hapter 96
Asher’s POV
A heavy atmosphere clothed the room as I sat, my father across from me. I stared defiantly, waiting for what he had to say. When he refused to talk, I faced my head back down, busying myself with what I had formally been handling before he stepped in. I initially did not want to open the doors of my office to him knowing that I would regret doing so, but for the fact that he was ‘my father‘ I had to accord him at least some level of respect.
“Get me a cup of coffee, without sugar.” He said to Alan who in turn hurried out to do as he had ordered.
His silence was unusual and I knew that there was a storm brewing beneath the oldie’s mind but I remained totally unfazed. Alan returned with his order, but still he was yet to say a word.
Subconsciously, I began to make a mental countdown. Three… Two… One…
“Asher!” He started just at the last count. I chuckled inwardly at how much I’d studied him. “What exactly are you doing? How do you enjoy that the South is gradually dying in your hands?” He asked.
I remained quiet, though I raised my head to meet his gaze. My goal was to make him feel extremely uncomfortable but his eyes kept darting around the room.
He took a sip of his coffee, which in a way seemed like he was refueling. “You’re not saying anything,” he pressed. He soon realised that his words were falling on deaf ears and that I was certainly not ready to give him any chance for a conversation.
“Asher?” He further pressed, finally finding the courage to look me in the eyes.
I maintained eye contact, my eyes glaring. “Why are you so furious?” I asked finally.
He scoffed, almost as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Asher- we would be returning to submit our growth plan for the next year soon, and we’ve got nothing, absolutely nothing to offer the council members. Aren’t you worried?”
“Hmmm…” I let out a sigh.
“I offered that we use Brandon Tech as a way to push out our economy but I don’t understand why you kept pushing away their offer and avoiding business with them.” Andrew Blackwood continued.
I let out a heavy breath before I finally spoke. “First and foremost, you should personalize anything you are saying because this is a personal race in which the South has its own race to run, just the same way as the Southwest has its own race to run. So if you do not have a plan, personalise it. Don’t say we… There’s no longer ‘we‘. I can only decide to help if I want to.”
“And secondly, why must it be Brandon Tech?”
His brows arched in confusion, “Brandon Tech was one of the top five bests we had to choose from.”
I took out my phone and began to scroll through. “You should know by now that I’m not dumb. When a child is raised by a cunny man, he grows to know all his tricks and even everything that seems doable by him.” His frown deepened at the sound of my words.
“What do you mean by that, Asher?”
“You tried to hurry me into signing the voluminous documents, knowing fully well that part of this agreement did not and would never benefit my pack.”
“Asher…” He muttered.
“Hold on!” I said, putting my finger in front of him to stop him from talking while I continued to search. “There you go,” I said as soon as I finally stumbled upon the document I had been looking for.
His face contorted into a frown as he looked at my screen, “What? What is this?” He said, narrowing his eyes.
“So you’re going to feign ignorance now, aren’t you?”
The air around us felt thick and heavy with unspoken words and a sense of unease. My father’s brow furrowed deeper, a storm brewing behind his eyes. He leaned forward, fists clenched on the table, as if willing me to crack under the weight of his gaze.
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+15
Chapter 96
“That document,” I said, my voice low but steady, “is a trap. You knew it, yet insisted that I signed it. You’re trying to play me like a fool despite knowing how much I hated being made a fool of.” I could feel the heat rising in my chest, a mix of anger and disappointment swirling together.
He opened his mouth, probably to defend himself, but I wasn’t finished. I swiped my finger across the screen, pulling up the clause I had highlighted. “Look at this. Right here. That is the reason I never signed the deal. In fact, I don’t blame Brandon Tech because I’m sure you saw the terms of the agreement first, and I know that the typical you would have lured them into signing you to have greater profit despite contributing the least. You wanted to benefit from my pack without my knowledge.” I let the silence stretch, letting the weight of my words sink in.
His eyes darted to the screen, then back to me, “Asher, you’re being dramatic. It’s a standard agreement. I was the one who got us this great connection and I deserve to be compensated.”
“Compensation?” I scoffed, leaning back in my chair, arms crossed. “You dare to call stealing from my pack compensation? Well at least I’m glad you’ve finally admitted that it was all your doing.”
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his movements. “Asher, it seems you don’t understand the pressure I’m under. The packs under mine are struggling, and I’m trying to find a way out.”
He paused for a moment, taking time to reorganise his thoughts. “Or could it be that you are doing all of this intentionally? To have my Kingdom joined back with yours?”
“Think whatever you please,” I shot back, my voice rising. “But I’m neither interested in your downfall nor success.”
I leaned forward, “If you have to, you can regroup, and find someone who has your best interests at heart. Find someone who is ready to harbour a leech–like yourself. But I, Asher, refuse to be subjected to your evil schemes.”
“Asher!” He let out a low warning growl as he shot up from his seat. “I promise you, you’re going to regret this!”
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