2025-05-13 16:57:32Dr. McCormick arrived at the restaurant less than ten minutes after receiving Jerry’s call. He burst in with urgency, his face tight with concern—but not for the right reasons. His suit jacket flapped as he made his way to the table where his son stood waiting, surrounded by Sarah, Trisha, Max, Roland, and, at the head of the table, Arnold Brick.
“What’s going on here?” Dr. McCormick asked, eyes scanning the tense group.
Jerry stepped forward with a satisfied grin. “Dad, you’re not going to believe this—Arnold Brick here just made an offer that could change the fate of the school.”
Arnold didn’t rise, but he gave a nod of acknowledgement and crossed one leg over the other, calm and composed.
Jerry continued, “He’s offering twenty-five million dollars to the school’s account. But there’s a condition. Sarah has to agree to date him.”
Dr. McCormick raised his brows, taking a moment to process. “Twenty-five million?”
Arnold clarified, “A wire transfer. Straight to the school's development fund. No gimmicks.”
Dr. McCormick’s eyes gleamed for a brief moment before flicking to Sarah. “And all he’s asking for... is a relationship with you?”
Sarah’s eyes flared with disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
Dr. McCormick turned to Arnold again. “Is this just a date, or are we talking about something more... intimate?”
Arnold gave a small smirk. “She’ll know what to do when the time comes.”
The principal turned back to Sarah, his expression tightening. “Look, Sarah, I know this might sound... unsavory. But you need to consider the bigger picture. This isn’t just about you. With that money, we can open three new labs, fund scholarships—students like Max and Roland could benefit directly.”
Trisha’s mouth dropped open. “Are you actually suggesting she prostitute herself for the benefit of the school?”
Dr. McCormick didn’t flinch. “I’m saying that one night of sacrifice could solve problems for hundreds of students.”
Sarah pushed back her chair and stood. “This is disgusting.”
Dr. McCormick raised a hand. “Just think it over.”
“No,” Sarah said coldly. “You’ve already made yourself clear.”
Trisha chimed in. “If you think for one second we’re going to keep quiet about this, think again. I’ll call my father tonight.”
Sarah added, “So will I. I’m sure the school board would love to hear how their principal supports coercive sex-for-donation deals.”
Dr. McCormick stiffened at that. His lips parted, but Arnold raised a finger.
“Enough,” Arnold said calmly. “You’re free to make your calls. But before you do... perhaps it would interest you to know just how deep this rabbit hole goes.”
He looked at Trisha, then Sarah. “Your fathers—Marcus Macy and Damion Vernon—are currently under the direct employment of the Brick family. My family.”
Both girls blinked. The confidence in Arnold’s tone left no room for doubt.
Arnold continued, “They’re in the middle of executing a hundred-million-dollar contract with us. And they’re also currently bidding on a three-hundred-million-dollar international project that Brick & Sons is overseeing.”
Sarah paled. “You’re lying.”
Arnold’s smirk widened. “Am I? Why don’t you give Daddy a call and ask him how many meetings he’s had with Brick board executives this quarter? Or much better talk a look at this.” Arnold pulled out his phone, and showed Sarah and Trisha pictures and documents to provide his claims.
Trisha looked at Sarah, her confidence shaken. Arnold wasn’t bluffing.
Arnold leaned forward, his voice low and deliberate. “So here’s what I’m offering now. I came here for Sarah. But now that I’ve seen you both—why not make this a two-in-one deal? Sarah and Trisha. Both of you. I can upgrade the donation if needed.”
Trisha gasped. “You’re insane.”
Arnold ignored her. “You have two hours. That’s it. Meet me at Délurex Grime.”
Sarah’s lips parted. “That hotel?”
“Yes,” Arnold said. “Presidential suite. Top floor. Come dressed for the night. I’ll make it worth your while. But if you don’t show up... those contracts your daddies are praying for? They’re gone. And your families will suffer the fallout.”
He stood, adjusted his coat, and threw one last look at the table. “Tick-tock, ladies.”
