Chapter 4

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...I suddenly wanna be a fuçking CEO" Colt replied.

The next one minute was spent in silence by everyone in the courtroom as if they're trying to dissolve the news, including the king himself.

"You barged into the courtroom because of this?" He finally spoke after a minute.

"Was it not worth it?" Colt replied, making sure their eyes are communicating as each word left his mouth.

"I just thought to let you know." he smiled, walking out of the courtroom like he's not the one who just interrupted the protocol.

"Your Majesty, I know he's your son but isn't this too much? All of them in general are the same. News came last night about what they did to the son of the former prime minuter. They disgraced him and had people throwing up on him, and that's not even their first time vandalizing people. They're princes and they ought to behave like royals, they're not vagabonds!" Prime Minister Blake spat angrily.

The room became silent after his outburst, and all eyes fell on him as he looked around as if examining everyone.

When he realized he talked too much, he bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry for the outburst, Your Majesty, I was just too vexed by their unruliness"

"I'll talk to my sons', but for now, we have the state affairs to work on. Sit down" King Kaden ordered.

Blake returned to his sit, smirking in secret.

Leilani killed the bank manager cos he was starting to suspect him for money laundering, and killing his daughter with him was a needed bonus.

Even if he crawled, he'll be in hell by now. Anyone who poses as a threat in his way will be taken down, even if it's the king himself.

--

WIVES TENT*

The tent is not very far from the courtroom, and there are several beautiful faces there including Hailey's.

She's sitting beside Manson, and both clinked their glasses of wine before taking sips at the same time.

"You don't feel somehow being the only man in this tent?" Hailey asked, and Manson looked around.

Truly, he's the only man in this tent since it's only for the wives, but who cares?

The way the wives of the rich men are staring at him is enough to make his head swell.

He loves it when they stare, there's nothing as refreshing as having all the females around him on their knees.

"I love me some starving women, but why don't we talk about you and Colt?" Manson said.

"Colt? Wait...is that the name of the second prince?" Hailey replied, adjusting on her seat.

"Yup, the mad second prince who hates me but I equally hate him. We hate each other for no darn reason, but trust me when I say he's a total dîck..." Manson said with an eye roll.

"It's obvious, he was asking for my number, and he said something about wanting me on his bed" Hailey replied, unable to take her eyes off Manson's lips.

"That's a typical Colt Clifford way... he's the type who'd do anything to get what he wants" Manson replied, leaning into her ear.

"He'll even kill to get what he wants, so whenever he comes close, just run" He whispered, and as his breaths hit her ear shell, she shivered inwardly, butterflies throwing a party in the pit of her stomach.

When Manson finished the whispering, he brushed her hair back with an hand, making her shiver more. She might just pass out right now.

Manson Cobalt is touching her hair? He never makes body contact so this is new.

"The strand of hair was about to enter your eyes, had to stop it" he explained.

Why is he even explaining when she loves his touch more than anything? Why did he stop touching?

She was about to reply when Blake entered the tent, seems the meeting is over.

"Get here" he said as other men began entering the tent for their wives too.

"Bye" Hailey stood, waving at Manson who only nodded back till she went out of the tent with Blake.

She could feel Blake's anger, and it's all for her, though she doesn't know why cos she can't remember doing anything wrong since they got here.

When they got to the park, she looked at the balcony spot again, but Colt and his brothers aren't there anymore.

She entered the car with Blake, and they were driven out of the palace.

--

COURTROOM*

After the meeting, King Kaden summoned the brothers into the courtroom, and the three made their entry together, taking their seats in front of him.

"What was that at the clubhouse last night? The video of you three abusing the son of the former prime minister is all-over the net, what's going on?" King Kaden addressed.

"I guess they didn't capture it from the beginning, he puked on Tristan first" Nickolas said.

"And then you thrashed him till he lost consciousness and passed out in the middle of the streets?" King Kaden said, his anger gathering.

"He was still very much conscious when we left the clubhouse last night, and besides...if we had thrashed him like the news said, he wouldn't just pass out, he'd die" Tristan said.

