Later in the day, Charles was on a virtual meeting with Derek, who was communicating with Charles from his office at the Quinton Tower. Derek took his time to update Charles on the activities of the Phoenix Mafia, explaining in great detail about what each member has planned for the week.
“You got to love those guys and gals, brother. They held themselves accountable for their actions from last night and they want to make it up to us.” Charles said with relief etched over his face.
“My dad has groomed each and every one of them to this level. Honestly, if not for their past, I would have recruited them into the Quinton Consortium formally.” Derek replied with a slight sense of humour.
“Hey… what does that make me then? A one-man show?” Charles laughed and Derek laughed along. “Seriously though, brother Derek, thanks for taking the reins of the Phoenix Mafia while I recover from my fight with Preston. I wish I didn’t have to trouble you like that.” Charles sai
The shouting, taunting and threats continued from the group of thugs that have taken the Quinton Hotel hostage. The gunshots fired by the leader of the group has already resulted in three of the hotel staff sustaining bullet wounds. Although not fatal, they were bleeding profusely. If no proper treatment is done, they health and safety may be in serious jeopardy. “Listen up, Phoenix Mafia!!! I’ll give you to the count of ten!! If you don’t show up here at the reception, like the last time in Brighton, my new friends and I will start killing everyone in this hotel!! THEIR BLOOD WILL BE IN YOUR HANDS!!!” the leader of the group screamed. “Charles Smith!!! You in particular!!! You still owe me a rematch!!! Get your f***ing ass out here!!!” The leader continued shouting. “What the hell is this guy thinking? Is he h*gh? Charles is still in prison. What’s his problem?!?” Juri whispered annoyingly. “Worry about that later. Right now, we just need to
All this while, in the bowels of SB café, everyone hiding there sat around Owen’s phone, utterly dumbfounded by the revelation they heard between the thugs and the Phoenix Mafia. “Charles is out of prison? How? Does his family know about this?” Raymond muttered, eyes glazed open, shocked in disbelief. “Not only is he out of prison, he leads a mafia group here in Townsville.” Pam could hardly breathe hearing Charles’s voice in the conversation. “There’s more to this than meets the eye. This so-called Phoenix Mafia is no ordinary mafia group.” Juri was shocked too; but she was quick to analyze the verbal exchange they heard over the phone. “Yeah, did you hear what he said just now? He said, ‘you put my family and friends in harm’s way.’ Does he know about us? Has he been spying on all of us this whole time? Does Mason know about this?” Steph asked aloud. “More importantly than that, Mr. Quinton’s name was mentioned. Is he implicated in all of th
The next morning, at the Quinton Mansion, Peter and Lea Quinton were having their breakfast, deliciously prepared by Chef Marcel. Owen joined the dining table shortly after. Peter and Lea allowed Owen to sleep in, considering the events of the night before that Owen and everyone at SB café went through. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Quinton.” Owen greeted as he took his seat. “Good morning, Owen. I’m so glad you and everyone were unharmed after what happened last night.” Lea replied with concern. “When you texted me, Lea and I were so shocked. Good thing Lea got me to call Chief Martin quickly so that there were no fatal casualties. I’ll have to check in on those wounded last night and make sure they are ok.” Peter added. Owen cleared his throat at Peter’s mentioning of Chief Martin; and Peter had a surprised reaction. ‘Why did Owen clear his throat at my statement? Does he know something that I don’t?’ Peter thought to himself.&
In his office at the Quinton Tower, Derek and Amanda were seated at the guest seating area, together with Chief Martin and Captain Walter. The Quinton Hotel's general manager, Lily Harold, was also seated with them. "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming to my office on such short notice. I'm sure we all know the agenda of this meeting, so let's get straight down to it." Derek began and turned his attention to Lily. "First off, Lily, how are the wounded staff? Are there any fatel casualties as a result of last night's attack?" Derek asked with concern. "Mr. Derek, I can safely report that there were no fatal casualties from last night's attacks. However, with that said, I have to report that three of our reception staff had gunshot wounds. Fortunately, they are out of danger. They were quickly operated on and are recovering. Your father, Mr. Quinton will be visiting them today." Lily reported. "That's good to hear. I'm sure my father will take
Inside the Phoenix Cabin, Charles was having breakfast in the kitchen with Esther. Still healing up from his bullet wound suffered at the hands of Preston King, Charles's upper body mobility was still somewhat hindered. Esther, his housekeeper and girlfriend, specifically prepared meals that only require one arm to eat. On this particular morning, Esther prepared porridge for Charles. Dr. Crestwell recommended meals that were light on the digestive system while Charles recovers from his bullet wound. "Thanks for the porridge, Esther." Charles said with gratitude and compliments. He then picked up the empty bowl and passed it to Esther, before heading to the living room to check on the news about the Quinton Hotel attack the night before. Esther quickly cleared the dining table and the kitchen; she was about to join Charles in the living room when the doorbell rang. Walking towards the digital peephole, it turns out that Dr. Crestwell was standing at the door.
