CHAPTER 3

The Rolls-Royce pulled up to Yara Park, where the Denz family resided in Hatchbay.

The car stopped in the middle of the red carpet rolled out at the front entrance. In the middle was Dean Denz, my second brother. He opened the car door for me and greeted me.

"Welcome home, Princess!"

I was standing tall under the lights at the mansion. I had taken off my sneakers and dressed up in stilettos beforehand inside the car. Getting out of the car, I was a proud queen.

"How have you been, Dean?"

"I'm fine, but I feel much better now that you're here! Are the fireworks nice? My birthday gift to you has gone viral on the internet!" Dean's handsome face was filled with excitement.

"Yeah, I saw it. They say that you're a filthy rich bastard trying to win someone's heart. That's quite an achievement, isn't it?" I clapped my hands and smiled broadly at Dean.

Dean ignored my joking and hugged me close.

"Dera, you won't escape again, okay?"

"Where can I go now that I'm divorced?"

I patted the back of my second brother and sighed in relief. "Well, I've let everyone down. I figured I could make him love me if I tried my best at this marriage. But I failed miserably."

Only God knew just how devastated I felt at that time. I wished to cry, but I held myself back.

I promised that I would never cry again for Kalus after I departed from Tideview Manor because he was not worth it.

"That son of a gun! How could he cheat my sister?! I'll start a real investigation on Mike Corporation tomorrow and make your fourth brother murder Kalus when he is free!"

As Frank overheard that, he lowered his eyelids and said, "Amen."

"Dean, don't make trouble! You're a public prosecutor!" I chuckled dryly. "Can you be a bit more 'peace and love' like Frank?"

"God damn it! Your older brother turned into a saint only after he stopped being a mobster!" Dean pulled at his tie in annoyance. "Anyway, I am not going to let this go! I am not going to let Kalus bother my sister. The Mikes are now my target."

I took Frank and Dean's hands as I walked into the house I hadn't seen in years.

When the chairman of Zz Group, Wyatt Denz, heard that his daughter was back home, he could not help but be overjoyed and paced up and down in the study restlessly.

"Wyatt, I'm back!"

I walked into the study with my two brothers. I no longer had to pretend to be demure, as when I stayed with the Mikes. Now, I simply reclined on the sofa, lifted my legs, and kicked off my stiletto heels.

Frank sat next to me and started giving his sister a foot massage.

"Sit like a human being. Did you go join Doctors Without Borders or the terrorists?"

Wyatt went out of his way to stay serious. He was always at odds with me. He would miss me when I was gone, but if I was home, he would always get upset.

"Do you have Alzheimer's symptoms? I used to sit like this all the time!"

I opened my eyes and looked at the wall. My heart trembled as I saw the "poem" I penned more than ten years ago on the wall.

To my surprise, my dad really framed it.

The first line of the poem was: Were you trying to copy Henry VIII with all your wives?

The second line was:

Here's hoping that your heart doesn't go into overdrive!

The final line was:

One day, you'll pay your penance.

This was the wedding "gift" I gave my father when he wed for the third time.

Wyatt Denz had four wives, which had become the town gossip.

I did not like my father's polygyny and so I went abroad and worked with Doctors Without Borders to serve the world in my own capacity.

"Three years of living in the wilderness and the first thing you can manage to do is curse me to have Alzheimer's. How thoughtful of you!" Wyatt raged.

"Thank you for the compliment, Daddy!" I pretended not to know what Wyatt was being sarcastic about and smiled harmlessly at him.

"Dad, now that Dera has come back, some things must be done in a hurry." Frank put on my shoes and said solemnly, "I quit being the CEO of Zz Group from Dera's hands."

I glared and gazed at the dashing side face of my elder brother.

"You!" Wyatt was so angry that he did not know what to say for a moment.

"I only promised to run Zz Group for 3 years. Now that the three-year term has passed, I'm going back to church. As you know, the job of being a CEO is not my ambition. My life ambition is to be a pastor." Frank was so righteous and determined at this stage that his decision did not appear arguable.

"Fine, if you don't want to be the CEO, then Dean can take it!" Wyatt was forced to make his second son his pick.

"No, no, no, no, no! I'm a public servant, so I can't occupy such positions in a conglomerate. Else, I'll be suspended!" Dean shooed away this responsibility quickly. He turned white with fear.

Wyatt was upset. What was the point of having all those sons if none of them was mature enough to take over the family business?

He was declining health-wise year by year, and he had already prepared to retire. But no one of his children met his standard to take over his business empire.

Wyatt held the traditional opinion that his heir should be one of his sons.

"Who is lower than men? I will be the CEO!" I rolled out my scarlet lips and puffed out my chin proudly.

"Do you think you can be a CEO whenever you want? Do you think it's a kid's game? Will you be able to lead the company to victory? Do you know how to do business at all?"

Wyatt was a wise and aged man. He could barely hide his disappointment and irritation. "And besides, you're sulky! You disappear for years when we don't see eye to eye with you! Do you have any idea how we fretted about you, your stepmothers and I? We thought you were ripped to pieces at the frontier!"

My heart ached, and my eyes turned slightly pink.

While I resented my dad for being unfaithful to my mother, I also felt remorse about keeping him in the dark regarding my wedding to Kalus.

"Dad, Dera is every bit as good at this as I am."

Frank politely raised a teacup and took a sip. "Do you remember the financial crisis our company faced four years ago? Dera was the person who conceived various effective control measures. Dera also worked on all-nighters on preparing for the Walter Group takeover proposal two years ago."

Wyatt could not believe this.

"Dad, indeed, Dera is the most placid and resourceful person in our family. You've always had a good record of hiring the right people, utilizing them well, and bringing in talent. Why won't you hire a talent that's right in front of you now?" Dean also did his best to persuade Wyatt.

Wyatt paused for a second. Then he shouted out, "Alright. Dera, if you want to be the head of the company, then you must pass my test. This is your birthday gift from me!"

I stood up straight, and my beautiful eyes twinkled.

"Take some days off prior to reporting to duty at Savrow's Zz World Hotel next week. If you succeed in refurbishing the hotel in six months' time and rendering it profitable, I will even consider making you the CEO of Zz Group!" 

Frank and Dean came towards me immediately after the Denz siblings had come out of the study.

Frank went on, "God only gives enormous jobs to large people."

"Okay, I guess you will have to first clean up this mess of a hotel." Dean sighed.

I know. That old fellow is just trying every trick in the book to make me stand down, but it's unfortunate that his tricks won't reach me. I am like a diamond that cuts most beautifully under pressure!" I was clenched fists. My dream, dormant for three years, finally began to stir.

My brothers glanced at each other and smiled.

"Excellent! We're relying on you to give us our freedom!"