King Kaden became speechless.

"The fact that he's alive and breathing is enough to prove we didn't thrash him, he was probably just unlucky" Colt spoke, resting back on his chair.

"And you, Colt. That should be the last time you ever barge into the courtroom whenever I'm having a meeting with my subordinates" King Kaden said.

"I can't promise that" Colt replied.

"Colt!" King Kaden snapped, his brows knitting.

"I still can't promise" Colt replied again, standing on business, and the king sighed in frustration.

"That'll be the last time he does it, I'll talk to him" Victoria said, walking into the room.

She stood in front of the king with a genuine smile. "Leave him to me"

"No one is leaving my son's affairs to you... I'll be the one to talk to him" Rania replied, entering too.

"Don't start" Colt stood.

"Don't give me that tone, Colt. If I didn't come, she'd have spoken to you and you'd have listened to her like she's your girlfriend or something more! You never listen to me but you listen to her, and even the breakfast I made you this morning, you didn't finish it!" Rania shouted.

She's already crying again.

"Now listen, Victoria... You're never gonna speak with my son anymore so far I remain in this palace. If you wanna talk to him, then kill me first cos the next time I see you around him, I'm gonna hang myself!" She threatened.

"I knew you were bluffing when you promised to change this morning, and getting you that Ferrari was to cheer you but you're obviously not worth it" Colt said.

"You will not talk to your mother that way!" King Kaden snarled.

"I repeat... she's not worth it" Colt replied, walking out of the courtroom angrily.

Rania went closer to Victoria, but Tristan and Nickolas quickly blocked Victoria away from her.

"Stay back" Nickolas said sternly.

"Step back, Queen Rania" Tristan added glaringly.

Rania looked at the two, then at Victoria who's standing behind them, she then looked at King Kaden before rushing out of the room, going after Colt.

"You ok?" Nickolas asked Victoria, and she nodded.

"Come here" Tristan held her by the right while Nickolas held her by the left. They took her away.

King Kaden sighed, shutting his eyes.

He needs to see his doctor at this rate. His blood pressure is probably boiling.

--

In the palace compound, Manson stood beside the fountain, snapping some pictures of himself and gushing over his own handsomeness.

He's gonna bomb Instagram with the pictures tonight and make his followers go mad again.

He was still snapping when he saw Tristan and Nickolas taking Victoria out of the courtroom.

He saw when Colt left the courtroom angrily too, even when Rania came out he saw it.

He grinned, pocketing his phone while thinking about what he did last night.

—FLASHBACK, LAST NIGHT—

After Hailey suddenly cut the call with him and he has no one to talk to in the senator's mansion since he's the only child, he decided to go clubbing.

He dressed up and left the house, going to the only exclusive clubhouse in the city, Moolah club.

Luckily, he met Colt and his brothers teaching the unfortunate guy a lesson and forcing him to apologize.

He watched everything in the crowd till the brothers left the clubhouse, then the guy ran out of the clubhouse too.

Manson followed the guy to the park, trailing after him till he caught up and pulled him back.

"I already apologized leave me alone!!" He shouted, thinking it's the brothers again.

"Calm down, this is Manson, not the tasteless princes, and you look messy...they did you so bad" Manson spit out as the vomit stench hit his nose.

"What do you want?" The guy asked, stepping back.

"I feel like they didn't do a really good job. You're the former Prime Minister's son, right? Your father was the Prime Minister before ugly Blake" Manson said.

"What are you gonna do?" The guy gasped.

"I'm gonna do what they failed to do. Imagine finding you unconscious in the middle of a street tomorrow morning" Manson replied, his face twisting to mean.

Before the guy could run off, he already grabbed him by the neck, throwing him on the park ground where he beat the crap out of him.

The guy was almost lifeless and bleeding so much before Manson dragged him out of the park into the street, dumping his body there.

He squatted beside him.

"Tomorrow...if the paparazzi asks who did this to you, what's the answer?" He asked.

"The...the princes" the guy replied, and Manson nodded.

