"Boom!" The deafening sound of the bomb blast shattered the tranquillity of the once-peaceful hotel. Don Miller and the other people who were a distance away from the hotel trembled, their hearts pounding like thunderous drums.
People ran helter-skelter, confused by the sudden blast, while others, including Don, stood still as if their bodies had been paralyzed by the shockwave of the explosion.
Don's face, still etched in fear, was fixed in place as a young, pretty lady clung to him tightly, her eyes filled with anguish.
Suddenly, Don woke up from his sleep, sweating profusely. It was one of those nightmares he often had since an incident five years ago!
He survived a bomb blast that would have killed him if not for the intervention of a young lady named Avery Torres. It was 6 a.m. now, so he picked up his cell phone and dialled a number, keeping the phone glued to his ear.
"Get me information about Avery Torres, the daughter of the human rights chairman in Cena Region, Hillary Torres. It's time to repay her for her kindness."
"Alright, Master," a male voice replied.
Don walked into his luxurious living room and poured himself a glass of wine as he settled into one of the gigantic sofas. The house was a perfect representation of a billionaire's palace! It was exquisitely adorned, reflecting Don Miller's great affluence.
Five years ago, Don's parents were shot dead by gunmen on their way from a political rally, falling victim to a scheme against them.
Don's father was a politician in Grand City who was actively involved in Grand City, West Coast politics.
As fate would have it, Don was not in the country when his parents were killed. But upon hearing the jarring news, he took the first flight to West Coast where his parents lived.
While in his hotel room, he heard a vigorous knock on the door. Upon opening the door was a young lady by the name, of Avery Torres.
Avery begged him to leave the hotel immediately because a bomb had been planted somewhere to destroy him.
Don reluctantly left the hotel premises and later witnessed the bomb blast that destroyed those he had left behind at the hotel. After that incident, Avery warned Don to leave the country, disclosing that the Torres family was on a mission to kill him.
Five years later, Don returned to West Coast but chose to live in Malone City, far away from Grand City where the Torres lived.
He now owned a trillion-dollar business empire in Malone named The Bullions. The Bullions was one of the largest companies in West Coast with a net worth of more than a hundred billion dollars!
Could there be anyone who wasn't familiar with The Bullions in West Coast? They were the champions of West Coast's business industry!
Aside from that, Don Miller, the brain behind the company, was one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. Even though The Bullions was widely known, many did not know the real person behind it.
Don Miller had purposely decided to conceal his identity from the public, so the company was managed by someone else.
After some minutes, Don's phone beeped. It was an email.
"Avery Torres, aged 25.
The Torres family is a powerful and influential presence in Grand City, West Coast.
Five years ago, Avery Torres, a college student, exposed the Torres family's secrets to their rival's son, helping him escape an impending attack.
Avery's rebellious act was later discovered by her parents, so they made sure that she was brutally assaulted by thugs. This resulted in her becoming blind and paralyzed.
After the incident that left her blind and paralyzed, she was confined to a room, ostracized by her family, and treated like a pariah.
She has been regarded as a curse to the Torres family and remains in that room to this day. She is only brought out for a few minutes during the day."
"Vicious malevolence!" Don growled, hitting his fists on the table after reading the email.
"Avery, I promise to repay you for your kindness, and I'll spend the rest of my life doing so," he said to himself while maintaining a fixed gaze.
"I'll make the Torres family and their conspiratorial cabal regret their attack on my family. I'm back in West Coast, and I'll make them pay for the death of my parents. They'll pay with their blood!"
In the last two months, Don had begun taking military training. He had no intention of joining the military. He had a successful business career, but he desired nothing more in this life than to exact revenge on those who killed his parents.
Still enraged, he switched on the TV to watch the news when he heard the newscaster make an announcement:
"The Torres family has issued a public statement. A husband will be chosen for Avery, their only daughter in seven days. The suitor must be a pauper!"
Don gave a wry smile as he listened to the announcement. He was not sure why the Torres family wanted someone from a poor background, but he saw this as an opportunity to bring Avery out of that wicked family before he launched his attacks on them. He was going to make sure that he married Avery.
Alice Torres, Avery's mother who had been very ashamed of Avery since she became paralysed had spoken with her husband to marry Avery off to someone, so that they could get rid of her forever!
Hillary was pleased with the notion and he decided that Avery should be wed to a poor, miserable man who was worthless!
Wickedness was Hillary's second nature and his life was marked by calculated cruelty. It was no big deal to him, even if his family members became victims of his cruel nature.
He was someone desperate for power, money, and fame, and willing to do anything in the world to get these things.
**********
The day came for the Torres to choose a husband for Avery and many men in Cena Region showed up. They were countless! Everyone seemed to be interested in marrying the daughter of one of the richest politicians in Cena Region.
Due to the public statement, most of the men who came were poor. They saw marriage to Avery as an opportunity to become rich!
They believed Hillary wanted Avery to marry a poor man so that he could make him rich because of his daughter!
Little did they know that Hillary had no intention of such; he only desired to amplify Avery's suffering after her departure.
After looking out for the poorest and most worthless man among those who came, five men were picked and Don was among them. He skillfully portrayed himself as a destitute man who hadn't experienced wealth all his life!
After further assessment of the five men, Don was finally picked! He did not only appear as the most unremarkable and unattractive, but he also behaved accordingly!
Finally, Hillary's assistant dismissed the other men and ushered Don into the exotic mansion of the Torres.
"Sir, we've found the perfect suitor for Miss Avery! His name is Edward Simon!" The assistant announced.
Don had assumed a fake identity. He didn't want the Torres family to know who he was. He had undergone plastic surgery on his face after an accident, so this gave him a brand new look. In addition, he had grown more robust compared to five years ago, making it difficult for Hillary to recognize him.
Hillary didn't have the slightest hint that the person standing before him was the same Don Miller, his enemy's son, whom he had always wanted dead!
"Really?" Hillary furrowed his brows, giving Don a piercing look. Don was wearing a worn-out T-shirt on a faded jeans. Was this the bastard poor enough to marry his daughter?!
Hillary wondered to what extent Don was worthless! He would examine him himself and find out if he was truly eligible to marry his daughter.
Hillary knew that the impoverished suitors who expressed interest in marrying his daughter likely assumed he had intentions of making them rich!
And he was convinced that the young man standing before him also had the same intentions!
"This dumb head is about to receive a shocker!" He thought, staring at Don atrociously.
He would make sure that he made the life of the fool who planned to marry his daughter, more miserable, before releasing Avery to him!
"Fool! I hope you know that you're yet to fulfil the final condition. We will scrutinize you for the next two days and that will determine if you'll end up marrying my daughter or not!" Hillary blurted derisively.
Don gave a wry smile. This dumb skull didn't have the slightest inkling that he was smarter! Of course, he was not in any way moved by these. He had begun the first part of his mission, and he didn't mind making such a sacrifice as long as it was part of the process!
"Well understood!" Don replied.