Chapter 18 You’re the weakest link

Chapter 18 You’re the weakest link
NICHOLAS
Nicholas noticed Iris’ watering eyes and observed her with his head imperceptibly tilted. She was joking if that was all it took to get to her.
She dared to walk into his office and declare that she was the owner of an establishment such as Astor’s cosmetic and yet couldn’t handle the truth was a testament to how right his assessment of her was.
If she had any sense she had to cut her losses and give up her claim to Astor, accepting that her old man had been wrong at believing she was capable of leadership.
The one year training was only to delay the inevitable. But he wouldn’t deny that she was not without any advantages. 
She was attractive… A huge understatement. Striking was a better word. Almost unreal as a picture, he had been captivated when he had first seen her.
But being easy on the eyes could only work to her advantage and not against her if she was a little sharp around the edges.
But not only did she lack that, she lacked other things.
Like presence. She was not bold enough to inspire confidence and was so modest, it was concerning. 
None of that made a good CEO, at best a wife for a particular brand of men he detested.
Men whose ego were such a fragile thing, every form of self in their women felt like an act of defiance against them. Weak men.
He gazed lazily at Iris. “If you’re done throwing yourself a pity party you can leave. I have a lot of paperwork that need my attention.”
“No,” her voice was soft but he could hear a tinge of anger. “I’ve not waited for hours just to be discharged like a child. I came here straight from the airport, I’m tired, sleepy and hungry. You don’t get to mock such devotion by one quick assessment. At least tell me why you think I’m not good enough.”
He frowned at her. “Are you sure you’re capable of handling everything I see when I look at you?”
She folded her hands, her next words were icy. “Now, you have only gotten me more curious.”
He sat up. “I can see why Timothy Astor might have thought you a better heir over Scarlett. You have an emotional touch, you care about connections… feelings,” he scoffed, showing exactly what he thought of that being a deciding factor to chose an heir vested with the responsibility of preserving one’s legacy. 
He didn’t know the man personally and even he would not like to speak ill of the dead. Not when he had a lot of the living to scorn but it was just a stupid decision and the brains behind one of the biggest beauty industry in the country couldn’t be stupid. So this must be some error. A last minute mistake made by a father instead of a business man. 
A mistake he now had the responsibility of rectifying with some hard truths.
“Apart from the will, what gives you the right to Astor Cosmetics?” He asked.
“I’ve a degree in—”
“Wrong.” He said. “The business is thriving quite fine under financial managers more experienced than you could ever hope to be as at this moment, a few who would be retained as your advisers. I doubt your degree is of any importance. You have only two tries and after that security will escort you out regardless of your reluctance to leave. I don’t care about how unfair you think it is.”
“I was one of the best interns—”
“One among dozens.” He drawled. “One last time.”
She was quiet for some time and he saw when the realization dawned on her. It was the reason the receptionist had given her the time of day. It was what gave her access to him. Why he was even having this conversation with her and was willing to be as patient as he was being. It was nothing that she’d earned, struggled for, nothing she was good at, nothing she deserved, just a dice of who birthed you…
“My last name,” she finally voiced.
“Not dumb after all.” He said, a smirk touching his face that still didn’t affect his eyes. “That’s the only thing you have.”
“The shareholders prefer me to Scarlett.” She countered, her lips in a straight line.
“Because they desire a pawn. You are easier to manipulate but Scarlett could convince them with profits, you can only hold their support if you don’t mind being their puppet” He shook his head at the look of surprise in her eyes, his lips curled. “You think those greedy men give a damn about Timothy’s wishes?” 
Scarlett was right, she was helplessly naive. He had heard about her academic prowess, she was better off committing to the life of a academian and leaving the dirty games attached to corporate wars behind her. 
Although they were fought with smiles, signature committed on harmless piece of paper and politeness, they were so deadly, they corrupted and killed. Not many lived to tell the story.
Bored, he said, “You’re not ruthless enough to hold onto power hence you can’t be trusted with hundreds of individuals that depend on the smooth running of Astor Cosmetics to earn a living.”
“I’m a corporate shark, a predator and if I wanted Astor cosmetics, you’d be my first bet,” At that, Iris flinched. “You’re the weakest link. Indecisive, unconfident, frail, spineless, self-effacing… Even the Astor name that is supposed to be your ace, you’ve reduced to a deuce. You’re so self shrinking, I’ve only talked to you for all of five minutes but I know that you’re the most incompetent person to be at the helm of Astor Cosmetics. Is that answer enough?”
She nodded slowly and stood up from the leather seat where she sat facing him. 
Nicholas, with the awareness of knowing he had done the lord’s work and happy to be left alone to his work was surprised, when much considerably smaller hands put their hand over his stopping him from prying his laptop open. 
She was now bent over his desk and when he stared at her eyes, he was forced to look away. He never thought her coffee brown doe eyes could be capable of so much anger. It was almost like a living, breathing thing, he was tempted to acknowledge it, give it a seat and offer it brandy.
It was so heady and real, that it physically made her hands tremble. He wondered how she was capable of containing it and what stirred such emotions in her in the first place. 
For the first time he was realizing that his assessment of the younger Astor might be completely wrong and far-fetched. 
“I’m untried, I’d agree. Perhaps not as confident as a result. I shrink myself, maybe it is a force of habit. But spineless?” She laughed, it lacked melody and was a mere shadow of what should have been. “I’ve survived what would have killed you and I’m right here in front of you ready to go another round. I might need your help, but that… that doesn’t give you the pass to judge me, then dismiss me. I’d not stand for that, understand?”
Frozen, Nicholas didn’t know when he nodded.
Satisfied, she leaned back, grabbed her traveling bag and made for the door then stopped. “Just like you have an assessment about me, I have one about you too and it can be summed up with one word. Disappointing.” Then she walked out, her chin in the air and her head raised. 
Nicholas stared at the door, with just one question. 
What just happened now?