Asked to pay: The price of power E-Book

Jonas Kaden

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 114

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

There's news from the Beckmann family! After Katja's tragic death and the revelations about the forged will, the Beckmann family finally seems to be at peace - but appearances are deceptive. Old enmities flare up, new intrigues are woven, and the fight for power in the company takes a dangerous turn. A family drama full of tension, intrigue and depths - how high is the price the Beckmanns are willing to pay for power?

Leseprobe

Title: Asked to pay:

The price of power

Author: Jonas Kaden

Biography:

Jonas Kaden was born in Düsseldorf in 1983 and grew up in an aspiring family of entrepreneurs. From an early age, he was interested in stories and people, which led him to write his first book at the age of 26. Instead of studying literature, Jonas decided to explore the world on his own, with travel, various jobs and a keen interest in criminal psychology and human nature. These experiences shaped his writing style, which is characterized by exciting, profound characters and complex storylines. Jonas Kaden now lives in Berlin and devotes himself entirely to writing thrillers and crime novels, often illuminating the dark side of human behavior in his stories.

Chapter 1: The new beginning that isn't one

Karsten Beckmann leaned back in his chair and stared at the white wall of his apartment. The usually cozy living room, furnished with simple gray furniture and a large television, now seemed cold and lifeless. Next to him on the table was a half-empty beer and an old framed snapshot of Jan and Marie. Both children beamed on it like the sun that he couldn't see on this dull day.

"On the weekend, Karsten," he mumbled, his eyes fixed on the photo. "Dad can see you on the damn weekend." What am I supposed to do with two days, huh?" He took a deep swig of beer and let the bottle bang loudly on the table.

Anja’s words still echoed in his head.“You are a damn hothead, Karsten!” Custody? Forget it! The children need stability, and you cannot give them thatoffer."Stability, my ass, thought Karsten. Who was the one who had been screwing around with Dieter while the kids were sleeping?

The next morning, Karsten was forced to pick up Anja to take care of the children for the weekend. As he pulled up in front of the family home that had once been his home, anger boiled up inside him. The house was perfectly maintained, the front garden meticulously trimmed, and the curtains barely moved.

"Of course everything is neat and clean. "You're the damn model mother," Karsten muttered before honking loudly.

The door opened and Anja came out, with an expression on her face that spoke volumes. "Do you have to make so much noise?" The neighbors are already watching again."

“Do you think they care about your perfect suburban crap?” I’m getting the kids, not your damn blessing.” He got out andmarched towards the front door.

Jan and Marie were waiting for him in the hallway, both with their small backpacks. Marie was holding a stuffed animal that Karsten had won years ago. "Daddy!" she called and stormed towards him. Jan followed her slowly, a little uncertainly.

"Hey, my mice! Ready for the adventure weekend?" Karsten leaned down and hugged them both tightly. For a moment he felt the pain and anger inside him fade away.

But Anja didn't leave him alone for long. "You know they have to be back on Sunday at six o'clock sharp, Karsten. And no damn fast food restaurants, okay?"

Karsten sat up straight, his jaw clenching. "Of course, Madame Perfect. I only cook five courses and serve them on fine china. What else do you want? That I teach them the Lord's Prayer?"

“You’re an asshole, Karsten.” She crossed her arms as her eyes sparkled.

"Oh, really? Do you know who the asshole is here? "The woman who let Dieter fuck her while our kids were sleeping upstairs!" He spat out the words like poison.

Anja turned pale, but she quickly pulled herself together. "You're pathetic. You have no idea what stability means."

"I have enough stability to build your damn garden fence, right?" But now I'm suddenly the idiot for keeping you out of my life!"

“Pack up your children and go,” hissed Anja.

It was still in the car. Jan was playing with a toy car while Marie looked out the window. Karsten tried to calm himself down.“Don’t freak out in front of the kids, damn it,”he thought. But his hands were shaking on the steering wheel.

