
The sunny afternoon was shining on the Days Corp. private airport, which was littered with heavily armed elite security officers and military-grade equipment. The private airport hummed with muted activity as jet engines receded into the distance. Twenty rare and exotic cars lined up, each of them a gift to Blake Dayton from those whose lives he had transformed from behind bars. The very air was thick with anticipation as the door of the perfectly streamlined jet opened.
The twenty-seven-year-old stepped out in a tailor-made charcoal suit in tow, calm and commanding at the same time. His black hair was longer and a little wild now, while burgeoning lines drew their crude symphony across the road on his forehead, the aftermath of the trials of the last seven years. Yet his weathered appearance was hardly capable of wooing those wandering eyes, which burned with a quiet intensity.
"Welcome back, Mr. Dayton," Gerald Noah greeted with respect. He was a salt-and-pepper-aged gentleman, his bearing that of an experienced diplomat, bowing slightly in front of Blake. Behind him, a miscellaneous group of dignitaries, business moguls, and even the President of the United States mingled, awaiting the opportunity to shake hands with the man who had made fortunes for many of them.
A small smile crept onto Blake's face as he offered his hand. "Thank you, Gerald; seven years feels like a lifetime."
Gerald straightened himself and let those eagle-sharp eyes scan Blake's face. "You look...different. But the fire inside is still there. We've all been waiting for this day. And like you have instructed, we made sure not to bring any press."
Black smiled. “Good, I wouldn’t want to freak my girlfriend and her mother out since they still don’t know about my wealth.”
One of the hedge fund managers who was representing his CEO asked his fellow manager, “The cars, the jets, and this airstrip. Is this really all his?” He asked astonishingly.
Another one of the CEOs in the group chimed in, “His full name is Blake Dayton, the world's richest man with a net worth of $5 trillion. You see this private airstrip and the five private jets here with a total value of over 1 billion dollars are all his to toy with.”
He said with an arrogant smile. “His investment in my shipyard company helped make me a billionaire. He is what many call a miracle man.” The man paused for a second, almost impressed by his own knowledge of the country's richest man.
“Seven years ago, as far as I know, Mr. Dayton was poor and struggling, but he had invested in some projects that he believed would yield positive results, like my shipyard company. For a time, it seemed that he was wrong and all his investments were gone. However, while in prison, the companies he invested in had surged in growth, dominating the stock market and being worth over one hundred billion dollars. And since he had up to 80% stakes in the companies, he owned them all.”
The hedge fund manager could not believe his ears. ”Talk about being lucky.”
The Shipyard company CEO shunned him, “This is not a result of luck; this was a result of a man who defied all aspects of life and won. While in prison, Mr. Dayton controlled some of the major activities of the companies, including reinvesting in numerous companies and even political campaigns for politicians he believed in.”
The hedge fund manager now understands why even the president of the United States of America was here and just how powerful the man of the hour, Blake Dayton, was.
The handshakes were firm yet hurried, and Blake moved down the line, exchanging pleasantries with all who stood there. Reaching the President at the end of the line, the two men exchanged a knowing look.
"You funded my campaign when no one else would," the President said, his voice low enough for only Blake to hear. "The country owes you, Blake."
Blake chuckled softly. "Let’s just say I saw potential where others didn’t."
The President nodded, stepping aside as Gerald gestured towards the line of twenty helicopters parked on the tarmac.
"Which one would you like to use for your first trip, sir? All custom-made, state-of-the-art, you also have the option to choose from the array of cars littered all over the airport, all of which were gifts given to you by those whose lives you have impacted even from inside the prison cell.” Gerald said, his tone almost teasing.
Blake shook his head. "I’m not interested in helicopters and cars, Gerald. I’ve been locked up for seven years. I want to walk. Feel the city again."
Gerald wasn't surprised; he had always known Blake to be a calm and humble person. He hesitated a bit, then he glanced at the heavily armed security detail in the background. "With all due respect, sir, that’s risky."
The president, as well as other dignitaries, also echoed Gerald’s concern. The President said, “Mr. Dayton, the city can be a very dangerous place. You should listen to your butler.”
"No." Blake’s voice was firm but not unkind. "No entourage. No limos. Just me, the pavement, and the city." He turned to Gerald and said with a grin. "Also, pick up some wedding gifts for Rose. She deserves only the best."
"Of course, sir," Gerald said, the expression on his face melting away. "All the best for the future Mrs.Dayton.”
---
The footsteps of Blake sounded against the pavement as he walked through the streets of New York City. The world hadn’t changed much; all stayed the same with the city's energy. He halted his steps in front of a flower shop, one of those stores with buckets of blooms spilling onto the sidewalk.
He left the shop with a bouquet of roses as he remembered that Rose loved them. He walked to a very small, upscale restaurant where Rose had invited him to meet. The sound of the bell over the door rang out again as he entered the building.
Blake didn’t have long to wait before someone came up to him, but it wasn’t Rose.
"Excuse me, are you…The Guy?"