Charles was utterly stunned when he saw the mask of the puppet master on the screen. How was this possible? What reach or power does this puppet master have over Townsville?Before he could react, the television screen went static again; and the screen showed the morning news that Charles was watching since he turned on the television."What was that all about, Charles?" Dr. Crestwell asked in utter shock."That, Dr. Crestwell... was the puppet master. Or, at least, the mask of the puppet master." Charles replied, still shaking slightly in shock.Just then, Esther stepped out of her room and walked back to the living room. She was about to report to Charles about Ivy's drone when she saw the shocked expressions on his and Dr. Crestwell's faces."Are you both OK? You both looked like you have seen a ghost." Esther said in surprise. "Not just any ghost, Esther... just a few seconds ago, the television screen when static; and for a split second, the puppet master's mask was shown before
Back at the Phoenix Cabin, Esther took the drone Ivy flew over to their place to do drone patrol, making sure there was no suspicious activity around the compound before deeming it safe for Dr. Crestwell to drive off. Dr. Crestwell shook hands with Charles and Esther before taking his leave. After making sure Dr. Crestwell left the Phoenix Cabin safely, both Charles and Esther closed all the curtains in the compound to eliminate any chance of outsiders trying to peep in. In addition, Charles decided to have his online meeting with Peter Quinton in the living room, using the big television screen. Within ten minutes, the connection was established. Peter was back in his study at the Quinton Mansion after visiting the wounded Quinton Hotel staff earlier in the morning. Charles and Esther were seated at the sofa of the living room. "Hi, Mr. Quinton." Charles and Esther greeted Peter, "Hi, Charles. Hi, Esther. It's so good to see you both together." Peter replied with a smile, causing
"We read you, boss. Loud and clear. We are all on our way over." Jim replied. "Listen to me very carefully.... DO NOT COME OVER!!! We have a potential threat just outside the Phoenix Cabin. If my guess is right, it's probably a sniper positioned outside the cabin. If you guys come over, he or she has more targets to aim at." Charles warned. "Damn, it's highly probable that the puppet master has us cased in. Guys, this potential sniper almost took Charles out by leaving a mysterious package outside the front door." Esther remarked with concern. "Boss, leave this to us. We will still be there as planned. We'll just need to take a small detour and handle this situation of yours." Ivy confidently replied. "Yeah boss, you and Esther just sit tight in the garage and make sure all security measures at your end are in place. We'll take care of this for you. Just make sure your earpieces are on for better communication." Nathan added. The team disconnected the call after that, leaving Cha
Hi Readers, After nearly a year, Who's the Loser Now is finally complete. I hope you enjoyed reading the original and the sequel as much as I have creating the storylines. Man, this was a long journey. There were so many ways to close this series; but I didn't want to get distracted. So, I decided to end it the series in this manner. I will be taking a short break to celebrate the new year. After which, I will start work on a new novel. So, until then, thank you all so much for your support on Who's the Loser Now. Keep the likes, comments and ratings coming to help promote this novel. Your feedback, as always, is much appreciated. It has been a wonderful journey and this one ends here. Stay tuned for the next journey. Altogether, everyone! (With the characters in the background) Happy New Year!! Love, JDHWS
The cameras were flashing as journalists and reporters gathered at the eagerly anticipated launch of the new mall in Townsville, specifically located near the Townsville Hillside Condo. Standing in front of the main entrance, Desmond and Jocelyn faced the crowd. Desmond then took the mic to address the crowd, "After months of construction, through reported ups and downs, we are happy to announce, on behalf of the Quinton Consortium, the officially opening of Townsville Hillside Mall." said Desmond. He then took his side next to Jocelyn and proceeded to perform the cutting of the ribbon, signalling that the Townsville Hillside Mall was officially opened. Applause rang all around the front as Desmond and Jocelyn opened the front entrance doors, welcoming the crowd into the mall. In another corner of Townsville, Wayne and Kimberly were also dressed sharply; but for a different reason. Joining them were Roland and Elaine Russo, as all four of them stood in front of the main entrance t
"Brother Derek, are you sure about this?" asked Charles as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a tuxedo; but not any ordinary tuxedo. Derek had Charles wear his diamond encrusted tuxedo, the most expensive tuxedo he bought from Nick Lopez when he first found out he was a Quinton. "I'm sure about it, Charles. I know I bought it for me initially; but in all honesty, you wearing this tux means so much more." Derek reassured Charles. "Man, I'm nervous. Brother, how did you even go through your wedding with Ms. Amanda?" asked Charles exasperately. "Desmond told me to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. It could work for you, too." replied Derek. Charles decided to take Derek's advice and took two deep breaths. Surprisingly, he felt much calmer. Then he and Derek heard a knock on the door. In walked Mason, "Brother, are you ready?" asked Mason. "As ready as I'll ever be." replied Charles. All three of them then walked upstairs... to the top deck of Charles's superyach
