Chapter Four: A Deal with the Devil

“Miss Laurence?” his voice repeated and I really really wanted to hang up, move to another country hell another continent. This was insane.

“What do you mean you know who I am?” I managed to push out the words, clattering clumsily out of my mouth as my heart beat in my throat and I began to twist my fingers into my hair, only barely resisting the urge of pulling out the dark strands.

“Please Miss Laurence, did you really think that I, one of the most revered CEOs in the business world would not know about the woman that Niklaus Artymov made sure no one would hire?”

His tone was patronising and I wanted to strangle him through the phone. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath.

“If you know that why do you want to hire me, Mr Emerson, why take that risk?”

It was then I heard the most strange sound a sound I didn’t think possible from the stern business, a rumble of laughter, a deep chuckle that though it came through the phone reverberated around my room.

“There are so many reasons why you being in my company would be advantageous,”

My voice was tight, “Care to elaborate.”

“All in good time.”

I huffed and put on my business boots ready to kick down whatever plan he had in mind, “Well Mr Emerson, it appears that you might actually need me, which as you will know in the business world gives me a significant amount of leverage,” I had pressed the buttons, opened Pandora’s box as I heard a cold voice respond.

“You are playing a dangerous game, Miss Laurence,”

“Oh really, Mr Emerson,” my voice was coy, “I thought you would be used to playing dangerous games. You seem to do it so well with all your rivals or should I say, enemies.”

“You do not have as much of an advantage as you believe. Though you may think you are necessary you are in fact not.”

The words punctured my heart as my mind was filled with how many times Niklaus had made me feel worthless.

“Fine. Sure whatever, I am after all nothing to everyone and everything,” the anger in my voice was burning up with each word and I couldn’t even think straight as I just began to vomit out all the feelings I had been bottling up for years, “You’re just another in a long list of people who think I am worthless. So fine go ahead, destroy my life, just like he did. You are all the same. So goodbye.”

My finger was poised over the end call button and I was seconds away from pressing it and throwing my phone out of the window, but the sharpness of his voice, the anger and resentment that flooded through each word gave me pause.

“Do not ever compare him to me. You must know how twisted he is, more than most. He has always been like this, and I intend to make him pay for everything he has taken from me.”

I sounded much more personal than just business.

“What did he take from you?”

He didn’t answer and I hadn’t expected him to, “I know you know what it feels like to have everything stripped from you, by a man who has no regard for those that he destroys. Maybe, I have gone about this the wrong way entirely,”

“Whatever do you mean?” my response was dry and laced with sarcasm which I am sure he didn’t appreciate.

“I think that given the opportunity you would leap at the chance of revenge against him. Maybe I shouldn’t have threatened you.”

“You think?”

He brushed over my bashfulness.

“So Andrea Laurence, do you want to take Niklaus Artymov, down strip him of all that is his like he did you?”

I shouldn’t do this. 

The more rational side of me pleaded with me to listen to it, to not dive in too deep back into a world of deceit. With a man, I barely knew.

But hatred made you do stupid things.

And the thought of taking down Niklaus was enough to spur me on, “Yes. Of course, I do. I hope he suffers. On one condition though.”

He didn’t sigh or object, I was sure he had expected me to have my own stipulations.

“Of course, what is it.”

“You pay me fairly. The same as anyone else. You say you judge by talent and not biology so prove it.”

“Deal.”