8. Accident in horse-race

"Everything is in fix, sir. Rooney has also been nursed. As per Lord's orders, we did not take him to the hospital. I've also gagged him from talking about your power."

Drake nodded happily. He himself did not suffer any injuries from the incident other than his body having to adapt to the fire funeral slowly. All the guards who were witnesses were not allowed to tell anyone about Drake's power.

The warehouse burned down because Drake could not control the output of his fire power. The burning flames kept growing after they all exited the old building.

"The engagement party was rather disrupted, the guests were whispering about Miss Diana the whole time. The Johnsons were very upset," another bodyguard said.

Drake's smile widened even more, satisfied to make the guests curious with the hints he said. "So?"

"They're having trouble explaining it to the guests," the bodyguard continued.

"And they denied it, sir," added the other guard.

Drake's smug smile faded away just as the newly finished tie was being knotted. Drake felt like he had been pranked by his own surprise.

"Did the guests believe their denials?" Drake asked as he turned around, making the two bodyguards exchange their glance.

"They're not sure about that, but your remarks have now become a rumor that is hurting their business, sir."

Drake suddenly smiled hearing that report. "Where's Sammy? Get him over here!"

The two bodyguards left, and one of them returned to Drake's room with Sammy the personal assistant. Sammy stood in front of Drake waiting for his new boss to speak.

"I wonder what effect a rumor has on the company?"

"Gossip? Has Brannet been hit by any rumors? I haven't heard any rumors about Brannet."

Sammy was taken aback, because he didn't make a lie to his confession. If that was the case, then he felt guilty for being the last to know.

However, Sammy had a question, why would Drake ask that question? Considering Drake was an International business graduate.

"No, I'm just curious. Please let me know."

"A controversial story will either catapult the company's name positively or negatively. Controversy is not always good or bad for the company. The most influential reaction is the stock market's reaction to the rumor. Is there—"

Drake raised his hand to prevent Sammy from talking further. A smile appeared on his lips with a mysterious look.

"You can leave and wait for me outside!"

"Yes, sir. Everything is ready." Sammy bowed slightly and went out.

Drake took out his wallet to take the unlimited access white card that limited belonged to the super riches. He smiled down on it as his name was beautifully written on the limited super VVIP card, which the bank offered itself to him privately.

Drake moved to the mini table to grab his phone for dialing someone.

"Get me someone from the popular newspaper. Soon!"

"Do it, sir!"

Drake hung up the phone while playing the white card among his fingers, rewinding another assistant's remark.

"This white card is only for the special super rich. It's issued by the bank privately and no other rich people know about this super vvip card.

It has one billion dollars within, but you can top up anytime by clicking the software on your phone. It's not an application but a software, where you can check your tax, dividends, and transfer money. It's a fingerprint lock and eye scanned software that someone else can't access.

If you lose your phone, it will be accessible through the computer. If you lose the card, you can scan your eye on the eye scanner on the automatic teller machine to draw whenever you run out of cash.

The machine will read your programmed identity. And if someone knows your pin, then tries to do a transaction using the card, it will automatically be blocked because the machine doesn't find any match of eyes between the one's and yours.

They all are synchronized, so you can use it with ease and worry less. Its security is very secure."

Then his phone rang and he welcomed it.

"I've arranged an appointment with two editors from two popular newspapers, sir. They said they can meet you anytime you want."

"Good, I'll meet them today. In an hour."

"Your message forwards, sir."

Drake ended up calling while walking out of his bedroom. Stopping in his mother's room, Drake smiled to see her who apparently was sleeping.

He never guessed his life drastically changed one hundred and eighty degree in just one night. He was no longer underprivileged and his mother was able to enjoy her old age.

***

Drake rubbed the horse's head, then climbed into the saddle to get ready for the starting line. He had invited Jessie's colleagues out for a weekend ride to introduce himself to the public four days after the barn fire.

"Good luck, sir."

Drake nodded. From the top of the horse he saw the spectators were boisterous and the participants were busy with the racehorses. The reins were slowly pulled, making the horses move away from the stable.

Five meters from the starting line, Aaron–Jessie's eldest son–came gallantly and confidently approaching.

"My mom chose you to be the CEO of the company, meaning you're considered to have good skills in riding. Although I have no idea the extent of your abilities. So don't slap our face with your defeat against Jacob. He's the best horseman who can do archery while riding," Aaron said. "The Dawsons also has a great horseman."

Drake swallowed. His heart started beating fast realizing he had no horsemanship skills, not to mention anything like Jacob's.

"Don't worry, I won't let her down," Drake said doubtfully but with a little smile on his face.

At the Hamm family's largest horse farm in Pevionia, Drake accepted Jacob's challenge to race. There were six super-rich men competing to show their skills.

