PROLOGUE

12 2 0
                                    

JULY, 1998

“CONGRATULATIONS!”

The jaunty voices and perky frames were all Ishmael Leonardo Page perceived as he entered the front door of their Manalapan mansion in the island coastline in Miami Florida. His parents, Mr Izrael Page, his father, and mother, Alexandra Beckham-Page, and his bestfriend, Murdoch Princeton, were the primary significant to welcome and greet him. Ishmael Leonardo Page had been away from his family and home for five years to study for Business Administration degree in University of Harvard in Massachusetts. To study for Business Administration degree was mandatory and necessary to Ishmael Leonardo Page since he was the only child and heir of the multi billion dollars worth of estate – his parents had established for the past years.

The accomplishment his parents had achieved could never be easily archived by any of their business competitors. Page International Incorporated was established during the early sixties. It was the era just a few decades after the world war had ended. Ishmael's grandparents were behind the boisterous, prosperous and bountiful success of the company.

His father, Izrael Page, the multi billion dollars billionaire who owned one of the world's largest diversified conglomerates, Page International Incorporated, was the most powerful and influential business tycoon in Florida. Ishmael's mother, Alexandra Beckham-Page was an heir of multi million dollar business in England that she had inherited after her parents demised. Her parents were members of mafia that dominated the European region. And the business that Alexandra Beckham-Page succeeded from her parents was merged with the Page.

Beaming at all the significant people, who were there in the grand foyer of their mansion, Ishmael's handsome face bulged, as if they had been pulled up to either directions. “Thank you everyone.”

Seeing and meeting with his family again rendered two different types of emotions. The first one was elation, not because he finally could be with them after five long years of living his life in Massachusetts. But because it warranted and guaranteed Ishmael that they were safe and sound while he was in Massachusetts. The second type of emotion was vexation – and that was because they would be pressuring him again to surpass and overshadow what they had achieved.

“I presume a dinner is being served.” Ishmael continued, pacing towards his parents. “My tummy is grumbling in famish.” He added, patting a hand around his abdomen.

Ishmael paced towards his parents, leaving his luggages behind with the servants tended them, and sprawled his arms to offer his parents a family hug. Mr Izrael Page volunteered first, pulling Ishmael into a hug – and patting a hand around Ishmael's back. Mrs Alexandra Beckham-Page shoved her husband, sliding him to the side and replaced his position, hugging Ishmael, peppering her son with kisses – like he was still a kid.

Mrs Alexandra Beckham-Page pulled from hugging her son and beamed vividly. “It's not just a dinner, it's a feast.” She told him boisterously. “Our only child, heir and prince of our empire had just come back from Harvard university. That is so much reason to celebrate.”

Murdoch Princeton, Ishmael's childhood bestfriend magically appeared beside Ishmael and Mrs Beckham-Page with a taunting smirk. “Is presuming a lavish dinner is one of the things you learned in Harvard?” One brow was cocked around his forehead. “I thought you were still avoiding gaining weight.”

Ishmael separated himself from his mother's hug and plastered his concentration to his bestfriend. “And look who's talking?” He scoffed, sneering with folded arms across his chest. “Coming from someone who doesn't know what scale is all about.”

The bantering that jerked through the grand foyer made the rest, who were there to greet and welcome Ishmael, burst into loop laughter. Most of them were Ishmael's cousins and people he knew as friends but were not as close as Murdoch Princeton. Some of them were his childhood friends and playmates that he acquainted during his primary school, middle school and high school. However, amongst them, it was only Murdoch, who consistently and frequently had been in his side until he left Florida for Massachusetts.

The Lips Of An Angel Where stories live. Discover now