In Love and Diplomacy

Chapter Fifty-Two: Boss Battle

"I don't relate to you, no
'Cause I'd never treat me this shitty
You made me hate this city"

- Billie Eilish, "Happier Than Ever"

Chapter Fifty-Two

There was a moment then, where the world was completely still.

Quentin, knocked on his back, astonished as he held his jaw and gazed up at the towering form above him. Reed, menacing and unapologetic, neither of which he could be blamed for. Beck glowered in the doorway, and Simon had the faintest of smiles tickling his face, a hurt smile of satisfaction that conflicted in more ways than one. Cruz was shocked, a lot like Quentin was, yet not nearly as much. In fact, he seemed almost sad as he looked down at his friend.

The world was still for a moment.

"Get up." A sharp snarl seemed to rip out of Reed's chest.

Before then, I'd thought only animals could snarl, but that sound proved me right and wrong all at once. It was the sound of an angered, injured animal. Injured physically, emotionally, mentally. I ached for Reed, for Beck, for Simon. For Greystone.

I ached for the pain and suffering that made no sense to me. I ached for the little boy Alexei, his parents, and the little boy inside Reed. As much as Reed had rebelled in the past few weeks, he'd looked up to Quentin. As much as Reed had pushed back, Quentin was his boss, his mentor, his friend. I wasn't sure he was any of those things anymore.

Quentin only said his name. "Sterling—"

"Don't." Reed's finger jabbed at Quentin threateningly as Cruz stepped up to his friend's side, raising his hands slowly. Whether in surrender, or to pull Reed back if needed, was up for debate.

"What the hell is going on? Mr. Sterling?"

"Tell him. Tell all of us," Reed sneered. "Tell everyone what you did, boss."

Quentin slowly stood up, his hand still cradling his red jaw, and faced him. His face was beginning to puff up as he looked around the room to take in his men. He surveyed the sight before him; Beck guarding the door, Simon off to the side with a hard expression, and a ballistic Reed in front of him. I could see his mind racing, trying to decide his best course of action. He didn't get where he was by being rash or mishandling volatile situations. He was still the CEO of Greystone, and he'd earned that position one way or another.

But he wasn't aware the fuse had already been lit — and the bomb had already exploded. He didn't currently hold ground in a stand-off; all he had were the answers that'd soon be pried out of him like the daggers he'd shoved in his subordinate's backs.

"I don't understand," he treaded carefully.

"Neither do I. I don't understand, Romano. I don't understand why you sold out your own company and allowed us to be weak. Why you made us weak."

"Excuse me? I—"

"Does Elias know? Does your husband know who he married?" Reed snapped. At that, Quentin's posture changed. He straightened in anger but slumped just as fast; a flicker of emotions charging over him so quickly I couldn't keep up. Anger, guilt, despair, panic, and so much more. We were watching him speed run the stages of grief now that his secrets were ready to be laid out before him. His ears were turning red again, but this time the red seemed to consume him. Maybe he was the cornered animal after all.

"Leave him out of this," Quentin cautioned. Cruz looked closely at his friend, reading him in a way only brothers could, and it clicked. Cruz realized he was out of the loop again. For all of our sakes, I hoped this would be the last loop.