chapter 28

Kane’s POV

After she left, Adrian strolled further into the office, arrogantly glaring around the room before speaking.

“Is this what she called an important meeting? These are Important guests?” He snorted, glancing around the room at my friends. “Crazy woman.”

“What disrespect!” Albert stood up, but I raised a hand to stop him.

“State your case and leave, Adrian,” I said immediately, while Jayson, Ethan, and Albert looked seriously offended on my behalf.

All I could see as I looked at his entitled face was him and Claudia defiling my matrimonial bed and making jest of my supposed infertility. I felt a thick vein pop up in my neck.

“Sure…” Adrian held up his hands in mock surrender, “I will gladly leave when you explain what this rubbish is all about!” He threw two files on my table with full force.

I didn't have to read them to know it was his dismissal notice as Director of Procurement and Sales, alongside his frozen account reports.

“Oh! I have been expecting you,” I said nonchalantly, smiling.

“What... what…did you say?” he stammered, completely shocked.

My calm reaction irked him so badly, I could see his white-knuckled fists as he tried to restrain himself from punching or hitting me.

What a total joke.

I didn't bother responding to that, but chuckled when Jayson struggled not to laugh, covering it up with a loud cough.

“What nonsense! Why would you freeze my accounts without a reasonable reason, even going to the lengths of dismissing me from my position! Even if you hate me, this is going too far, Kane... treating your family like this?” He yelled, barely taking a breath.

I wanted to break his mouth, but I stayed calm.

“The result of the meeting you didn't attend,” I said as a matter of fact.

“A dismissal because of a ridiculous meeting? The report could have been sent to me!” Adrian yanked at his tie. “When was this so-called meeting held?”

“You were notified. You just didn't bother to acknowledge the email,” Jayson interjected.

“This is a family matter, stay out of it!” he snapped.

“Spoiled rascal,” Albert muttered, while Ethan remained quiet, his sharp eyes switching between both of us.

“First of all, point of correction,” I said, my voice dripping with disgust. “Everyone in this room is a major shareholder. Therefore, they have every right to be here. This is a corporate matter, not a dirty family dispute. Second…” I leaned forward, resting my palms on the mahogany desk. “You were sent the emergency audit summons, were you not?”

Adrian’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. His darting eyes gave him away.

“If I recall correctly, your excuse was that you were on…” I trailed off.

“A vacation,” Albert finished dryly.

“That wasn't ending anytime soon,” Jayson added, the smirk slipping slightly from his face.

“I… I couldn't cut my trip short on short notice!” Adrian stammered, crossing his arms and throwing his head back with an air of wounded royalty. “I am an executive here! I am a PARTNER in this company! I shouldn't have to jump like a trained dog every time you send an email, Kane. I was building international connections for our benefit!”

“International connections?” I scoffed, walking around the desk to stand directly in front of him.

“Yes, to expand our reach.” Adrian slammed his fist on the table.

“That is your flaw, Adrian. Entitlement. You don't care about this company or the people who build it. You think the family name gives you a birthright to leech off the company. You replaced our long-standing contracts with a shell company, siphoning millions into a private Swiss account. Which, by the way, I have fully recovered as of this morning.”

“What…. What?” Adrian froze, the colour draining from his face before twisting into dark indignation. “Brother… that wasn't a shell company… you’re misunderstanding the investment strategy!”

He continued to babble, spouting desperate jargon to justify his sheer greed.

“The company's funds are not your personal investment capital, so save your breath,” I cut him off, casually straightening the papers he had thrown down. “As for your reinstatement, my hands are tied. The board voted unanimously based on your misconduct. You should consider yourself lucky I didn't involve federal authorities. That was my one act of leniency toward… 'family.'”

“You don't mean that?” He said horrified.

I looked him dead in the eye before adding, “See yourself out.”

Adrian stood frozen, looking around the room for support, but met only cold, unblinking stares from all four of us.

Then suddenly, hysterical laughter burst from his throat, filled with arrogance and bitterness.

“You really think you’re all that, don't you?” Adrian chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped back toward the door. “You think you’re king of the world because you sit in that chair? Oh, you’re wrong, dear brother. It's temporary.”

“Is that a threat?” Albert snapped, his voice icy.

“No… It’s a statement of truth.” Adrian rested his hand on the door handle, a dark smirk spreading across his face. “Let’s see how much that massive ego of yours lasts. Say… over the next eleven months?”

Eleven months?

My blood ran cold as the meaning behind his timeline hit me. He was talking about the will.

His son, Nick, was the sole heir, but until he came of age, the guardianship clause allowed Adrian to take control of the empire.

That was all the time I had before Adrian could legally take control of M&M. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Time wasn't on my side.

“Say one more word, and I'll personally throw you out of this building myself,” Jayson growled, his jaw tightly clenched as he took a threatening step toward Adrian.

Adrian’s smirk faltered for a second under Jayson’s violent shift, but he quickly masked it, scoffing as he yanked the door open.

“Mark my words, dear brother,” Adrian spat, slamming the heavy mahogany door shut behind him.

Jayson remained standing, breathing heavily, his hands balled into tight fists as he stared at the closed door.

He slowly turned his head to meet my gaze, a silent, knowing look passing between us. He knew what the eleven months meant just as clearly as I did.

“Albert,” I broke the silence, my voice dead calm as I tossed Adrian’s files into the trash bin. “I need you to arrange for high-end security cameras to be installed at my estate. And in my personal vehicles.”

“I wouldn't take his threats seriously, Adrian is bluffing.” Albert's eyes quizzed me.

“No, I'm not shaken by his empty threats.” I stretched in my chair, rubbing the headache I felt coming on. “I've actually been putting it off for a while now, you know this?”

“If you're sure,” Albert said, looking unconvinced.

Richard had already sent the divorce papers. All that remained was Claudia's signature.

The divorce was almost done. Now, I had eleven months to deal with Adrian.