For Andreas, there was nothing better than getting a call from Noelle that Monday morning. He could guess what Noelle was going to talk about. Even without Noelle telling him, he could anticipate it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t excited. On the contrary, he was even more excited.
Things were heating up. Shareholders were pushing for a change in the CEO. It was not surprising, especially considering the chaotic situation Andreas remembered from Saturday night with Alex.
Poor Alex. He must have endured the pain as Jonas’ outlet. Ck, so pathetic.
Andreas shook his head. He sympathized with Alex’s situation, but he couldn’t help smiling ironically.
“So…”
Noelle’s voice interrupted Andreas’ thoughts about Alex. He focused on the conversation again.
“… how about it, Reas? When exactly are you going to take over Progun? Everyone is pushing for a change of CEO.”
Andreas chuckled. Noelle’s tone and words implied that she was no longer patient.
“Oh God, Nana. Just wait a little longer. Due to a miscalculation, instead of me getting Progun, it’s Progun that loses important people.”
“You’re right, but you still have to act. We don’t know what Jonas and Bryan will do.”
Andreas completely understood Noelle’s concerns. The grandmother had long held back her frustration at seeing her unacknowledged grandson take away all of Andreas’ rights. Andreas felt the same way. However, everything had to be carefully considered and executed as best as possible.
“Calm down, Nana,” Andreas continued, taking a deep breath. “Don’t be in a hurry, and trust me. Everything needs to be considered, and I must not be hasty. Isn’t that right?”
Now Noelle didn’t argue anymore. She realized that Andreas’ words were indeed true.
“I don’t want our impatience to ruin everything I’ve built from the beginning. So be patient, Nana. Everything has its time, and I want to bring Jonas down to his lowest point.”
Noelle said nothing more. She accepted Andreas’ decision and would wait calmly for the next news. She was confident that Andreas would do everything with all his heart, because this was not just about the desire for power.
As a grandmother close to her grandchildren, Noelle understood Andreas’ character very well. The man was relaxed and uninterested in complicated matters. If he could live by photosynthesis, he would just bask in the sunlight. He would just have fun and not care about others.
But fate had slapped Andreas with a reality. Everything he owned, everything that should have been his, had been taken away from him one by one by Jonas.
Andreas had considered giving in, knowing that confronting Jonas was tantamount to raising the flag of war with Bryan. It would undoubtedly hurt Amanda. But the longer it went on, the more disgusted he became with the situation. So, he decided to mess things up. After all, things were already chaotic and he had been labeled as a troublemaker.
The worst possibility for Andreas was to lose everything. But he mocked himself. Hadn’t he lost everything in the first place? So he had nothing at stake here. Like a fighter, he was a fighter suffering from a serious disease. Win or lose, it didn’t matter. At least he wouldn’t be idle.
So, when the call ended, Andreas just relaxed. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. He enjoyed the solitude until the vibration of his phone disturbed his peace.
Andreas answered the call immediately. Without a greeting, he went straight to the question. He could not contain his curiosity when he saw who was calling.
“How are you?”
The answer he received made Andreas grin. His curiosity immediately turned to joy.
“Well then. You don’t have to do anything for now. Just wait for my updates.”
Andreas ended the call without any small talk and stood up. He put the phone in his pocket and whistled as he left the office.
“Just a little while longer.”
*
It could be said that Jonas was no longer focused on his work after the tragedy that had befallen him at the shareholders’ meeting. He should have been more focused on the company’s situation, but the opposite happened. Day after day, all he could think about was Andreas and his plans for revenge.
Jonas ignored the documents in front of him. Lost in thought, with both elbows on the table, he recalled all the recent events.
“There seems to be a traitor among us, sir.”
Alex’s voice echoed through his memory. Followed by another voice with a similar meaning.
“Do you really believe in Mr. Alex?”
Both indicated the same thing: doubts about loyalty. Unfortunately, they came from two different people, each suspicious of the other. So, who should Jonas trust?
Jonas’ inclination said that it was impossible for Alex to betray him. As Alex had said before, if he was destroyed, Alex would be destroyed as well.
Could it be Alan?
Jonas remembered well how Alan had remained unmoved when Andreas was expelled from Progun three years ago. Even when working with him, Alan seemed normal. Alan’s attitude seemed professional, but now it became worrying. Alan didn’t want to lose anything in any possible scenario.
A knock at the door brought Jonas back from his reverie. His eyes, momentarily vacant, immediately focused and looked straight ahead, right at the slowly opening door.
Alan came in with another document. Jonas waited a moment until Alan approached him and said, “This is the complete market review data, sir.”
Jonas ignored the document, not even glancing at it. He let Alan place it on the table without saying a word. He watched Alan and sensed something unusual.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Jonas asked with a questioning look. He noticed that Alan didn’t leave right away. “If there is, just say it.”
