Noah got into his car after leaving the office and drove towards the warehouse where his period pain relief pills were being manufactured.
The drive wasn't short or far.
As he pulled up to the warehouse, his mind was already planning his next steps to streamline and expand production.
He saw a guard standing at the entrance, alert but relaxed.
"Good afternoon, boss," the guard greeted with a respectful nod.
"Good afternoon," Noah replied, his tone calm as he walked inside.
The inside of the warehouse was exactly as he had instructed.
Four workers were stationed at their respective machines. Each machine does its role in the process of turning pill powder into neatly packaged products.
The workers sat comfortably in chairs, monitoring the machines and occasionally refilling compartnts or moving finished packages to designated storage areas.
When they noticed Noah enter, all four looked up and imdiately greeted him. These were n from Jackson and Lionel's crews, so they knew him.
"Good afternoon, boss," they echoed.
"Good afternoon," He responded with a nod, his gaze sweeping the room.
Everything was in order—the machines were functioning properly, the workspace was clean, and the stockpiles of pill powder were well-organized.
He walked over to the storage racks, where boxes of finished products were neatly stacked. Calculating quickly in his head, he estimated that the current supply of pill powder would last for at least another week or two.
Satisfied, Noah turned to the workers. "How are things running? Any mishaps, or is there anything you want to ask about?"
The workers exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward. "No, boss. Everything's been running smoothly. No issues to report."
Another worker chid in, "The machines are working perfectly, and we're well-stocked for now. Thank you for the setup—it makes the job much easier."
Noah nodded, his expression was neutral but approving. "Good. That's what I like to hear. Keep up the good work."
The workers smiled, clearly motivated by the acknowledgent, and returned to their tasks.
Before leaving, Noah did a quick walkthrough of the warehouse. He checked the pill powder compartnts, ensuring they were adequately filled. He inspected the machines and glanced at the output logs, all of which confird the efficiency of the operation.
Satisfied, he turned back to the workers. "If anything cos up—any issues, delays, or concerns—contact Jackson imdiately, he will contact . Otherwise, keep the production steady."
"Yes, boss," they replied in unison.
Noah stepped out of the warehouse and into the fresh air, pausing for a mont before getting back into his car.
As Noah turned the key to start his engine, his phone buzzed. Glancing at the caller ID, a small smile crept onto his face.
Alia.
He pressed the answer button and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello, long ti no see. I was starting to think you'd forgotten I existed," he teased, his voice light.
On the other end of the line, Alia stamred, caught off guard. "Hu-huh… What? No! Of course not!"
Her imdiate reaction made Noah chuckle softly. "Relax, I was just joking," he reassured her.
Still, she felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry… I just…" She trailed off, her voice dropping. Alia had been struggling with her feelings lately. Her usual confidence around Noah had shifted as sothing more tender and confusing took its place. Every ti she thought about calling him, a flutter of nerves held her back.
"Hey, it's fine," Noah said, his tone gentle. "To be honest, I was going to call you soon anyway."
"Really?" Alia's voice lit up slightly, a small trace of hope laced in her words.
"Yes, really," Noah confird, his smile growing as he leaned back into his seat. He could almost picture her on the other end, her cheeks lightly flushed, biting her lip as she often did when nervous.
"So, what's up?" Noah asked, breaking the short silence.
Alia cleared her throat. "I was wondering… Are you free this evening? I thought maybe we could catch up. It's been ages since we last t."
Noah raised an eyebrow, amused. "You an ages as in two weeks?"
"That's ages for ," she shot back quickly, her confidence returning for a mont.
Noah laughed. "Fair enough. What did you have in mind?"
"Hmm, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner at my house again?" Alia continued, "Besides, you can finally finish that chess rematch with my grandpa."
Noah chuckled at Alia's suggestion. "Dinner at your house? Sure, that sounds great. And you are right, I can finally settle that chess match with your grandfather. He's been running from it ever since he challenged ."
Alia laughed heartily on the other end. "I'll let him know you said that."
"Don't bother," Noah replied, a playful grin spreading across his face. "I'll tell him myself when I see him."
