Chapter 74 CLOSER ENEMIES
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” I clenched my jaw nervously, watching her enjoy my reactions.
“Oh, my love, I own 50% of the shares, remember?” she hissed, amused.
“40% are yours; your brat has 10%.” I gritted my teeth, enraged, restraining the urge to lunge at her neck and snap it.
“Didn't your secretary inform you this morning?” Putting her hand to her mouth, feigning surprise, she walked over to the desk and sat on the edge, subtly spreading her legs, letting the business skirt ride up a bit, revealing her thighs. “Celdric transferred his part to me!”
“That changes nothing; I don’t need to accept your presence in the merger. We have professional mediators for that.” I ignored her, feeling my phone vibrate. Seeing a message from my sweet Lis, I smiled slightly.
“I see, there's someone in your heart,” Heloise remarked, hiking up her skirt even more with her hands. “Does she know how dangerous you are, my love?”
“Stop with the games; you look like a bitch in heat.” I rolled my eyes, irritated, rubbing my temples. “I’ve wasted too much time with you already!”
“Then come waste a little more, you know.” She stood up, pulling me in and wrapping her arms around my neck. “I wasn't lying when I said I missed you.”
Licking the tip of my ear, Heloise ran her hands down my stomach to my waist, trying to slip them into my pants. I grabbed her wrist firmly, squeezing it and staring her down.
“Heloise, you need to accept that what we had is over!” I threw her hands aside forcefully. “I will never forgive you for what you did, never.”
With eyes filled with tears and red, she clenched her fists in a rigid stance.
“We're both guilty; it's not fair that only I am punished!” she shouted at me.
“I already live in my own hell and punishment for it, as you well know!” I retorted, feeling my chest burn with fury.
“I wasn’t kidding when I told you on the day of the divorce that if you rejected me, I would completely destroy you.” She grabbed the folders and hurled them at me, out of control. “Pay close attention to my words, Patrick Morgan. If you think you’ll be happy with your secretary, you’re very mistaken. I’ll destroy her if she stays in my way.”
“Don’t you dare threaten Elisabeth!” I thundered, grabbing her by the neck. “I’ll kill you if you get near her!”
At that moment, a flash of light came in our direction. I looked outside, seeing one of Heloise’s bribed men taking a picture. I looked back at her, with her skirt hiked up and me gripping her neck while she fake-cried, smearing her makeup.
“You bitch, have you set this all up?” I shouted, squeezing her neck tighter.
“Oh, darling, I told you I would destroy you, and I will. Just imagine the headlines tomorrow!” Smiling, I released her; she coughed, rubbing her neck. “You know, I always get excited by your roughness.”
“GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, HELOISE!” I yelled, beside myself.
“We’ll see each other soon, my love!” Adjusting her skirt, Heloise walked out with a victorious stance.
“Damn you!” I raged, grabbing a chair and hurling it at the glass door, shattering it.
The security guards rushed into the room, looking shocked at the glass on the floor.
“Sir, is everything alright?” one of the guards asked.
“What were you doing that you didn’t see the journalist come in?” I yelled, standing in front of them. “Why do I pay you if you can’t do the minimum of the job you’re paid for?”
“Sorry, sir, but the guy was credentialed by the company. We didn’t think he could be complicit with your ex,” the guard said, looking at the others. “Investigate all the staff. Let’s find anyone linked to Forbes and arrange their removal.”
They all nodded.
“Have someone clean up this mess.” I stepped over the broken glass, shrugging at the guard. “Is my helicopter ready?”
“Yes, sir, waiting at the helipad,” the tense security guard responded. “Sir, we will rectify our mistake.”
“Then find the bastard who took the photo and destroy it before it hits the news!” I glared at him. “And have HR find someone truly competent to replace my executive secretary.”
“Yes, sir!” the guard replied, stepping away while others accompanied me.
I headed to the helicopter and departed for the next destination, conflicted and uncertain. Long hours passed until we landed at an ancient temple known for miraculous healers. The monks' medicine, as it was called, was little known in the world, with only a few having reported such an experience.
“Mr. Morgan, you are quite young,” said a bald monk as I stepped away from the helicopter and walked towards him.
“Monk Nathaniel, it is an honor to be received by you.” I bowed my head in respect and was pulled into a surprising hug.
“Sorry, we like to embrace fragmented souls,” smiled the elderly man with thick, graying eyebrows. “Follow me and tell me, to what do we owe the honor of the most famous CEO in Seattle and our most cherished donor?”
“I’m glad to help in any way I can.” I smiled slightly. “The world needs the purity you preach.”
“That we live, you mean? We’ve lost our essence in the material world—power money, wars, betrayals, lies, and secrets,” he led us to a garden with beautiful flowers among the rocks. “Look, the flowers coexist with the stones in the path, adapting; they didn’t fight the rock, they just settled, taking their rightful place.”
“In philosophy, that's beautiful, but in practice.” I ran my hands through my hair. “You know why I came.”
“Yes, do you understand what we do here?” Nathaniel, who had his hands behind his back, placed them on my shoulder in a gentle grip. “Do you comprehend that the treatment is painful, going against all your beliefs, and that we will need to work on your mind for your body to react?”
“Yes!” I kept my gaze steady.
“Do you understand that this might not work, but your spirit will be elevated on this journey?” He kept his eyes firmly on mine.