Novels by Emma Ezinwanne

Afternoon glow faded into evening; Mr. Charlton sat behind his desk, swirling liquid in his glass with a lazy, happy smile. Madam Helen reclined on the sofa, holding a box of her newly fine ruby collection.A soft, sharp chime echoed through the room. Jane stood near the conference table, her heels tapping softly as she tapped her golden phone. A high-priority alert from Valmont Genesis Bank glowed on her screen."Father," Jane said, her voice smooth as she tucked hair behind her ear. "The bank's portal sent a routine ping. They are asking for the official verification stamp of the Nirvana Group master agreement to keep our main loan grace period active."Mr. Charlton waved his hand dismissively, sipping his glass. "A standard banking sweep, Jane. Nothing more. We already spoke with Chief Auditor Chillman this morning. The foundry paper issue is just a minor bureaucratic stamp.""Of course," Jane replied, smiling confidently. She typed rapidly. "I've already told our legal liaison to

Morning sun broke on the top floor of the Charlton Logistics headquarters; the executive floor was buzzing with loud, happy energy.Four waiters in white gloves moved quietly across the soft burgundy carpet, setting down glasses, silver coffee pots, and trays of fresh French pastries on the 16-foot marble conference table.Mr. Charlton stood near the middle of the room, adjusting his custom pinstripe navy suit. He took a heavy sip of black coffee, turning to smile broadly at his wife and daughter."Look at this room, Jane," Mr. Charlton boomed, his voice echoing off the glass walls with rich satisfaction."In less than an hour, Nirvana Group's audit team will walk through those doors. Once they check our expansion and see our profit plans, this master partnership will be signed."Madam Helen sat on the leather sofa near the wall, smoothing her tailored crimson dress, and let out a sharp laugh."Our rise is completely unmatched," Madam Helen declared proudly. "Everyone in high society

Lloyd walked down the pathway.Jane felt her heart skip, but her toxic pride rushed to cover her fear. She planted her high heels firmly on the floor and crossed her arms over her white jumpsuit."What are you looking at, Lloyd?" Jane snapped, her voice cracking slightly before she forced it into a loud, haughty sneer."Look at your pathetic, diseased mother! She sneaked into a fifty-thousand-dollar VIP venue to beg for money from my friends! I just helped her clean off her street filth so she remembers her place!"Lloyd stopped two feet from Mary.The sheer anger coming from his body was evident, yet his movements stayed terrifyingly still. Slowly, Lloyd unbuttoned his cheap dark charcoal jacket. He took it off his shoulders and stepped closer to his mother.His fingers, usually so steady, trembled a tiny, heartbreaking bit as he gently put the warm, heavy wool jacket over Mary's frail, wet shoulders, pulling it together over her chest to hide the dark stain."Lloyd..." Mary whispere

Charlton Logistics main conference table held 3 contracts to buy 200 heavy steel shipping containers and 30 custom trucks."The Valmont Genesis audit was cleared in 12 hours, just like I predicted," Mr. Charlton said, throwing his pen on the table with a satisfied click. He leaned back in his leather chair, smoking a thick Cuban cigar."It was just a small computer glitch when they changed servers. The bank's vice president called me personally this morning to say sorry for the temporary lock.""I knew it," Jane said smoothly, standing by the big window in her expensive white silk jumpsuit, her eyes looking at the busy harbor below. "Hayden was too nervous last night. Rich people love to gossip about drama, but power is about who is still standing when the dust settles.""That broke thug Lloyd got lucky," Madam Helen added from the leather sofa, fanning herself with a lace fan. "He barged into a 7-star hotel, made a scene while the bank's system was updating! What a nerve! I hear he a

Lloyd walked into the flower room. He was not wearing an expensive suit, but his walk was heavy and scary. His eyes were cold and dark, locked directly on his trembling sister standing in the middle of the broken crystal."Lloyd..." Julianne sobbed, her small hands holding her wrists as tears ran down her dusty cheeks.Before Lloyd could take 3 steps, a big shadow blocked his way.Hayden Peterson stepped forward, fixing his expensive suit. He held a glass of whiskey, his face red with pride and alcohol. He looked at Lloyd with mean amusement, stepping right into his space."Well, well! Look who finally crawled out of the gutter," Hayden sneered, throwing his whiskey glass onto a tray with a loud clatter. He poked his ring-covered finger hard against Lloyd's chest."I warned you at the docks, broke boy. You and your trash family don't belong near rich people. Get your peasant sister out of here before I have security break her legs and throw you both into the—"Hayden never finished th

The big wooden doors of the Charlton Logistics office closed with a loud bang. Mr. Charlton and Jane were inside their expensive office. On the big wooden desk were 4 different plans to buy new ships, trucks, and warehouses in 3 nearby provinces."We don't just need 5 new ships, Jane," Mr. Charlton said, tapping his heavy gold ring on a glass map of the coast. "We need 20. If we take the main shipping routes before winter, our company will be worth 100 million dollars. The whole province will bow to us.""The expansion costs a lot, Father," Jane said, fixing her purple blazer and diamond earrings. Her eyes were full of greed. "The shipyard wants 20 million dollars right now just to start building the heavy trucks and chassis. Our cash is stuck in the 45 million dollar trade contract.""Then we borrow," Mr. Charlton laughed, picking up a thick folder with a silver logo. "Valmont Genesis Bank opened a new branch on Financial Avenue last week. They have 3 trillion dollars. They are looki