2025-08-21 19:44:49Tyler sat in silence, his chest tight, his pulse thundering in his ears. He watched as Blake slid a hand into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. Without a word, the old man extended it to him.
“Take a look at this,” Blake said, his tone carrying a weight that made Tyler’s palms damp. Tyler accepted the photo, his eyes falling on the face of a stunning young woman. She was in her Mid-twenties, had a model’s frame paired with a smile that could undo even the strongest resolve. Her soft lips and radiant features pulled something from deep within Tyler—something he hadn’t felt in years. For the first time since his marriage, his eyes lingered in admiration on another woman. He stared longer than he should have, and Blake’s voice broke through the moment. “That woman you’re holding in your hands is Ariana Acosta,” Blake announced, his voice proud, almost reverent. “She is my granddaughter… and the current temporary supervisor, the supreme overall seer of ABC Companies.” Tyler lifted his gaze, confusion flickering across his face. “And what about her? How is she connected to my… fortune?” Blake chuckled lowly, pacing toward a mirror at the far end of the room. He stood there, his back to Tyler, hands clasped behind him. “She isn’t just connected to your fortune, Tyler" Blake said, his reflection smirking back at him. “She is your real fortune. Ariana is the reason I am offering you everything. My wealth, my empires, companies, villas.. She is the reason I am handing you all these!" Tyler’s mouth went dry. His voice cracked as he forced out, “Re… really?” Blake turned, his expression hardening into something deadly serious. “Yes. She is the reason I want you to inherit all that I own.” Tyler’s brows furrowed, the photograph trembling faintly in his grasp as Blake continued. “When I first met you, I saw a lot of potential. Then I dug into your life… and what I discovered astonished me. You’ve remained loyal to your wife, even when she hasn’t shared a bed with you for years. Do you realize how rare that is? That loyalty, Mr. Hudson, is exactly what I’ve been searching for.” Blake clasped his hands behind his back and stepped closer. His voice dropped, grave and sharp. “My Ariana is my treasure. But she is surrounded by wolves—people who smile at her only because they think she will inherit my fortune. They circle her, waiting to strike, to drain her dry. Ariana is soft-hearted, too easily swayed. She needs someone who will shield her, someone who will open her eyes to the true nature of those around her.” Tyler squinted, his mind racing, trying to piece together the unspoken truth. Blake tapped the armrest of his chair, his tone final and absolute. “And that someone is you. You, Tyler Hudson. That is why I chose you.” The air grew heavier. Tyler blinked, his throat tightening, though he already understood where this was heading. Still, he needed to hear it aloud. He raised his eyes, locking them on Blake’s cold, calculating gaze. “So… in summary, you’re telling me that if I marry your granddaughter… you’ll give me everything you own?” Blake’s lips curved into a chilling smile. He nodded. “Exactly!" "I will grant you wealth beyond measure. Mansions, empires, political power, control of armies, partnerships in every corner of the globe. Everything, Tyler. The only condition is that you marry my granddaughter… and give her the protection this world cannot.” Tyler froze, the photo trembling in his hands. He glanced at Ariana’s captivating smile, then at Blake’s unwavering stare. For a moment, he seemed ready to refuse. Blake leaned back into his chair, crossing one leg over the other with calm precision. His eyes gleamed with dangerous patience. “The details are laid before you. The ball is in your court now. So tell me, Tyler—will you marry Ariana and claim the riches and power I offer? Or will you refuse… and live the rest of your life in poverty?” Tyler’s breath quickened. His gaze fell back to the picture. That smile, that innocence—it called to him. Yet another image forced its way into his mind: Becca. Her image flashed on his head. He remembered their wedding day. He remembered the moment he slid the wedding ring onto her finger. Kissing her lips with vows of forever echoing in his heart. The war between memory and temptation tore at him... Finally, Tyler lifted his head, meeting Blake’s piercing stare. And with his voice low, steady, and heavy with the weight of choice, he answered. "....
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62. Fearing The Unknown
The doctor was completely stunned.In all his years of practice, he had never seen anything like this.Whenever someone saved a powerful figure—a politician, a businessman, a soldier, or someone from the government—they were always rewarded. Always. All they had to do was sign the hospital form confirming the rescue, and the system would take care of the rest. The rewards were often life-changing.People usually begged for those documents. They fought for them. Some even lied to get the credit.But today… for the first time in his career, someone had flat-out refused.And that person was poor.That was why he’d called Tyler “broke and proud.” But Tyler had thrown it back at him with one line:“I may be poor, but I am never POOR.”It didn’t make sense to him. It messed with his head.Before he could even open his mouth to ask what it meant, Tyler stepped forward, patted the doctor lightly on the back, and gave him a calm smile.“You won’t understand, Doctor,” he said. “Because there ar
