Always next to you

Chapter Forty-Eight

JESSI

This meeting took too much preparation. I placed my work at Zen on hold just for these old farts to stare at me like I reeked of sour milk. If they knew what was in the files I placed in front of them, would they still react that way?

I leaned back in my chair, then I corrected my posture immediately. Around these men, I had to be on my best visuals. They looked at me and then at the files on the table.

The move we were taking right now was taught to us by our parents. They trained us to be brilliant in every way, including the strategic ways to deal with humans. These men wouldn't believe a word I said without receipts.

"Aren't you going to see what I have for you?" I asked, taking a sip of the latte in front of me.

I made sure to take a small sip, so the liquid does taint my lipstick. Sitting here for the past ten minutes, I could help the anger growing inside me, but I had to stay calm.

These were the same men who looked down on me for trying to take my mother's place when she died. They immediately tried to marry me off to another man because they were afraid of my power.

My mother was the original Stark. My father signed an agreement saying all her children would bear her name. Even after I ran away, he never looked for me even once because he didn't have the power to.

In the elite world, my father was a commoner who happened to marry rich. He had no shares, assets or say in anything. When the forced marriage came from Aiden's father, I expected my father to fight back.

As someone with a background other than an elite family, I thought he would defend me and understand how I felt, but he said nothing. He remained as their lap dog.

I could never forgive him for that. Due to his weakness, Halo fought with him often, but he did nothing to reconcile with him. Halo had more authority in our home than our own father, and the thought of it annoyed us.

Aiden's side of the family controlled everything and when my mother was alive, she would take us to him to make sure her children belonged. My father always stayed home. After my failed wedding, Halo cut him off completely and decided to treat him like a sperm donor.

My mother passed away when I just entered college. As the first child, I did my best to protect my brother since I inherited her shares immediately. Her shares went to me because Halo would be getting all her assets when he turned 18.

The weak girl that I was allowed to trample over me and call me names because I knew nothing. Things are different now.

"Didn't you leave your family behind seven years ago? Why are you back here causing trouble for your uncle?" one of them asked.

"I was not aware men like you enjoyed rumours," I replied.

"Watch your mouth,"

"Don't get defensive of me. I am only stating facts. I never officially left my family because, as you can see, I still have shares I got from my mother,"

"It still doesn't give you the right to this. What makes you think we would hand over our shares to you?"

These idiots think I was here for their petty shares, which is nothing compared to what I already had. They couldn't see right through me and I was going to play along,

"I needed it more than you do," I replied. "If you see what's in the file you wouldn't be arguing,"

"Is that a threat?" the second person finally spoke.

I smirked and took another sip from my latte. I finally understood why Jonas suggested we see them in pairs. Divide them into small groups and defeat will come swiftly.

It wasn't easy to admit, but that idiot actually had a brain. This is how he ran a mafia organisation since he was twelve. Seeing the emotions shift on these men's faces was priceless, and I had to thank him later.

"Go on, open it. I already read it and I'm really good at keeping secrets,"

The first person to reach for the file was the less chatty one. He cleared his throat and picked up the file. I smiled, knowing he would fold. If they had left here without seeing what I brought, they would have kept their shares. However, their life will never be the same.

Halo was too skilled to let these assholes go. As I saw them fold under pressure, I wondered why we never did this all those years ago. It was only a wish because we could only do this now because we grew stronger. Halo wasn't this skilled and, most importantly, Aiden and Nicole would have never met.

"How did you get this?!" he exclaimed and the other man reached for the file immediately to see what it was.

His face twisted from arrogance to pure horror. His hands flipped through the pages of the documents aggressively. With each page, his face drifted into a more anxious state.

"Who the fuck gave you this?" one of them yelled.

"Jeez, chill and watch that language," I giggled.

"These files are confidential,"

"I know that. I have a lot more of that at my disposal,"

"What do you want?"

"So you're ready to listen to me now?"

In only a matter of seconds, they both fell on their knees in front of me. Where did they think they were in a drama series? I looked through the files when Jonas gave it to me. They were a dangerous bunch selling weapons to terrorists.

Even if I was using them for my benefits now, I would find a suitable punishment for them after getting them the hell out of my company.

"Where do you think this is?" I laughed. "Someone would say I asked two grown men to kneel before me like this,"

"Please, tell us what you want," one said.

"You want our shares?" the other asked. "You can have mine,"

"Mine too," the other added.

I bursted out laughing at the display. This is way more entertaining than watching Aiden and Halo argue about who makes the best pasta.

"Why would I want your shares?" I asked.

"Is that not why you're here?"

"Of course not,"

"Whatever it is, we'll do it,"

"Call for a shareholder meeting to dismiss my uncle as chairman of the board,"

"What?! No one would listen to us,"

"You're wrong. If even one person brings it up, then it would be called. You have to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote is present,"

I got up and walked out of the private room with a bright smile. That felt way better than I thought. It would take a few hours, but I knew they would call for the meeting after leaving here or they would lose everything.

When this was over, they would eventually suffer. I trusted Halo enough to take care of them, but I needed to sue them for now.

As I entered my car, I wondered if Jonas and Aiden were done striking a deal with the mayor. He was the youngest and most promising mayor this city ever had. If I wasn't a child from an elite society, I would say he did a good job.

Looking at the time, I had to hurry. Today was Jenna's charity event. It would be the teaser to Nicole's path to her throne and I was ready for it.

"Hey Siri, call my sister-in-law,"

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Song recommendation: Physical - Dua Lipa