Chapter 17 Realization
Nathan’s POV
Everyone was acting so strange, it felt like the whole world was going insane and the only sane people left was Hillary and I. First, my father would stop coming up with different suggestions on how I could run the company from the Caribbean.
Gramps wants Travis to be in charge while I’m away, but I fought against that arrangement. Travis can never be trusted with running the family affairs, not when I’m still I’ve and breathing. He has been after me, for as long as I can remember, Travis has been searching for a way to bring about my downfall. If given the chance, he could burn down the company, just to keep me from running it. My gut feeling says that he has something to do with my sudden travel, but I ain’t gonna pay much attention to that. I’ll be back soon and everything would go back to the way it used to be.
I have made all necessary arrangements to ensure that Travis doesn’t make any rash decisions while I’m away. Now, no contract would be finalized without my signature. Everything must pass through my table before it gets approved. My secretary would be available at all times, she would report the day’s activities to me, that way I get to know all about the company, even though I’m abroad.
Next, it’s Ariel. The bitch keeps whining and complaining about my impromptu travel, saying it’s just a trick I’m using to escape our wedding plans. She has no idea what I was planning on doing, I wouldn’t have spoken much or created a scene, but I’m sure gonna cancel that fucking wedding. If only she know that this trip just delayed the inevitable for the both of us. I would have called off this fucked up engagement within the next few days. I can’t stand the bitch, she disgusts me.
Mom wouldn’t stop calling me. She wants me to go against my grandfather, she wants Ariel and I to get married before I leave the country, claiming that Ariel is not going to wait for my return. Has she ever wondered why Ariel chose to wait for me all these years, does she not see that she is only after the money?
Well, good riddance to slutty Ariel, I’m secretly married to Hillary, and when I get back, we’ll make it official. I drove her over to her apartment, I need her to stay in our house while I’m away. I’d put some security guards in the building and I’ll make sure it’s safe and secured for her. She keeps insisting on finding a job, she wants to take care of her own needs. At first, she refused to live in my house because it would be difficult for her friend to pay the rent without her. She only accepted my offer after I settled the rent with the owner of the building. I paid for the lease, giving me ownership of the apartment for a couple of years. Now she doesn’t have to worry about her friend’s accommodation, the house is hers for as long as she desires.
After picking a few things from the house, I took her back home and let her settle in nicely. I had a few last minute details to see through. I got a call from Costello, and from his tone of voice, I could tell that something ain’t right. I called him earlier to brief him about my travel back home, I urged him to get the guys ready so I could get them and place them in the right positions before leaving. He called to tell me that he has the guys on standby, and he also has some very information that I need to sort out before I leave.
He was in a meeting with some of his drug lords when I got there, I had to wait a few minutes for him to conclude his meeting before coming out to see me. While I waited, his kid sister Rosie, kept me occupied with talks about her brother’s cruelty towards her. She wishes to go into business and start up a legit business, but Costello refused to let her out of his sight. I really can’t blame him though, she is the exact replica of their late mother, so he is a little overprotective of her. Besides, she has no experience in running any kind of business, she has a long way to go before she can be considered fit to be her own boss. I would have offered to help, but I’m pretty sure that she wouldn’t be patient enough to await my return.
She left the living as soon as he walked in, and when I looked up at his face, I understood why she had left. He looks upset, too upset to listen to anyone. If I wasn’t leaving tomorrow, I would have left also, he is never on his best behavior when he is upset.
“put off the grumpy face man, I can’t deal with it today. I’ve got a lot on my plate as well.”
“Shut the fuck up Nate, there is so much that you are not able to deal with, my grumpy face is the least of your problems right now.” He responded sternly. Hearing him talking about my troubles made me more curious about what he is about to say. He pushed a button on his wristwatch and two hefty looking bouncers came into the room, followed by six other men that looked tough but not as muscular as the first guys.
“These are the ones I vetted personally Nate. They are good at their jobs, and they are loyal as well. I ordered them to dig into your affairs and get to know you personally, and they all did quite a good job.
By the way, congratulations on your secret marriage with the good chick, I was actually rooting for her and not the other whore that screws you brother behind your back.” He said mockingly, making my eyes go wide in shock.
“Are you trying to tell me that Ariel is having an affair with Travis?” I asked in surprise.