“Daddy?” Marie’s quiet voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Yes, little mouse?” He looked at her in the rearview mirror.

"Are you sad?"

The question hit him like a blow. He forced a smile onto his face. "No, my sweet. Everything's fine. We have an adventure ahead of us, don't we?"

Marie nodded, but her eyes told him that she should understand more than a four-year-old child should.

Later, when the children were asleep, Karsten sat alone on his sofa, another beer in his hand. The television was running silently in the background, and he couldn't shake the thoughts:Dieter. The wanker. What if he's still lurking around here?

He took his phone and searched social media. No sign of life from Dieter. No photos, no posts, nothing. The silence was almost louder than any evidence. But deep down he knewKarsten: The guy had ruined him and his family.

With a growl, he slammed the beer on the table.“Dieter, if I find you, God have mercy on you,”he muttered before turning off the light.

Chapter 2: Gone, Not Forgotten

Six months later, Ramona was sitting in her living room, which still bore the hallmarks of Dieter's exaggerated preference for dark wood and heavy curtains. She lit her cigarette and blew the smoke out in a slow spiral. The ashtray in front of her was overflowing and a half-empty bottle of white wine stood next to it. A message from a dating app popped up on her phone. She successfully scrolled through the profile.

"Another guy with a six-pack and nothing in his head," she mumbled, and tapped "No" disinterestedly.

Christoph stood in the corner of the room, a gin and tonic in his hand, his fifth of the evening. He had thrown his jacket over the back of his chair and was loosening his tie. "Honestly, Mom, how can you even distract yourself with this crap?" Dieter is gone, yes, but the guy gave us hell for months. Do you care?"

Ramona raised an eyebrow. “Listen, my darling,Dieter was an asshole. A good-looking, muscular asshole, but an asshole nonetheless. I don't waste any more thoughts on him. Maybe you should try that too."

Christoph laughed dryly. "Really? And that's why you still have his damn toothbrush in the bathroom? Come on, Mom. The guy cheated on you and he used us all. Why the hell do you always let yourself be lulled into such a false sense of security?"

Ramona shrugged and took a deep sip of wine. "Maybe because I don't want to spend my whole life in bitterness like you."

Meanwhile, Anna was sitting in her newly renovated apartment, lovingly stroking her growing baby bump. Lars was in the kitchen, preparing spaghetti bolognese. The smell of tomatoes and spices filled the room, but Anna's thoughts were elsewhere.

“Do you think Dieter is dead?” she asked suddenly andturned to her husband on the sofa.

Lars raised his head and wiped his hands on a towel. "Why are you thinking about the cave now? He disappeared from our lives a long time ago."

Anna sighed. "Because he couldn't just disappear. Not like that. Dieter was always so... loud. It just doesn't suit him to disappear without a trace. And to be honest, that scares me."

Lars went to her, sat down next to her and put a hand on her stomach. "We have enough problems, Anna. Think about our baby. Let bygones be bygones, okay?"

She nodded slowly, but the restlessness inside her remained.

Karsten had arranged to meet Jessica “Jessy” Bremer in a small café in the old town. It was the third time they had met, and each time he felt more attracted to her. She was wearing tight jeans and a loose top thather decorative figure. Her blonde hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders.

“So what do you actually do when you’re not making coffee and copying documents at the office?” he asked as he lit a cigarette.

Jessy grinned and stole a French fry from his plate. "The usual: studying, partying, sleeping now and then." Being a bowl student is harder than it sounds."

“I always thought bowling was a fun pastime.”

Karsten grinned at her cheekily.

She laughed and threw a napkin at him. "You're such an idiot, you know that?" Business and law, not bowling. But if you want, I can teach you how to shoot the bowling ball properly."

Karsten leaned back, took a drag and looked at her. "You know what? I'll accept the offer. But only if I win, okay?"

