Tom Smith’s POV: Mission Accomplished
THUMP! THUMP!
The rapid knock on the bathroom door caused me to panic as I frantically dialed the number for the umpteenth time.
“Bloody hell,” I muttered as the burner phone fell to the ground, and I scrambled to pick it up.
The knocking came again, harder and louder this time. Like he was going to break down the door if I didn’t get out.
“Open the fucking door! Or I’ll have to call the Boss and let him know you’re up to something and I’m sure you know what that means.” Marco, the guard Ivan left with me, barked as he tugged at the door’s handle.
Why wasn’t that wanker picking up? This was the only chance I could get to call him. I had planned this out carefully. I’d executed everything properly, paid a lot of money to a spy to find out one of Ivan’s warehouses, and paid the reporter to take incriminating pictures of Ivan that would put him under media scrutiny and possibly be investigated. That would keep him preoccupied and take his eyes off me.
It was a last-minute plan after the shareholder’s meeting a week ago where I was able to complete the process. I could now transfer a larger percentage of my shares to Ivan. But I wasn’t going to give up without a fight, I couldn’t possibly hand out my years of hard work to that arsehole.
THUMP! THUMP!
The sound from the other side of the door snapped me back to the present as I tried the reporter’s number for the last time. It’s been five days since I last heard from him. If he was successful it would have made the news by now, I couldn’t call him since Marco watched me like a hawk, and I had to hide the fact that I had a burner phone.
The phone rang again but no one picked it up. I gave up and hid my burner phone inside my suit jacket.
My mind raced as I tried to figure out what must have happened.
He hasn’t gotten a photo of Ivan yet?
Did he chicken out?
There’s no way Ivan found out, right? Thankfully, I didn’t disclose my identity to the reporter so I was sure of my safety.
A small voice at the back of my mind reminded me not to underestimate Ivan, anything was possible with him. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought of the things Ivan would do to me if he found out.
Fuck! I hated everything that’s been happening recently. I felt like a fucking pussy! A little boy with no fucking backbone!
I was constantly panicking and worried that Prince Philip or his son Harry might be suspicious. Even though my plan to create an alliance with the Duke had backfired, I still had my reputation to uphold. Everything started with that good-for-nothing daughter of mine. If she hadn’t gotten herself kidnapped or involved with Ivan Kozlov, I wouldn’t be in the mess!
If I hadn’t gotten a DNA test done several times, I’d have been convinced she wasn’t my daughter. She was way too useless and incompetent to be my blood.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
I inhaled sharply, I couldn’t hold out here any longer, Marco wouldn’t hesitate to call Ivan if I did. I flushed the toilet and opened the door and Marco stepped back. His eyes roamed from my head to my toes.
“Why were you in there for so long?” He demanded.
The humiliation I go through every day because of that bastard, Ivan. I couldn’t do anything in my own house and workplace with Marco watching me closely, Ivan even forced me to let go of my bodyguards. I have to make him pay for all these and be the cause of his downfall it was only a matter of time.
“Move!” I snapped. “I’m allowed to use the bathroom whenever I want.”
He eyed me suspiciously and reached into his back pocket to pull out his phone. “Alright, I’ll call the Boss. You have been acting-”
The door to my office swung open. My breath hitched at the sight of Ivan.
Rosie rushed in right behind him, her face flushed and her hair fell over her face. “S-sir, please forgive me. I tried to stop him. He didn’t let me call to inform you, he just walked right in.”
“Get out!” Ivan ordered without looking at her. I snapped back to my senses.
Rosie scurried out and slammed the door shut.
Why in God’s name is this bastard here?
Dread pooled at my core as realisation dawned on me.
No way… he found out?
Fuck!
Fuck!
I schooled my features, hoping I don’t give away just how fucked I was feeling.
Ivan’s POV:
Smith looked like he’d just seen a ghost and if this wasn’t a serious matter, I’d laugh at how funny he looks. The audacity of this man.
Without saying anything, I walked to the chair across from his seat behind the office desk and sat down.
I looked over at Smith who was still in a state of shock. “Sit,” I ordered.
He blinked slowly and shook his head as if he was trying to clear his mind, he stared at me with a challenge in his eyes. I’d like to see him try. I brought out my gun. “Sit,” I said calmly this time.
He looked like he wanted to argue but he moved to his seat and plopped down on it.
“Where are the papers?” I asked.
“W-what papers?” He stuttered.
Great, I guess we are playing the dumb game now. “Don’t test my patience, Smith. Hand them over and let’s get this over with.”
“What you’re doing makes no bloody sense!” He snapped, quickly changing from being scared to being brave. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. “We should talk things out. You lost money, and products and owed people favors. Fine, I get it, it was my fault. I’ll pay everything I owe and cost you. We don’t have to do it this way,” he stressed.
