Devil In A BoardRoom
1740 Words
LUCIEN
The car stopped outside the hospital. I adjusted my glasses, stared outside the car window, and saw Elise walking towards us. She was dressed in a simple sapphire gown, white shoes, and a glowing necklace that complemented her eye colour.
A small smile curved on my lips. I retrieved my phone from my pocket and immediately typed into it.
“Let's meet at the office.”
I stared at the message for a while, before I sent it to Damien.
A soft knock came at the window, and I kept my chin aside and nodded towards her. She smiled and stepped in.
“Did we keep you waiting?” I asked, leaning back on the car seat. She shut the door, then sat down. Her gown rolled up, but she reached for it and awkwardly pulled it down.
“No, of course not. Thank you for coming to pick me up,” she said, her hands clasped. I turned to look at her. Her amber eyes were staring directly at me, glinting with a soft glow. She smelled delicate. Something about the morning air, mixed with vanilla.
“Mhm,” I hummed and turned away. “To the office, Liam,” I said to my assistant. He stared at me through the front view mirror, then nodded.
The ride to the office was quiet. Elise tried multiple times to start up a conversation but I shut down every single attempt.
Well, I had to make sure Damien was there to witness the scene. To watch her ask for my help, and make him see that he couldn't do anything about it.
The look on his face would be enough to keep me less bored for two days at most.
Absolutely priceless.
“We're here,” Liam announced just after he brought the car to a stop.
We alighted from the car, and Liam led the way. She followed after Liam, and I followed, just behind her. My eyes watched the soft sway of her ass beneath that lovely dress.
Look what Damien fumbled.
My phone beeped, and I checked. A message from Damien.
“Waiting.”
My eyes glinted at the sight of the message, and I slid it back into my pocket.
Stupid kid.
We got to the office, and Liam opened the door.
There he was. Damien. He sat down in the rocking chair, his back to us, swinging left to right like he owns the office. I watched as Elise’s expression darkened. Her shoulders tensed. She slowly turned to me, but I kept a straight face.
“Some audacity to occupy my chair, don't you think?” I asked, voice low. Damien paused, then slowly turned, a mocking smile on his face.
His smile disappeared instantly at the sight of Elise, and he sprang up. His eyes darted from her to me, then back to her again.
“You… what are you doing with him?” He asked. I gestured to Liam to leave. He simply nodded and locked the door when he left.
Elise walked into the office properly, and I calmly walked to the side, watching.
Damien came closer, his jaws clenched. “You ran away from your home, and then I find you here, close to my uncle?”
Her brows lifted.
“Ran away from home?” Elise asked and took a step forward. “Damien Ashford, you seem to be forgetting that we are divorced.”
He let out a dry scoff.
“I didn't sign any damn papers Elsie,” he said with a sneer. “I am not letting you go. Even if I lose my memory, I will not.”
She was about to speak, and I'm sure an insult was sitting at the tip of her tongue. But, I beat her to it, clearing my throat.
“I don't want any of that here. There are important things to be done.”
She held herself back.
“Yes,” she mouthed.
I raised a brow, took up a file, and flipped through. The file heading was boldly written.
Contract agreement.
I had drafted it out immediately after she called earlier. Don't ask why.
“This is the agreement I drafted,” I said, glancing at her, and she nodded.
Damien stood abruptly.
“Are those divorce papers?” He snapped, glancing between both of us.
Silence answered him.
He gritted his teeth. “We are not getting a divorce unless I say so!” he barked.
He turned to me, his face red. I just tilted my head to the side, flipping nonchalantly through the pages. “And as my wife, you are not allowed to be seen with other men!”
Elise let out a cold laugh.
“You are delusional!”
“And you must be insane to be doing this s**t, Elise!” He retorted.
She snapped instantly.
“You are the mad one. You think …. You think withdrawing my sister's medical bills would make me return to your side?” She asked, then took a step forward. “I didn't take you for the type to dream.”
