Vlora lifted her body gently for a moment. She lingered on Andreas’ chest, then looked into his eyes. She didn’t say anything, but kissed Andreas’ lips tenderly.
Their eyes closed simultaneously. Both absorbed in the moment, and when the kiss ended, Vlora smiled.
“Actually, earlier I was questioning the purpose of having a lazy chair here.”
Andreas smiled too, his lips curling in amusement. He stroked Vlora’s cheek and asked, “Now?”
“Now I know that the lazy chair has another function besides just being lazy.”
Andreas’ amused smile turned into a laugh. Then he took Vlora in his arms when they decided to move from there. Vlora’s legs encircled Andreas’ waist, and her hands were draped around his neck. Together they walked to the inviting bed.
*
Not a day went by without restlessness for Jonas. Every morning, as soon as he woke up, he reached for his phone. He checked the stock quotes and the latest news, especially when it came to the names of the majority shareholders.
Bryan had indeed assured Jonas that he should not worry. After all, Bryan had always been able to calm the turbulence within the company. Unfortunately, Jonas’ unease came with an instinct that couldn’t be appeased. His alarm seemed to be on guard for any potential misfortune that might happen. The peaceful state that had recently been established seemed powerless to quell his anxiety.
“Isn’t this strange? Why is everything running so smoothly? Aren’t those damn shareholders pushing for a change in CEO anymore?”
Jonas continued to ponder this question. Unfortunately, his thoughts slipped out unintentionally when Alan approached him with a proposal for a review.
Alan was taken aback. He watched Jonas and realized that his boss’ mind was elsewhere. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t answer the question.
“I think maybe it’s because they’re starting to see your true performance. Besides, one failed presentation doesn’t mean they’re going to forget your accomplishments.”
Jonas jerked, then refocused his gaze. He looked at Alan with a furrowed brow, wondering when Alan had entered his office.
The map in Alan’s hand caught Jonas’ attention. Obviously, this object was the reason for Alan’s presence. So, Jonas sighed and extended his hand. Alan handed over the proposal and then asked with a hesitant expression, “Do you think so?”
Alan smiled politely. “Of course, sir. Isn’t it clear that you are superior to Mr. Andreas?”
This time Jonas said nothing. He stared at Alan without answering the positive question, feeling a strange uneasiness why such a positive question increased his restlessness.
*
Andreas enjoyed the warm tea. His gestures seemed relaxed as always, but they contrasted with the visibly uncomfortable demeanor of his interlocutor.
“I’m sure you, as a wise man, have made your decision.”
The teacup returned to its saucer. Andreas sighed deeply, leaned back in his chair, and then looked at his interlocutor.
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have contacted me today.”
Unexpectedly, it took Alex longer than expected to make the decision to reach out. Almost a week had passed, and Andreas found himself silently praising Alex, acknowledging that Alex had indeed thought about Jonas.
Alex’s face showed it. Despite his decision to contact Andreas, he still felt ambivalent. Again and again, he asked himself.
Is this the right decision?
Alex vividly remembered the past incident when the plan he and Jonas had hatched to bring down Andreas had backfired. What made it worse was that Jonas had pointed the finger at him as the cause of the failure. All the blame was on him.
So, Alex’s resentment remained, even though he couldn’t express it openly in front of Jonas. He had worked hard and fulfilled all of Jonas’ wishes, only to face Jonas’ anger and accusations. Obviously, he couldn’t accept Jonas’ treatment.
“I won’t provoke you again, Lex,” Andreas continued, his expression unreadable. He looked at Alex, easily sensing Alex’s emotions. “You can judge the recent situation for yourself. Logically, you must agree with what I’m saying, right? Jonas no longer has a chance. The majority shareholders are unanimous.”
Alex remained silent. Once again, he hadn’t decided to say anything, despite his clear expression. His jaw began to set, and even the most foolish person could sense the truth in Andreas’ words.
“Besides, why should you remain loyal to Jonas after what he has done to you? I can see that he doesn’t appreciate everything you’ve done for him. You’re working with the wrong person, Lex.”
Alex’s eyes were fixed on Andreas. He could clearly see that this was Andreas’ main intention. In a subtle way, Andreas was inviting him to defect.
Ambivalence? Of course. That’s what Alex had felt for days. He was well aware of the consequences he would face if he dared to betray Jonas’ trust, but…
“The progun wind has changed course. Don’t pretend to be blind to hopes that will never come true. What are you waiting for?”
“What do you want?”
Andreas narrowed his eyes as Alex finally responded to their conversation. He met the seemingly casual question with a mischievous smile that indicated calmness. He seemed to be in control, which made Alex even more anxious.