She laughed again, the teasing warmth in his voice making her heart skip a beat. "Alright, big talker. Let's see if you can back it up."
"Always," Noah shot back. "So, what ti should I be there?"
"How about 7 p.m.?" Alia suggested after a brief pause. "That should give you plenty of."
"Yeah, 7 works. Do you want to bring anything?"
"No, just bring yourself. Oh, and maybe a little humility for when my grandfather crushes you."
"I feel hurt, I can't believe my only duo in under watch is not backing up," Noah quipped, getting another laugh from her.
Alia hesitated for a mont before adding, "You know, my dad is looking forward to seeing you again. He said sothing about discussing so… opportunities."
Noah's smile faltered slightly, though his tone remained casual. "Opportunities, huh? I'll try to brace myself."
"Don't worry, he's not as scary as he looks," Alia teased. "Well, maybe just a little."
"Good to know. At least I'll have your mom to balance things out. She's a sweetheart."
"True. She's already planning dessert. Apparently, you're her favourite guest."
"I aim to please," Noah replied smoothly, though his thoughts drifted to the political angles he needed to consider during the visit.
Her family wasn't just important—they were critical to the next step of his plan.
"Alright, I'll see you tonight at 7," Alia said, a smile evident in her voice. "Don't be late, or Grandpa might start gloating about your fear of him."
"Sure."
"Talk to you later, Noah," Alia said, her voice tinged with amusent.
"Later, Alia."
Noah hung up the call with Alia and headed towards the old Ash Wolves house. Pulling up in front of the large house, he parked his car and made his way to the door. Giving it a firm knock, he didn't have to wait long before soone answered.
The man at the door imdiately straightened, his deanour shifting to one of respect the mont he recognized Noah.
"Boss!" he said, stepping aside to let him in.
Noah walked inside, scanning the interior with his usual calm expression. "Where's Lionel?" he asked.
"He's outside taking care of so business," the man replied.
Noah nodded. "What about Leo or Ryker? Are they around?"
"Yes, boss. They're both in the usual room."
"Good. You can go back to what you were doing," Noah said, already making his way down the hall.
Reaching the door, Noah gave it a single knock before pushing it open. Inside, Ryker was lounging casually until the abrupt entrance made him jump to his feet.
"What do y—Boss! Sorry, I thought it was soone else," Ryker said, a sheepish grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Noah waved off the apology. "Relax. How's work going?"
Ryker's grin widened at the question. "It's going great, boss. We've found a pri location to open the gold shop. Until then, we've been selling the gold you've supplied us regularly. The demand is crazy."
"Good," Noah said, stepping further into the room. "Here's the next batch." From a bag he brought with him, he placed eight shiny 500g pure gold bars on the table, their polished surfaces catching the light and reflecting across the room.
Ryker's eyes widened at the sight, his heart racing as he stared at the fortune before him.
"As usual, split it up with Jackson. You can decide whether to hold onto it for the shop or sell it now. Either way, there's more where that ca from," Noah said.
Ryker nodded quickly, his excitent barely contained. "Yes, boss." Inside, he was calculating the numbers.
'Two kilograms of gold… at least $83,000 per kilogram… that's $166,000 worth of gold. We'll make around 20% on the profit, which is $33,000 in just eight days.' The thought sent a thrill through him.
Noah turned his attention to Leo as Ryker calculated the gains.
"You completely healed now?" Noah asked, his tone calm but carrying an edge of expectation.
Leo nodded, sitting up straighter. "Yes, boss. Thanks to you saving my life that day and arranging for those weekly check-ups, I'm back to full health."
Noah's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Good. Don't take your health for granted, Leo. I can't have anyone on my team slacking—especially not soone who knows how close they ca to losing it all."
Leo's expression sobered as he nodded fervently. "Understood, boss. I won't let you down."
Noah glanced between the two. "I'll check in again soon. Keep up the good work."
Ryker and Leo both nodded, their expressions reflecting their loyalty and respect. "Yes, boss."
Noah turned on his heel and left the room, his mind already shifting to his next step.
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