Alan didn’t answer right away, but took a deep breath. He took his cell phone out of his suit pocket and spoke.
“I’m not sure if I should tell you this or not.”
Jonas frowned. “What do you mean?”
“When I was outside on Saturday night, I saw Mr. Alex.”
Jonas waited until Alan had finished his explanation. He remained silent for a moment and decided to take the cautious way. He would accept all available information, then analyze and prove the truth between the two possibilities. Was it Alex or Alan who had betrayed him?
“He wasn’t alone.”
Jonas’ expression changed uncontrollably. “What do you mean?”
Alan did not get a chance to answer, because a moment after Jonas asked the question, something flashed through his mind. His eyes widened and his hair stood on end.
“Andreas?”
Alan answered with a short nod and Jonas’ jaw clenched. This time he really didn’t say anything and gave Alan the chance to speak again.
“If you have any doubts, take a look at this.”
Alan played a video on his phone that showed Jonas talking to Andreas and Alex at the bar table, but not for long. Shortly after, Andreas went upstairs and Alex followed shortly after.
The recording ended there. The video didn’t show where Andreas and Alex went. Nor did it provide any assurance that they were talking again. But that was not enough to rule out the possibility. Andreas and Alex could have returned to talk in a more private place.
Emotions welled up in Jonas’ eyes. His teeth chattered and he clenched his fists as hard as he could.
“Damn.”
One word implied several rages. Alan chose silence and said nothing as he put his phone back in his suit pocket. Coincidentally, he saw Jonas raise a hand.
“I excuse myself, Sir.”
Jonas motioned for Alan to leave, which he did. He walked away, unaware that Jonas’ sharp gaze followed his every step.
The door closed. Jonas was alone and a cynical thought filled his mind.
Do you really care about me that much that you would go through the trouble of making such a petty recording?
Jonas closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He tried to think more objectively if there were two possibilities. However, the bias had set in, prompting him to ask.
Are you the one, Alan? Are you trying to pit me against Alex? Why? Why are you helping Andreas when you didn’t care about him before? What did Andreas offer you?
Several questions spun around in Jonas’ head, but none of them found an answer. He stewed in the ignorance that made him wonder.
Jonas stood up. He left the untouched work on his desk and found Alan’s desk empty. Alan was not there.
Jonas looked around, searching for Alan, until his gaze settled on the opposite end of the hallway, right at the bend that led to the pantry.
Without thinking twice, Jonas headed for the pantry. At first he moved in a hurry, but soon he slowed down. He decided to sneak quietly when he faintly heard Alan’s voice.
Alan had the phone to his ear. He was in the middle of a call, and Jonas made sure his arrival didn’t interrupt the conversation.
Jonas’ steps stopped. He watched Alan, deep in conversation, as he casually glanced through the clear window.
“Of course. Everything went as planned and the reaction was as expected.”
At the threshold of the pantry door, Jonas tensed. His emotions surged again with a suspicion that quickly arose-Alan was contacting Andreas.
“Okay.”
Alan ended the call. He put the phone back in his suit pocket, turned around and was surprised.
“Mr. Jonas.”
Jonas stared blankly at Alan. He looked at Alan without blinking and said,
“I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t find you.”
Alan approached Jonas. “I’m sorry, sir. I was making coffee.”
Jonas looked at the table. There was a cup of coffee ready to be served, while a small kettle was heating on the stove.
“All right, I’ll leave for a moment.”
“Sure, sir.”
Jonas turned as if to leave, but he unexpectedly returned after taking two steps. He wore a hesitant expression with a slightly furrowed brow.
“I just remembered something,” Jonas said, scratching his temple. “My cell phone is dead and I need to contact someone. May I borrow your phone for a moment?”
“Of course, sir. Please.”
Alan handed over his phone. Jonas took it, then moved a little to check the call history.
There was a name at the top that made him tense. The contact was named: Elina.
But who could guess that? Anyone could fake a contact name on their phone. So it wasn’t impossible that Elina was an alias for Andreas.
Jonas would prove his suspicion. He called the contact and waited, then…
“Oh, my goodness, Alan. Is it still unclear what happened earlier?”
Not Andreas. It was undoubtedly a woman’s voice. It seemed that Jonas’ assumption was wrong.
“Sorry, wrong number.”
Jonas ended the call immediately. He handed the phone back to its owner and apologized.
“I forgot the number I was calling.”
Alan took the phone back. “Alright, sir.”
This time Jonas really left. Alan watched Jonas walk away until the sound of boiling water drew his attention.
Alan went to the stove and put the phone back where he found it. He also made sure that another hidden object was safely hidden inside. His finger touched another phone and he smiled thinly.
*