The match began. The first round was not bad for Drake's performance on the jumping track, although he almost fell several times because of the very professional opponent match.

The second round was Jacob and Drake only with a course that made Drake break out in a cold sweat. That was an endurance racing.

"That idiot Drake will lose to Jacob. He doesn't have any skills," Diana said proudly and smiled mockingly. "See how he has trouble riding a horse? A poor man like him never has time to ride, not to mention to shoot a bow and arrow like Jacob does."

To be honest, she was terrified every time she saw or heard about Drake since she had seen the flames from Drake's body that night. However, Diana had to put on an act in front of people for the sake of pride, not wanting to appear defeated by fear and intimidated by Drake.

"He already embarrassed us at my wedding anniversary party, Jacob deserves it now in public," Nichole said sarcastically to a nod from Diana.

Jessie only listened carefully to the conversation between Drake's ex-wife and her mother, not wanting to appear involved.

However, Diana and her mother realized that Jessie's presence nearby them was very high-risk as she was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Have you prepared the plan?" Nichole whispered without taking her eyes off Jacob and Drake's ongoing horse race.

"We'll see, Mom." Diana replied, very confident. "See what Jacob will do for me."

Five minutes later, Drake fell off the galloping horse, dragging him several meters as he clung to the reins.

The audience was shocked, including Diana and Nichole who were excited and pretended to be shocked to see Drake being carried by medics into an ambulance. They also pretended to panic and stood up to see how Drake was doing.

"We have to make sure he's seriously ill or maybe paralyzed altogether," Diana said, coming out of the audience to meet Jacob.

Diana hugged Jacob in thanks and kissed him on the lips. "Your horsemanship was awesome. I love it."

Jacob smiled happily as he won Diana's heart and praise. Jacob accepted Aaron's offer to compete with Drake to impress Diana.

At the expensive hospital, Drake was admitted to the emergency room. His mother arrived wearing a scarf and nose mask, escorted by bodyguards and closed to the public.

Laura hadn't been allowed in to visit, as doctor's results hadn't come out yet, thus she resorted to wait with Jessie, Aaron, Sammy and the bodyguards.

Jessie's face looked very tense, worried about Drake's condition and the plan that had just begun, as well as the accident. She was worried that her plan would fail.

Aaron touched Jessie's hand to give her strength. There was only silence there after Jessie and Laura's conversation. Not long after, Jessie and Aaron chose to go home.

Laura was devastated that her only son was seriously injured and unconscious. Her concern for Drake's safety made her unable to breathe.

She went to the restroom to be alone, washed her face, then looked at herself in the mirror for a while. Laura came out after making sure she looked good.

The emergency room was deserted. Laura walked out with an unwilling heart, walking in very slow steps because of her weak legs. Laura didn't know how to express the sadness of her shaken soul.

Laura had been worried, since Drake told her about the heat of the fire from his body.

"I don't know how it happens, but I feel hot and burned, even, I can't compose it under my control. It takes time after the flames go off to move my body back, and I don't know how long it takes to take it down."

As she turned the corner, she saw a shadow of a person standing on the wall at the end of the turn. Laura looked around to make sure the guards did not see her approaching the person.

"Your life is not oka—"

"No, Daddy, just let it be like this. I enjoy my normal life as much as anyone else," Laura said softly.

"You're really bull-headed. Do you want him to die?"

"Dad, he's already unleashed that flames power, but he can't control it yet when his body temperature rises in anger."

"That's why I'm telling you to get back as soon as possible so that he can receive optimal care. He could die if he stays here too long. Who would—"

"Just let it go, Dad. I used to be just like him, except that the power wasn't optimal in my body. And please, Daddy, don't say anything to him. I don't want him to get hurt like me because of the fate we can't deny. We inherited that power from you."

"You're still keeping quiet about his origins?"

"What can I do, Dad?" Laura looked at her father sadly. "Since I left the clan, I feel a different life than I've ever had before. Although I'm here as a poor single mother, I'm not tormented by that power."

"You're my only daughter, but you're the most dissident!" he said with an exasperated snort. "He's never even seen me, let alone recognized me as his grandfather."

"Please, Dad, take my point," Laura said pleadingly as she adjusted her glasses. "You'd better go home. Thank you for your visit."

"Now you're kicking me out. You don't know how to be thankful!"

Laura right away turned back in a tightened chest after watching her father stepping out of the emergency room door.

"Sorry, Daddy, it's for my son's goodness."

***

The horse accident became a hot topic among businessmen and elite equestrian clubs. It also hit the headlines in the printed media, but Jessie managed to press them to withhold the distribution of their newspapers and magazines with hush money.

Aaron growled violently as his lobbying to ruin Drake's reputation was unsuccessful due to his mother's actions. In the CEO's office, Aaron leaned back in his chair imagining he's back in the CEO position.

Especially when the doctor's examination results said Drake had a fractured leg and abrasions on his buttocks from being dragged on the track. Two days in the hospital, Drake was discharged with additional treatment for his leg bone. That was not good news for him.

Jacob didn't know Aaron's aim for asking him to challenge Drake that day. Aaron had to take up the hot seat again in that his position was under Drake's position as CEO.

Now, he got a headache on his chair, messaged his temple and drew his breath as the hot woman who was standing across his desk kept telling him about her demand.

"I'm being honest, i'm pregnant your baby, your heir. You gotta be responsible for my life. You promised me to—"

"Be quiet, Celine!" Aaron snapped as slammed the desk. "I never promise you anything!"

"You said you would marry me if I can give you an heir. Now I'm pregnant and you deny that it's not your baby." Celine spoke in trembling and cried a tear.

"Ahhh! You're pregnant from another man but admit it as my baby. You think I'm fool for you to trap?" Aaron shouted as stood up with reddish face, walking around his desk to approach Celine.

"I don't want this baby to have no a father." Celine stared at him, looked frightening.

"You have sex with many different men every week to get pregnant for being admitted to be my baby, and you live like a queen? Hahahah… don't think you can trap me at ease, BITCH!"

SLAP

"DARE YOU! I challenge you to take DNA test and I'm gonna tell your mom if you run away!" Celine screamed as pointed at him, then dashed to the door and slammed it.

"BLOODY HELL!" Aaron yelled.

***

Aaron went to Drake's luxury apartment. He stared at the building name 'Locmont' before proceeding to the 18th floor.

He was surprised to see Jessie over there, enjoying a cup of tea with Laura. "I thought mom was home."

"I need to confirm Drake's condition for sure, there can't be any mistakes, because we have a meeting with a client the day after tomorrow," Jessie said, sounding reassured.

Aaron felt sick and jealous hearing it. He sat next to his mother with Laura who had poured him a glass of wine.

"How's Drake?" Aaron moved his gaze to Laura.

"He's already better. Doctor said his leg bone will be better in two weeks," Laura said, looking at Aaron kindly. "Thank you for visiting him. Let me take you to his room."

Laura got up and went with Aaron to Drake's large room. After a few steps inside, she saw Drake was reading a paper.

"Drake, Mr. Aaron comes to meet you." Laura left the room after nodding to Aaron.

Drake turned his head and greeted him in a friendly manner. Aaron sat on the single sofa with his legs crossed, then looked around Drake's entire room. He inferred Drake had a bad taste in interiors.

"I can't leave my work. Sam said there are some things that need to be done in two days. He'll be here to pick up these files."

Drake put down the file after the last sheet was read, to stare at Aaron as a courtesy.

"Sorry I let you down." Drake struggled off the bed, to get closer to Aaron. "I couldn't do as good as Jacob did."

Aaron wasn't irritated by the defeat, but by seeing Drake wasn't as badly injured as expected, even he didn't look in pain. Aaron smiled condescendingly despite his first plan failing.

"You're not deserve to be a CEO of Brannet. Your defeat insulted my family, Drake. Moreover, I saw Diana... celebrating your defeat with Jacob, they went to a five-star hotel for fun." Aaron smirked to mock him while saying it.

"That's not my business anymore. I just focus on my goals and work." Drake stood holding the sofa, staring out the window at the evening.

He no longer wanted to hear Diana's name, and anything about her as it reminded him of her jibe to his mother. Drake, in addition, also knew Aaron was heating him up as he knew Aaron didn't like him.

Seeing Drake wasn't affected by his sarcasm, Aaron satirized him again.

"People who are hurt by romance often lie to hide their condition. Showing the abuser and others that they are fine without that person."

The satire was wilful Aaron directed at Drake to bring him down mentally and change his perspective on Diana to make it easier to get rid of him.

Drake knew Aaron was attacking him, but Drake had to show his condition that was not affected by Diana, except for the humiliation to his mother.

"So tell me your interest in meeting me. I know you're not here to visit the new CEO." Drake purposely insinuated to him to let Aaron know that Drake kept an eye on him for every action he did.

"I want you to transfer me a sum of money as my reward—"

"What kinda reward?" Drake startled before moving to another chair, perplexed.

"I won the project auction and the terms mentioned that I'm gonna get ten percent from the total amount. It's one hundred and million dollars. It's been a month since the auction was held."

Drake was quiet for while, as he knew nothing about the royalty on the contract. However, before he replied to Aaron's comment, they both turned to the door knocked.