61. I May Look Poor But I'm Never POOR!
The doctor’s lips remained sealed at first. He didn’t say a word.Tyler’s heart raced like a war drum.Perfect time for his mind to spiral.""What if he doesn’t make it out alive?""""What if the doctor is about to say he didn’t make it?""The thoughts pressed hard against his skull, trying to sink deeper—but Tyler shook them off and turned sharply to the doctor.“But what, Doctor?” His voice was tight. “If what you’re about to say is what I’m thinking, then stop wasting time. What’s wrong with Lu Chen? Did he make it out or not?”The doctor finally nodded. “Yes, Mr. Hudson. He made it out alive.”Tyler’s lips, previously pale, lifted into something almost bright. Relief washed over his face.He grabbed the doctor’s arm. “Really? So can I go and see him?”The doctor shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hudson. Although the patient survived… he suffered a spinal cord injury.”Tyler’s smile vanished in an instant.“A spinal cord injury?”The doctor nodded. “Yes. He was hit in the lowe
60. I am Sorry, But...
Hearing what the soldier had just reported, Diego’s heart skipped for a brief second — the words hit him like a shot. But he quickly masked the reaction with a short, forced laugh so the man wouldn’t suspect anything.With a stiff smile on his face, he replied, “Okay! I’ll be there in a minute.”“Yes, Sir!” the young man said sharply, standing upright. “Permission to leave, Sir!”“Permission granted,” Diego responded, returning the salute with authority.The soldier turned smartly and left. Diego watched him go, exhaling quietly through his nose. The moment the footsteps faded, Perry’s voice came through the phone.“What was that about? Who was that?”“It was a lieutenant,” Diego said, his tone low but controlled. “He came to inform me that the team has already tracked down the location of the phone. My attention’s being called there.”For a moment, silence filled the line. Perry’s chest tightened as a wave of unease spread through him. Fear tried to take control, but he forced himsel
59. The Phone Has Been Tracked!
Diego chuckled in disbelief.“What? Tyler is—”He froze mid-sentence as the sound of footsteps echoed nearby. His instincts sharpened immediately. Glancing over his shoulder, he realized someone was approaching. He was still in the precinct, standing close to the exit, and that wasn’t a good place to linger.Without wasting a second, he moved swiftly away from where he stood and made his way toward his car.“Are you still there, bro?” Perry’s voice came through the phone, a little anxious.Diego reached his car, pulled the door open, and slid inside. “Yeah, bro, I’m here!” he replied, jamming the key into the ignition. “I can still hear you.”He paused, leaning slightly forward as the car lights flickered on. “What did I just hear you say, bro?” he asked, . “Did you just say that Tyler is with Marshal’s phone? And worse, that he already knows the whole truth about your Dad's intention to get him killed? How the hell is that even possible?”“Wasn’t Marshal ordered to take that dumbas
58. The FBI
As Perry tried to gather his thoughts, Diego’s voice pulled him back to reality.> “What do you think we should do right now, Perry?”Diego sounded uneasy, his tone sharp and urgent through the phone.> “You know that, at the moment, all I can do is supply the information I receive from here. I can’t guarantee full control of everything. Yes, I hold a high rank in this operation—but that doesn’t mean the FBI will let me interfere with their team!”Perry exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I understand what you’re saying, bro,” he muttered, his voice heavy. “But it’s high time we figured all of this out before it gets out of hand. I mean it's high time we get to put ourselves into action, before it becomes exceedingly late. You know what I mean....”He paused briefly, then asked, “What do you think about the probability of them finding the phone?”Diego immediately cut in.“Probability? You meant PROBABILITY of the FBI finding the phone? Is that even the question we should
57. The Bad News!
Perry’s expression shifted instantly. His face dimmed, and his eyes widened as though he had just seen a ghost. For a moment, fear crept into him—an uneasy, chilling kind of fear that made his thoughts spin wildly.What kind of bad news could Diego possibly be talking about?Could it be worse than what his father had already told him?Questions flooded his head all at once, echoing so loud that he barely realized he was speaking.“Bad news?” he asked. “What bad news is that?”Diego sighed on the other end of the line. “Yes, bad news.”Perry’s pulse quickened. “What is it?” he pressed immediately.Diego hesitated for a second before responding. “My team is currently working hand-in-hand with the FBI. We just concluded our meeting—and it’s about Marshal’s death. The result of that meeting was… very, very bad, Perry. I don’t think you’re going to like what I’m about to say.”Perry felt a cold weight sink into his chest. His heart began to pound faster.“What’s the result of the meeting,
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