All Chapters of Alex Seclair: Master of Vengeance : Chapter 21
- Chapter 24
24 chapters
“My allegiance to the almighty emperor.”
John straightened his tie and gave a self-satisfied huff, brushing invisible lint from his suit.“Pathetic,” he muttered. They don’t belong in a place like this.”He motioned to the security guards to return to their posts. Then he turned to his assistant.“Make sure everything’s spotless. The owner’s coming in less than ten minutes. Griff Willows doesn’t tolerate incompetence.”He smirked, adjusting his cufflinks.“When the boss sees how well I’ve handled things, he’ll know he can count on me to keep this place in order.”But what John didn’t know, however, was that his moment of “order” had just set the stage for his downfall.*****************Carlos had just stopped by the fountain outside the entrance and in front of the very building, turning towards Lily.“Hey,” he said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. “Don’t apologize for any of that. You didn’t deserve what happened in there.”She sniffled, shaking her head.
“Sir please, I can explain”
He adjusted instantly, shifting from deep reverence to composed politeness. “Ah… forgive me,” Griff said smoothly, his voice now steady and professional. “You bear a striking resemblance to someone I once served. The Emperor himself, in fact. My mistake—it must be the light of the evening that confused my old eyes.” He said, robbing his eyes a little. Lily exhaled a shaky breath of relief, her tension slowly easing, though she still couldn’t comprehend why Griff had bowed at all. Carlos gave a polite nod, playing along perfectly. “It’s understandable, sir. No harm done.” Griff smiled faintly, clearing his throat, he continued with a shift in tone. “I would be on my way inside. My apologies once again.” He said politely as he proceeded to walk inside with his guards. But almost to the doorway, an idea dropped into Carlos’ mind on getting help on Lily’s behalf, suddenly stopping Griff from going further. Griff’s brows lifted when he noticed this. “Is there somethin
A piece of the truth
Griff turned to the staff again, his expression softening just slightly.“We move forward from this,” he said. “No fear, no division. Only excellence and integrity.”He then turned toward Lily with a gentling expression.“And as for the matter of management…”All eyes turned toward her instantly. Lily’s heart stopped.Griff continued,“I’ve taken the liberty of reviewing your record—your work ethic, your consistency, your innovation. It seems this store has lacked the very leadership you’ve displayed for years without title or recognition.”He took the work tag he had taken from John off the table. The polished metal gleamed with the bold writing:BRANCH MANAGER, APPLE PLAZA COAST WESLEYHe stepped forward, pinning it onto her chest himself.“Congratulations, Ms. Evans. You are now the official manager of this establishment.”Lily’s hands trembled. She bowed deeply, her voice quivering.“Thank you, sir. I—I don’t know what to say
“Doctor, she’s gone”
“The Emperor? Carlos?” Bruce's voice came through after a moment of getting stunned. “Yes! He came to my store. We spoke, sire, face to face. He’s cautious, quiet, but I could see the spark in his eyes. He knows the truth now, even if he hasn’t fully accepted it. I could feel it in him.” “Are you certain of what you just said?” Bruce’s tone turned sharp, though laced with awe. “You’re certain he’s the one?” “I saw the sign. The same aura the priestess once described—it resonated when I looked at him. There’s no mistaking it.” Bruce exhaled, an odd mix of reverence and urgency threading through his voice. “Do you know where he could be headed now?” “He is headed for the main airport in Coast Wesley City,” Griff replied without hesitation. “I suspect he’s off for a visit to someone peculiar. That must be where his trail leads next.” “Good,” Bruce muttered, almost to himself. “The heavens have aligned at last.” Griff smiled faintly, unaware that in his eagerness,