Kapitel 175: Future Fears
"Is it fully covered up?" I asked my secretary, Carrie, who was applying concealer to my neck.
"Yeah, it looks more like a light bruise now, though I can't really get the tooth prints to disappear," she said. "If I may, ask Jasper to bite a little lower down so these don't peek out of your collar."
"He knows that himself," I said, rolling my eyes.
"My boyfriend gets like that too. So clingy they have to leave a mark on you," she vented. "Once he left one on the back of my neck, and my parents saw it at our family gathering. They were so pissed."
"If only I could get Jasper to stop biting me like a dog."
"Sir, Jasper has been telling us all about how you two are going to adopt the cutest baby in the world," she smiled.
"It's not like I'm having the baby though. I'm a man!"
"Well, he's probably getting in what he thinks he'll have to cut back on. My sister's husband was all over her before she got pregnant," the secretary laughed. "He most likely thinks that since most of your attention will be on your kid, he won't be needed as much."
"That's absurd."
"First-time fathers are usually all over the place, but it's really adorable to see a man so happy about his first child. He's trying so hard it's almost embarrassing sometimes," she chuckled.
Jasper was kind of going above and beyond in the past four days. It was almost a repeat of the first time I told him I loved him out loud. He was overly doting again but this time with lots and lots of praise, even for little things. I haven't put a stop to it only because I enjoy it so much.
"Yeah, he doesn't tend to overindulge," I sighed.
"You're a lucky man, Sir. I want my boyfriend to be like Jasper."
"If he was like Jasper, you wouldn't be able to handle him," I said. I didn't even know how I coped knowing what I knew about Jasper's obsessive nature. I doubted many would find being obsessed over someone like he does pretty terrifying like Travis does. He worries so much sometimes that he provokes Jasper to show me his worst sides. Seeing that unhinged side of him is part of what keeps me around as well as the sweet by-the-books guy he projected to everyone else. Fuck, I love him so much that I'm excited for this child to come as well.
"Well, I believe you're the one I probably wouldn't be able to handle, sir," she said. "You're pretty intense and scary when you want to be."
"Do you think I'd make a good father?" I asked.
"Well, you probably wouldn't be the fun dad but you'd definitely be the dad the kid needs," she patted my neck with some powder and stepped back to take a look. "Yeah, those bite marks aren't going anywhere but your skin is all the same color again."
"Thank you, Carrie. I'll reimburse you for the product used," I said, buttoning my shirt back up.
"No need, sir. I've got plenty of these now since you give away all the gifts people send to you," she waved off my offer. "I've got enough high-quality stuff for years now."
"Then for the extra task."
"It's part of my job, sir."
"Makeup isn't part of the job."
"My job is to assist the CEO and make your life easier, sir. You were worried someone would see it so I covered your hickey up as best as I could and you look more relaxed now. I'd say that's doing my job," she argued.
She had a good point and I guessed good character for turning the money down. "You're part of that stupid fan club, aren't you?"
"Was it that obvious?" Carrie asked.
"If you weren't, you would've taken the extra pay," I said. "Thank you for your help."
"Can I just ask you a question, sir?" she asked.
"Shoot."
"Do you love Jasper?"
"Of course I do," I answered a bit too quickly which caused Carrie to start getting giddy.
"How much?"
"Carrie, get back to work. This isn't a meet and greet or a Q&A session."
"Aw, but sir—"
"Now, Carrie!" I snapped. She giggled and jogged from my office. Ugh, these people were everywhere in the office and that pissed me off sometimes. I couldn't believe one was working so close to me. While they had their uses, why couldn't they be more subtle?
"Sir, Cherry Todd is on line one for you," Carrie's voice buzzed over the intercom.
Cherry? That means something's finally up. I picked up the phone. "This—"
""What the hell are you doing right now?!"" Cherry yelled into her phone. ""Didn't you promise me! It's all over!""
"Hey! I kept my word and bought your stocks!" I yelled back. "I've got the receipts to prove it! How dare you!"
""Then what the hell is going on?! Why am I getting a forensic audit?!"" She sounded pretty freaked out.
"Hey, that's just to make sure things are on the up and up. It has nothing to do with the stock I bought from you," I said.
""ARE YOU SERIOUS?!""
"Didn't you make as much money as you could through various forms of corruption?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer was.
""They're raiding my office now! Did you know about this?!"" Cherry snapped.
"It means they can't tolerate your actions anymore. You must've really pissed someone off. Just repent and publicly apologize for all your bad deeds. With $16 million in the bank from stock trading, you should be able to live a good life."
""You son of a bitch!"" she spat.
