Zayn got back to the office in a foul mood, and Mia recognized it at once. She backed out of his way as he walked briskly into his office, ordering that no one disturbed him until he gave her further instructions. By then, it was too late to tell him Nathan, his brother, was already inside his office.
Mia imagined the million number of ways Zayn could possibly fire her as she dropped back into her seat, her pixie cut bouncing along with her. She should have mentioned it the minute he stepped in. Or maybe she should have sent William a quick message the instant Nathan appeared. Mia knew of the strained relationship between the brothers so why on earth had she allowed that to happen under her watch?
Oblivious to the wreck his secretary was going through, Zayn walked into his office and closed the door behind him, intent on burying himself in work while thinking of how he could make Joel understand that no one dared take anything from him, without risking his identity in Rina’s life. He thought she already mentioned that she was uninterested in seeing a movie with the fucker, so what changed?
Zayn knew that look so well the one Rina aimed in his direction inside the car, in front of her cottage. It was one of defiance, always gracing her face each time she wanted to pass a message across. Zayn understood that she must have been reacting to something he said, or something she saw. He wasn’t sure which and it made him even angrier. Making a mental note to ask William to keep a tab on Rina, Zayn walked into the last person he wanted to see.
“Not today, Nathan,” he said at once, walking around the table. He took his time to pull out his seat and planted himself behind the desk before looking up at his brother. “I have just had a long ass morning, so can you take your whining to Dad? If that doesn’t satisfy you, get into a business that is doomed to fail before it even starts. That is your forte, isn’t it? Just do something to while away your time and don’t come near me,”
“Are you done?” Nathan sat up and scooted to the edge of the seat. “That’s no way to talk to your older brother, Zayn. I don’t know how many times I have to say that before it gets into your thick skull. Or do you want me to teach you the proper way to address me?”
Zayn scoffed, his lips stretching into a smirk. “This is my second warning, Nathan. Get out of my office.” He didn’t want to have to do this to his brother, but Nathan was stepping on his toes so hard that Zayn didn’t think he could ignore him anymore. In times past, Zayn understood that no matter what he did, Nathan would always be his brother. So he tried to always keep that in mind each time he did something that crossed Nathan’s plans.
But today, Zayn wasn’t sure he had enough mental energy to take that into consideration. He was still crossed about Rina and those words she had uttered before swaying her hips back into her cottage, and it had left a bile taste in his mouth. Now, he wanted to target that anger at something or someone, and if Nathan was refusing to budge, he might just have to suffer for it.
“Your office?” Nathan relaxed into the seat and crossed his legs. “You are forgetting, dear brother, that if I hadn’t been locked up, this would have been my office. I would have been the one behind that desk. So careful the way you order me around. I didn’t fight for that seat when I got back, so don’t you think that alone makes me deserving of your respect?”
There were so many things wrong with what Nathan said, so much so that it made Zayn burst into fits of laughter that didn’t reach his eyes. Everyone knew that Zayn was already the CEO and founding partner of Graham Conglomerates way before Nathan got imprisoned, and his elder brother knew that as well. Secondly, their father had nothing to do with Zayn’s company. He worked hard for everything he had, while his brother was laying around, waiting for their father to help start his life.
The only thing Nathan had the right to fight for was their father’s company, but the man had no intentions of giving someone he knew would run it to the ground. Mr. Graham wanted to give it to Zayn instead, but his only condition was that Zayn got married. And Zayn would rather force himself into a contract marriage than allow his brother to live a single second as the new Chief Director of their father’s company. Zayn’s hard work was also in there when he used to intern there, and he wouldn’t let Nathan take it, after doing nothing.
“I’m sure that was just a joke,” Zayn muttered, the smile on his face fading rapidly. “And you’ve gotten the laughter out of me. Now, leave my office and do not return until I ask you to. And frankly, I don’t think I ever want to see you in here.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Nathan retorted. “Until you tell me why you went yourself for a meeting in Lesotho when the client isn’t as important as the ones you attend to. I looked it up. Something doesn’t seem right. You went there for another purpose, didn’t you? Are you searching for a wife to satisfy your father’s condition? That’s why you were there, wasn’t it?”
Zayn got up from behind his desk, and edged towards his brother, picking him up by the collar. Fright appeared in Nathan’s eyes as Zayn pushed him hard against the wall beside the door. “I told you, Nathan. Do not mess with me. You don’t want to know what happens to people that interfere in my business. Now run to Daddy.”
With his free hand, Zayn twisted the handle of his door and pulled it open, pushing Nathan out into the hallway.
“William,” Zayn called, only having to wait a second before he rushed out. “Follow Rina. I want to know where she is.”