Chapter 25 Sushi
Kian
With my legs propped on the table, a lazy smile appeared on my face as I tapped on my screen, ready to crush this game when the news that was being reported caught my attention.
I lifted my gaze to the TV, still tapping the screen as the newscaster’s voice filled my ears. “It has been confirmed that there has been at least one casualty from the fire that engulfed the Wild Groove Club. The club manager was found incinerated in the fire and two brothers are still missing. The authorities are still investigating this tragic incident”
I clicked my tongue in my mouth, casting a glance at the phone’s screen to be sure that I hadn't lost yet. Incidents like this weren't normal. I was sure that someone was behind it because with the club manager being the only casualty, it meant that he was targeted!
Only God knew the sick fuck who did that.
“This is the result of a nation that doesn't take mental health issues seriously—” I muttered, trying to focus all my attention on the game when Verena flashed through my mind and I paused mid-tap.
As I leaned back in the chair, a smile spread across my face as her frustrated words replayed in my head.
To think that she called me—
If I had known that getting her to call me was that easy, I would have used my connections to stop her from filing for a divorce earlier. But it had never crossed my mind because I felt like with time, she would come around.
However, things took a turn when I woke up to the news of my uncle and his mysterious woman one unfortunate morning. Just thinking about that horrible morning sent anger bristling up my spine. I didn't imagine that they would go that far and worse, how could Verena move on easily?
Attending football games with him. Soon, things would escalate into her making a formal appearance with him, and by then, it might be too late for me because what if she falls in love with him?
So I used my connection with the law firms just to remind her that she was still married to me—forever! Because that divorce was never going to happen.
How would it even happen when she had no lawyer to represent her?
By the time she was done being infatuated by my manipulative uncle, she would return home and we would start afresh.
“Arggh!” A groan ripped from my throat because I had lost the game—just in time as the door opened.
My eyes snapped to my secretary as I tossed the phone to the side, sitting properly. “Why are you here, Hannah?”
“Good morning, Mr Kian—”
“What is so great about the morning?”
The smile on her face faltered and when I knew that I had got her, my face broke into a smile. “Good morning, Hannah. Want to have coffee with me?”
The tension from her hitched shoulders eased and she returned my smile, exhaling sharply as she placed a hand on her chest. “You scared me, sir…”
“That wasn't scary though…” I muttered, glancing at my beeping phone before fixing my eyes back on her. “Back to my previous question”
Her lips parted in a small gasp. “You have a visitor sir however he made no prior appointment but he mentioned that he is from Miss Verena Carson—”
My heart almost leaped into my throat and I sprang up immediately before I calmed down when her words resounded through my head and it dawned on me that it wasn't Verena who came here but someone else.
I cocked a brow at Hannah, confusion making a full swirl in me. “You mentioned something like he is from my wife?”
Her eyes widened and I forced out a laugh. “Mistake. From Verena?”
She nodded.
“Let him in,” I said, plopping down on my seat while wondering who was here because if it were my uncle, almost half the staff knew him.
Gosh. I didn't want to think about that man plus, he would never set foot here.
Verena had no friends, family, and the only lawyer she had, I had bought him away with my money so who could she have sent, and for what reason?
Could there be a high chance that she had ended things with my uncle and had sent someone to apologize on her behalf for all the mental stress that she had put me through and maybe resolve things between us?
While that sounded nearly impossible. That was the only thing I could think of. I hoped that was the case. I really hoped it was.
Just before Hannah could twist the doorknob, my eyes landed on the packed lunch box of sushi that Zita had made for me and irritation rolled through my nerves. Between her and mum, I didn't know which was the worst cook.
I think my mum was better. She could at least make a sandwich but Zita?—nothing to write home about.
I mean it was okay if she didn't know how to cook. I was a terrible cook as well but Zita just didn't know when to stop!
I had told her to stop cooking because we had a lot of chefs and if she wanted to cook, she shouldn't include mine.
But that dramatic woman has been trying to impress me with her horrible food since I asked her when she was returning to London.
The last time she made extra soggy noodles that I didn't ask for and she cried when I spat it back. I didn't know if she thought that breaking into tears at every slight inconvenience was cute because to me, it was irritating and that is why she had to leave to London as fast as possible.
Hannah walked up to me. “Take this lunch box,” I said.
Confusion swirled in her eyes. “What do I do with this sir?”
“It is now yours, eat it or dispose of it in the trash can. But word of advice, the cook who made this sushi is the worst cook to have ever existed. So consume at your own risk”
She laughed, took that sushi—I was glad that I didn't have to see it again— and left while I was back to pondering about Verena.
Soon the door opened and the moment my eyes lifted to who it was, my heart froze and I could feel the color on my face draining.
What the fuck! What was this nerd doing here?
A smug smile tilted his lips as he adjusted his glasses, holding a briefcase with the other hand while he lowered his head before me. With every step that Mikaelson fucking Williams took towards me, fresh anger coursed through me.
He didn't even ask to take his seat. He just sat confidently like he owned the place.
I glared daggers at him. “Sure, you are not lost?”
Mikaelson set his briefcase on the table, opening it while removing an envelope. “I am Mikaelson Williams, a lawyer from the Carter Law Firm and Ms. Verena Cooper’s lawyer…” My world tilted as he tossed the envelope to me. “There you would find divorce papers and she will be suing for adultery”
I stared at him, horrified, lost for words to say, and for minutes, all I did was stare at him until it slowly hit me that my uncle was the one behind him being here.
Mikael was a childhood friend—not exactly— and he was the son of the butler. He always had perfect grades and I was always tormented hearing everyone praise him. My parents always compared me to him and that was where the hate started.
I wouldn't share my toys with him, pushed him when I had the chance, and just disliked him. Uncle Daxton, who had noticed how the comparison with Mikaelson affected me psychologically, always tried to make me feel special.
But that wasn't enough because he also loved Mikaelson and would reprimand me whenever I hurt him intentionally.
I could never forgive Mikaelson for stealing all the love that was supposed to be mine so in the senior year of high school, I fucked his bitch and sent videos to him just to prove a fucking point.
And right now, my uncle who knew how this man affected me psychologically hired him to represent Verena in our divorce case.
My uncle was taunting me openly. He was tormenting me with my past because of all the people he could hire for Verena. Mikaelson?
I hated his face. Couldn't even stand seeing him.
But I wouldn't give Mikaelson the pleasure of seeing how he affected me so I tried to keep a calm composure, casually glancing at the envelope and Mikaelson’s face. “Adultery?”
That horrible smile remained on his face. “Yes, my client would love to sue for adultery?”
I huffed out a small laugh. “How exactly would this go when Verena is also having extra-marital affairs because even though we are separated we are still married. So, this has to be a joke or you clearly have no idea what you are doing. Plus you have no evidence to prove your case against me”
Mikaelson laughed—a calm, infuriating one that grated on my nerves.
He removed his glasses, setting them down while he leaned forward, staring into my eyes as if he was searching through them. “Kian, what proof do you have that my client is committing adultery?”
I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.
“Exactly what I thought,”
“This makes no sense. Verena is cheating on—”
Mikaelson cut in. “Kian Cooper. I have never lost a single case. What Ms. Verena does doesn't matter because I turn the culprit into the victim and the victim into the culprit and concerning what you said about having no evidence—” He removed an envelope from the briefcase, unsealing it and—
My heart stopped, seeing the pictures that he arranged before me.
“This is a picture of you and Miss Zita at Niagara Falls, kissing. Another picture of you two on a yacht. Another one of the two of you making out at a nightclub in London—”
My face turned red, fingers turning into fists as I muttered through clenched teeth. “Uncle Daxton.”