13. The Clause

You're a fucking monster.

Now the voices from my nightmares follow me into my waking hours except this one was not just a voice in my head.

It was her. And the words cut deeper than they should have.

I lean back into the office chair, loosening my tie and staring at the polished surface of my desk. The faint scent of whiskey lingers, my poor attempt at drowning out last night.

She looked like she had been crying. I realized it too late, only seeing the red in her eyes when she got closer and by then emotions were already too high to stop.

I wanted to take her into my arms and apologize for everything but the anger in her eyes was directed at me, she wanted nothing to do with me.

And maybe she's right to keep her distance.

The day after what I now know was our last day together, I returned to the city with a heavy heart but excited at the thought of keeping in touch with the girl I spent an enchanting summer with.

Instead, my father presented me with my only option. He didn't ask, he commanded. Save the empire, he said, by getting married and taking over as the head.

A heavy sigh leaves my lips. At the time if felt like duty but now I recognize it as cowardice. That was not the only option. Maybe I should have run away, back to her. Maybe we could have lived a modest but happy life. But I didn't. I chose a family that doesn't give a fuck about me and a company that's not completely mine. Over her.

So of course her guards are up against me.

Now every time she calls me “Mr Thompson” it feels like a knife, it's a reminder of the distance I put between us.

But is that really the only reason she despises me? It feels like something more…

There’s a short knock on the door and an assistant peeks in. “Sir? Your brother is here.”

My brows furrow in annoyance instinctively at the mention of him. “Let him in.”

“As if I need actual permission to enter,” Grant says as he strolls in and sprawls onto the leather sofa like he owns the place.

“Well then, dear younger brother,” he says as he flashes his signature charming smile, a smile I have seen work on many people over the years. “Have you thought about my proposal?”

“I maintain the same stance as I did yesterday,” I say as I lean back into my chair. This might be the only part of this entire interaction I will enjoy- denying Grant what he asks for.

“Maybe another round of visiting every club and bar on planet earth will get you ready but for now, quite unfortunately,” I say in a voice that says completely otherwise, "the company doesn't need you.”

The mask slips off his face and I know what is coming next.

“You piece of shit,” he spits. He gets up and stands leaning over the table. “This office, that chair, this entire company belongs to me. I am the rightful heir to this empire and I won't have you standing in my way. I'm warning you, step down now or this fight will turn ugly and I will take everything by force.”

The threat hangs in the air between us. He does have a right to the empire. Father only handed it to me as punishment for his misdemeanor in the hopes that one day when Grant is more suited for the role, he can lead again. And then father died, without clearly naming his successor.

I study my older brother now, he's the image of arrogance. Father once said Grant has fire, but all I see is a man who will burn everything he touches.

For a second I wonder why I care. I was smart enough to ensure that whether I lead the empire or not my future and the future of my children is secure. I could hand him the company today and when he runs it down to the ground tomorrow, I will still be standing tall.

But everything I worked for will be gone. So I stand and say, “No. You will never sit in this chair. You are too impulsive, too reckless.”

His eyes blaze with hate.

I lean in closer and whisper, “And stay away from Nova.”

The shift on his face is immediate as anger melts into a smirk on hearing her name and my jaw ticks in annoyance.

“I had a feeling you would say that,” he says as he walks back to the sofa. “So I had your assistant bring me a copy of the original contract and the contract she signed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the extra clause you slipped in. The one that traps her in your employment.”

He grins slowly and tuts. “You might want to pretend you're a better man than me, Theo, but you're not. You would do anything to win no matter who you trample on. Imagine her reaction if I tell her she has no real legal obligation to stay in your employment, especially after what you did to her family.”

My jaws tightens and the muscles on my next strains as he laughs satisfyingly. But what angers me more is the confusion that settles in. What I did to her family?

“Now if you'll excuse me I have a date to prepare for tonight. For you to go that far to keep her, she must be something,” he winks, his smirk widening as he heads for the door.

The moment he leaves, silence settles into the air and my knuckles are white from being pressed against the mahogany desk.

I run my hands through my hair and exhale slowly. Something else is definitely going on.

A knock on the door signals the assistant’s entry. “Sir, your mother is on the phone.”

“Ok.” She turns to leave but I call after her. “Who gave Grant a copy of documents?”

“Yes sir, he told me he needed–”

“You're fired,” I say without looking up.

“No…wait sir, it was a mistake, it will never happen again–”

I turn away from her. “If security has to be called, I will make sure you never work in this city ever again.”

Silence. A few moments later the door closes behind her.

I pick up the phone. “Mother.”

“Theodore,” she says briskly in a tone as cold as marble. “The gala is approaching. We need the support of that media mogul. Remember what's at stake.”

“I remember.”

“Good. Do not allow anything slow you down. Goodbye.”

“Wait,” I call out before she can hang up. “Get me in touch with your Private Investigator.”

“What for?”

The image of Nova staring at me with so much hate in her eyes flashes through my mind. Yes, I left her to save my company. But something tells me something more happened between us.

“There's someone I need to check.”