Ch 294 - A Change of Circumstances

The audience was filled with nervous confusion. Nobody seemed to understand what was happening. The referee stepped in to the ring and knelt beside Damon. He looked him over and put his fingers to the side of his neck.

He closed his eyes and stood up. Then he walked over to Alex. The audience looked at him in stunned silence. "The winner is Alex!" he exclaimed and raised Alex's arm.

Nobody cheered. Nobody made any sound at all. Everyone was in shock. They couldn't believe what had happened, and they couldn't accept it. Most of them had thought that Alex didn't stand a chance. They had placed all their support and most of their money behind the Steadmans.

After a few seconds of complete silence, someone started clapping over were the Cliftons were sitting. Others started cheering. Before long, the entire family erupted in a sea of jubilation.

Most of those who supported the Cliftons had been just as surprised as anyone else. Many of them had doubted Jessop's decision to put Alex up against Damon. Some had expected the Clifton to lose everything, and they had watched in disbelief as Jessop seemingly gambled away the family fortune. 

But Alex had won easily. Jessop knew what he was doing. The Cliftons had come out on top.

Celeste and Selene immediately ran up into the ring and threw themselves around Alex. "We were worried for you, Mr. Alex," said Celeste. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have doubted you."

Justin and Nelly were ecstatic. Justin was so excited he couldn't stop waving his arms in the air. I knew he could do it, he thought. I knew it!

Nelly was less animated, but she was shaking from intense relief. Once the tension had worn off, she also ran into the ring and hugged Alex as hard as she could. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered in his ear.

"I said I would be," Alex said. He touched her nose and smiled. "I wouldn't lie to you."

The entire Clifton family gathered around them. They looked at Alex as if he was the saviour of the family, and their eyes were filled with gratitude and joy. One by one, they all came up to shake his hand and thank him. Then they stood aside to make some room, as Jessop and Rufus approached.

Jessop shook Alex's hand. He looked more relaxed than Alex had ever seen him. "Alex, thank you. You've done a great service to our family. How could we ever repay you?"

Alex was overcome with joy, but he knew that he had to be careful. As tempting as it was to ask for something wild like a wedding with Debbie the next week, this wasn't the time to go asking for big favours. He remembered what Jessop had told him before. In front of all these people, he had to make sure not to mention Debbie.

"Don't mention it, Mr. Clifton. I'm glad to be of service," he responded.

Jessop and Rufus both nodded knowingly. From the looks on their faces, Alex could tell how happy they were with his performance and his discretion. Alex was thrilled that this opportunity to please Debbie's family had gone so well.

The people in the audience sat and watched as Jessop and Alex talked, frantically recalculating their business plans in their heads. Many of them had been considering abandoning the Cliftons in favour of the Steadmans. But now it was clear the Clifton family would now be the undisputed masters of the city, and anyone who went against them would be in trouble. Jessop would surely have noted who had bet against him. They had to get back on his good side.

"The Cliftons are the winners," someone shouted so that Jessop would hear. "It was stupid to bet against them. I knew Jessop would find the better fighter." Others joined in the adulation, and the whole room was soon singing Jessop's praises.

Before long, the outburst morphed into admonitions of the Steadmans. Someone questioned the value of being under their protection, while others called them upstarts who didn't belong in Baltimore. One person even dared to say that Art was past his prime.

The Steadman family looked around them with contempt. Chris was teeming with anger. He wanted to scream at them to shut their mouths, but he stopped himself. Since they had just lost the fight, there was nothing he could say or do.

Julian's family were sitting right next to him. One of them began to join in with the praise of Jessop, but Chris turned to him and stopped him with an angry look. Chelsea saw this and couldn't help but laugh.

By now, Jessop had left the stage. He came down the aisle and walked straight up to Art.

"Mr. Steadman, the fight is done. Tonight, I'll instruct my people to begin the process of taking over your interests. Can I count on your assistance?"

"It's all yours," Art answered indignantly. He looked around and saw only ridicule around him. There was no point in staying. "We're leaving," he exclaimed. The whole family rose from their seats and walked out. As they left, none of them so much as glanced at Jessop.

They walked out of the fighting hall and went to their cars. Once Chris and Art had gotten into their car, Art exploded in anger. He started shaking violently and punched the seat in front of him repeatedly. Before long, his knuckles were stained with blood.

He had worked for this day for over thirty years. He had planned and bided his time. It had seemed like the perfect time to make his move and seize control of the city. But the plan had failed, and all was lost. His influence in Baltimore was gone, and he had lost half his fortune.

The driver and Chris were looking at him nervously. Chris hardly recognized the calm and collected public official his father had been. Nor could he see a trace of his shrewd and calculating side. In their place, there was a madman. A lunatic who looked like Art Steadman, but who was someone entirely different.

**

Nathan had watched the entire fight from his luxurious villa in Chicago. He had been looking forward to seeing Damon kill Alex. He had expected it. Instead, Damon had lost, and Nathan had lost 300 million dollars. 

The money doesn't matter, Nathan thought. It's nothing to an Ambrose. But my grandfather will notice. He hates gambling. And I'll have to explain it to him.

He turned his attention back to his phone, which was still streaming live from the fighting ring. On the screen, he could see Alex. He was surrounded by people who were slapping his back and congratulating him. They were treating him like a hero.

Enraged, Nathan threw his phone into the wall. Then he stood up, kicked the TV and the sofa, and smashed the mirror on the wall to pieces. Suddenly, the telephone in the living room rang. 

Nathan composed himself. He had been expecting the call. He knew that it was Colin Patterson, and he knew what he wanted. Nathan owed Colin for his help at his grandfather's birthday party, and he was calling to collect. Colin wanted to topple the Drakes and rule Washington D.C. Nathan was happy to oblige.

He picked up the phone and heard Colin's respectful voice. "Hello, Nathan. I've done as you said. Several important people at the Drakes' Fidelity Group are working for me now. When do we make our move?"

Colin was impatient. He had been looking forward to taking down the Drakes since he returned from Lincoln's birthday party. He had spent his days fantasizing about being the top dog in Washington D.C., and about propelling his family to national prominence. But he needed Nathan's help to do it.

Nathan took a deep breath and quelled his frustrations. "Good. We'll get started tomorrow. First, you'll ask the people you've bribed to resign from the company. The company will crumble, and then you can buy it on the cheap. I'll help you get the funds. Once you've gobbled up all their property, you'll be the richest man in town."

"Could it really be that easy?" Colin asked with giddy anticipation. The Drakes have been a staple of Washington for a generation, he thought. Could they be wiped away so quickly?

"Are you doubting me?" Nathan asked coldly. 

"No, of course not," Colin quickly responded. He knew Nathan well enough to not second-guess him. If he felt slighted, he might withdraw his support on a whim. "With your help, I know we'll succeed."

Nathan laughed. "Listen, Colin. You'll be the biggest fish in Washington soon. Just remember who put you there. And who could bring you down."

"Yes, Nathan. I'll remember."

"Good. Now do as I said, and I'll call you back in two days. And cheer up." With that, Nathan hung up the phone.