Noah’s POV.
“What?” I exclaimed, leaning forward to my laptop in disbelief. The private investigator I hired some days ago, was here now, telling me a whole bunch of things that I didn’t understand properly.
His words hang in the air like a suffocating cloud, making it too hard to breathe.
“Noah,” He says, his voice calm, but firm. “I’ve uncovered something’s, but you’re not going to like them.”
I grip the edge of the table, my knuckles white.
“Just tell me, stop beating around the bush.” I told him, because I needed to hear the whole information so I would know what to do about it.
“And it’s Mr Sylvester.” I added.
I didn’t like anybody that wasn’t close to me calling me by name. Hence, the reason I had to assert the use of my father’s name. That was more formal, and we were in a formal setting.
“I’m sorry about that, Mr Sylvester. I’ll take note of that from now on.” He said and I nodded. Urging him to continue.
“Natasha Banks, your childhood friend was the one behind all the disaster that has been befalling your wife for the past few weeks.” He said and I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry what?” I asked.
“What I said Mr Sylvester.” He repeated and I slumped against my chair.
Memories started going off in my head.
The times when Mira told me that she didn’t like Natasha being around me but I turned deaf ears to it because I thought she wasn’t harmful. I mean I knew she liked me, but what, to this extent?
“Explain.” I told him, ready to listen to more.
Then he went deep into the explanation, telling me how Natasha was the one that set my Mira’s company on fire by blackmailing and threatening my PA, Samuel, using his pregnant wife who was going to be in labor any time soon.
I remembered when he told I and Mira on my way to shangai that he couldn’t come with me on the buisness trip because of his pregnant wife so we let him stay back, little did we know he had a deeper and more compromising reason to do so. Samuel didn’t want to do it but he was compelled to because he couldn’t lose his wife and his baby.
I wouldn’t blame him, in fact I have no reason to because it’s understandable that if I was in his shoes then I might have done the same. I couldn’t even imagine Mira and my kids being put in that situation because I would have definitely lost it, lost my cool in all sense.
But at the same time, I knew the company’s fire outbreak had broken Mira then, but because she was strong she had to continue like nothing happened which was why I loved her. She had learnt a lot from me in the past few years on how be a strong independent woman.
After a few more minutes of explaining everything, he leaned back in his chair, with his hand under his chin, as if waiting for my reaction. But honest to God, I didn’t know how I should react. I didn’t have a certain reaction because where was I supposed to start from?
I was shocked and amazed at the length that Natasha could go to try to ruin me. How dare she do that to my family and that of my PA’s? She wanted me? Why?
She didn’t realize that I didn’t give a damn about her, not to talk of loving her? This is so fucked up. I loosened the tie I had on and threw my head back on the chair.
“I understand that this is a lot of information that I’m springing up on you at once Mr Sylvester, I could leave and let you deal with it. Then we can talk later when your emotions are all sorted out.” He said, I could tell that he was just trying to be considerate, but I didn’t need that.
“I’m fine.” I bit out, a little bit aggressively, but he didn’t flinch.
“There’s more.” He said and I looked at him to wonder what the hell was left again.
“She killed Mr Ali, I’m not sure what her motives were, but seeing as you’re still here and not at your wife’s who needs you badly, then I can tell what she’s trying to pull. And she was also the one in charge of the ship that sank, I mean the one that was coming with the goods of your wife. And-her business partner who’s your brother, but there’s a little bit of plot twist there.” He said and bit his lips.
As if the information he was about to give out was one he shouldn’t.
“Should I force it out of you?” I deadpanned.
I was being rude, but I paid him to be here, to do his fucking job. Not try to tell me what I should fucking do or not.
“Her business partner was in on the sinking of the ship.” He said.
All the breath went out of me, in anger.
I knew how much I hated that she had to team up with my fucking stepbrother because she needed those goods, I had to make sure that I just left the both of them alone. I remember how many meetings they were both having that I barged in on.
Not because I didn’t trust my wife, but because I didn’t trust my fucking brother who was also her ex-husband. I knew Ken was a cunning human being.
I was starting to wonder if I was the one being paranoid. Because he wasn’t doing anything to make her hate him and it pissed me the fuck off. I didn’t relax on his issue, but this information now was a new thing and it makes me want to fly to New York as soon as possible so I can to protect my wife.
Fuck me.
What was I going to do? I had to do something.
“So, yes. Your brother was the one that was in cohorts with Natasha to sink her boat. Natasha met with him few days before it happened, so I’m only guessing she was able to poach him after trying.”
“Trust me, I’m sure she didn’t need to do much poaching. Ken is a disgusting human. So he must have seen his partner in the gutters.” I bit out.
“I agree with you.” My PI said.
I was so going to kill him when I get back home, I’m Noah Sylvester and I can get out of any fucking problem. So Shanghai police Officers was definitely not going to stop me from returning home to my wife.
I stood up, withdrawing my phone from my pocket, I needed to make some quick calls. I started dialling the numbers and they all picked up at once.
It took me few minutes to sort that out and I noticed that my PI was still there, I finally looked back at him and wondered what the problem was and why he was looking at me the way he was.
With pity?
“Why the fuck are you staring at me like that?” I asked him, disgusted at the look.
I’ve never been the type to like being pitied. Everybody could keep their fucking empathy to themselves. I felt disgust at his look.
He quickly braced his expression back and that felt like it was never there.
“There’s one more thing.” He said and I hissed in frustration.
“I’m sorry but what the fuck are you doing? Are you taking your time to give me the whole information or what?” I asked him.
“I’m sorry Mr Sylvester. But it’s a picture and I thought you’d like to see it. It’s part of the things I found out when I was researching.” He said and I raised my brow.
He brought out an envelope and handed it to me.
After giving a few death glares, I looked at the envelope and tore it, I dipped my hand into the confines to bring out whatever was inside. I wasn’t patient enough for all this nonsense.
The moment I brought it out and I saw what was inside, my insides chilled and my eyes filled with moisture.
My body felt on fire and it felt like I was dipped in the coldest water ever, I staggered into my chair, as my eyes couldn’t leave the picture in my hands.
Was this what betrayal from your greatest love felt like?