Elizabeth Corporates

PART 4

​"So, is this really the reason you dragged me all the way here?"

​Ryan didn't look at the luxury decor of the room. Instead, he shot a sharp, icy glance toward his father. His voice was calm, but it held a dangerous edge.

"To listen to a joke?"

​It wasn’t a funny joke. In fact, what Benjamin had just proposed a marriage alliance between the two families felt like a direct insult.

To Ryan, it felt like his father was asking him to sign his life away to a monster.

​Across from him, Zane snorted. The sound was loud and full of mockery. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes dark and restless.

​"What a waste of time," Zane said, his voice deep and rough.

"Do you all really think I’ve been lounging in some air-conditioned office doing nothing all these years? Like him?" He tilted his head toward Ryan with a sneer.

​Ryan didn’t miss a beat. He adjusted his suit jacket, his expression unbothered. "Of course, you’re nothing like me, Zane. You were far too busy getting your hands dirty and murdering people, weren’t you? That’s much more your style."

​Zane’s smirk widened, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

"We all have our ways of staying productive, Ryan. I kill people to protect what’s mine. You push papers to hide what’s yours. Tell me, which one of us is more honest?"

​The tension in the hall was thick enough to choke on. Sarcasm had quickly turned into sniping, and the sniping was sliding toward something much nastier. It was clear that five years apart hadn't healed any wounds; it had only let them rot.

​Poor Adam stood between the two younger men, looking back and forth like he was watching a tennis match played with grenades.

He wore a nervous grin that practically screamed: Someone please get me out of here before a gun comes out.

​"Didn’t I tell you, Victor?" Benjamin whispered, looking at Zane’s father. "These two are never going to agree. You can’t force oil and water to mix."

​Victor let out a long, heavy sigh. He looked older in that moment, the lines on his face deepening with disappointment. "We were just projecting our own fantasies onto them, Victor," Benjamin said quietly.

​

For Benjamin, this wasn't just a business deal or a simple marriage proposal. It was about salvaging a friendship,a bond he once shared with Victor that was now being destroyed by their sons' hatred for each other.

He had hoped that bringing Ryan and Zane face-to-face might spark a memory of the boys they used to be. Instead, all he saw were the cracks in their relationship getting wider and darker.

​Ryan noticed the sadness in his father’s eyes. Despite his cold exterior, Ryan cared deeply for Benjamin. He knew how to read his father’s silence, and he hated being the cause of that tired expression.

​"...I need to talk to Zane. Alone," Ryan suddenly announced.

​He kept his eyes fixed on Zane, but he spoke for his father’s benefit. For a brief second, a flicker of hope softened Benjamin’s eyes. Maybe, just maybe, his son was going to try and fix this.

​However, not everyone was happy about this request. Zane looked like he wanted to leave immediately, and Adam looked offended at being kicked out.

​"What if I’ve got nothing to say to you?" Zane challenged, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

​"Watch your tone, Zane," Victor warned. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the weight of a Mafia boss. Zane’s jaw clenched. He was a lion, but Victor was the one who owned the cage.

​"Let him speak," Victor continued, looking at his son. "You just need to listen for once. and, Adam, make sure you drive him back safely afterward."

​With a final, lingering look at their sons, the two older men walked out of the hall. They shared a silent hope that behind closed doors, the truth might finally come out.

​Once the heavy doors clicked shut, Zane turned his full attention back to Ryan. "Hmm... What is it you want to say? Be quick. I have better places to be."

​"I said, I need to talk to you... alone," Ryan repeated sharply. He threw a cold, murderous glance at Adam, who was still lingering nearby.

​Feeling the heat of that stare, Adam started to back away, but Zane grabbed his arm to stop him. "Say what you need to in front of him, Ryan. Or what? Are you planning to get down on your knees and beg me to marry you? Is that why you're ashamed of him seeing?"

​Zane’s voice was dripping with arrogance. He wanted to humiliate Ryan, to bring up the ghosts of their past. But Ryan didn’t blink. He didn't even flinch.

​"Don’t flatter yourself, Zane," Ryan said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"I wasn't the one who begging... remember? I wasn't the one on my knees."

​The air in the room suddenly felt freezing. Zane’s expression darkened instantly,

​"Woah, woah!" Adam held up his hands in surrender, sensing that the "messy" part of the conversation was about to start.

"No need to start another war. I’ll wait outside. Pretty sure this conversation needs a little privacy... or an exorcism."

​He leaned in and whispered into Zane’s ear, "If things get violent, feel free to call. Not me, but God. I’m out."

​With that, Adam vanished through the door, leaving the space empty and eerily quiet.

​And now, in that vast, echoing hall, the two of them stood in total silence. They stood exactly ten feet apart, staring at each other. It was the first time they had truly been alone in five long years. The ghosts of who they used to be seemed to watch them from the shadows.

​Meanwhile, at the Elizabeth Corporate Headquarters...

​"Ugh... Seriously? What was Emma even thinking?"

​A group of employees stood huddled near the coffee machine, looking stressed.

​

"How could she take off at a time like this? We have the most crucial merger file to submit by the end of the week!"

​Emma was Ryan Philip’s personal assistant. She was known as a "Pure Professional" a woman who never made mistakes and never showed emotion.

That was exactly why she had earned the top spot so early in her career, though it had made many of her older colleagues jealous.

​"Well, didn't Ryan approve her leave himself?" another employee pointed out. "If the boss said it's okay, what’s the big deal?"

​The big deal was that without Emma, the office was falling apart. She was the only one who could handle Ryan’s temper and his high standards. Now, the whole department was barely functioning.

​Suddenly, an employee rushed toward the group, panting for breath, his face pale with fear.

​"All of you! Emergency! Olivia Ma’am is on her way up!"

​The warning hit the group like a lightning strike. Within seconds, the group scattered like scared mice. Coffee cups were abandoned, and everyone sat at their desks, typing furiously.

​The employees didn't act this way because they respected her. They acted this way because they were terrified.

​And how could they not be? Even Ryan, the man who kept the entire city on edge, turned into a harmless, obedient kitten when she entered the room.

​She wasn't just a boss. She was the lioness of the jungle.

​Olivia Benjamin Philip

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To be Continued... 🤍