Nicholas felt anger and embarrassment boil inside of him after being slapped by the jewelry attendant. He was used to being treated this way but never by a stranger. Being treated so disrespectfully in public was a blow to his ego.As he tried to compose himself, Nicholas' phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and saw that the caller ID was from his advisor, Julia. He answered the call, eager to hear what she had to say."Lord Niklaus," Julia began explaining. "The jewelry store you're in buys its jewelry from Liberty state."Nicholas eyes widened. How does she knows he was buying jewelries? Was he being watched?"Is that so?" Nicholas asked, feigning surprise. Julia sounded embittered with what's just transpired between him and the attendant. "Yes my Lord," she continued. "Seventy percent of the jewelries were bought on credit with loans from our bank."Nicholas felt a sense of glee and satisfaction as he heard this information. It was the break he needed to turn the situat
Nicholas smirked then ordered, "Jean, bow and kiss my feet!"Silence. No one said a word but marveled at Nicholas audacity. Jean growled. "You filth. Why the hell would I ever bow to you?""Remember when you said I could never raise twenty million dollars?" Nicholas reminded him. Jean's eyes widened. "Huh? What did you say?""We made a bet between ourselves," Nicholas continued. "If I succeed, you will bow and kiss my feet."Jean was quiet. He didn't know if he was coming or going. Of course he remembered the bet. Nicholas grinned broadly. "You're awfully quiet, Jean. Where was all that spirit, huh?"Jean bite his lips. If he bowed to Nicholas and kiss his feet, he would lose his face in front of his family. Also if he didn't fulfil his part of the bet, his family would consider him untrustworthy and unfit to be a leader. He must find a way to escape such humiliation. "What are you waiting for Jean?" Nicholas said, his eyes growing darker. "Bow and kiss my feet. Then apologize t
Kimberly stepped out of the sauna, her skin glistening with sweat. She was dressed in a white robe, her hair wrapped in a towel. She took a deep breath and made her way to the banquet room.As she entered Sir Harold's banquet room, she was greeted by a stunning display of elegance. The room was beautifully decorated, with gold-plated chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and elegant table settings.There were twenty people seated around the table, all dressed in their finest attire. The table was set with sparkling silverware and fine china, and the food was presented beautifully on platters. There was a roasted pig in the center of the table, surrounded by bowls of steaming vegetables, bread, and fruits.Kimberly felt a sense of importance as she was ushered to the seat next to Sir Harold. She looked around the room, taking in the beauty of the banquet and feeling proud to be a part of it.As the feast began, Nicholas, was the one serving the meals and clearing plates. Despite h
Kimberly didn't know what to expect of Lord Niklaus but she never expected him to be a woman. This woman had long silver hair, flawless snow white skin, and wore a gold mask that concealed her face. Kimberly bowed. "Lord Niklaus. It's an honour to be in your presence."Silence. The woman walked confidently to the other side of the desk and sat down. "You may rise."Kimberly stood up, in awe of such power before her. She had initially thought the New lord of the Phoenix family would be a man but he turns out surprisingly to be a woman. "You've got sixty seconds," the woman said, checking her wrist watch "I'll listen to you for sixty seconds. Your time starts now."Kimberly took a deep breath and began to speak, explaining her proposal to the Lord as quickly and clearer as she can. As she spoke, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of expression this woman made behind that golden mask. She wondered if she would be interested in aiding her family or not. When she finished, the
Nicholas was ushered in a grand office, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the sprawling city ahead of the island. Nicholas father, dressed in a tailored suit, sat behind a large desk. He stood up when he saw his son and bowed to honour him. "Welcome home, Lord Niklaus."Nicholas sat down in the executive chair of the grand office and relaxed comfortably. "Rise, father," Nicholas said. His father rose to his feet and returned back to his seat. "Surely, you'd want us to change you out of that shabby suit, my Lord."Nicholas shook his head. "This suit is a gift from my wife!""Forgive my words, my Lord," his father said. "Is my wife taken to the waiting room?" Nicholas asked Edgar whom was bowing with a knee before him. Edgar nodded. "Yes my Lord. She's being well attended to as you ordered.""Good," Nicholas turned to his father. "I'm sure you're waiting for me to explain my plans, father.""Yes," his father admitted. "Your behavior is strange. I'm baffled by the
The Phoenix estate was off the borders of North Hills city. There were ten thriving cities in the country with North Hills being the smallest city in all. Liberty state is the fourth biggest city and lies south, off North Hills. Liberty State fell under the rule of the Phoenix family. They bought the city from the government thirty years ago and had developed it into a luxury paradise. They run their city like a business and it's ran by one man—the Lord of the Phoenix family. Foreigners often end up comparing Liberty state to Dubai after a visit. The Phoenix estate was off the coast of Liberty state on a small island called Star island. Floyd and Jean rode in five rented motorboats which took them all the way to the shores of the island. The two men, dressed in tuxedos and loaded with expensive gifts approached the golden gates of the Phoenix estate. They came along with twenty men, each carrying big gifts for the new Lord.As they approached the gates, they met two giganti
"I will go, Father," Nicholas said confidently. "I have always been eager to prove myself and serve the family."The conference hall was quiet for sometime. Then everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter. Nicholas didn't falter. He stood tall and less bothered. "Will you keep quiet?" Jean shouted at him, wiping an imaginary tears off his eyes. "Just who do you think you are?""You piece of trash," Tiana mocked. "Seat down or go wash the toilets. No one gave you permission to speak."Lady Carla was seething in rage. She yelled at Nicholas. "You're nothing but a bunch of embarrassment to me and my family. Shut the hell up and seat down."But Nicholas didn't seat down neither did his eyes left Sir Harold's face. Sir Harold had always hated Nicholas but he was surprised at his sudden boldness and a little impressed. None of his children and grandchildren were ever this bold to even try. They were afraid of the Phoenix family. And why shouldn't they? In the eyes of the Phoenixes, t
"You've ruined us," Lady Carla shrieked, beating Nicholas with her fists. "You will be the end of us."She was being restrained by Master Damian while Nicholas tried to get away from her. Somehow, Lady Carla and Master Damian had managed to curb the situation by soothing George's anger. George had returned back into the house and was now seated beside Kimberly once again. Kimberly did her best to keep him in a good mood by teasing him and cracking jokes. It worked and George was once again returned to being the ugly jolly fellow he was ten minutes ago before the storm. Inorder to punish Nicholas, Lady Carla kicked him out of the villa into the freezing cold outside the backyard. "You will remain outside until morning, you piece of trash," she yelled and slammed the door, locking it from inside. Nicholas stood to his feet and dusted his shabby clothes. He walked around the villa to the front door where he peeked through the window. In the cozy living room, he saw his wife and