"Good"

—FLASHBACK ENDS—

Manson grinned again, liking the discord he planted between the brothers and the king.

Now the king would blame them for thrashing the guy when he's actually the one who did it.

"I'm too perfect, and this is exactly why no lady deserves me, can they even handle this handsomeness?" He said arrogantly, snapping more pictures of himself till his father showed up.

"Let's go" Senator Lucas hollered at him, and Manson followed him to the car.

As the car drove out of the palace, he sighed.

He's only just starting with the princes anyways.

"Colt is taking over RR, it's a sign for you to take your life serious instead of being obsessed with yourself" Senator Lucas said beside him.

Manson scoffed.

--

COLT'S SUITE*

On getting back, Colt already smoked two sticks of cigarettes. He's on the third one.

He didn't expect this evening to get ruined this way.

First was Manson ruining his talk with Hailey, and second was when the king accused him and his brothers of thrashing the unfortunate guy unconscious, then the thing with his mother.

Trying to get it all out of his head would probably take more than one pack of cigarettes, and though he doesn't do excess, he's willing to go extra today.

The door opened, and he didn't even turn around to look. It's definitely Rania.

Before he could react, she already hugged him from behind, but he shook her off and faced her.

"I'm...I'm sorry but I just hate Victoria" she stuttered.

"Shit! Stop saying sorry, it's sick! Stop saying that every fuçking time when you'd still do what's on your mind" he snapped angrily.

"But you're too close to her and it's not making me happy. Let me tell you, Victoria is not a saint you have to be careful of her. I'm very sure she's the one who killed your sister and—"

"Mum!!" He yelled, stopping her from talking further.

"Colt..."

"Get out" he cut her off, and she shook her head

"Get out!" He snapped harshly, and Rania ran out of the room in tears.

He slammed the door shut, disposing the third cigar butt, then he lightened the fourth one.

He has too much going on in his head right now, all thanks to his childish mother, but the most important one is that he's taking over RR tomorrow only because of Hailey's number.

Fûck the prime minister and everyone else involved.

He gets whatever he wants, so if he wants Hailey on his bed, he'll get her no matter who he has to cross, or who he has to KILL.

--

PRIME MINISTER'S VILLA*

On getting back home, Hailey knew she was doomed.

Blake dragged her into his Web where he made her face the wall before he got his belt.

"What's with you and Manson! He touched your hair and you were smiling? Are you in love with him or something? Huh?" He demanded, flinging the belt to her back.

The belt hit her with a peppering sting, and she gummed her body to the wall, shutting her eyes as the second lash came almost immediately, making her skin feel like acid was deposited on it.

It hurts, like hell, but she dared not cry out, else he'd double the hits. It's not her first time taking hits from his belt on her lower back.

Tears streamed out of her eyes, and she shook when the fourth and fifth belt lash landed on her back.

"Huh? I'm asking a question! Are you in love with Manson? Tell me!!!" Blake yelled, giving her the sixth and seventh lash.

Hailey clamped her lips shut, letting out her tears again as her greedy parents words resounded in her ears.

"The only way you can repay us for bringing you up and giving you proper education is to get married to Blake and satisfy him to get us cash and connections. He's our god, Hailey. Our only chance to live fine"

Hailey folded her fists, pains exploding through her skull as the eight and ninth belt lash hit her back, making her knees weak.

"You think I spend on you and your parents to watch you talk to another guy? You think? Huh!!" He demanded again as he gave her the tenth lash.

"Sweetheart!" Judith entered the Web, making fake pity faces when she saw the ongoing torture.

"Aww, she looks cute while suffering" she said, hugging Blake who already dropped the belt.

"You didn't even come give me a kiss after you arrived. Is her punishment more important than me?" She said.

"You know that's not true, doll. I was just too annoyed" he replied.

"I'd be annoyed too if I spent hours with this loser" Judith replied as they finally kissed.

"I cooked your dinner by myself, come I'll bath you and we can go eat together" Judith said, pulling him out of the Web.

Hailey struggled to stand, strutting out of the Web too.

She came across Leilani in the hall, but she couldn't even look at her as she climbed the stairs.

