Sweet to sour

JACKSON

“I can’t wait to marry you!”

I mutter to Aurora, my girlfriend, as I run my fingers through her long, thick, but soft hair. She’s brunette, like my late mother.

Her skin shines so bright as the rays of sunlight that peek through the side of the curtain fall on her skin. I call her “my mermaid.” She is indeed the epitome of true beauty.

Slow mornings are my favorite, just like this one, and with her beside me, I feel on top of the world.

Satisfied. Fulfilled. I have money and a queen by my side.

I can still feel the haze of last night’s champagne. We partied all night and ended the show at mine. Just like every other time.

The soothing and scuffling sound of the silk bedspread wiggles down my eardrums as she moves closer, the hairs on my skin standing like I’m about to be struck by lightning.

Her hair is a little messy, and even though some strands cover part of her face, it doesn’t stop her from looking like a model straight from a magazine cover.

“I know,” she whispers as she winks at me, her cheeks all rosy and puffed up.

“You’ve done so much for me and this company. Your sacrifices and sleepless nights just to get the deals signed, contracts approved, and every other gesture you think I don’t notice,” I whisper, my eyes locked in hers.

Her cheeks turn red as she approaches carefully, her eyes glittering. She parts her lips and moves closer, erasing the little distance between us. Her warm breath pours forth on my face, and my eyes shut as she steals a kiss.

She pulls away, breathless, and whispers in my ear,

“If I kiss you again, I might not be able to stop.” She mutters, biting her lips.

The squeaky sound of the bedstand brings me back to reality as I watch her shake those hips into the bathroom.

The sudden bang on the penthouse door startles me. My brows raise, and my heart pounds out of my chest at the thought of what’s going on.

“The audacity! Shit! Who could that be, at this time of day, Jerry?”

Except Jerry never dares. Whatever information he needs me to hear comes via phone call.

I wince as my toe kisses the edge of the bedside stand while I try to reach for my overalls lying on the floor.

My hair stands as I walk to the door. I push the knob, and it unlocks. There he is!

I raise my brow, my jaw relaxed as I catch sight of him. I raise my fist. I’m going to punch him if he doesn’t explain properly the reason for ruining my morning.

“Fuck, Jerry, I swear to God I’m going to..”

“Good morning, Jack!”

He begins with a stern look across his face. He glances at me from head to toe and notices I’m draped in overalls.

“Are you alone?” he asks subtly.

“Uhh, morning to you too, Jerry!” I reply, raising my brows, drowning in shame. I slap my right hand on my forehead as he walks past me into the room.

He stands across the room in his well-tailored Gucci black suit, holding his tablet firmly.

After a few seconds of glancing around the room, he finally speaks.

“I’m sorry I disrupted your day. Have you seen the news?” he says as he looks out of the window.

“What news?” I ask in awe.

“I guessed you hadn’t. Here, you’ll want to see this.”

The look on my right-hand man sobers me up immediately. His shivering hands hand me his tablet. My eyes latch onto the screen quickly, and my jaw drops.

There’s an instant itchy feeling in my chest, growing stronger with each passing second as I read the headline, the letters large enough to cause a sting…

‘CEO of Meliś Enterprise Caught In Money Laundering Scandal, and Stealing from the Poor’

My brows raise and drop immediately, my mouth going dry. My sweet turns sour within minutes. I see the photo of Aurora and me from the gala we attended just last week.

I grind my teeth as I read on… the words FRAUD, EXPLOITATION, and FEDERAL INVESTIGATION make my eyes itch with irritation.

“What..what is all this? How… how is this possible?” I stammer.

“This can’t be…” I force the words out of my mouth as I hand him the tab. I pace around from one end of the room to another.

My hands rub against each other as I sit back down at the edge of my bed, my chin lowered to my chest, and my tongue turns sour.

“Jack, I’m afraid, but we need to go somewhere safe. You can’t stay here. You… you’re not safe here!” Jerry stutters.

“Fuck! No! I can’t run. I must..”

“Honey, is everything okay?” Aurora cuts me off.

Wiping her hair with the white towel, she walks toward me, her lips slightly parted and her brows raised.

“The beads of sweat from your head could fill a pool. Go shower!

And who were you talking to?” she mutters.

The smell of her lavender shampoo fills the room.

“Good morning, Miss Aurora.”

“Hello to you too, Jerry. What’s going on? Why are you here at thi..”

“I’m sorry, but we need to go now! Protesters will be flooding the gates of your penthouse any minute now.

Statements, lawyers, and damage control will be sorted out, but we must seek refuge elsewhere and wait till this all blows over,” Jerry sparks.

The image of me in my tux, next to those vile and untrue words, flashes into my mind once more. Then I knew. I’ve been targeted. My inherited empire is being targeted by envious rivals, and I’m not going to sit back and watch it all be taken down by someone.

“Hey, talk to me! What happened?” she insists.

Tension fills the air. I feel chills, and my hair stands as her cold hands cup my face. My head tilts, and my eyes narrow.

I feel the pain in my facial muscles as I try to hold down the tear. I can’t bear the silence between us; her eyes light up…

“Get dressed! We’re leaving the building,” I blurt, slowly taking her hands off my face.

I want to tell her. Explain everything, but there’s not enough time for that. The die has already been cast.