Blake turned to see a young woman in her early 20s with lots of energy and a stylish outfit that was sort of high fashion and business.
"Who’s asking?" Blake replied, his tone neutral.
Obviously, she hadn't been invited to sit next to him by anybody. “Chelsea London. I think we have some business to talk about.”
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Do we?"
Chelsea pulled out her phone and checked her texts. "You know what you agreed to in your marriage contract - three months' pay, $500,000 a month, and a $5 million payout if all goes well?”
Blake blinked, then laughed—a deep, genuine laugh that startled Chelsea.
"You’ve got the wrong guy," he said, shaking his head.
Chelsea frowned. "What do you mean? My assistant confirmed everything."
Blake drifted back in his chair, a kind of warm grin still on his face. “I’ve been in Bang Kwang Central Prison for the last seven years. Unless you’ve been bargaining with somebody in a Thai prison, my guess is there has been a mistake.”
Chelsea had turned red. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she said suddenly, nearly tripping over her chair. "I... I probably…”
Blake waved her off, still smiling. "Don't worry about it. Mistakes happen.”
Chelsea muttered an apology and quickly left to another table, grabbing her phone to call her assistant.
"You gave me the wrong guy," she snapped into the phone as her assistant tried to apologize. "Get it straight out, now.”
Blake laughed at his own joke. It wasn't something he'd done for too long. Though the lady did not know him, he knew the lady. She was a big name in New York—number one woman on Forbes lists and numerous Woman of the Year Award winner from organizations like TIME Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, and the U.S. Department of State.
These were the least of her achievements; she was also a leading CEO, running a prime company under her family's empire, Chels Corporation, with a net worth of $15 billion. Chelsea was not just a stunningly attractive woman; she was a business mogul and an accomplished woman in her own right, all at just twenty-three years of age, and Blake was very much aware of who she was.
One of his companies was doing business with her company. Plus, her company had put out a contract, and many companies were lobbying for it, including Rose's company. Blake had influenced her decision through one of his managers to give the contract to Rose's company. The contract signing ceremony was scheduled for tonight, and it was announced that the CEO of Days Corp. would be attending to honor Rose Hackley.
Another call came in. "Finally," she muttered, snatching it up. "What’s the update, Mason?"
Her COO’s voice came through, calm but strained. "Chelsea, it’s not looking good. The new initiatives are bleeding us dry. The numbers are worse than we projected."
Chelsea’s hand tightened around the pen. "How much worse?"
"Millions. If we don’t pull the plug now, we’ll be looking at a full-blown disaster within the quarter."
"No," Chelsea said sharply. "We’re not pulling the plug."
"Chelsea—"
"I said no, Mason!" Her voice was firm, but the frustration was evident. "Do you know how hard these candidates have worked? How much potential they have? Rose Hackley alone—she’s a star waiting to shine. We cut funding now, and we destroy everything we’ve built."
"We don’t have a choice," Mason argued. "If we keep this going, there won’t be a company left to save. Your grandfather’s already given the directive."
Chelsea’s jaw tightened. "Grandfather isn’t in charge anymore. I am."
There was a pause, then Mason sighed. "He’s still the majority shareholder and chairman of the board, Chelsea. And he’s made it clear—if you can’t secure new investments, he’ll step in."
Chelsea leaned back in her chair, her free hand rubbing her temple. "And by ‘new investments,’ I assume he means Days Corp."
"Exactly," Mason confirmed. "You know how critical this is. Days Corp’s mystery CEO could wipe out all our problems with a single check."
"And how do we even get his attention?" Chelsea snapped. "He’s a ghost. No one even knows what he looks like."
"Harold Jacobson does," Mason said carefully.
Chelsea froze, her grip on the phone tightening. "Harold?"
"You know the deal," Mason said. "Your grandfather’s been pushing for this marriage for months. Harold’s already positioning himself for a private meeting with the CEO of Days Corp. If you marry him, it’s our best shot at securing the investment."
Chelsea let out a bitter laugh. "So that’s the plan, huh? Sacrifice myself on the altar of Harold Jacobson for the sake of the company?"
"It’s not ideal," Mason admitted. "But it’s a solution."
Chelsea ended the call abruptly and dropped her phone in her bag as she walked away.
Back in the diner, Blake was still laughing out loud when the bell on the outside door rang again.
This time, he knew it was her. Rose Hackley, the love of his life!

Latest Chapter
Chapter 16: End of Contract!
It was Chelsea who held Rose's wrist; her grip was firm. She pulled Rose's hand down and pushed her back. Rose stumbled, bumping into Elizabeth, who steadied her."Blake doesn't have to hit a woman," Chelsea said, her voice clear and cold, addressing not just Rose but the entire stunned crowd. "Because I will hit any woman who lays their hand on him."Another wave of shock. “Is she serious?“ “She is defending him against the Hackleys Just because he saved her from colliding with the Captain?”“I mean, he didn’t do much for her to feel indebted to him.”Rose and Elizabeth huddled together, wary of Chelsea's sudden and fierce protectiveness."Fine!" Rose snapped, her voice laced with defiance and hurt. "I don’t give a rat’s ass about Blake. We are here for the signing ceremony. Just hand over the contract, Ms. London! I'll sign it and get out of this... this disaster of a party.""Yes," Elizabeth seconded, glaring at Blake. "He's a curse and a plague. You'll see, Ms. London. Everything
Chapter 15: Her Man!
