Chapter 61 Withdrawing!
Evelyn's POV.
I don’t know why I was pissed but he really shouldn't be like this.
It was the first time I was seeing Adrian acting so weak, like he doesn't have the situation in control when he always has everything under his control.
His voice rose. “It's the truth, Evelyn.”
That made me freeze and the energy to respond suddenly left me.
By the truth, he means the empire was truly acquired through fraud and corruption?
I swallowed hard, every word I had planned to say suddenly found their way out of my head.
Silence stretched between us and that silence was broken when Adrian’s phone started ringing.
He picked his phone up, staring at the screen for a moment before he placed the phone to the ear.
I breathed from hard to steady while I watched.
For a while, he didn't speak but I saw the way his hands clenched around the phone.
“So, they are really withdrawing?” He asked, his voice low.
The voice at the other end must have given a positive response because Adrian threw his phone to the floor.
That sudden action of his made my eyes widened, the phone barely missing the sides of my eyes.
I turned to look at the phone which had landed so violently on the floor and once again turned back to Adrian.
His face snapped to the dining table and I couldn't read what he was thinking until I saw him grab a glass which was the only thing on the table.
Before I could process what he was trying to do, he crushed the glass in his hands, throwing the shards that remained in his hand to the wall.
Blood dripped down from his hand and my lips parted as I gasped in shock. Adrian moved over to the cellar while I watched, my face still cladded with shock.
The presence of someone beside me made me turn.
Mira bowed slightly. She didn't say a word and just handed the first aid box kit to me.
“Have a talk with him when he's calm,” Mira forced a smile to her lips. “I'll be around in case you need me."
She bowed slightly and made her exit.
“Thank you,” I muttered, watching her exit before slowly walking to where Adrian was.
He was seated in front of the cellar, a bottle of beer in front of him and he filled the mug while I watched from a distance.
He gulped in a second, making me blink. He was really trying to get himself drunk.
I moved closer to him, standing at a far end of the table in front of the cellar. I dropped the first aid kit on the table, looking through it for what I'd need to use to tend to his hands.
I got cotton wool, a methylated spirit and other nursing tools.
I calculated my steps as I walked to Adrian. When I got to him, I watched without making a sound.
He stared at a blank space, his hurt hand curling around the mug of beer.
“It's not the end of the world, Adrian,” I said, my voice soothing. “If it hurts inside, let it all out. If it's too hard to handle, then let it be, let them all talk about it.”
“That call earlier was from the major bank working with me.” He said without facing me. “They don't want to back up a leader who gets involved in scandals every goddamn time,” he said.
I was starting to feel pity for him. He was usually cold, usually quiet, not giving a damn about what anyone said but right now, he's a different man.
“You are hurt. Let me tend to your injury,” I said.
I sat down on the chair beside him, taking his hand off the glass and drawing it close to me.
He didn't object and only allowed me. I cleaned his palm, wrapping it up with a bandage afterwards.
“Father built a decent company from the start,” Adrian started softly. “But he was reckless.”
“He took emotional decisions in business,” he continued. “He nearly sent the company into bankruptcy."
“He trusted the wrong partners, destroyed real partnerships, cut staff off, firing people without second thoughts,” Adrian explained.
“The board members lost trust in him. No one stood by him anymore,”
“He manipulated contracts just to get back on his feet. He did a lot of things,” Adrian gulped the glass of beer again.
“I've tried to clean the mistakes. Right the wrongs.” He laughed softly. “I buried that era, trying so hard to erase the stains it had in it but everything is out,”
I listened quietly, my hand still holding his. I swallowed hard when he was done.
“You've always handled it well,” I said. “This shouldn't be any different, you should be able to end this with the public well.”
My face was laced with worry, my hands squeezed Adrian's, wanting to reassure him.
My words can only do a little to help him at the moment but I wanted to be there for him. Even if we are not in love and are just a decorative couple, I want to make him feel better if I could.
Just then, a phone call came for him. He stared at the screen and didn't pick up instantly.
I also looked at the phone then back at him. Whatever it was the person had to say, was it something good related to this or bad?
There was no way one would know.
The phone rang for a while more and I heard Adrian sigh. He picked the phone up, taking it to his ear.
“Mr. Kane.” I was close to him so I could hear the voice on the other end. “There's huge trouble,”
“The way the stocks drop scares me!” The voice said panicked.
I threw my head back, heaving a sigh. I really hated that Adrian was going through this.
Adrian only listened and when the guy on the other end was done, he ended the call, leaning back into the chair.
Once again, I squeezed his hand and he turned to face me.
“Be strong. I know you've got this” I said, pulling him closer to me.
It was something I never thought I'd do to Adrian but I hugged him.