Mr. Dunham will be willing to help us foot the bill…”As Javier told Doug about the next phase of his plan, Zayn was in a hurry to tell Geoffrey the good news he had just received. In the office, Zayn told Geoffrey everything, not leaving out a single detail. Geoffrey was a very cautious person by nature. He scrutinized all of the details that Zayn gave him, carefully thinking over the entire thing out of fear that it might be another trap. Finally, after more than ten minutes, Geoffrey gave Zayn his approval after not being ab
‘If I manage to get my hands on Reivaj Group’s zircon mines, it’ll be like me getting a hold of a goose that lays golden eggs!’ Thus, Zayn readily agreed to the plan since there was nothing for him to be afraid of as Doug had already given his word, including his signature on a legal agreement.At the thought of being able to earn more money and being able to deliver a punch to Javier’s face, Zayn was literally on cloud nine.I’ll wipe that f*cking smirk off your face, Javier!”Satisfied after gritting his teeth and cursing out loud, Zayn hurriedly went to look for Geoffrey. After all, Zayn needed his father’s approval before he would be able to mobilize the funds to acquire Reivaj Group’s mines.However, Geoffrey firmly shook his head when he heard about this. “No, there’s no way this will fly. In business, our most important creed is to play it safe. We should be content that we’ve been able to earn, even if it’s just a little.”At Geoffrey’s rejection, Zayn immediately pani
Dunham Group was more than Geoffrey’s private property—it belonged to the family. And now, after being two-time colossal suckers, it surprised no one that the Dunhams were incensed to a fever pitch. When the zircon mine scandal was pulled from under the rug, the entire family basically unsheathed their fingers and launched an interrogation against Geoffrey and his son.Their main goal, apparently, was a demand to know if Geoffrey was “mentally-challenged” and whether he had passed that trait down to Zayn. The family meeting held that night basically eviscerated Zayn and Geoffrey, sending them to hell and back.Then, for a few days, Dunham Group was basically enervated. Their initial intention had been to sell those zircon ores, but since someone had dumped a surfeit amount in the market, their price had been lowered to 200,000 dollars, which was a far cry from the original 240,000 dollars the family had asked for more than 300 tonnes of ore.It would have been manageable if that was
By the time Javier was up, he realized he had fallen asleep on the couch.He was flummoxed, as he had no idea just how on Earth this had happened.He was aware of the fact that he had been drugged and he’d had sex with Ciel under the influence, but none of that knowledge could explain the reason this had happened. He had just met Ciel by accident!Unable to wait a moment longer, he asked, “You’d never even had sex before, so why? Why do this? What was your motive?”Hearing his voice out of the blue made Ciel jump. She turned to him, and upon realizing she was completely naked, she yanked her clothes to cover her more sensitive bits, looking clearly flustered.Her embarrassment and bashfulness were such an innate part of a sex-shy woman that she hardly even looked like a sultry seductress. In fact, her subsequent breakdown and tearful confession sealed the deal.“I’m so sorry! I’m sorry…Oh, god, I’m sorry. I had no choice…My dad’s debt to the casino…is too big. He couldn’t pay it,
The result had completely changed Zayn’s expectations. He left Reivaj, feeling bemused, without any idea why that had happened.“Jade’s got a few screws loose, doesn’t she?” Zayn murmured to himself. It seemed like the only plausible explanation.He made his way to the parking lot, but just as he was about to yank his car door open, he felt a force engulf his nose. Panicked strength broke out of him, yet his struggle had no effect.That was when a strange smell invaded his nose and robbed him of his senses. Zayn’s strength was pilfered from his limbs, leaving them enervated before Herschel dragged a limp, powerless Zayn into the car.When Zayn came back to his senses, there was a new weight pushing against him from above. He snapped his eyes open and squealed in terror before making a mad dash for his life.It took more than 10m before the naked young man could make out the…monstrous thing that was on him. It was a single leg—a human leg thick enough to be confused with a pillar.
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