I know he’s just joking, but it triggers something dominant and protective in me.
“Pft. Chill, bro. I’ll catch you later, then.”
With that, the call ends. As men of the same status, we have a tacit understanding of things. Business isn’t all about making profits and expansion. It involves not only the economic stability of a country, but political equilibrium as well. Countless lives depend on firms to survive. Now that we’ve uncovered an unpleasant truth, we’ll need to tread on thin lines.
I sigh heavily.
The deceased are gone, and the living shall continue to persist. But as my parents’ child, I ought to bring them justice. It’s something I swore to do the
moment I inherited the company. It might take time, but I will expose this corruption.
“What are you thinking?” a soft voice whispers as a pair of delicate arms wrap around my waist. There’s a tinge of concern in her voice.
“Nothing.”
“Derik, I know I’m young and inexperienced in a lot of things, but you can always tell me if something is bothering you. I may not be able to help, but I can be a listening ear.”
I chuckle as I turn to face her. She looks at me expectantly, her eyes reflecting the dim light coming from the moon, her lips pursed and her cheeks red.
She sniffs and my gaze lands on her bare shoulders as she stands before me, wrapped in my sheet, her hair messy.
“Get inside. You’ll catch a cold,” I order.
She pouts, continuing to stand rooted in her spot.
“You don’t take me seriously at all! Why do I even bother?!”
I hold her shoulders with my hands and pull her in for a hug. Her concern is enough to remind me that I’m not alone anymore.
Right.
I need to protect her, too.
“I was just thinking about having a proper meal.”
“W-what are you talking about? W-we c-can’t cook. The attendants have gone to sleep,” she stammers as she buries her face in my chest like a kitten.
“I want to eat, hmm?” I whisper huskily.
There’s a long silence before she pushes me away. She marches back into the bedroom without sparing another glance. When I hear a loud bang coming from a slamming door, I burst out laughing.
Chapter 15
NATALIE
“I can’t believe you’ve been in Tucson for almost three months now and
you didn’t tell me!” Kelsi Stoval, my high school best friend, complains
after setting her shot glass down on the table. Crossing her long legs, she narrows her eyes, studying me suspiciously.
It’s Friday night, and we’re hanging out in a VIP room of one of the nightclubs she owns downtown. Kelsi is the mayor’s daughter. She never had any interest in politics and established a name for herself by building her own businesses.
“Oh, please. Stop looking at me like that.”
Rolling my eyes, I wave a hand to dismiss whatever she’s thinking. She has a knack for coming up with the worst guesses in the world. We haven’t seen each other for almost five years, since I moved to Los Angeles after high school graduation.
Regardless, we keep in touch from time to time.
“Something’s different with you…” she comments, her head cocked to one side.
I raise my brow, sipping from my wine glass. I have a good alcohol tolerance, but since I’m driving, I opted for a bottle of wine. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Like what?”
“You look… radiant.”
I pause, almost choking.
“What? Are you saying that I usually look dull?”
“No, I mean...it’s just different. You’re glowing. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re expecting or something. Are you even dating anyone these days?”
Taken aback, I blink frantically as my pulse speeds up. With a shaking hand, I set my glass down, my mind automatically counting the days of my menstrual cycle.
Seeing my reaction, she gasps exaggeratingly, her eyes wide and her mouth ajar.
“No, you’re not!”