Leilani was looking at her till she went out of sight, then Lysandra joined her.

"Master lashed her this time, are you planning to take belt and lash back at him? Since it seems you're her new knight in shining armor" she said with a lip twirl.

Leilani ignored her, going the other way.

"Judith wants you in the living room" Lysandra suddenly said, and Leilani stopped.

She turned back, and Lysandra led the way while she followed.

Lysandra led her to the living room where she really met Judith sitting, her legs mounted on each other.

"I got a report, that you saved Hailey from the staffs last night. When did that start?" Judith questioned.

"I don't think you deserve an explanation from me" Leilani replied, and Judith stood.

"Say that again" she said, daring her.

"I work for Minister Blake, and I'll answer to only him. I saved her cos I felt like doing it, and if that doesn't sit well with you, then pretend like you didn't hear about or" Leilani replied, walking out of the living room.

Judith grinded her jaws, an annoyed sound escaping her throat.

"Leilani..."

--

HAILEY'S ROOM*

Hailey fell in bed, laying on her face when she arrived in the room.

The pains coming from her back right now could kill, but she has taken some pain relievers, so it should come down in a bit.

She wiped her tears on the duvet, her skin getting hot with sudden sickness as she curled the covers around herself.

Her phone buzzed above her head, and she took it to see it's an IG notification.

Manson posted again, and the pictures are too good as usual.

She managed to react, but she couldn't comment before that phone slipped away from her hand.

She passed out in bed, helplessly.

--

NEXT DAY, PALACE*

Wearing a well-branded dark suit—new design, Colt looks too cooperate and at the same time hot as he took his time to spray cologne in the air after dressing up.

He was strapping his wristwatch on his wrist as he walked out of the room, determined to achieve his goals before today ends

He met Rania waiting in front of the room with a tray containing a cup of coffee, but he just pretended not to see her as he walked past her.

Rania let go of the tray, and it fell down, making the cup break on her leg, hurting her.

She started crying, hoping he'd look back with that, but he never did, so she sat on the bare ground, sobbing.

When Colt got outside, the king already got everything in order.

There are ten military guards on standby for him, and they all saluted as one of them opened the ready car door for him.

Colt slipped into the car, getting mint on his tongue again to buy himself some appetite.

The car moved out of the palace, and he got an iPad on which he began reading about the RR again.

Though, he read everything about it last night without sleeping a wink, but this is only like a revision.

His jaws were ticking gently as he scrolled through, but suddenly, the driver stopped the car.

"And the problem is?" Colt asked, looking up from the iPad.

"Prince Nickolas is standing in the way" the driver replied.

Colt got out of the car, truthfully meeting Nickolas in front of the car.

He's with two very identical girls who are obviously the twin toys he has been talking about.

"I'm Cynthia" the one by his right said.

"Cecily" the second one said, both stretching their hands forward for handshakes.

Colt took Cecily's hand first, and she easily let go, but when he took Cynthia's, she held him tight.

"I never guessed you'd be this hot in person, thanks for disappointing me...you're mad handsome, and your lips..." She said admiringly.

Colt took his hand from her, causing her to groan.

"I'll catch you later, Nick" he said.

"Sure, CEO Colt Clifford" Nickolas laughed, and Colt smiled before getting back in his car which immediately zoomed off.

"Are you sure he's interested in a foursome with us?" Cecily asked.

"Was just about to ask that, he looks restless" Cynthia added.

"He's always like this whenever he has his mind on something, give him time" Nickolas replied.

--

REGALITY AND ROYALS(RR)*

The building exterior resembles a futuristic fortress with sleek, angular design that seems to defy gravity.

The walls are made of dark, reflective glass, giving the structure a mysterious, almost ominous appearance.

A neon-lit logo adorned the top of the building, pulsing with a vibrant, electric blue light.

The building on its own has it's own aura, and as Colt's car halted in front of it, he wasn't surprised to see almost every member of staff and even the top directors and managers waiting in front of the building to receive him.

Even the press are present, and their cameras started work when he stepped out of the car.