“And are you trying to tell me that you have no idea that you have been dating a whore?” he countered back and I kept mute immediately. I knew she was a whore, but screwing my own brother, that a whole new level, and it’s so low, even for her.
“Your ignorance is none of my business, Nate. While you’re secretly getting married, Travis has been plotting a comeback for your family, you would not be coming back to a multi-billion company, Nate. Travis is buying off the share of the company and he is planning on taking full control before your arrival, he would be the major shareholder and he would have the power to make every major decision in the company.
That is not the main reason why I called you here Nate, you have always known that Travis would make his move on you, so I’m guessing that you have a plan set in place to counter his attack. Or maybe you got too distracted by your new crush and you failed to see this coming?” He teased mockingly.
“Leave Hillary out of this, man. I’m trying to keep her out of all this madness, I hope she doesn’t find out about my messed-up family, she could be tempted to leave me just to avoid my family drama. What is the important information you have for me, what could be more important than my own brother’s hatred and greed?” I asked curiously because the truth is that, I have been too distracted of late and I have not been paying much attention to the things happening around me, otherwise, I would have known that Ariel is screwing Travis and I would have used that as an excuse to kick her out of my life for good.
That notwithstanding, I’m still kicking get out of my life, with or without the evidence of her cheating. I’ll make her pay for making a foul out of my mom, I’ll make her wait for the duration of my travel, she would have wasted many years, waiting for me. Then when I get back, I’ll finally break up with her. That’s what she’ll get for trying to make a foul out of me and for deceiving my mom.
“Listen to this,” Costello said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I saw him hitting the play button on his laptop, won’t know it’s got to be a recording. I could hear a voice in the background, it’s Travis, I would always recognize his voice anywhere. He was talking to someone and the conversation was about me. That voice, it sounds vaguely familiar. I was still trying to figure out who has that voice, then I heard him address the other person as Gramps, and then it clicked. He was talking to my grandfather. But why is he screaming and threatening Gramps and what is that big secret that he is threatening to expose if Gramps doesn’t do as he says?
“The recording is short but it is proof that your grandfather is in alliance with your brother, and this stupid trip could be their way of getting rid of you for good. I would advise you to cancel this trip and face the consequences later. You could go there after you deal with your brother and take control of the company.” He ad iced calmly, leaning on the couch to stare at me.
“I can’t man, I just can’t go back on my promise to Gramps, I can’t let him down. Travis has something on him, that is why he is doing this. I just have to place someone in the office that would oversee all his affairs and report back to me. I could find out the secret my grandfather is hiding and when I do, I will make it go away, that way, he wouldn’t be able to blackmail him anymore. Besides, I have made up my mind already, I just have to get it over with, and when I’m back, it would be war.” I declared.
“This heart of yours, it’s going to lead you to your death eventually, you know that right?” he joked.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
We had a long talk and he added one guy to my team, a tech guy. I pitched my idea on a possible solution to the problem he is having with his sister, and surprisingly, he agreed. She needs to learn how to manage a business of her own and I need a smart Secretary that would keep an eye on the companies affairs while I’m away. He agreed to let her work for me, in exchange, I’ll teach her all she needs to know about running a successful cooperation.
It was settled. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have a meeting with the board of directors, and I’ll brief them on my plans and the new management system. I’ll be sure to introduce Rosie to everyone, letting them know that she is my secretary. My new tech guy, Fred would be acting as her personal assistant, I want him to hack into the companies servers and monitor everything going on behind me.
I’ve got eight well trained guards that would be my personal guards. Two would be traveling with me while four would be staying back at the house, securing Hillary. The other two would be keeping watch on my family and monitoring Travis when he is not in the company. I made every arrangement before going home to my parents. I decided to have dinner with them, it’s going to be a while before I see them again.
I groaned in frustration when I met Ariel there, I hate her even more than I did before. The fact that she acts like a saint in front of everyone is so annoying. She has even packed my luggage in preparation for my departure. I guess she just can’t wait to get rid of me so she could run to the arms of my brother. She is such a slut.
After dinner, I had a little chitchat with my parents and my sister. I spent some hours with them before leaving to go spend time with my love. I ignored Ariel like a plague, leaving behind the luggage she had packed for me. I would deal with her when I get back from the Caribbean, right now, I need to spend the most time with Hillary and I have to convince her to keep my black card with her, she can be so stubborn when it comes to spending my money. But trust me, I’ve got my way of convincing her.