"Mind your manners if you want to keep that money in the bank," I warned her. What I was implying was very clear.
""You're turning out to be the disappointment Tony told me you were!"" she hissed.
"Didn't I tell you to mind your manners? There's no way to avoid it, so you'd better prepare yourself, Chairman."
""YOU BASTARD!!!! I'LL GET YOU!!"" Cherry scream-cried frantically. It sounded like she was panicking. ""This isn't what you promised me! I know I'm just a mistress, but what did you do so right that I get treated like this? If Tony had been the successor then everyone here would've been happy! Haven't you learned anything since your brother killed himself?! Everything that happened is because of you!""
"I didn't go to the jail and hang him. He did that himself," I brushed her rant off. "If you ask me, it was his own way of making amends for all the shit he caused, if he was capable of feeling remorse. But we both know it's because Emily was going to take him down with her."
Silence. She knew I was right, she had to at this point.
""If you didn't care, why were you at the funeral?"" she asked.
"I was guilted into going," I told her honestly. "I didn't originally even want to bother."
""Fuck! At least give me something! You have literally everything in your hands! What about me?! What about your deceased brother's children I'm raising! What the hell am I supposed to do? I should get something too! How can you be so cruel!"" She started her rant again. ""Even if the kids are a bit ugly, they're still your nephews! Even if their father has died, they're still your blood! Why don't you even feel sorry for those kids he left behind?!""
"No matter how much money I give you, it won't solve a thing, you know," I said.
""Then give me something! Then say whatever you want!"" she sobbed. ""What the hell did I do wrong?! Why are you treating me like this?!""
Where do I start? "First, I know it was you who sent those thugs to Lombardi's to hurt me. You came into that funeral to reveal yourself and those kids to the entire family, knowing your position as a mistress. I don't necessarily want to be around people who try to bully a late-stage cancer patient in front of her kids. If that disaster funeral wasn't bad enough, you went on a media tour saying you deserve something from the entire family. Then you barged into my office with your two children to manipulate me into buying stocks while neglecting to disclose your ties to my company and the Todd family. You dragged me unwillingly back into Todd family drama, and I'm not even part of the family. I don't see why I should care about you being raided."
Silence. I didn't think she would have much to say at all. She had already listened when she attacked me unprovoked. She had absolutely nothing to gain from it, and I even wrongfully accused Madison of being the culprit. This lady had nerve and too much ambition with no education on how things actually work.
"Actually, if I really think about it, your first mistake was wanting to be part of the Todd family's dwindling empire," I told her.
""Please forgive me!"" she finally whimpered. ""If...if you can stop the tax investigation, I'll make sure to go far away and live quietly with my children. We'll never appear in front of you again. This is my last request; please just think of my children one more time.""
"Are you begging me?" I asked.
""Yes!""
Good! I had the perfect response. "Then bring their kids' father back to life. Well, I guess that's still impossible, so cure Madison's late-stage cancer so she can live a full life with her kids, who already didn't receive much. I heard she got a bit sicker after you stimulated her at the funeral. If you can cure her, I'll help you."
More silence. ""I'm sorry for those sending people to attack you.""
"People don't change that easily," I said.
""I understand that you don't believe me, but I really do mean it!"" she said. ""Scream and curse at me all you want, just leave me a chance to live.""
"Show you mean it."
I heard her groan a bit. ""I'll give you the savings bank and the design company. I've already sent the documents to be processed by Mr. Wallace. For the time being, I would like to just be with my kids. I'll leave it all to you, so please, leave me a way out.""
Oh, there's that superior feeling again! "I'll keep my eye on you to see that your behavior has changed. Think of it as a 20-year probation sentence from now on. If after that time, you've truly repented, I'll give you another chance."
""20 years?""
"Yeah. That's enough time to prove your sincerity."
""Do you know how old I'll be in 20 years?!"" Cherry snapped. ""Are you still not satisfied that your older brother's hard work is going to be taken?! How could you be so heartless! Isn't family supposed to stick together?!""
"Cherry, you got played by my brother. Those may be my nephews by blood, but I haven't been part of the Todd family for years already. We are not family. I owe you nothing," I sighed.
""Then at least give me back my company!""
"Are you going back on your word?"
""Don't change the subject and give me back my company!"" she demanded desperately.
"No. If Mr. Wallace got it, it's already gone through. It's a pain to retract it," I teased.
""Do you seriously have to go this far?!"" Cherry snapped.
"Just give up quietly. It's no fun if you're already done," I taunted.
""You motherfucker! What about my kids?!""
"Fuck 'em, and fuck you," I hung up the phone.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein