Cassius had Dylan on his lap as they both ate cookies. One of his hands was wrapped around the little boy while the other was busy with his system.
He was doing his work, researching his new artist.
“Father,” Dylan called lightly.
“Hm,” the man hummed lightly.
“How did you become King? You don’t look like those royalties in books,” Dylan said.
Cassius chuckled. “I’m not royalty, little man. I’m more like… a self-made king.”
“And how did you do that?” Dylan asked.
“I never gave up. I tried to make a difference in my own way. I helped people, discovered new talent, and built my empire every single day-”
“And fighting bad guys? You were like a superhero yesterday,” Dylan grinned and then asked, “Since you’re king, does that make my mother queen? And me, a prince?”
Cassius stayed quiet for a moment, his mind drifting to Tatiana. He replied, “Yes.”
“Self-made royalty,” Dylan took one of his cookies and offered it to the man.
Cassius ate it from his hand and kissed the little boy’s hair. His phone rang, disrupting the moment. Reaching for it, he swiped to answer.
“It’s time, boss. They are ready.”
“Good. Start in an hour and make sure every single soul in Australia sees it.”
___
After the fifth ring, the man on the other side picked up his phone. Nathan stood and put it on speaker.
“I need your help,” he said. After a while of silence, the man on the other side finally spoke.
“My help?” The voice was calm, dripping with authority and power. Mr. Wallington.
“Yes, Mr. Wallington. Your daughter, Tatiana. Have you heard from her?”
“Correction. She is not my daughter. I disowned her a long time ago. I have no interest in what I’ve long forgotten,” Mr. Wallington corrected calmly.
“She has a son, and that son is Mr. King’s. Are you still not interested?” Nathan asked, and silence fell on the other side. “Well, she found out about Isabella, and she is after me. Mr. King is after me; he has taken my files and all. I don’t even know what he is planning because I can’t even access my empire. My assistant won’t-”
“Oh, Mr. Redmond, have you forgotten what I told you that night? The day you ordered the hit on Isabella. I gave you the go-ahead, and you killed her-”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t kill her. I only ordered Zero to rape, take pictures, and destroy her image. That’s all I did. And I gave that order right before you-”
“And after your order, what did I tell you?” Mr. Wallington asked in a calm voice. Even with his age, he sounded firm.
“You said if it struck back, I’d take all the blame and you wouldn’t help,” Nathan responded. “But this is Mr. King we are talking about-” The call ended. “Hello? Hello!”
Nathan slammed down the phone. The person he expected to be on his side turned him down.
“Fuck you, Mr. Wallington. Fuck you!” he spat.
His phone rang, flashing the name of the person he had been expecting.
“We’ve found a way to get you out of the country. Make your payment,” a voice said on the other side.
Nathan nodded, but for some reason, his eyes went to the television. His brow furrowed at the latest streaming video.
Titled: Behind the Fame of Stardust Artists. (Nathan Redmond’s Enslavement of Artists)
“On live we have artists and ex-artists from the famous Stardust company who are going to reveal a shocking revelation to us today,” the host spoke with a smile. The host gestured for a woman to sit beside her.
Nathan recognized her and shook his head. “What the heck is going on? How did they find her? How….”
The woman sat, and the host gave her a cue to speak.
“Hi, my… name is Sansa Millburn. I am an ex-artist of Stardust Entertainment Company-” she started. Her voice was shaky, mixed with different phases of hoarse tones. She had a tiny scar around her neck.
“I’m speaking this way because of what happened a year ago, while I was still a singer in Stardust. Many of you know me as Sanny and must be wondering why I disappeared all of a sudden. Well, I lost my voice…”
“Can you tell us how?” The host asked, knowing other Australians would also be curious.
“I attended a function and met a famous producer. He was my dream producer because all of his work was a hit. I asked for his help, and he wanted me to sleep with him, which I refused. But I was shocked when Nathan Redmond ordered me to do it. I was married with a kid, and I was hot-tempered, so I yelled at him, hurling curses at his face. I even reported him to the police.
My birthday was the next day. I had a wine and felt strange. I fainted due to the pain in my neck, and when I woke up, I lost my voice. The doctor said I was lucky to survive. Nathan Redmond visited and told me to run and never come back. He said he’d kill my husband and kids if I let his secret out,” Sansa concluded after struggling to speak.
After Sansa, another artist came up.
“I was overweight when I joined the company. Nathan Redmond loved my voice. He called it unique. However, after joining the company, he forcefully starved me, made me exercise all day and night. I tried to quit, but I didn’t have three billion dollars to pay for my contract termination. I once fainted on stage while performing… I even had an ulcer that almost took my life, but Nathan Redmond cared less. Why does shape matter when it comes to talent?” A young lady named Lily confessed.
Another group came up. It was a group of boys. They were afraid to speak at first but were reassured by someone who seemed to be present in the live room.
“We are five in our group. Our fifth member was stabbed right before us. He hated Nathan from the start. That night he mentioned he had found out one of Nathan’s secrets and was going to tell us after the performance. He was killed, and we suspected Nathan but dared not… that man is a monster. He acts nice at first, but once you’re in, there’s no going back,” one of the boys spoke.
Just these three confessions stirred the media up in a frenzy!
___
The live broadcast was still going on as Nathan made his way to the subway. He was clad in a black hoodie and pants, his face also covered so he wouldn’t get recognized.
He needed safety first before figuring out what to do. Cassius made a strike; how in the world was he able to do all of this in just 24 hours? His face was everywhere, and he was being searched for.
The only person helping him was his ally.
Getting into the train, Nathan sat in the corner. There were a few people in the section.
“Did you see the news?” a woman asked her husband, who was wearing an army uniform beside her.
“You mean Stardust Company?”
“Hmm. How could he treat his artists that way? Especially my Sansa. You know how badly I love her music. I feel like strangling the life out of Nathan-son of a bitch.”
Nathan fidgeted in his seat.
“Words, wife,” the man ruffled her hair.
Passengers were still coming in, so they hadn’t moved yet.
Just then, the speaker on the train sounded.
“Do you know what power is?”
Other passengers were confused by what they heard, but Nathan wasn’t. He recognized that voice and looked up at the speaker.
Cassius King?! Fuck!
“The whole of Australia is searching for you. You’re quite famous, even more than I am. How do you like the gift, Nathan Redmond? You should embrace it to the fullest instead of hiding inside those thick black clothes of yours.”
Nathan? The passengers exchanged confused glances.
The soldier’s eyes met Nathan’s.
“You,” the soldier growled and stood.
Nathan didn’t need to be told twice. He dashed out of the train.
The voice sounded again.
“That’s right. Run, you fool.”