The silence stretched, thick and heavy, after Blake's declaration. A collective holding of breath. Then, a ripple of disbelieving murmurs."Did he just say...?""Her man?""Who is he kidding?""The audacity!"Elizabeth said in a harsh voice, “That bastard has gone too far.”Rose couldn’t believe her ears. She thought the idea of him being on drugs was just her mother being a great liar, but now she is starting to believe that Blake might be really delusional. To think he was holding the hand of the Chelsea London of the London Empire. Many men far more wealthy and influential would be dying for such opportunities and here he was thinking he could even measure up to a cleaner.Captain Dowell, who was still hurting from Mason's punches and was desperate to redeem himself after his outrageous outburst a few minutes earlier, saw this chance and lunged forward, aiming to yank Blake's hand from Chelsea's. But he had overestimated himself. His head immediately felt lighter, his vision blurry
Chapter 14: Of Course, Blackmail!
The hall fell silent again, this time in stunned disbelief. Captain Dowell had just yelled at Chelsea London. The chief security officer. Yelling at his boss was a sign that had guests dropping their jaws.Dowell's eyes became clear, and his shoulders brought down. It took him but seconds of silence that followed his outburst for him to realize what he had just done. He took a step back. He thought to himself, “What the hell did I just do?”“Ms. London… I… I didn’t mean to…” Before Dowell could even apologize for his grave mistake, an act so wrong a part of him knew ten years of hard work had just gone down the drain. In a matter of seconds, a figure stepped forward from Chelsea's entourage. Mason William, Chelsea's COO, a man in his mid-forties with a quiet intensity. Mason's face was a mask of cold fury.Mason didn't speak. He simply raised his hand and delivered a sharp, open-handed slap across Captain Dowell's face. The crack echoed through the silent hall. Dowell staggered back,
Chapter 13: A Liar and a Fraud!
Rose and Elizabeth stared at Chelsea, their faces pale. "What the hell is going on? How does Ms. Chelsea know about Rose and Blake?" Elizabeth thought to herself, her earlier confidence completely gone.Chelsea didn't answer Rose's question, her gaze still steady on the Hackleys.Captain Dowell sensed the shift in the air, but he was still focused on his duty and his chance to impress Ms. Rose and now Ms.Chelsea as well. He stepped forward. "Ms. London, with all due respect, who this man used to date doesn’t excuse his behavior today. Whether he's Ms. Hackley's ex or not, he's still a criminal and a nuisance to this event. He was just released from prison. Imagine what the news and bloggers will say: ‘A hardened criminal crashes the Chels Corps grand signing ceremony.’ It will be a huge disgrace for the company and a stain on your name. We need to find out who invited him."Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. "He doesn't look like he belongs here." "Who would invite som
Chapter 12: The Arrival of Chelsea London!
The sudden announcement cut through the chaos. Everyone instantly straightened, smoothing clothes and composing faces. The air of tension was replaced by one of expectant awe. Rose and Elizabeth composed themselves; their earlier fury was momentarily forgotten, and they quickly adjusted their expressions, trying to appear poised. Rose shot Blake a look of pure venom. “You…you ruined everything!“ Rose said as she walked away and moved closer to Foryer."You just dug your own grave," Elizabeth whispered to Blake as she moved to stand beside Rose. "You should have taken the money, you ex-convict."Blake ignored her, his gaze fixed on the entrance.Chelsea London entered, a vision of elegance and power, an entourage following in her wake. The guests' heads bowed in respect as she moved through the crowd, a queen among her subjects.Her eyes, however, immediately registered the knot of security guards, as well as the whimpering man on the floor, and Blake standing calmly amidst the lingeri
Chapter 11: Captain Dowell II!
Captain Dowell, a man who had climbed the ranks at Chels Corp through a mix of diligence and knowing the right people, felt a surge of annoyance. He was about to put this arrogant ex-con in his place and earn some serious points with Ms. Rose and potentially Ms. Chelsea. But just then... his name was called.He turned, along with everyone else. Marching towards them, looking completely out of place amidst the glittering crowd, was his younger brother, Jonah, and a few of his equally rough-looking friends. Captain Dowell had pulled some strings to get them invitations, a chance for his street-level brother to see how the other half lived, and maybe boost his own standing by association.The guests were noticeably uncomfortable with the arrival of Jonah and his friends, as they were not elites like themselves. “Who the hell let these guys in? I thought this ceremony was only for the prestigious folks.” A lady in a red dress said while clutching her drink tight.“Those are the chief se
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