He pointed a trembling finger at her, then turned to me. This time I had a glass of water tucked between my fingers, the glass was cold against my palm, making me exhale softly. “You planned this, didn't you?”
I calmly placed the glass on the cabinet, walked over to the desk, and grabbed my chair to sit down. I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his. He looked like he wanted to commit murder, except he also knew he was too weak to actually do it himself. “Oh, what did I do?” I asked, and leaned back on the chair, staring at him.
He sucked in a breath, nodded repeatedly. “Fine,” he gritted out, “you think you can take my wife from me?” He asked, then grabbed Elise's arms. His fingers seemed to scratch her as she hissed. She pulled away from him, but he grabbed her again, so fast that her ankles bent. She almost fell over.
My hands subconsciously tightened around the desk, but the amused look didn't leave my face. “You came to see me, and you dare touch my guest?”
Damien glanced towards me, “She is my wife!”
He gripped her jaw and placed his lips on hers. I stood up, but Elise pulled away. The next second, a crisp sound echoed in the room. Damien stopped struggling, his hands on his cheeks.
She glanced towards me, her chest rising and falling. “Tell me Mr Lucien, does your CCTV work?” She asked and Damien's face paled. He slowly turned towards me, his hands on his cheeks.
“Tell me when you need it,” I answered calmly.
Damien's lips moved, but I turned away from him and glanced at Elise. “I apologise on behalf of my nephew. He is just — young.”
“Motherfucker —” Damien started but I cut him off.
“Tell me what you want me to do for you.”
Elise exhaled and created some distance between her and Damien. “In exchange for my designs, I will need you to pay up my sister's medical bills for just three months.”
She dropped it like dynamite.
Damien immediately moved and grabbed her shoulders again. “You would work for him just to help your sister? I am your husband, you should listen to me, damn it!”
Okay. Enough drama.
“Let go of her, Damien.”
My voice came out sharp, colder than usual. Damien's hands trembled on her shoulders, but he didn't let go. “She is my —”
“When I say let go, I mean leave my office.”
He turned to me, his jaws clenched, lips set. “You called me h.. .”
“Leave.”
He glanced at Elise, then back at me. He let go of her shoulders, and just like that, he turned. “You both would regret this!” He barked, and left, banging the door behind him, so hard the hinges almost gave.
I sat back down, exhaling softly. Well, that was intense, wasn't it?
“I apologise…”
“No need to do so, Mr Lucien, I quite know my ex husband's temper,” she said, then pursed her lips. “Just, what was he doing in your office?”
I exhaled, then rubbed my forehead like the conversation was taking a toll on me. “Business,” I breathed, “Speaking of ex-husband, Ms Elise, your hair is practically glowing,” I said.
Her lips split in a smile. “I suppose it does, given I just dropped a deadweight.”
I chuckled softly, then nodded. I reached for the file I held onto earlier.
“You can sign this,” I said, and outstretched it to her. She grabbed it, quickly reached for her pen, and signed away.
She didn't even read. Well, I wouldn't call her out either. That was in my favour.
She returned it to me with a smile. “Thank you Mr …”
“Lucien. Just call me Lucien.”
Her lips were parted, but she slowly closed it and bit her lips. The part she had bitten turned wet and red. I glanced away.
“Thank you, Lucien,” she said with a nod. I smiled. “I would see myself off.”
She didn't let me answer, and just turned around and bolted. The door closed with a rough slam. Not too hard, but not soft either.
Well.
I reached for my phone and texted my assistant, Liam.
“The patient is Cora Henson. Clear the medical bills for six months, and do not disclose that information to anyone.”
The message was marked as read instantly, and a reply came after. “Yes, boss.”
I stared at his reply for a while, before my fingers moved. “Make sure she is being protected too.”
My phone rang. It was a call from one of my shadow subordinates. I swiped the call and lifted my phone to my ear.
“Speak.”
“Boss, you wanted news on Damien Ashford.”
“Mhm, get me everything you have on my little nephew. Every deal, every woman, and every debt. Is that clear?”
- Writer
