2025-08-16 15:03:29
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 9
By Monday morning, the glamour of Emily’s birthday gala was gone, leaving behind the reality that dawned on them. ReedTech security showed up before sunrise. They changed the locks on Harris Industries’ executive suite like it was nothing. Veronica Harris’s gold nameplate came off her corner office door.Her calls started before breakfast, angry, urgent, dripping with venom, but no one picked up. The board members she thought were hers had already cut their deals, signed their NDAs, taken their severance, and disappeared. Some retired early. Some moved to ReedTech posts far away from Seattle. All of them were gone.Still, Veronica wasn’t the type to accept defeat. Stuck inside her mansion that felt more like a cage, as ReedTech security parked discreetly outside, she began plotting her counterattack. Days later, leaks appeared in the press. It began gradually before blowing up into a full story. Adrian Carter-Reed was painted as a bitter opportunist, out for revenge on the family tha
Chapter 8
The windows of the penthouse were covered with rain drops. Heavy rain poured outside. But inside, it was warm and loud. The air smelled of perfume and champagne. A jazz band played soft music in the corner.It was Emily Harris’s thirtieth birthday gala. The Harris Estate ballroom, usually cold and empty, was packed with people. Chandeliers lit up the room like daylight. Dresses swished past in bright colors, tuxedos gleamed. Waiters carried trays of champagne that never seemed to run out. Laughter rang out, though most of it sounded fake.Veronica Harris stood near the fireplace in a red velvet dress, soaking up attention. She smiled tightly, nodding as people praised her. This party in all reality wasn’t really for Emily. It was a show. A sort of show off that, even with the company in trouble, the Harris name still mattered.Emily stood next to her, dressed in pale blue silk. She smiled when people spoke to her, but her eyes looked tired. The last year had worn her down. Memories of
Chapter 7
The reply came less than twelve hours later.To: seattleinquirer73@tempmail.netFrom: securecomm@reedtech-inc.comSubject: RE: Urgent Matter – Clara CarterA private jet will be waiting at Teterboro Airport, Hangar 7B, under the name “Smith.” Departure: 10:00 PM tonight. Destination: San Francisco. A car will meet you.Come alone. Bring everything.J.R.There were no greetings nor pleasantries. Just pure command. Adrian felt a grim satisfaction. The hook was set. And now, it was time for the fish to be caught. The fish he had been waiting for. The fish that made him endure all kinds of humiliation for two years. He spent the day moving through New York like a ghost, avoiding security cameras, buying nondescript clothing with the last of his cash. The night came, and at the said time, Adrian was at the airport when the private jet arrived. It was so sleek that its polished surface reflected the runway lights. Just like scattered stars in the sky.Entering in, his eyes widened at the si
Chapter 6
Adrian set the papers down, with a hitched breath. The confirmation was a physical blow. He picked up the diary. The first entry was dated years before his birth. Innocent entries about college, friends, hopes. Then, the tone shifted. “I met a man. His name is Jonathan. He is everything a lady wants. Charming and powerful but older.” The entries grew more passionate, then more secretive. Then came the mentions of late-night meetings with whispered promises. “He says he loves me. He says he’ll leave. When the time is right…”He flipped forward, frantically searching and digging. And then he saw it. “pregnant. Told Jonathan today. He went pale. Not happy. Angry? Scared? Said it complicated everything. His position. His marriage. His reputation…” Adrian flipped to another page. “He offered money. A lot of money. To go away. To disappear. To never contact him again. To say the baby is Michael’s. Michael… he’s kind. He likes me. But it’s a lie. A terrible lie. Jonathan… how could you? Y
Chapter 5
Adrian kept shifting in the Greyhound bus. His butts hurt deeply from sitting for too long.It was a twenty-three-hour journey from Seattle to New York City. He had slept and woken up severally, till his body had grown weary of dreaming after his eyes closed and his head bowed to sleep. But after hearing the driver say they had arrived in New York city and he was close to the bus stop where he needed to alight, Adrian sighed a relief of gratitude and accomplishment.Embarking on this journey to New York was easier that he had expected. All he had to do was cook up a story for Veronica about a mandatory driver safety seminar requiring overnight attendance. Of course it was a flimsy excuse that she barely registered. She was too absorbed in preparations for Emily’s upcoming birthday gala. Emily hadn’t inquired about him. She never did and she never cared anyways. Getting the fee too would have posed another challenge. But thankfully he had his emergency savings, asides the one Veronica
Chapter 4
Later that day, Adrian was assigned the task of sorting the week’s mail which was in her words, the “contribution” Veronica deemed suitable for him. Adrian sat at the small desk in the chilly, unused morning room. From the bills to the charity solicitations, to the trade magazines and corporate correspondence addressed to Veronica or “The Board”, he sorted mechanically.Then his fingers brushed against a thick, cream-colored envelope. It was a heavy paper. The return address wasn’t flashy corporate branding. It was stark, professional: Evergreen Trust & Safety Depository, 450 Madison Avenue, New York, NY. Addressed to Mr. Adrian Carter.His heart raced a little bit faster than usual, giving a single, hard thump. New York? Who could this possibly be from? He didn’t know anyone in New York. And he certainly didn’t have a safety deposit box. He slit the envelope open carefully. Inside was a single sheet of equally heavy paper. The letterhead contained the bank’s name and address.Dear
You may also like
Trillionaire they never noticed
Alfred ifeanyi68.4K viewsThe Ex-Billionaire Husband
Sunny Zylven76.4K viewsRise of the Student Trillionaire
Ty Writes147.3K viewsWAR GOD'S REVENGE
Ardy-sensei82.5K viewsDouble Agent: Stuck Between the Villain and Protagonist Camp
Antonigiggs1.5K viewsThe last warlord
Gold Tony 662 viewsHis Possession
Renglassi151 viewsThe King of War Powerful Return
MDW6.1K views