Chapter 89 CHAPTER 89

Chapter 89 CHAPTER 89
Andrew’s POV

“Kneel,” I tell him confidently. He stares at me at first and then strains his ears as if he didn’t hear me well the first time.

“What did you just say?” he asks, still sounding confused.

“You heard me correctly,” I answered. “You caused this entire mess in the first place. If you want me to fix it, the least you can do is kneel.”

“You can’t be serious,” he utters.

“I won’t force you but that will mean Aurora doesn’t mean enough to you. I thought you liked her. Will you refuse to kneel in order to save her from the mess you pushed her into?” I ask him calmly. All I want is his response. I wait patiently as he seems to be deep in thought.

“You will save Aurora whether I kneel or not, won’t you?” he asks, sounding convinced already.

“I don’t plan on saving her if you don’t kneel,” I reply.

“No, that’s a lie,” Callum shakes his head sideways. “I know you also have feelings for Aurora, that’s why you had her assigned to you. That’s the only reason you went through the stress of having her reassigned in the first place. You just want me to kneel as a bonus.”

He was right about that. I guess I will have to admit that already.

“Answer my question,” I tell him with an air of disregard. “Will you kneel down to save Aurora or will you keep your pride and watch her perish? The choice is all yours, Callum.”

He smiles widely, just as if he had just hit the jackpot.

“I won’t kneel down,” he says. “And that doesn’t mean it’s because I don’t like Aurora that much. It’s because I know you’ll save her with or without my knees on the ground.”

I scoff, “For a woman you like, don’t you think another man is saving her too many times?”

The expression on his face changes instantly. He must feel offended. He is just another man with a sense of pride after all.

“I… Don’t ever tell me…” Callum begins to say.

I cut in sharply, “I should leave now.”

Without allowing him to say another word, I get into my car and drive off. I can tell he is probably shouting at me now that I can’t hear him. That’s what he is; a loser.



The next day, my mother and I have breakfast together. She was there first and I couldn’t be bothered to leave and so, I sat opposite her. We did not talk, not until she finished eating her pasta.

“Did you hear?” she asks.

“That’s vague,” I reply with a mouthful of food. “I have ears so I hear many things.”

“It’s about Callum,” she replies. “According to his mother, he will be one of the directors at the art gallery.”

“I heard already. He told me himself,” I replied casually.

“I’m not sure it is good news for you. From now on, you will be compared with Callum no matter what you do,” my mother tells me. A stranger would think she truly cared.

“No one has compared Callum with me to my face. If someone is not happy with the news, it must be you,” I reply boldly. “Also, Callum and I are miles apart. I became the CEO of Rousseau dynamics ages ago. How can you compare me with one of the twenty directors of an art gallery? A new director at that.”

My mother smiles as she looks into my eyes. I wonder what she has in mind.

“Something has changed,” she mutters.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“You sound like you deem yourself superior to Callum. If it was before, you would be humble, saying how it didn’t matter who entered the business world first,” my mother says after thorough observation. “I’m not too surprised though. I knew you would end up wanting to outdo Callum.”

“He hasn’t done something I want to outdo,” I reply.

“Not yet,” my mother chirps in. “But who knows? He might do it today or tomorrow.”

“I don’t mind even if he does. I don’t wish to be involved in the subtle competition between two friends,” I reply dismissively.

“Of course. That’s how the typical Andrew should react,” she nods a couple of times.

“Are you trying to imply that I’m no longer the typical Andrew?” I ask.

“You know the answer yourself,” she tells me with a smile. “Ah, you are right about what you said earlier. Callum’s mother and I are best friends and we’ve sustained that friendship by always competing against each other. We learned a lot from each other while competing and that has kept our friendship alive till this day.”

“And now both of you are no longer the ones competing, right?” I ask carefully.

“Exactly,” she affirms. “We have shifted our attention to our sons. You and Callum are the objects of our competition now. Even though both of us never make mention of it, we want our child to be better than the other’s child. Clara has been quiet for a while since you were in business and Callum wasn’t. However, it has changed now. Both of you are on level terms and the comparison will start once Callum accomplishes something.”

“Just go straight to the point. I know all these without you telling me,” I say weakly. I am unable to savor my food anymore so I drop the cutlery.

“I need you to know that I am on your side,” she tells me seriously.

“I don’t understand,” I mutter.

She sighs before she begins to talk again, “What I am saying is, if you and Callum ever get involved in a fight, I will support you. If you ever have to compete against him… if you ever have to beat him, I will be on your side.”

“Why would you do that? I’m not sure we are that close,” I say, paying her attention.

“It is simple. You and I, we are related by blood,” she replies flatly.