Chapter 7
1263 Words
“Good to see you, Duke,” Luthan took his hand, without returning the smile. It didn't bother Raven much, even at the event, Luthan's stoic expression remained the same. He was either angry or expressionless.
“You stay here? I supposed you would have gotten a house,” Raven decided to bait him into confirming his suspicions.
“I just got into town, but I am sure you can handle that. You're the housing expert,” Luthan said.
“But booking the entire hotel…” Raven trailed off, unable to hide his shock.
“I like my privacy, Mr Duke. If you don’t mind, shall we?” Luthan responded vaguely.
“Sure, I have a list of sites you might be interested in. They come at very affordable rates too.”
“I don't care about the price. I want something that meets my standards.”
“Oh, well,” Raven chuckled uneasily, closing the folder to open the exclusive sites. These were the Duke's latest projects, but the price tag wasn't what anyone could afford. Not yet at least.
“I have a list of estates ranging from a hundred million dollars to seven hundred million,” Raven informed him. “About fifty to seventy acres.”
“That's relatively cheap,” Luthan nodded. “Let me see the biggest one.”
Raven had never been so shocked.
After his tour with Raven, Luthan decided to visit one more person before returning to the hotel.
When a Royce drove into his compound, Barry simply assumed it was a business associate who didn't know the boundaries of work. None of his relatives could afford a Royce.
Barry leaned over the balcony, waiting for the visitor to step out. About three minutes passed before the car door opened Barry saw the one person he never believed he would see ever again.
Luthan King.
What in heaven's name was the man doing in his house? Three years had passed since their last encounter but this Luthan looked nothing like the man back then.
Still, there was no way he could afford a Royce. Was it possible he was showing off another man's car? The Luthan he knew was straightforward. He didn't pretend to elevate himself before others.
Either way, the man had no business in his compound.
“Stop there!” He yelled from the balcony and Luthan stopped, lifting his head to look at Barry. “What business do you have here?”
“I came to say hello to an old friend. Didn't think that would be a problem,” Luthan responded. Barry's lips morphed into a condescending smile.
“You have no business here, Luthan. Go back to the slums where you belong!” Barry huffed.
“I just want a word with you, Barry. I'm not here to fight,” Luthan sighed.
“Keep whatever you have to say to yourself. I'm not interested,” Barry huffed and a dark smile played on Luthan's lips.
“Very well then. I'll just drop this at your office then,” Luthan shrugged, turning around immediately.
Barry wanted to let him go but the curiosity got the better of him.
“What is it?” Barry asked, stopping Luthan just in time.
“What do you think? A document. I'm suing you,” Luthna responded. Barry's face blanched immediately.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You're a smart man, Barry. You know what that means. I wouldn't want to rub it in, but you should expect a revoke of your license, too,” he said.
“Are you threatening me?” Barry shot, irritation shooting through him.
“If I wanted to threaten you, I would ask my guards to call you. You breached our contract and gave out my properties without my permission. You didn't think I would let that slide did you?” Luthan smirked.
“You're bluffing!” Barry growled out. He didn't want to believe anything the street rat spat at him. Luthan was just hurt and bitter. There was no way he could sue him. He was the best in the city.
Luthan merely chuckled and dropped the brown envelope at the spot where he stood before walking back to his car.
Barry watched speechlessly as the car drove away and hurried downstairs to pick up the envelope. He opened it and took out the document.
“The scoundrel wasn't bluffing, after all,” Barry sighed, then a confident smile plastered on his face. “We will surely see about that. No longer has ever beaten me within the city. It won't start now.”
Barry returned to his house and dropped the document casually on the dining table. He was going to file an answer tomorrow.
After that, Luthan King could do his worst.
However, what he didn't know was that Luthan wasn't hiring just any lawyer. He was coming with Hector Williams, the most decorated lawyer in the country.
As Luthan started the drive back to the hotel, he called Hector.
“Mr King. I didn't think you'd been my service so soon,” the man said. Hector was one of Stanley's most trusted lawyers, which made him and Luthan quite acquainted.
“I want to punish a lawyer. He took everything from me and gave it off to someone without my permission,” Luthan told him.
“That should be fun. What did he take from you and who did he give it to?” Hector asked.
“A company landed properties and everything of monetary value I owned. He gave them all to my brother without asking me and when I came out of prison, they refused to give it back. I trusted him with my life, but he betrayed me. I want to punish him for that,” Luthan answered.
“That is interesting. I'll book a flight tomorrow then we can discuss the details over tea. Sounds good?” Hector asked.
“Absolutely.”
Luthan arrived at the hotel but there was a commotion at the entrance. He remained in place. Watching keenly as the paparazzi crowded the gates, struggling to force their way in.
Luthan leaned back against his seat, sighing as he watched the crowd. It was no surprise that the news about the Grandeur Hotel had spread like wildfire, and now they all wanted to know who it was. That is if they didn't already know.
He dialled the front desk and waited for her to answer.
“Hello, this is Grandeur Hotels; how may we be of help to you?” Gloria asked.
“I can't drive in with them crowding the gates. Do something,” Luthan said.
“Mr Kings?” Her voice pitched with surprise. “That shouldn't be a problem. I'll fix it immediately.”
Luthan hung up and waited. In a few minutes, the Grandeur security stepped outside. They tried to get the crowd but those reporters were just too stubborn. They wanted answers.
Answers the Grandeur Hotels couldn't provide. The paparazzi became more aggressive and refused to budge. They wanted answers and a good story, and they felt like they could have it if the hotel let them.
It happened in the blink of an eye. A guard took out his gun and shot into the air, startling the crowd. The other guards followed soon, and in less than a minute, the once unified people scattered, running for their lives.
A smile played on Luthan's face as he rode towards the gate.
It couldn't have been a more eventful evening.
- Writer