“I am not here to negotiate with you, Smith. I never forgive disloyal people. You cost me more than that, my men lost their lives including my cousin.” I let out a tired sigh. “The papers?” I extended my hand to him.
“At least let’s have a decent conversation,” he demanded.
I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. “A decent conversation you say?” I scoffed. “You want to have a conversation, now? I’m afraid it’s too late, for months you ignored me like a fucking pussy. You fucked up and couldn’t own your shit, with no regard for me whatsoever but now you want a decent conversation.”
“You can’t make me do this,” he argued.
I smirked. “I can and I will. Marco already told me the papers are ready. If you’re not handing them over, that’s fine, but be prepared to be ruined and spend the rest of your worthless years in jail for murder.”
He jumped up from his seat. “Murder? I didn’t kill anyone, your cousin’s death was a mistake but I didn’t do it myself,” he snarled.
“Who says I’m talking about my cousin?” I smiled at his confusion.
He glared at me. “Then… what do you mean?”
“Boris Makarov.”
His eyes widened as he visibly turned pale but he schooled his features quickly.
“You see, Smith, you should know by now that you can’t outsmart me. You should have been wise enough to know that sending him after me would cost you. I’ve been lenient with you for months, but those days are over. So what will it be? Choose wisely, I’d hate for you to regret your decisions later.”
“You can’t frame me for murder, especially for someone I don’t know,” he said firmly.
I ignored him and turned to Sidorov. “Give me the phone.” He took out Boris’s phone from his pocket and passed it to me. I opened it and dialed a number and within seconds there was a phone ringing in the office.
Smith stiffened but made no move. I signaled to Marco to get the phone off him. Marco roughly pulled out the ringing phone from Smith’s suit jacket and passed it to me. “Sorry boss, I didn’t know he had this.”
I grunted a reply and turned to Smith. “You’re saying you don’t know Boris Makarov, but you’ve been speaking to each other frequently and you send him money too. There’s no need to lie, he already confessed to everything.”
“T-this… i-it doesn’t prove anything, I’ve not left the country in weeks. You can’t pin this on me.”
“You think? I have my ways, Smith. I already have evidence of you in Russia for the past week.”
His jaw dropped. “That’s ridiculous, I-I wasn’t even there!”
“Yes, you weren’t but no one knows this except us. I’m still waiting for your decision, Smith. Don’t waste my time.”
I could almost see the wheels in his head turning as he tried to make a choice. Finally, it seemed like he made his choice as he walked up to his safe and opened it. He stepped forward with a folder and reluctantly handed it over to me. I opened the document and examined it.
INSTRUMENT OF TRANSFER OF SHARES. Was boldly written on the heading.
I passed it over to my lawyer. “Mr. Petrov, please go through them.”
I waited patiently as he went through the files and he handed them back to me.
“You can sign them,” Mr. Petrov reassured.
I took out a pen and got to work until everything was signed. I stood up and gave the folder to Sidorov. “Thanks for your cooperation,” I grinned and turned to leave with my men.
“You won’t get away with this, it isn’t over yet,” he snapped. “Next time we meet, I’d be the one laughing after I’ve gotten everything back and ruined you!”
I turned back to cast him one last glance. My business with Smith was over, there was no ‘next time’ I already had death in store for him. He probably thinks I can’t kill him because of who he is, but who said accidents don’t happen?
I left the office but stopped short, my breath hitched at the sight of the one person I was gradually becoming obsessed with. I didn’t expect to meet her.
Fuck, I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she was as gorgeous as ever. She was dressed in a dark red suit, complementing her pale skin and her hair tied up in a bun.
My fingers twitched at the memory of holding her silky strands while kissing her. The soft feel of her lips against mine, her soft moans and body. My cock twitched in my slacks becoming semi-hard.
Blyad [Damn]. I hate the effect she has on me.
I wonder how she would react if she found out I now own a large percent of the companies’ shares and I was officially in charge? I didn’t know much but I knew she wanted to take over from her father, that was part of the reason she had come to me.
Suddenly I felt weird… was that guilt?
Someone cleared their throat beside me, interrupting my thoughts. I turned to see Sidorov trying to hide a grin and failing. I glared at him and he cleared his throat again.
“What are you doing here?” She demanded, her eyes staring straight into my soul. Those eyes…they were the most fascinating eyes. Even now as those eyes stared daggers at me, I didn’t want her to take them off me.
“Ivan?” Sidorov tapped me, snapping me out of it. Now I was acting like an idiot, I need to get out of here. I was losing control. Again.
“I’m not here for you,” I replied firmly.
She flushed and pink spots appeared on her cheeks. “I-I… t-that’s not what I meant.”
“Good. I’ll be on my way.” And I walked away before she could say anything else.