The prison gate key entered the lock. With a click, the warden opened the cell gate, with mixed emotions. "Madam Louise... it's time." In her cell, Madam Louise looked around the jail cell she had been living in, serving her time for her past wrongs. She thought about the time she spent in the cell, forming a close friendship with the warden, being released early to help Team Quinton and the Phoenix Mafia, eventually being a key player in the fight against Pamela. It was a sad day to leave her family after the fight ended; but heading back to prison was necessary. Thanks to Lea Quinton, however, she did not have to stay in prison any longer. She received a pardon from the Mayor of Townsville; and now, she can leave the Townsville prison freely. She slowly stood up and walked towards the cell door, where she noticed her warden friend had a tear in his eye. Smiling slightly, she wiped the tear away from his eye. "No need to weep for me, young man. We will meet again, outside of t
With the mask worn on his face; and the briefcase full of cash repacked into a duffel bag found in the control room, Charles slung the bag over his shoulder, ready to move out of Pamela's HQ. Before heading out, Charles made sure to surround himself in a nanoshield sphere to avoid any sudden sneak attacks. After which, Charles used his upgraded suit to do a thorough scan, looking to devise an alternate way out of Pamela's HQ. 'Hmmm... it looks like I'm going to have to blast my way out of here. Time to check out what weapons are at my disposal.' Charles thought to himself. Scanning the system in his suit through his mask, Charles was surprised to find various forms of weaponry to pave his way out. "Well then, let's get started." Charles said to himself. However, as we was about to step out of Pamela's control room, an alarm sounded inside of the control room. Red emergency lights were flickering in the control room. Charles turned his direction to one of the screens in the control
"Gerard! Andrea! You certainly have some guts showing your faces here after you betrayed me!" Pamela sneered at the couple. "Lady Boss... wait! We did not betray you." Gerard defended himself. "That's right, Lady Boss! The hostages... they escaped!!" shouted Andrea. "WHAT?!?!?" Pamela shouted angrily. She then turned her attention to Charles, who was standing there, perplexed. "Charles!! You were at the dungeon earlier. You said you saw your team in their cells. Is that true?!?" Pamela asked authoritatively. "Absolutely, Lady Boss. I personally locked up the dungeon after making sure that loser Derek was in his cell." replied Charles. "He's lying, Lady Boss. Charles must still be working with his friends. Somehow, they managed to get their suits from the lab and escape from this place." Gerard said accusingly, pointing at Charles at the same time. "Hold on there, Gerard. Up until just now, when Lady Boss showed me her lab, I did not even know that existed." Charles defended hims
"You tell me, Charles. How did you and that loser escape in the first place?" Pamela asked suspiciously. Charles was calm in his answer, "Well, I found a couple of metal pins in my cell and I used it to pick my cell lock." Charles began. "Once I got free, that's where I hatched my plan. I picked the lock of Derek's cell. I had to convince him that he and I were on the same team in taking you out. So, while the rest were in their cells, which, by the way, they still are, Derek and I made our way out of the dungeon." explained Charles. "Well, you certainly have some talent, unlike that loser. Still, Gerard and Andrea not reporting back is concerning for me." replied Pamela. As she looked at the monitors of the control room, she noticed something peculiar, then she started frowning. "What's wrong, Lady Boss?" asked Charles. "Take a look at that." said Pamela, pointing Charles's attention to one of the monitors surveying the lab. "What about it, Lady Boss?" asked Charles curiously. "C
Before Charles could answer, they heard footsteps approaching the dungeon. Derek passed Gerard's dungeon keys to Charles before he cloaked himself again. In order to play along with Pamela's ploy, Charles quickly opened the dungeon door, placed Victoria gently inside before locking the door again. The footsteps grew audibly closer towards the dungeon door. Charles turned his attention towards the sound of those footsteps and walked in that direction, taking caution to who he might run into. As he turned around the corner, he found out who those footsteps belong to. "Oh my gosh, Esther. What are you doing here?" Charles exclaimed softly as he embraced his girlfriend. "Wait, you shouldn't be here. Didn't Mr. Quinton give you and the rest the order to head to the safehouse?" asked Charles. "I had to come here. I was not going to let that b***h Pamela take you." replied Esther emotionally. Just then, Derek decloaked himself and met up with Charles and Esther. "Esther, so it was you. G
"Ok, Charles, the feed is on." said Pamela. "Take your position, on Derek's right side." "Understood, Lady Boss." replied Charles. Seconds later, everyone, including the people in the Phoenix Bunker, the safehouse and the combined invasion and rescue team saw the live feed on their screens. "Your eyes do not deceive you, Peter. Charles has betrayed you. He has decided to join a real mafia and I will nurture him properly, so he can be a real Don." began Pamela. "As you can see, I have your son as hostage. If you ever want to see Derek again, in one piece and alive, firstly, call off your attack dogs. Secondly, you will, and I mean WILL, surrender your precious Quinton Consortium to me. Oh, before I forget, that includes your so-called Phoenix Mafia as well." "And just in case you think I'm not being serious... " Pamela then did something no one expected. She pressed a button on her control panel; and in the next moment, Ivy's suit emerged from a corner of her control room. 'What th