“I have the report just as you requested, Mr. Hart,” Diya said, stepping into the office.
He glanced up at her, “I told you, you can call me Aaron.” He tells her.
She scoffed, stepped towards the desk, and placed the files in her hand on the table. “This is a professional setting, Mr. Hart; I could never call you by your first name.”
“Fine then, whatever you say, Mrs. Farmer. I will look at it as soon as I can.” He said, “I assume you will be heading home now.”
It was a few minutes past the hour of six. Though many of the members of staff in her department had taken their leave, Diya seemed to have stayed back. She wanted to complete the assignment he had given her when the new week started a few days ago. It was commendable on her part. She had said she wouldn’t take the opportunity given to her for granted, and she had kept to her words so far, which he was happy to see. Though she had worked with her for only a short time, her impact had already been felt, and it would only get better.
She smiled and nodded. “Nine and Nine hope I return on time so we can watch their favourite cartoon together like we always do.”
“Oh, I will not keep you longer than you need to stay.”
She nodded and took a step back when, through the glass wall, he sighted Mercedes Lane, his business partner, approaching the door. He paused, taken aback by her appearance. He didn’t know they had any meetings scheduled for today, especially now. It was closing hours, and he would head home at any moment.
Since Nancy had closed for the day, they would get to walk in without being questioned or told to wait outside.
He realised it had also been a while since he last saw her, and she looked so different. She didn’t come alone; she approached with two men in black suits, and as she got to the door, she pushed open and entered.
Diya was yet to leave, and at their entrance, she turned to Aaron as if asking if he was expecting their visitation. It seemed like she saw something on his face because she stayed still, not leaving.
“Ms Lane.” He said and rose from his seat at their sight, “I was not expecting a visit from you.” The door shut behind her.
“Well, it couldn’t wait.”
He turned to Diya, who was yet to leave, and nodded at her. “You can take your leave, Mrs. Farmer.”
Diya didn’t look very convinced, but she nodded and took her leave. There were a few reasons that made him suspicious of Mercedes’ late visit. First, it was about the timing. In the three years they had been partners, she had never visited him in the office, and second, she had never walked with guards. Perhaps she needed the extra protection considering the time of day, but it still didn’t sit well with him.
Diya had every reason to be suspicious, as did he; however, there was little to nothing she could do. She was human and would only be in danger if she stayed here. He had kept her at work long enough and didn’t want to add another minute to it.
The door shut after Diya took her leave, and he turned his attention to the visitors in his office.
“What was it that couldn’t wait for tomorrow?” He demanded with a raised brow.
“I came to make you a proposal,” she said, stepping towards his desk and setting the file in her hand down on the desk. Only when she does this does he realise she has come in with it. “I want you to sign this.”
“What is that?” he asked.
“An agreement that states you sign over the ownership and control of Hart’s company to me.” She answered.
“And I’m going to sign over years of hard work, dedication, and determination? Now tell me, why on earth will I do that, Ms. Lane?” He asked, his tone turning humorous.
“Because you would want pardon, you would want the path where the least amount of blood is shed, and this is it.” She said, and a smirk appeared on her face.
He sprang to his feet in alarm and action, putting together what was happening.
The office door swung open immediately, and a man woke up, tightly gripping Diya’s hair, and she struggled with him even though she had a few bruises already.
His eyes darted between Diya, the man holding onto her, and Mercedes. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let her go right this minute.”
“We will, after you sign the agreement before you.” Mercedes answered.
“Whatever they want you to do, don’t do it.” Diya yelled, and the man holding onto her punched her in the stomach.
“I am going to kill you.” He vowed under his breath, his teeth tightly gritted. He meant that to everyone in his office except for Diya.
She smirked. “You can try.”
The man holding onto Diya wrapped his large hand around her neck and choked her. She struggled, but with her weak strength and being human, there was nothing she could do; they would kill her, and it would be just as easy as breathing.
He had underestimated the enemy’s attack. He didn’t think they would attack the company; if he knew, he would have limited his businesses to the Pack Estate. Or yet, he wouldn’t have stayed at work for long.
He couldn’t sign over the Hart Company to Mercedes; that would be throwing in the towel and allowing her and whoever she was working for to win, and he didn’t want to do that. Not yet.
“That is not a nice way to treat a lady, you know,” Aaron heard Damor’s voice through his clouded mind. Snapping his eyes to the door, he found Damor there with his hand stuffed into his pocket.
Before the man holding onto Diya could make a move, he surged forward and ripped his hand out of his socket. This caused blood to spill out all over Diya, who was now free, choking and trembling.
“Oh, I am sorry about that; please step aside.” Damor said to Diya, who obeyed, running away to the other side of the room, even though that wasn’t the safest place.
Then to the man: “A man who lays his hands on women should not breathe the same hair I do.” He said that and snapped the man’s neck.
Aaron took advantage of Damor’s arrival and attacked the two men that Mercedes came in with, ripping out the heart of the first. Then he ripped the other through with his claws, making his blood pour out on both him and his desk, where the file Mercedes brought was.
The two bodies dropped to the floor of his office, and Mercedes was left alone.
“Who put you up to this?”
“You think I am going to answer to you?” She asked, and an evil laughter followed.
“I do not think you have a choice at this point; we outnumber you two to one.”
She smirked. “Is that what you think, boy?” She asked, and her eyes glowed purple.
Aaron’s breath was cut in his throat. “You’re-” he began but didn’t get to finish.
“Your nightmare.”
She surged towards Aaron, aiming for his heart, but he ducked just in time. Her reflex was fast because she grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the glass wall so hard that it cracked. Damor tried moving in, but Mercedes shoved him, and the impact took him off his feet, crashing into the wall and hitting his head.
“Damor!” Aaron called to him, and summoning all the strength he possessed, he threw Mercedes off him. His eyes glowed, and he dipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out the small object, and pressing on the small button, it extended into a small golden pocket knife.
Mercedes rose to her feet, her eyes staying on the weapon in his hand. “You’re not hoping to hurt me with that, are you?” She asked, mocking the knife he held in his hand.
“We will have to see about that.”
She stormed towards him. Damor, who had already risen to his feet, caught both hands and pinned them to her back. She struggles to set herself free, but he didn’t release her, and he took all his strength to keep her that way. Aaron’s hand on the pocket knife tightened, and he thrust it into her heart through her chest swiftly.
He could only pray that, just like Quincy said, this would be the weakness of sages and put an end to the horror they were facing. If this didn’t work, they would have no way of winning this.
She smashed her head against his, and he staggered and fell to the floor. She threw Damor away, and once again he went flying into the wall and stayed there.
“Did you really think that could harm me?” She demanded in a loud voice, wrapped her hand around the knife, pulled it out, and tossed it onto the floor.
“You’re-” she began but didn’t finish, and her eyes lost their focus. The next second, blood trickled down her nose. Her hand was raised to wipe at it before she fell to the floor.
She stayed there, groaning in pain and unable to move. Aaron pulled himself to his feet and came to stand over Mercedes, even as she fought to live longer.
“You’re dead.”