Minor Setbacks

Stephanie’s P.O.V

“Relax Adam, hear me out first okay,” I retort with an eye roll. I expected this reaction from him, honestly. He looked all tensed up and expectant, ushering me to talk fast.

“So the knowledge of my “death” is no new to you or anyone right…” I trail off, gauging to see if he was actually listening to me. His expression let nothing on. I might as well be talking to a stone.

“Well in my absence, my uncle took over my company. And I want to get it back. He obviously wouldn’t hand it over to me now that I’m back. I’m 100% sure he killed my parents and tried to kill me. That’s where you come in…. I gathered that they have been trying and failing to form a merger with your company for quite some time. With us married, I’ll own major shares of my family’s company as stipulated in my dad’s will and with you as a major shareholder of both companies, we can reduce the stock price of The Malloy Holdings till they become bankrupt and I save it from destruction and buy it back and voila…. It’s mine” I rush out all in one breath, feel smug at my brilliant plan.

I wait and wait for a response from Adam, but nothing. Not even a single word. I walk up to him till I’m standing directly in front of him. I raise an eyebrow, as if signaling him to say something.

“What makes you think you can resurrect from your grave, barge into my company, Make demands from me and Expect that I’ll corporate?” He scoffs, to my utter disbelief. “We haven’t even been In communication since 3rd year of college and what? You want us to just get married? I don’t see how any of this is my concern,” Adam says in a monotonous voice.

I pause for a moment, taking his words in. I know it’s not right for me to spring up on him like this, but I didn’t exactly plan for my Uncle and Kelvin to fuck me over. Steadying myself I continue.

“First of all, the only reason I haven’t talked to you since our 3rd college year is because you fucked me a night before asking my Roomate out,” I point out. I notice him tense up at the end of my sentence. Serves him right for screwing me over with Tracy.

“Secondly, I didn’t resurrect from the grave you asshole. I was in a coma for two fucking years. And lastly you do have something to benefit from this fake marriage,” I spit out, suddenly feeling annoyed. Talking to Adam is definitely testing my patience.

“And what would that benefit be, Princess Stephanie?” He asks sarcastically. Only my dad called me princess, I hated it coming from someone else.

“Never call me Princess again,” I reply stiffly. “My uncle has been targeting your company for the past year, giving it negative Publicity and trying to sabotage some of your business deals. And it’s no news that Melissa always bullied Tracy any chance she got. So see this marriage as a way of screwing both father and daughter over, after all screwing people over is nothing new to you.” I throw out, still slightly bitter over what he did to me in college. I notice his eyes darkening as he tightened his fists. Shit! I must’ve struck a nerve, I just didn’t know which.

“Stop calling her name Stephanie,” He grounds out, sounding pissed off.

“Why shouldn’t I call her name. She was once my Roomate after all, even though you successful made me distance myself from her asshole.” I retort back, my annoyance kicking in.

“She’s fucking dead Stephanie. Why don’t you try being less self centered for once and pay respect to the fucking dead.” Adam said coldly, tone laced with so much anger and pain, I could almost taste it. Fuck. I didn’t expect that.

“I’m sorry Adam, I didn’t know about that,” I mutter apologetically. They obviously had something really good from the sound of pain I could hear in Adam’s voice. Poor Tracy, she didn’t deserve to die, no matter the cause. She was a really friendly and energetic person, a pity we didn’t become close friends. May her gentle soul rest in peace.

“It’s fine, Forget I said anuthing.” He closes off. Just like that he has retracted into his shell, not displaying any hint of emotion. Well this isn’t going at all like I planned. Suddenly feeling drained and deafeated, I let out a tired sigh.

“Can you at least think about my proposal,” I say in a tired voice, hoping my silent plea was reflecting through my eyes. He only responds with a stiff nod and I took that as my cue to leave.

“Bye Adam.”

******************

“So how did it go?” Were the first words I heard as soon as I walked through Isabella’s front door. With a hunched over shoulder and a sad look, I walked into the grand entrance of her house.

“Shit! That bad huh?” She deduced from the forlorn look on my face. I only replied with a shrug, exhausted from the activities of today to utter any word.

“Did he at least give you a reply?” Issy asked hopefully.

“If a stiff nod counts as a reply then yes he did.”

“Damn, at least you got a nod from him. That’s a progress,” she says hopefully. Like she really believed there was a shred of hope left.

“How is that even a good thing?” I ask like a baffled scoff.

“Well ever since Tracy died, he has pretty much been a robot. I didn’t even expect him to speak with you” she says In an obvious tone.

“And you are just telling me about Tracy’s death and their relationship status now?” I asked. That information would have been crucial In my confrontation with him.

“Considering you never told him it was Adam Phlem you had in mind as your “helpful friend”, I didn’t think that Information mattered that much.” She retorts just as hotly. Well fair. But in my defense, I wanted to be sure of my plans before I told her who it was.

“Well now what?” She asks, looking almost as hopeless as I did.

“Now we wai-” were my lash words, before I felt a vibration on my bum. Pulling my phone out, I see an unknown number calling my line. With scrunched eyebrows, I picked up the call skeptically.

“Hello?” My voice came out breathless as I waited for the person on the other line to talk.

“I accept your proposal idea, but I have some things I want to say. Meet me at Del Angelo’s tommorow night at 7. I’ll send a driver to pick you up when you drop your location” was all I heard from the line before the call went silent.

Wait…was that..? Did he just…? Oh my God!.