As Arnold walked off with confidence radiating from every step, the room fell silent.
But Dr. McCormick wasn’t finished. He stepped forward again, looking directly at Sarah and Trisha.
“And just so you’re aware,” he added sharply, “your failure to attend tonight will result in immediate consequences.”
Sarah turned to him, face cold. “Are you threatening us now?”
“I’m stating facts,” he replied. “Max and Roland,both of them—will be expelled. By morning.”
“What?” Roland jumped from his seat.
“You can’t do that!” Trisha exclaimed.
“Oh, I can,” Dr. McCormick said. “You’d be surprised how quickly disciplinary actions move when someone like me signs off.”
Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and followed Arnold out of the restaurant.
For several seconds, the group sat in stunned silence.
Nicolas was the first to laugh. “Wow. That escalated.”
Jerry clapped his hands once, slowly. “Brilliant performance. Honestly, Sarah, if you had just taken my offer in the first place, you wouldn’t be here, humiliated, watching your friends get thrown under the bus.”
Sarah glared at him. “You’re pathetic.”
Nicolas snorted. “You’ll be singing a different tune when your family’s bankrupt. Or when your scholarship buddies here are crying outside the dean’s office.”
Jerry smiled darkly. “Anyway, I don’t think I need to go to Nigeria anymore. Looks like my problems solved themselves. I’m done wasting time.”
He gave one last mocking glance at Max and Roland. “No one’s coming to save you.”
Then Jerry and Nicolas walked out, smug and triumphant, leaving behind a table full of confusion, humiliation, and despair.
The restaurant air grew heavier with each passing second.
Max continued eating in silence, eyes down, unfazed by everything that had just happened. Fork to mouth. Calm.
Sarah stared at her untouched drink, her hands trembling slightly. Trisha looked close to tears. Roland’s fists were clenched, knuckles white.
The
four of them were left alone—with no rescue in sight.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 247
“And she’s doing it because she knows what will happen to her if she failed us,” Bobby finished. “Keep your head straight, Tommy. We need to be angry at Max for sending his man. We need to demand compensation. We need to look like we failed, but we won.”Tommy nodded, his expression hardening. “Right. Let’s call the mayor. We need to start spinning this story now. We need to make sure Max knows we controlled the situation, even if his little dog got a lucky bite.”They walked toward their armored SUV, ready to leave the scene of their bloody victory.Just as Tommy reached for the door handle, a convoy of black, unmarked SUVs sped onto the pier access road, kicking up dust and debris. They weren't police. They weren't press. They were too organized, too quiet.“Hold up,” Bobby muttered, his hand going to the sidearm holstered at his hip.The lead SUV stopped twenty feet away. The doors opened simultaneously, and a dozen men in dark suits, all wearing earpieces, stepped out. They were p
Chapter 246
The air at Pier 18 tasted like copper and burnt rubber. The sun was just beginning to climb, casting long, sickly orange shadows over the wreckage. Tommy Becker stood amid the debris, wiping grime from his face with a blood-stained sleeve. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes held a satisfied, if weary, fire.“That’s it,” Tommy yelled, kicking a discarded rifle into a puddle. “Clear the last section! Anyone moving, shoot them. Anyone breathing, drag them out here.”Bobby, Tommy’s twin, emerged from the mouth of the cannery building, his movements slower, more methodical. He looked less like a warrior and more like a butcher surveying his work.“We swept the basement, Tommy. The foreman’s office, the utility tunnels. We got a Hundred and Twelve of theirs. We lost sixry good men.”“Sixty is a good trade for what they brought,” Tommy spat. “But where is Kim? And where is Lena?”Bobby shook his head. “Kim’s gone. The basement was a mess. Someone hit him hard. Found his pistol, but no bo
Chapter 245
