~Take Him Down~

Russell made sure that Nadia was safely out the door, away from Indiana's scheming eyes, before he stood his ground and confronted her. The vicious witch smiled obnoxiously, trying harder than everyone else to stand on ground that could never be hers.

"How did you get yourself such a sweet, beautiful girl? She looked like she would lick your shoes if you told her to. Too bad. I was really expecting to meet a mean bitch I could click with," Indiana commented, walking past him to gracefully settle on one of his chairs, her greedy eyes squared on the CEO's chair. His chair.

His throne. One she would always desire but never achieve.

"You were here just yesterday. Couldn't get enough of a CEO's office?"

It was only yesterday that Russell arrived from the UK after spending three years away.

Keeping him away for so long was the only success his siblings had made in getting closer to his throne, but they had failed to steal what was his now that he had returned.

"I have the right to walk in here when I please. Not only am I a major shareholder of the company, I'm also one of the reasons you get to sit on that chair."

Her voice was calm and calculated, as always, but she could never hide her spite when she lost her cool. She was not as sophisticated as she made herself out to be.

"You wish that were true," Russell mocked as he seated himself on his throne, indirectly taunting her.

Somehow, he lost the draw and was forced to set up the new headquarters in the UK. It took him an arm and a leg to keep his throne, but even if he was a step or a thousand miles away from it, it would always be his.

So would Nadia.

His 'family' was here to welcome him in this very office, but Russell could hardly call it one when they had almost immediately brought up his bachelor issue.

His siblings had somehow coaxed their powerful and influential father into challenging him about it.

Russell already knew that would be their next target, and had come prepared.

He surprised the family by announcing he was married and had been so for the past two years in the UK. He proudly won that round of take-him-down with his father's enthusiasm to meet his wife, the woman who would top all their standards.

He would mold that perfect woman for all to see. She would leave them speechless when he was done creating her, and his dear, sexy Nadia was his clay.

"Your wife, Nadia, was it?" Russell made it clear that he did not like Indiana's undermining tone. "You said she was the daughter of a successful tycoon in the construction industry over there? She seemed too humble to be one."

Russell smirked at her question. "That's why I married her." Indiana raised her carefully styled eyebrow. "Did you expect me to marry a second Indiana? You must know women like that disgust me."

"Your taste in women is really nothing to write home about."

Russell scoffed.

Indiana and Russell have been sworn enemies since birth. She was the elder sister and had once been trained to be CEO since she could stand.

Probably, like he was, she must've been brainwashed to believe that becoming CEO was her life's mission. Without it, she would be nothing.

When Russell came into the world at the cost of his mother's life, after drilling all that into her, they abandoned her for him. That must've outraged her.

He was scarred by the mental and physical torture he had undergone in his father's mansion. Just like his father had decided, at his birth, he was ground and molded into the Lanes' perfect CEO.

Russell hated Victor so much. He could never forgive him for the horrors he had shown him. He had once promised himself that he would never give his father what he wanted.

He would never be the CEO.

But he made that promise ten years ago, and a lot changed in ten years.

"If you're done here, I'd like you to leave. The company has been a mess since I left."

Indiana silently gritted her teeth. "There's nothing wrong with a sister checking on her little brother." That was the most laughable thing he had heard all day. She flaunted her outfit as she got up to depart. It was a huge relief to Russell. He wanted to avoid her presence as much as possible. "You must have seduced that poor girl into marrying you."

Russell folded his bulky arms and reclined on his throne. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Indiana gave him a last fake smile before strutting out of his office.

Russell knew that Indiana would dig to the depths of the earth to find any dirt on his wife, but if there was one thing Russell was good at, it was covering tracks.

Indiana would try and fail because there was no Nadia Wilde anymore, only his wife, Nadia Lane. Fuck, he loved calling her that.

With Nadia's acting, this game was already won.

Fuck, Russell was already missing her presence.

He picked up his phone and dialed Lorraine. He had to know where his wife was.

It didn't take Russell long to arrive at the apartment complex where she stayed. He could see Indiana in his car in the parking lot, waiting, but he had to get up there first.

When a person had been rich for so long, he would find it hard to realize that there were people who thrived in conditions like the complex he was in.

He was irritated by the fact that his soon-to-be wife was living in a place like this. He regretted not finding her earlier, but right now, he had to get her out of here.

This was no place for a gem like her.

Russell had already instructed Lorraine to complete the transaction. Money as little as that wouldn't make a dent in his account.

He knew about her history. He knew about her past, and he knew that just like how the world had turned its back on him, it had done the same to her.

Russell was so fucking ready to save her as he rang the doorbell. He was more than prepared to set his sights on her when he was disappointed by the view of someone else instead.

And unfortunately, the stranger was not a stranger. Russell couldn't believe his fucking eyes.

He smirked in surprise as he set his eyes on Lucas instead. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."