Andreas would never forget that this was the company that Jonas had first destroyed. He knew everything about the textile company because Bryan had once offered it to Nadine as a match.
“Correct, sir. As you know, MysticLoom Textiles was originally just an acquisition.”
Frans had not said everything yet, but Andreas’ heart seemed to stop.
“Jonas cheated the owner of MysticLoom Textiles. He took over MysticLoom Textiles, but not to develop it.”
The air choked in Andreas’ throat, refusing to enter. Slowly, his chest tightened and cold sweat began to form on his forehead. He wouldn’t forget how he had pitied the company.
“He ruined it and …” Andreas continued with a shaking voice. He looked at Frans, hoping that his suspicions were wrong. “The previous owner of MysticLoom Textiles was ….”
Andreas couldn’t continue. His tongue suddenly felt tied. A coldness, like invisible tendrils, slowly enveloped him. He shuddered in a fragment of prayer, asking that everything not be as he thought.
“Hector Anderson,” Frans concluded. “Mrs. Vlora’s father.”
Andreas quickly loosened his tie. His lungs rebelled in uncontrollable choking. He clenched his fists, remembering vividly that he had mentioned that name when he had married Vlora. But he did not feel anything strange. He was indifferent, not because he did not care, but because he had absolutely no idea. Besides, it had happened ten years ago. He had no connection whatsoever with that incident. It was understandable that he did not know anything about it.
The ringing of his cell phone startled Andreas. He blinked and quickly took the phone out of his pocket. He saw that the call was coming from home.
Andreas tried to remain calm. It could be Desmon; he probably wanted to update him on Vlora’s condition.
“Hello.”
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Jonas is at home, sir. I tried to stop him and told him you weren’t home, but he insisted on coming in.”
Andreas felt uneasy. “Jo-Jonas?”
“Yes, sir. Mrs. Vlora is meeting him in your office right now.”
Andreas’ face turned pale. He immediately got up and ran out of the room. He ignored Frans who called after him.
“Sir!”
Frans was confused, but he acted quickly. He tidied up the documents that Andreas had been reading and then ran outside. But he did not find Andreas. Instead, he found Andreas’ private driver standing idly in the hotel courtyard.
“Where is Mr. Andreas?”
Mason rubbed his upper arm with a pained expression. Frans watched and guessed that Andreas was the cause. He had been forcibly removed from behind the wheel by Andreas.
“I don’t know, but Mr. Andreas seems to be in a panic. What happened to him, sir?”
Frans did not answer; instead, he stood up and said, “Follow me.”
Mason nodded. Together they got into Frans’ car and followed Andreas. They would not be wrong in guessing that Andreas’ destination was his home.
*
Andreas was calm and collected. He never panicked. For God’s sake! He was a man who never worried about life. Regardless of the problems and family drama that often colored his days, he never panicked like that. Not even once. But that was what was happening now.
In his entire life, Andreas had never driven like this. Not only was he ignoring all the rules of the road, he was driving with his body shaking.
Andreas’ eyes were burning. Curses and curse words came up in his mind.
I should have found it strange that Vlora immediately accepted my proposal! I should have!
Andreas slammed the steering wheel. He growled, and his thoughts went back to the day he had talked to Lucas.
“Mama doesn’t want to see Jonas get married before me. You could consider it as a wife versus a mistress rivalry.”
Vlora approached. She placed the first cup of coffee in front of Lucas, then went to the second cup she was supposed to give to Andreas.
“I think there’s a special rivalry between them. The whole world knows that they’ve never been on good terms. They always compete in everything, just like Jonas and me.”
Vlora’s hand shook. The coffee cup almost slipped, but luckily Andreas was quick. However, the hot black liquid rippled. It spilled a little and wet Andreas’ hand.
“Oh my, sir!”
Vlora was startled. She quickly pulled out two handkerchiefs and wiped Andreas’ hand.
“I’m sorry, sir. I really didn’t mean it.”
Andreas hit the steering wheel again and again. He cursed himself for not noticing.
Vlora was a quick-witted woman. It was impossible for her to almost drop a coffee cup. It would not have happened if something had not suddenly startled her.
Andreas’ stomach churned. The urge to vomit made him stagger, and his vision slowly became blurred, unfocused.
Maybe the only reason Vlora rejected me was because of my family, but she heard Jonas’ name. After all, she knows about the bad blood between me and Jonas, so she accepted my date proposal.
But not only that. Andreas’ mind did not stop unraveling all the memories that had seemed ordinary until now. Now he realized that everything that had happened was not just a coincidence, including the time when Vlora’s car had a flat tire.
Don’t tell me that was intentional on Vlora’s part.
“Well, it’s amazing. My car tire knows the perfect time to go flat.”
Vlora’s voice echoed in Andreas’ head. He had not forgotten Vlora’s dark expression when she made accusations against him, implying that he was the cause of the flat tire on her car.
“Damn!”
Andreas slammed the wheel repeatedly. He stepped on the accelerator as hard as he could, coming to the conclusion he least wanted to admit.
“Vlora accepted my proposal to help me.”
The heat in Andreas’ eyes had turned red. His heart seemed to stop as he reached his conclusion.
“So that her revenge could be fulfilled.”
It took only a short time for this conclusion to cause an indescribable fear. Vlora was going to meet Jonas, and that was not a good thing.
“Please, God. I beg you.”
*