Zayn sauntered through the high gates he had grown behind, steeling himself for what was going to happen in there. He hadn’t been careful enough when it came to this, only discovering mere minutes ago before his father’s call came in. This was the reason he always said feelings never ceased to complicate things, and yet, he had fallen victim to it. Zayn should have known better. If he hadn’t been so occupied with trying to make sure Rina was fine, even though he knew that was an excuse to be around her, perhaps, he would have noticed this development before it got out of hand.
Now, he was left with the task of salvaging it, but his brain wasn’t working in that direction. Zayn was worried about Rina, despite everything. He had whipped out his phone on his way to his father’s house to call her, but changed his mind mid-way, deciding to call Susan instead when he was done with this little issue. He tried to think about a way out of this, his mind reeling and his eyes darting around the huge space.
His father’s men opened the doors for him and bowed low, but Zayn barely gave them any attention as he walked in. William was right behind him, acknowledging the men with a nod before following Zayn inside. They stopped right outside the arch leading into the living area, where his father had asked for them to meet.
“What is going to happen, Zayn?” William asked in a low tone. “The company is on the line here, and your father might be disappointed.”
“His disappointment wouldn’t last that long, because, in the truth of things, I don’t need his company. My conglomerate is ten times the size of his, and he knows that. But that company must not fall into Nathan’s hands. He is going to run it to the ground and I cannot watch my father’s legacy disappear because of him.”
“Why don’t I stall?”
“He is going to see through that. Chairman Graham knows how close we both are. It wouldn’t work.”
“What other option is there?” William was always that way Zayn’s problems were his and vice-versa. They worked well together.
Zayn thought about it for a minute. “I don’t know. I hate to say that but I really am stumped right now. I keep thinking about Rina and her ankle, and I really want to be with her right now.”
Silence.
“Don’t give me that look!”
“What look?” William angled his head.
“That one. I am not in love with Rina. I just… I just hate that she is in so much pain.”
“I didn’t say you were in love with her, Zayn,” William said with his lips raising in a smirk. “But if that is what you need to get out of this, why don’t you use it? It wouldn’t be far from the truth anyway.”
Zayn shook his head immediately. “I can’t do that. This thing with Rina is already more complicated than I thought it would be when we got into it. I can’t make it any worse. There has to be another way.”
“And if there isn’t?”
“I will figure it out.”
“You know, Zayn, there are times when you need to admit things to yourself, especially after denying them for so long. This is one of those times.”
Zayn stopped. “What are you saying?”
“You know it.”
The doors suddenly opened in front of them and Nathan stepped out with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a new-found spring in his steps. “Dad is waiting,” he said, accentuating every word. “You don’t want to keep him waiting, Zayn, do you?”
William resisted the urge to put a fist through his face while Zayn rolled his eyes and walked around his brother, stepping into the room with William right behind him. Chairman Graham was seated on the couch facing the door, with his mother next to him, her eyes almost teary. Nathan seemed to be having the most from this as he plopped down onto another couch, crossing his legs and paying keen attention to the scene that was about to play before him.
“You had to come with him, didn’t you?” were the first words his father uttered, nudging William who was standing by Zayn’s side, forever loyal. “I wanted to see you, not your man.”
“William is more than my man, Dad, and you know that. He is my best friend and more than the brother Nathan would ever dream to be.”
“Zayn…” his mother’s voice broke.
“I didn’t know there was a competition to find out who the best brother was,” Chairman Graham murmured. “Your friendship and closeness to William here is understandable as you both grew up together, but it doesn’t change the fact that Nathan is your brother.”
“An older brother would not go about snooping into my business when he is supposed to be building his own life. What the hell was he doing in my study back at my mansion? Why was he opening my drawers?”
“So you already know why you are here then.” His father leaned back into the couch and a grimace appeared on his features. “How could you do that, Zayn? You planned on fooling every single person, even the whole world, about your union with Ms. Powers. I thought you both…William, you knew about this didn’t you?”
William kept mute. It wasn’t in his place to say anything.
“Of course, you did. Zayn tells you everything. If Nathan hadn’t found that agreement, we would have all believed that you were marrying for love. All this time, it was all about my company and what Ms. Power could gain from a union with you. I thought you had finally found love.”
“Dad, love is…”
Zayn suddenly halted when the shrill of his phone reverberated in the room. It had to be a personal call as every other call went straight to Mia. William regarded him with a cautious expression as Zayn took silent permission from his Chairman Graham, walking to one corner of the room to receive the call.
William was by his side in a second, as he saw the combination of fright and anger in Zayn’s eyes, silently listening to what the person on the other end of the line was saying.
“What is it?” William questioned.
“Rina. She’s been kidnapped.”