THE REVENGE CONTRACT

THE MAN AT THE TOP.

Chapter Three

The Man at the Top

8:00am

Damon's POV

Archer Network Tower

Standing at the massive glass window staring at the gloomy sky, the city of Manhattan looked magnificent with its skyscrapers towering over one another.

The city felt alive the cars, the people on the streets, police sirens everything happening so fast makes me realize how life moves before you know what hits you.

Not all men were born to be ordinary; some were born to be kings, gods, and titans.

And one of such men was my father. He loved this city, and he was one of the people who helped build it with his hands and blood.

He was a force to be reckoned with, and filling such big shoes demanded greater choices and sacrifices.

It's been three months now since he passed away, and I have not been able to get over it.

Trying to be reclusive from all this brings too much attention to me.

My father always knew I was someone who was impossible to get to know.

He understood me completely, and that was the bond of fatherhood he showed me that made me respect him even in his death.

Since his demise, I have refused to speak to anyone about anything. The silence over the past few months has loomed over me like a shadow.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Sorry to bother you at this time, sir. Mr. Madsen is here to see you," says Sophie, my secretary.

I didn't bother flinching as I'm drawn out of my thoughts.

"Send him in," I answer briskly.

I maintain my position until Madsen walks in.

Eugene Madsen, 45, emerald green eyes, 5ft 11. A man with power even as a legal practitioner he wasn't a man to meddle with.

Eugene was my father's best friend, confidant, and family lawyer. They had been best friends since college. My father respected and idolized him.

Eugene was influential in all sectors. My father hardly respected people, except for particular reasons, which were very rare.

He wore a navy blue Italian suit, which made him look younger and stylish for his age. His cologne smelled of lavender and pine, which saturated the atmosphere in my office.

"Hello, Damon. How are you holding up?" he says to me as he gives me a firm handshake.

I nod my head in approval. "Thank you, Eugene. I'm keeping up. Have a seat, please."

"I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. You know how my schedule gets these days."

I seat myself across from him at my desk.

My hands are fixed together in a posture of expectation.

"Okay, shall we begin?" says Eugene as he puts on his glasses to read my father's will.

………

"What does he mean I only get half of the company when I eventually get married and the other half when I have a child? This is absurd!" I yelled.

"Take it easy, son. These are your father's instructions; you have to abide by them. Your father's will state all these requirements. The whole empire becomes yours, and to me, it's a simple step to take," says Eugene with a steady voice.

Hearing such words left me agitated.

Eugene could see my face was flushed red as I paced the walkway in my large office.

"It's not too much of a big deal, son," he says, trying to calm me.

My hand runs through my hair.

"I need to get a drink. I'm already getting dehydrated from all this, Eugene," I say with desperation.

I walk to my desk and fetch my bottle of whiskey and help myself to it, with shaky hands from the shock of the news I just received.

Eugene leans back in his chair and observes my composure.

"Isn't it too early to be drinking? It's just past 9am."

I give him a cynical look.

Eugene has a mild smirk on his face not one bit was he intimidated by my countenance.

Eugene has never been one to be intimidated by anything, especially not by me. He always saw me as the little boy he watched growing up, so he feels he can predict me.

I seat myself back in my chair and spin it around, facing the glass window.

Eugene sits calmly, waiting for my response.

I ponder deeply as I take slow sips from the glass of whiskey in my hand.

"I want you to know that this is a means of preserving your family's legacy, and it's for your own good. Don't see this as a problem see it as an opportunity to fulfill your father's last wish," says Eugene with enthusiasm.

I turn my chair toward him and take a long stare into his eyes, and I remember every moment spent with my father as a little boy. One of the instances was when I had a baseball tournament.

……… Flashback

"Damon, you can do this. Remember what I taught you always keep your eyes on the prize when a task is placed before you. You don't know the abilities you possess until you take that step," says my father with his calm, soothing voice.

"When the ball gets thrown at you, strike at it with all you've got. Remember, you are an Archer, and we never miss."

"But Daddy, the other boys are stronger and faster. I don't know if I can do this, Dad," I say with a shaky voice.

"Yes, you can, son. I believe in you," he says with a calm voice and winks at me as he walks away from the baseball field.

….. End of flashback

I have a smile of relief on my face. My father's words had a way of strengthening me whenever I felt discouraged.

Eugene smiles back. "So are we going to do this, boy, or are we going to have you drinking whiskey all day over this very minor task?" His voice is filled with decorum and authority.

I pause for a second.

"I'll do it."

Eugene gives a sigh of relief at my response.

"Good man. Now you're thinking like the man you're supposed to be," he says gladly.

He hands me the will documents to go through before signing.

I read through everything with caution and smile.

"What's that smile for, boy?" Eugene asks.

I raise my eyes and look at him. "Do you miss him?" I ask him with a glint of hope in my eyes.

"Your father was more or less a brother to me, Damon, and there's no day that goes by that I don't," he says with a saddened tone.

I smile at him and sign the document.

We shake hands, and as Eugene is about to leave, Billy waltzes in with his carefree attitude and a grin as usual.

They both exchange pleasantries.

"Hey man, how you doing, my man?"

I stand up from my chair to give him a fist bump as I sit at the edge of my desk.

"We have work to do, Billy. I'm getting married," I say with a smirk.

Billy's eyes widen as his jaw drops.