Dangerous Affair

Chapter 16

Nick

"Is the board ready?!" I ask Caleb but he gives me that grumpy look. I rub my tired eyes and slip out a yawn because I know very well that Caleb is about to bore me with some long talk— nagging perhaps.

We've known each other since we were little and he makes the best pal ever. Caleb is not just my friend but also my assistant in the Sharks empower. It's the little I can do to help him scale through in life. He isn't from a rich background like me that has everything in place from birth.

"Don't give me that look, Caleb," I shoot him a cold glare as he pulls close. "I know what you are trying to do and trust me, I am not going to change my mind on this issue. They asked for it and I am going to give it back to them a hundred fold."

He hold onto his notepad and bite his lips. His eyes soften and I clench my fist.

"Don't do that," he says but I pin him against the wall and growls in his face. "Nick…" his voice starts to shake. "You know I am right and no matter how hard you fight the truth, it will always come back to hunt you. They won't ever stop even if you go all the way to make a baby with a stranger."

"Shut the f**k up," I order but he proves stubborn. "You know how much this means to me, Caleb. Don't you dare judge me when you know absolutely nothing about how I feel. They ruined my mother and now, they want to do the same to me. I won't let them. I don't give a damn about what they think."

He sighs and looks away. "But what if it doesn't work? I worked so hard to prevent the rumours from spreading and I don't think I can keep up because there's someone out there who desperately wants it out there as much as you want it erased."

I hiss and pull aside, dip my hands inside my pocket and rub my face gently. My eyes flicker at the elevator and I clench my fist.

It must be Marcel's doing. That annoying brother of mine or perhaps I should call him cousin.

Father made a mistake getting them involved in his company and my brothers, I don't know what to make of them… they keep running around with Marcel and Stefan— those two brothers will stop at nothing just to see me miserable.

Just a few shares they have and now, they want to take the company away from me and father believes their speculation about me.

Nickolas Shark— infertile.

That's the last straw. If I don't prove father and the board wrong, my inheritance will automatically be transferred to Marcel because father wants his successors in the family and not some stranger who knows nothing of his sacrifice.

"Let's go…" I command.

"Are you sure you want to address the board?" Caleb asks but I give him a deaf ear and walk away and he yet, he runs after me. "Nick, you have to say something. If it's something you can't handle then I can reschedule for later."

I pause and tilt my head and Caleb stops in the hallway. He looks frightened and miserable but I simply grin at him and he lifts a brow. His face suddenly laces with anger and I chuckle slightly.

He hates me for sure right now.

I pull him close and lean my hand on his shoulder and exhale deeply into his ears. "Don't worry about me, dear friend. I will be fine but my question now is, will you be fine?"

He blinks in confusion while I shrug to make the situation even worse. "What do you mean by that, Nick?"

"Well…. It seems you will be having a colleague soon. I want you to be nice to her, okay? You both are going to handle my business around here and you know what that means, my attention will be divided soon." I wink.

"What do you mean? C’mon… Don't tell me you got tired of me already. You should be happy I was able to handle your s**t all these years, you jerk. Who is this person?" He growls and it makes me chuckles- seeing him jealous.

"You'll know soon," I wink and a small laugh slips my mouth but Caleb isn't interested in my childish ways. "You look like s**t, man." I tease Caleb but the look in his eyes is something to be scared of.

"f**k you," he cuss.

"Let's go now. It's about time we show them what we're made of. I am done here." I command.

"Wait for me, you jerk!" He whines.

I chuckle as I walk through the hallway. Caleb is just being extra because he certainly doesn't want to share me with someone else. Even though Tessa needs this position to change her life for good, there's no way I will let go of Caleb just like that. He is my ride or die best pal. Most days while I do Dad's shitty bidding in the underground world, he cleans up my mess. The media doesn't know yet but Dad has some bloody mafia lineage linked to him and to make it all worse, he made me his successor. Now I have to fight for his company and fight his rivals behind the scene just to stay relevant in society.

The Sharks do have lots of enemies.

*

It's past midnight and I am still stuck in the office trying to make sense of the company's stock. Something isn't adding up.

"Caleb," I call but a low growl rumbles in the air and I turn to see him glaring at me with his eyes looking tired from all the work we have done so far. "Don't be a sisi and get back to work."

"You are definitely giving me a raise for this task because I never signed up for this. Really Nick?!"

I chuckle and grab my cellphone on the desk. I have been so busy but somehow, I can feel that I am forgetting something important. The glare of my phone screen sends chills running down my spine with tons of messages from my driver and Clinton.

"What the heck?!" I snap. "Tessa…"

Caleb jolts and the notepad in his hand slips on the ground. He runs to my desk and grabs my cellphone but I snatch it right back and stand to my feet.

"I have to go now. Call me when you find anything suspicious about these reports, okay?"

"Are you kidding me? I have to get some sleep."

"That's not my business, do as I say and don't forget to lock the doors behind you when you are done. You are free to stay behind tomorrow and have a day off."

"Whatever," he whines.

I hurry and slam the door so hard on my way out but I suddenly feel a pull, a firm and rough hand gripping my wrist.

I halt, trying so hard to hold back my anger, take a deep breath and lift my head slowly.

The nerves!

This isn't Caleb. I can feel it.