Kapitel 9: Jace: Part Of The Problem
I stood stock-still as I stared at Kira, I was tongue-tied as I watched her stupidly. She looked back at me, and that was when I noticed her tear-streaked face, her mascara had been ruined by tears. However, while it was clear that she had been crying, she didn't look livid in any way at all.
"You…" she snapped, pushing me back into the room. "You're just the person I want to see!"
As she kicked the door shut behind her, she realized then that Casey was still in the room, "what are you still doing here?"
"Uhm…" Casey tried to speak but nothing came out of her mouth, she was looking pointedly away from Kira as if even a glance would reveal everything that had happened only minutes ago. "I… uh… Jace came here looking for you."
I nodded at that, "the dinner is about to start and I've been looking for you."
"I don't care about the dinner right now, Jace! Everyone out there can go to hell for all I care!" She snapped, she was about to spew forth more venom when she glanced at Casey who was sitting hunched in the chair, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. She slapped her head in frustration, "uhm… I need to speak to Jace alone, Casey."
That was all the go-ahead that Casey needed, she grabbed her purse and looking down at her feet, hurried out of the room without another word. I could see that she made sure she didn't even spare me a glance. However, I didn't mind that at all, I just wanted her out of the room before Kira figured out what had almost happened. At the moment, our saving grace was whatever had Kira so riled up made it impossible for her to see the obvious signs before her. However, I didn't know how long that would last.
The moment the door closed behind Casey, Kira hurried over and locked it, she then turned back to me and stared daggers at me, "So, this was your plan all along? Trick me with the idea of a partnership and steal my birthright right from under me?"
"What are you talking about?" I muttered, watching her closely.
"I'm talking about you, dumbass! You and my uncle thinking you can cast me to the side just because I'm a girl, well, you have another thing coming. I won't be so easy to cast aside, just like that. You can mark my words."
She made to leave but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "Whoa! I don't think so. You don't get to drop a bomb like that and just leave. Kira, I don't understand a word you've said since you stepped foot in here. What is going on?"
"I'm calling off the wedding." She said curtly. "Do you understand it now?"
I pulled back as I stared at her, "what? Why?"
"Oh don't play dumb with me!"
I studied her face, all I could see was her anger and it was directed at me. I wondered if she found out about Casey and I already. However, that didn't seem to be the case because none of the anger had been directed at Casey before she left the room.
I stepped closer to her and gently took her by the shoulders, then I guided her into the chair.
"I don't want to sit," she snapped, but she didn't resist as I lowered her into it. "You're not going to charm your way out of this one, hotshot."
"Well, once I find out what I'm actually charming my way out of, I'll think of some other way to get it done. I promise."
"Are you seriously making jokes right now?" She stared at me.
"Well… I'm still waiting on you to tell me what the hell is going on. Why are you so riled up?"
"It's you! You and my fucking Uncle!"
"Uhm…" I shifted as I looked at her, "what did we do?"
"Do you think I'm just going to lie back while you two plot how to steal Beacon Studios from me?" She surged to her feet and I didn't even try to stop her. I was too stunned by her words.
"What the hell are you talking about? Why would I want to steal Beacon Studios? Once the merger happens, I will keep running Chillz while you take over Beacon Studios. That has always been the plan."
"Oh shut up! The gig is up, okay? Uncle Leo told me everything, so you can stop lying to me!"
"Hey…" I took her by the elbow and turned her around to face me, "I swear to you, I'm not lying. I would never do something like that to you."
"Oh fuck off!" She said harshly.
"See, I own a company, okay? I sweated and bled for Chillz to be what it is today, so I wouldn't take it lightly either if someone tried to take it from me. And that is something I would never do to anyone, least of all someone I'm planning to marry."
"I already told you, the marriage is not happening."
"See, let's just calm down, okay? So, we don't do something we'd regret. Regardless of anything else, our companies need this merger now, thanks to all the publicity this wedding has generated, not going through with the marriage would be a major fuck-up. We have to be careful."
