2024-04-30 18:14:45Justin clutched the bag tightly to his chest like his life was kept in it. He took to his heels with every step limping in outright fear and a mist of thrill.
Justin ran until the loan shark's lair was no longer in sight and he was somewhere on the streets of LA. At this point, Justin couldn't help but allow a smile to swerve on his arid lips like a fourteen-year-old who'd just gotten a birthday present.
Justin had his eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the street in a voyage to find a Walgreens outlet. After all, it's Nelson Drogonuv's party, a multitude of well-to-do folks will be trooping to the nearest ticket outlets to get a ticket before it's sold out.
Justin arrived at a supposed Walgreens store. He was a bit confounded because it appeared to be a coffee shop. But when his eyes settled on the Walgreens logo, situated outside - close to the sidewalk, he heaved a sigh and walked through the entrance. "Maybe they're affiliated with Walgreens," he muttered under his breath.
Amidst the protracted mix of occupied and vacant tables and seats, Justin caught a sight of the reception on the left side. He hastened his steps towards the counter.
He abruptly brushed shoulders with a random man. His bag fell out of his grip. The man leaned over to reach for the bag, but Justin had it in his hands already.
"Sorry," Justin muttered. He didn't wait for the man's response before proceeding.
"Hey!" The man called.
Reluctantly, Justin turned back to meet the man still standing at the same spot with a funny look on his face. Justin ambled closer too - trying to figure out why a random man who almost broke his arm would call him back.
"What are you here for?" The man asked, his eyes stuck on the bag Justin clasped to his chest.
Justin held on to the bag a little bit more and glanced through the shop and then back to the man.
"I'm here to get tickets for Nelson Drogonuv's party." Justin declared.
The man furrowed his eyebrows, further revealing the depth of his brown eyes and again - the surprise that was hushed up beneath it. The man scoffed. He scanned Justin like he was some laboratory specimen.
Justin's face went dim at the man's sneering reaction. "I need to go." He yelped, about to turn around and leave. But the man grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait. Do you know how much each of these tickets cost?"
"Yeah. Twenty-five thousand dollars," Justin retorted sharply. "And I'm paying for four people." He added.
"Great!" The man exclaimed. "I'm in charge of the ticket sales, it's a good thing you came now. It's almost sold out."
Justin rumbled his eyes with relief. "Thank goodness. Can I still get four?" Justin asked.
"Yeah! You've got the money there?"
"Bet. There you go" Justin said, handing the bag to the man.
The man opened the bag, his eyeballs dilated in shock and he swiftly concealed that wonder with a smile.
"Alright. Have a seat, while I get you the tickets." The man made a beeline for Justin to sit and he exited the shop. Justin sat on one of the seats nearby as he dug his fingers into his palms expectantly.
Two hours went by, and the man didn't show up. Justin's instincts swung into action and he became restless. He rose from his seat, pacing all around the shop, even if everyone seated was beginning to stare at him in suspicion. Justin had his eyes fixed on the exit, hoping the man would walk straight back in.
It never happened, after all, it was all a thought.
"Sir, can I help you?" A voice cracked into Justin's stream of thoughts. He dabbed a smudge of sweat off his face and turned to the receptionist.
"I'm here to get the tickets to Nelson Drogonuv's party, but,"
"Sure, you're in the right place, Sir. How many tickets do you want to pay for?" The receptionist said.
"I thought that guy was in charge. He took money from me." Justin said, pointing a finger to the exit.
The receptionist had a subtle smirk on her face "Nobody else is incharge, Sir." She declared. "You have been scammed."