He remembered correctly; it was he who helped Jonas oust Andreas from Progun. It could be said that he played a crucial role in Jonas’ career, regardless of Bryan’s involvement. He did a lot of dirty work for Jonas, and he was sure that Andreas would want something similar if he changed sides. Nothing in this world comes for free; there’s always a price to pay. So, what would Andreas want?
The smile on Andreas’ face widened. He put a hand on the table and praised Alex.
“You are indeed a smart person; Jonas didn’t make a wrong choice in choosing you. That’s why I don’t want someone like you to make the wrong move. Your future is at stake. So I ask you, did you know that I have copies of Progun’s tax returns for the last three years?”
Alex’s face changed instantly. He couldn’t hide the shock that quickly turned into worry. He looked tense and Andreas shook his head once.
“You don’t need to worry. You know that my real enemy is not you, but Jonas. So I will concentrate on my goal and won’t disturb anything that is not my priority,” Andreas continued calmly. He took a deep breath. “Besides, I can assure you that I will always protect my people, everyone who supports me. I always protect my friends.”
“Y-you will protect me?”
Alex’ tension did not ease, no matter how reassuring Andreas’ words seemed. If Andreas really had copies of Progun’s tax returns for the last three years, then Alex’s position was extremely threatened. It wasn’t just his career that was hanging by a thread, but also his freedom. Going to jail was the most reasonable outcome.
Besides, it wasn’t hard for Alex’s mind to imagine the worst-case scenario. Jonas would surely wash his hands of him if anything happened. Worse, Jonas would probably pin the embezzlement on him for the financial misconduct that had been going on all along.
“As I said, I will protect all my people. Besides, I know you’re keeping some of Jonas’ secrets. So I want everything, no exceptions.”
Alex swallowed hard. He could sense the undeniable seriousness behind Andreas’ relaxed demeanor.
“Do you really want to get rid of Jonas?”
“With all my heart,” Andreas answered firmly. “I really want to eliminate him until he no longer has the dignity to see the sunlight for a long time.”
Andreas’ answer made Alex silent. He took a deep breath and tried to think clearly.
It made sense. As difficult as Jonas’ situation was, Alex’ was even more difficult. At least Jonas had the security of Bryan. But Alex?
Especially now that Alex knew that his life was in Andreas’ hands. You could say that his situation was truly trapped, whether he was thrown under the bus by Andreas or abandoned by Jonas.
So, it wasn’t surprising that Andreas enjoyed the confusion on Alex’s face for a moment. He gave him a moment, then finally asked, “How about it? What’s your choice now?
*
“It seems like it’s even harder to reach you now.”
Frans didn’t deny when Viska opened their conversation with this remark. He had indeed been hard to reach lately due to his busy workload.
“Forgive me, but I’ve been extremely busy lately. There are many things I have to take care of.”
Viska nodded as she adjusted the position of the hat on her head. “I almost thought you would cancel the service this time.”
“Impossible,” Frans replied reflexively, then sighed. “So how is it? Did I make it?”
“Of course, you did.”
Viska’s hand went into the denim jacket she was wearing and pulled out a brown envelope. Frans looked inside and could guess that there were many documents.
Viska handed over the brown envelope and commented, “She’s an amazing woman.”
“An amazing woman?” Frans accepted the envelope, repeating Viska’s words as if seeking confirmation, his forehead furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You can find out what I mean by reading the contents of the envelope, but what’s important is my payment.”
“Ah, I apologize.”
Frans quickly put the brown envelope aside for a moment. He took Viska’s payment from his work bag; several bills neatly prepared in a white envelope.
“Thank you,” Viska said, accepting her payment with a broad smile. She tucked it away behind her jacket. “Oh, by the way, it looks like I won’t be available for the next few months.”
“Going on vacation again?”
Viska chuckled. She grabbed Frans’ coffee cup and took two sips, which were not much. When the cup landed on the coaster again, she nodded.
“Right. I’m going on vacation again.”
Frans narrowed his eyes in doubt. “You’re always on vacation.”
“Strange, isn’t it?” Viska stood up and shook her head in amusement. “I’m always on vacation, and if I’m not, my head gets hit with a shoe.”
Frans didn’t understand, but Viska didn’t want to explain. Instead, she just said, “Good luck.”
Viska left, and Frans waited a moment before he left the cafe, too. He went to his car in the parking lot.
Frans got behind the wheel, but didn’t start the engine right away. He didn’t want to leave yet, driven by an uncontrollable curiosity. So, he opened the brown envelope and began to read the documents inside. Slowly but surely, his expression changed and the air caught in his throat.
*