Chapter 92: Another Proposal

"You do know that we're a freelance company, Mr Addicus?" Mr Andrew asked.

"Yes, everyone knows that!" Addicus replied.

"And why do you think that is? We have been given offers before for sole partnerships but we refused all of them."

"You're a new company with a lot of potential. You want to check out all the options before selecting the best. I am the best option to get this company where it wants to be," Addicus said with confidence.

***His offer was just too good and Mr Andrew was a smart businessman***. There's no way he would reject it, Addicus thought to himself.

"As tempting and enticing as your offer is, Modex isn't looking for a partner at this particular moment. Our company's stocks are rising every day, we're getting new offers from hundreds of companies worldwide and our net value is growing rapidly. You want to offer us a shortcut to the top of the mountain but we're already almost there and we can get there on our own," Mr Andrew said and stood up.

"Thank you for your offer but the answer is **no**. We can still do business together but we can't be sole partners. Have a great day, Mr Addicus," Andrew said with a hand out for a handshake.

Addicus stood up as well and took his hand, shaking it quite firmly, almost squeezing it.

"I'll advise you to reconsider my proposition, Mr Andrew. Chances like this only come once in a lifetime." Addicus said coldly.

He let go of his hand and they left Modex.

While in his car, with Jacobos Winston sitting close to him, Addicus angrily took the contract that he prepared for Mr Andrew and ripped it apart.

"Sir, if I may?"

Addicus stared at him, waiting for him to speak his mind.

"There's still a chance to get this deal with Modex," Jacobos told him.

"And how are we to manage that? He blatantly refused my offer and practically kicked us out," Addicus shot out.

"We can always... think outside the box and use a different approach to convince him," Jacobos said mischievously.

*Addicus immediately understood what Jacobos meant.*

"No! There has to be another way to get them to sign, a legal way."

"There isn't, Sir! If they can refuse such a good offer, then nothing we say or do legally will convince them. If you really want Worthington Enterprise to be the unrivalled king, we have to take drastic steps to ensure that." Jacobos probed.

"This is too important to resort to such measures. If we get exposed, it could be the end of my company."

"But we won't! At least think about it."

"I'll think about it," Addicus said and looked outside the window.

He was thinking about the promise he made to himself about going straight. He didn't want to go back to how he was before, but this deal with Modex was the most important he had ever had and he was feeling conflicted about what choice he should make.

A few days passed and Addicus decided not to go through with Jacobos' devious plan. Instead, he sent more offers to Modex; ***better offers but they were all mailed back to him. The CEO, Mr Andrew, just wouldn't accept it.***

As more days passed, Addicus' patience was wearing thin. He sat in his home office and he wanted results but he wasn't getting any. He knew that resorting back to the mentality of **"Take What You Want By Any Means Necessary"** would get him this deal, but he didn't want to do it.

"Why not? Why not do what you need to in order to get this deal that's so important to you?"

Addicus looked around, searching for who was speaking but he was alone in his office.

"You know what you have to do so just do it." The voice said again, much louder now.

Addicus stood up and held his head. He was trying to fight his demons. He didn't want to be a monster anymore.

"Why are you fighting yourself?"

Addicus stumbled around and fell to one knee right next to a mirror in his office. He looked into it and saw the face with the voice; **His father.**

"Why do you try to deny who you are, who you were raised to be?"

"I don't want to be like you! Not anymore," Addicus replied to the image.

"What are you trying to prove? Who are you trying to impress? Sharon? You think that she'll ever want you just because you're changing, becoming a good person? Look at me, my son!" The image of his father said and he looked up at him.

"She'll never be yours, no matter what you do. You are a lion so start acting like one and show some teeth."

The image of his father disappeared and he remained on the floor, contemplating his motivations.

.

.

.

Peter drove back to the house after he and Chris went shopping for a ring and the other things they needed in the house. He had found the perfect ring and all that was left, was to get on one knee and give it to Sharon.

"Someone's happy?" Chris said with a smile.

"Of course, I'm happy. I'm getting married to the woman I love," Peter said joyfully.

"Yes you are, my friend and after all you've both been through, you deserve to be happy together."

Peter had a moment where he thought about his lost family and how much their deaths hurt him. He didn't think he would ever love again but here he was, already planning on remarrying.

"We should send out invitations to your sisters in Paris!" Chris said to him.

"I haven't spoken to the two of them in years after they relocated to France. I stopped sending letters to them after Jane and Debora died, and I haven't heard from them ever since," Peter said, a bit dishearteningly.

"That's why you should try to reach out to them, to reconnect! You haven't had a stable relationship with your sisters for years. You left for the army at just eighteen, you spent more than five years in service and when you were finally discharged, your sisters' had started their new lives in another country. From what you've told me, they didn't show up for your first wedding which is why they must come to this one," Chris argued.

"You know what, Chris? You're right! I need to reconnect with my loved ones, so I'll send them a letter and invite them to the wedding."

"Do it soon, my friend. It takes a letter a while to get from here to France," Chris said with a smile.

"We should also invite Spence and his family."

"Spencer? You mean the crazy pilot guy back in Costa Rica? Sure, just as long as he doesn't fly here, otherwise he'll end up crashing his plane on your wedding ceremony."

"You still don't like him, do you?" Peter asked, laughing at his friend.

"No comments!"

*They kept driving and Peter thought about how he would ask Sharon to marry him a second time. He came up with the idea of taking her to the creek and proposing there with the ring. He remembered that she told him that the creek was one of the best places to go to in Jacksonville, so he thought it would be a very good idea to propose to her there.*