“No, Max,” Lena whispered. “But he was terrified of them. He said they were coming tonight.”Max walked over to the window, his back to them. He stood there for a long moment, the silence broken only by the distant wail of a siren.“I underestimated him,” Max finally said, his voice heavy. “I thought Kim was focused on revenge. I thought he was trying to break me. He was trying to dismantle me, piece by piece, and sell the parts.”He turned back to Nathan, his expression now one of grudging respect.“You disobeyed every order. You risked the entire operation. But you brought back the intelligence that saved Sarai and possibly the family. And most importantly Lena. You have my gratitude, Nathan. And my apology.”“I did what I had to do, Max,” Nathan said simply.“I know,” Max sighed. “But understand this: your actions have consequences. The Beckers are now fully engaged. The police are mobilized. We have a war on our hands, and we have an unknown enemy, ‘The Architect,’ who knows where
Chapter 244
The safe house was a small, unassuming apartment above a closed laundromat on the edge of the city. It was clean, quiet, and insulated from the noise of the world. Elias and Cruz had secured the perimeter.Trisha immediately set to work. She had Nathan stripped to the waist, cleaning the deep graze on his shoulder. Lena sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a thick blanket, watching every move.“It needs stitches, Nathan,” Trisha stated, her voice flat and professional. “But we don’t have time for a clinic. I’ll use medical glue and butterfly strips. It’ll hold.”“Just make it fast,” Nathan winced as Trisha swabbed the wound with antiseptic.Lena reached out and gently stroked Nathan’s uninjured arm. “You shouldn’t have come. He was waiting for you.”“I had to, Lena,” Nathan replied, meeting her gaze. “He had you.”“He knew that would work,” Lena whispered, pulling the blanket tighter. “He kept saying it. ‘The Errand boy will break protocol for the girl.’ He knew you would risk every
Chapter 243
“I don’t know. But the message confirms everything. Kim didn’t want to destroy Max with the video; he wanted to distract Max with the video while he recovered Sarai to use as a bargaining chip for a much bigger player. He used Lena to draw you out, to force Max to reveal his position on Sarai. He was testing Max’s defenses.”“So, the whole thing—the Beckers, Lena, me—it was all a diversion for a larger operation?” Nathan asked, the exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of the revelation.“Yes. And if this message is right, Sarai is in danger right now. She’s not safe at the mansion. They’re planning to move her tonight.” Trisha pocketed the phone. “We have to get out of here and call Max. He needs to know his security detail on Sarai is compromised.”***Trisha helped Lena sling Nathan’s good arm over her shoulder. They moved quickly, Trisha leading the way back toward the utility tunnels.“Stay close, Lena. Don’t look at anything but the floor,” Trisha instructed.“Where are w
Chapter 242
The silence that followed the gunshot was thick and heavy.Trisha was the first to move. She kicked the weapon out of the hand of the nearest guard she had just dropped, then spun toward the grappling figures on the floor.“Nathan! Report!” she barked into the darkness.A groan answered her.“He’s hit!” Kim’s voice, strained and furious, sliced through the air.Trisha flicked on the small tactical light mounted on her pistol. The beam cut through the gloom, illuminating the scene.Nathan was sprawled on the floor, clutching his left shoulder. Blood was already soaking through his jacket. Kim was beneath him, his face contorted in pain, his arm pinned awkwardly under Nathan’s weight.The shot had not come from Kim’s silver pistol, which lay several feet away. It had come from a small, backup derringer Kim had managed to pull from an ankle holster in the struggle. The bullet had grazed Nathan’s shoulder, tearing through flesh but missing the bone.The two guards Trisha had shot were dow
You may also like
The Secret Billionaire Son-in-law
Perry will86.3K viewsThe Midnight Heir
South Ashan98.2K viewsRags To Riches: The Riveting Tale Of Jason Smith
Chukwuemeka_101122.5K viewsBecoming A Trillionaire After Divorce
Esther Writes70.3K viewsTHE HEALER'S LAST LEGACY
Angka sara89 viewsThe Return of The Forsaken Son-in law
Raven E.C194 viewsFrom Trash Husband To Supreme Commander
LazyLordOfDoom75 viewsTHE ORPHAN WHO INHERITED BILLIONS
AMEDRIANNE STORIES264 views