She stared at me, stepping away as if I stabbed her, "I knew it! You're just like him! You think you can trap me with all this talk about investors and how the company will fall if I don't go through with this marriage. I'm not going to sign my company over to you, Jace! Whatever is gonna happen would have to happen, if that's the case."
"I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, I'm not after your company! That's the whole point of the merger, so that once it happens I remain in control of Chillz while you take over Beacon Studios. Kira, my lawyers and I read through the contract multiple times, there was no mention of a takeover in any of them."
"I read through it as well, multiple times! It didn't say anything about me being unfit to lead the company because I'm a girl! It said everything and nothing at all was ambiguous. But you don't know my Uncle, Jace! I've lived with that man since my parents died, if he wants something he knows how to get it. If he wants you to lead Beacon Studios, then he knows for sure that it's going to happen. From where I'm standing, the only way I see that happening is if you're working with him."
"Do you realize what you're saying? If I take on Beacon Studios with this contract that we signed, I'll be doing double the work while the profits and benefits would be split 50-50 between both companies. You're telling me to lead both Chillz and Beacon but it won't reflect in the pay-out. That's a dumb deal, I can't do that. If I want to take control of Beacon, it's better to buy it out and know that everything I'm working for will end up in my coffers at the end. So, you see why it doesn't make any sense?"
"Well, it makes enough sense for my uncle to be considering it. He has a plan, I'm sure of it. If he really wants to kick me out, I'm sure he has a way to make that happen. That man doesn't bluff."
"Well, neither do I," I assured her. "If he was planning a breach of contract in any way, I wouldn't take it lightly with him. However, in the meantime, we have to be careful. We need to figure out what Leo's plans are and stop them. Remember, you're still the one who will take over the company, don't destroy it just yet. Let's find out everything that we can, then if you still want to call off the wedding, I'd respect your wish. There are ways to handle it so that it won't affect our companies too bad."
She looked at me, "You really don't know about his plans? You're really not trying to steal my company?"
"I can assure you that I'm not. Even in this rugged business world, I can't sink so low. If I'm gonna take your company, know that I'll pay fully for it. Not this way."
She placed her head between her hands, "it's just not fair. Heaven knows everything I've done all my life is for this company. My Masters, doctorate, and even PhD, all for this fucking company! Sleepless nights and boardroom meetings all to get this. Yet, he wants to steal this from me. I can't allow it, Jace. No way in hell."
"I'll pay him a visit tomorrow, have a conversation with him, and find out what I can. But for now, we can't do much, not with fifty guests waiting for us on the other side of this door. We need to get to the dinner."
She looked at me, "My face is a mess. Give me a few minutes."
I waited while she touched up her face, looking immaculate once more. When she was done, she got to her feet and linked her arm to my elbow.
"Why don't we put on a show for the reporters?" She asked with a smile, she was trying to get herself into the right mood for the dinner.
I smiled back at her, "as you wish."
I pulled the door open and together we stepped out. It was as if everyone was waiting for us. At once, lights began to flash as reporters took pictures of us.
Kira gripped my fingers and looked into my eyes, "we're in this together, right?"
I squeezed her hand in return, "of course. We're doing this together."
With another smile, she leaned in close and kissed me on the cheek. The reporters went into a frenzy then, taking multiple shots, almost blinding us. However, through the flashes of lights and the noise of the reporters, I felt my heart skip a beat as I saw Casey behind all of them.
Casey was watching Kira and I, she had seen Kira kiss me in front of everyone. I could tell she didn't like it at all. I was definitely in trouble.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Odd_Man
Odd_Man Things are getting quite heated right now. Will Casey be able to put her feelings for Jace aside once she learns of Uncle Leo's plans for Kira? Or will she simply throw caution to the wind? Thank you. Don't forget to leave your comments, I love comments!
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