* Nice to have you here, your highness.

* Welcome on board, second prince.

* We hope for a life-changing experience with you, sir.

The greetings were coming left and right as he made his grand entry, and a young lady got beside him, together with the guards and staffs escorting him.

"I'm Freya Griffin, your intern, sir" she smiled brightly, literally running after him since his pace is fast.

The inside of the building is a hive of creative activities, with open-plan workspaces, collaborative meeting areas, and insane gaming facilities.

The air is thick with the hum of computer hardware and the distant thrum of electronic music.

Gaming areas, developer spaces, amenities and securities are just as meticulous.

Colt was led to his office on the top floor by the old but agile directors, and Freya gave him a bow.

"There's a meeting scheduled for noon, sir. It's specially for you to have a talk with the staffs who're very eager to meet you" she said.

"Cancel it" Colt replied curtly, and she shot her head up.

"Sir?"

"You heard me, cancel it and get me every software in charge of gathering phone numbers" he replied.

"But His Majesty cancelled that program since two years ago cos it's rude to pry on the privacy of others" Freya said.

Just two steps, and Colt is already with her. He placed an hand on her right shoulder bracket, making her fold.

"Are you gonna get the effing softwares on my desk right now or be the first person to get fired by me?" He glared.

Freya quickly ran out of the office.

*

PRIME MINISTER'S VILLA, 7PM*

Hailey woke up not long ago—after she passed out in her room last night.

It's surprising that Judith didn't come to her room to wake her with water, but she understood why it's like that when she got downstairs and saw the limousine is not in the park.

Blake and Judith take that car whenever they go on vacation, so they must have gone to their two days vacation again.

Without thinking, Hailey grabbed a bottle of wine from the cellar, then a glass cup with it.

She went back to her room and sat on the ground, backing the wall as she began drinking in large gulps.

At the same time, she got her phone and went to Manson's IG, stalking his page and scrolling through his pictures again.

She was smiling with half-closed eyes as she scrolled endlessly, still feeling pains from her back.

She downed the fourth bottle of wine, and by now, she's already getting drunk.

She left IG and went to contacts, dialling Manson's line, but he didn't pick.

She drank another cup, dialling the number for the second time.

He didn't didn't pick throughout the ring, so she started drinking directly from the wine bottle, dialling his line repeatedly as she got more and more drunk.

--

RR, COLT'S OFFICE*

Colt forbade Freya or the directors or any darn member of staffs from entering the office.

Since he got the softwares in the morning, he has been working tirelessly on screen, trying to get Hailey's line out of the millions of New Yorkers.

Since it's been long since anyone used the softwares, it has some glitches along the way, and that contributed to why it took so long.

He spent nine hours on it already, and he's ready to stay here till daybreak if it means getting her line eventually.

A cigar stick is on his lips, and his suit his off, leaving him in the white undershirt. The buttons of the undershirt are even undone, leaving his chest open to the screen as his eyes roamed.

The sound of his fingers hitting the buttons were crisp, and at exactly 7pm, her profile appeared on his screen.

He stared at it for a minute, removing his smoke and dropping it.

A proud smile took over his lips as he took his phone with his cramped up fingers.

His finger bones are stiff as a result of spending to much time pressing system keys, but he didn't give a shit—they can stay cramped, to hell with them.

He dialled her line, waiting impatiently for her to pick while drumming his finger edges on the desk.

--

PRIME MINISTER'S VILLA*

Right now, Hailey's drunkenness is so mad that she's not even seeing her phone screen well.

She smiled drunkenly when her phone began ringing, thinking it's Manson.

She swiped the screen lazily for like three times, missing the green before finally getting it at the fourth time.

She picked up, slowly bringing the phone to her ear.

"Manson..." She muttered, her voice low like a cuddler.

Nothing came from the other end, so she sniffled drunkenly before attempting to drink from the bottle again.

The bottle fell from her, rolling away in a circle and spilling wine on the white ground.

Her perfect brows pulled, and her lips parted gently.

"Manson I ... I love you" she confessed, loud and clear.

TBC.