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Chapter 557: The Price of Loyalty
The days following his confrontation with Mark felt like an endless storm to Justin. The stench of betrayal hung over him like a cloud, darker and heavier than any he had ever known. It was not just Mark's actions that wounded him; it was the realization that even those he trusted most were capable of turning against him. His empire, his family, the people he had built everything for, none of them were safe.In the quieter times when Justin wasn't surrounded by the unrelenting demands of his empire, the loneliness of the entire thing settled on him,In the silence of his penthouse, the cold glass walls offer no comfort. He knew this day would come. But it's still painful. The idea that someone he trusted, people who have stood by him for many years, can decide to betray him.It cuts deeper than any opponent that he had ever faced. But he didn't have the leisure to brood over it. The fight with Ethan was far from over, and Mark was just one casualty in this war. The loss of loyalty
Chapter 556: Reckoning
The room was silent when Justin re-entered. His expression was cold and disbelieving. There was no need for an explanation to the group still seated around the table for what had happened. The tension hung in the air. Every person in the room knew, it seemed, instinctively that a bomb had just gone off.And the consequences will cause serious damage. Mark sat at the head of the table. His fingers tapped the polished wood nervously. His usual confident demeanor was gone. It was replaced by a feeling of discomfort radiating from him. Justin could see it in the way his eyes avoided his gaze. But there had been more-something darker, something deeper. Silently, Justin walked toward the tabletop; his footsteps rang harsh in the otherwise silent room. Mark's eyes flicked up, catching everything else for the briefest instant before quickly looking down.“Everyone out,” Justin said, his voice harsh, commanding. There was no space for dissent.The team, sensing the heaviness of the moment,
Chapter 555: The Enemy Within
Justin sat in his office, staring at the files Mark had delivered earlier. The quiet hum of the city outside his window was a stark contrast to the storm raging inside him. A leak found in his own company—what he thought was kept safe—had just turned into a full-blown leak. People close to him are betraying him. And he didn't know who it was.In his head, Mark's words played on repeat, but it was the stabbing betrayal that hurt the most. He had single-handedly built this company as anything by steel-back-end deals, through a relentless strategy, and with the will to establish iron-clad grounds for its existence. And now, someone within his entire circle began tearing it all apart and selling to the highest bidder. A slap against the face, and Justin wasn't certain how to take it. He instantly picked the phone, dialing Mark's number. It rang once and twice, and right then came Mark's voice.“Justin?”“Where are we with the leak?” Justin’s voice was clipped, every word laced with an
Chapter 554: The Forgotten Foe
Upon waking, Justin felt gnawing uneasiness. He had won relatively hard and long, but as he walked in the office that morning, something was not right; the air felt heavy, the tension intense and indiscernible. Somehow, Justin couldn't seem to shake an inner feeling that someone was still perhaps watching, waiting for just the right moment to make his move.“Good morning, Mr. Drogonuv,” Mark’s voice broke through the silence as Justin walked into his office. The assistant’s usual upbeat tone was tinged with something more serious. “We need to talk.”Justin raised his eyebrows but waved his hand for Mark to continue. "what happened?" Mark's expression was tense, and Justin immediately felt a sense of urgency in the room.“It’s about the company’s recent movements. "I notice a few discrepancies in our financial reports. At first, I thought it was simply an oversight, but I now doubt it," Justin's heartbeat sped up. “What kind of irregularities?”“A few transactions that don’t add up.
Chapter 553: A New Horizon
The dust has settled. But the war was not truly over. Ethan's fall from grace was swift and unyielding. But Justin knows the road ahead isn't without challenges. As the remnants of Ethan's empire collapsed, Justin is forced to face the reality that his tireless victories have come at a terrible cost.The meeting room is quiet. It was the silence that came only after a fight. Board members who were once concerned about Justin's methods, Now they looked at him with a different respect. They understood the stakes, the price paid for survival in this ruthless world.But for Justin, respect is not as important as the weight of his decision. He sat at the head of the table, looking around at the face he was leaning on. Mark stood on the side. His normally confident demeanor was now marked with a delicate caution. Ava sat across from him. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the information in front of her. “Ethan's downfall has left a void in the market,” Justin said in a low but firm tone,
Chapter 552: The Final Blow
The days that followed the media explosion were chaotic. Ethan’s empire, once a towering structure of influence and wealth, was now a crumbling shell. He had endured the tumult of the tragedy caused by the scandal of Samuel Dayton, more than anything that Justin had ever expected. It had spread so far and caused investors to back out. But Justin was well aware that it was not yet over. He was indeed cornered, but that did not mean he was out of the game.One evening, Justin sat in his office, the dim light from his desk lamp lighting up long shadows on the wall. His thoughts are sharp and organized. With no room for complacency at this moment. It is time to end it all. Ethan has been a thorn in his flesh for far too long. And Justin knows the only way to truly destroy him is to take away everything that matters to him.As he searched through the documents on the table Mark walked in with a solemn expression. “we have a situation. Ethan is trying to play his last card. Word is that
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