In the evening Karsten returned to his apartment,the children were back with Anja. The day had started well, but the empty rooms and the silence dampened his mood. He collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

Suddenly his cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. It was Christoph. Karsten rejected the call, but a message popped up:"You have to come over. It's about Dieter."

“Fuck, what now?” he muttered, pulling on his jacket.

When Karsten arrived at Christoph's, the gin and tonic was obviously not the only thing his brother had consumed. Christoph seemed nervous and his eyes were red.

“What’s going on? Why the drama?” asked Karsten.

Christoph waved a piece of paper in front of Karsten's nose. "This letter arrived at the company today. Addressed to Mom. But I saw it first."

“And?” Karsten took the note from him and began to read. It was a short, handwritten text: "You will never find peace. This is not over yet. Greetings from Dieter."

Karsten's face hardened. "What the hell is this? Do you think this is real?"

"I don't know." Christoph's voice was shaky. "But if so, he's out there somewhere." And he has no damn good intentions."

Karsten shoved the letter into his jacket pocket. "If this is real, then we'll find the wanker. And this time we'll do it right."

Chapter 3: A Dead Man Falls from the Sky

The morning began with a hectic pace in the Beckmann GmbH office. Anna, who was now deep into her pregnancy, had come to the office early to prepare the weekly status report. Christoph was already sitting in the coffee kitchen, sipping an espresso and casually flirting with one of the new assistants. Karsten was late, as always, and came grumbling through the revolving door with an overpriced coffee-to-go in his hand.

“Well, brother, was the party too hard?” Christoph called out to him with a grin.

Karsten wasn't in the mood. "Fuck you, Christoph. I had to sort out your damn problems with Mom. She's still pissed off that you showed her Dieter's letter."

Christoph shrugged. "I thought she should know." Or do you think the threat is only directed at us? Mom is just as dirty as the rest of us."

Anna spoke up, her voice sharp as a knife: "Can you two behave for once?" We have more important things to deal with than the big mouth. Like how we're going to get sales back up after losing those big customers to that damn software thief."

"Oh, excuse me, Ms. Managing Director on Probation," Karsten scoffed. "Maybe we should give Christoph the job now. He could turn the company into a nightclub."

“Oh, shut up, Karsten!” Christoph jumped up, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Guys, I swear to you, if you don't pull yourselves together, I'm going on maternity leave now and you can sort this crap out on your own!" Anna slammed her hand on the table and there was silence for a moment.

The tense atmosphere was broken by a loud crash. The three siblings andsome employees looked out of the floor-to-ceiling windows in horror. People had gathered outside on the street, some were screaming, others were pulling out their cell phones to take photos and videos.

"What the hell was that?" Christoph mumbled and went to the window. Karsten followed him while Anna struggled to get up from her chair.

Outside, a lifeless body lay on the street, covered in blood and grotesquely twisted. A taxi had stopped abruptly, just a few meters from the lifeless man. The driver's window was rolled down and the driver was screaming in panic.

“Is that…?” Karsten began, but he didn’t finish the sentence.

The police were quickly on the scene. However, it took a while before they ruled out the incident as suicide. The dead man, as it turned out, was Dieter. He had fallen from the eighth floor, directly from one of the offices of Beckmann GmbH.

"I knew it!" hissed Karsten while being questioned by one of the police officers. "The wanker was watching us the whole time. And now this."

"Calm down, Mr. Beckmann," said the policeman, a thin man with thin hair, calmly. "We are still investigating. But there is no evidence that Mr. Dieter Heller came in here alive. Do you have an explanation as to why he was in your building?"

"I have no idea!" Karsten threw his hands in the air.

"The guy was a ghost. First he disappears, now he's lying here on the street like a damn pancake."

In the office, the three siblings gathered in Anna's office. Anna looked pale, Christoph was nervous, and Karsten was, as always, on the verge of exploding.

"This can't be a coincidence," Anna began. "Missing for six months and now he turns up here - dead. This doesn't make sense."