THREE

BRIAN'S POV

NICHOLAS MAVERICK RODRIGUEZ; The richest businessman in Europe. Although he lives in the States. He is the adopted son of the Italian Royal family in the States, "The Rodrigues". He took over the Rodrigues' European group of companies and worked hard to make it to the top in Europe. There is no businessman in Europe making more fortune than he is. All in white. Who knows about black?!

Approximately a month ago the CEO of our company died in a very suspicious way and this company was then auctioned to Mr. Nicholas Rodriguez. He was in Rome for some business tour and was back now paying a visit to his newly brought companies in London before going back to his native land, New York, North America.

He is an ideal in the business world and I would really want to follow up with his footsteps and reach where he is now, one day. I knocked lightly at the door before pushing it a little open and asked for permission, "May I come in, Mr. Rodrigues?"

"You already came in Mr. Lewis." He said without turning back. Wearing a neatly ironed suit he had his back facing towards us, while he was staring out of his floor to ceiling glass windows. He was a man of perfection, I really idealized his success.

"You called me, sir?"

"How long have you been working here for?" He asked coldly.

"Umm... It's been around 5-6 years now sir, but it sure feels like a lifetime!" I chuckled trying to lighten up the mood, and he quickly turned around and gave me a spine-chilling glare.

"You would need to take a note of certain things when you talk to me, Mr. Lewis." He said and took his seat, resting his feet overlapping each other on the desk showing off his Italian limited edition hand-stitched shoes to me, "I'm not a big fan of witty people."

"Umm... I was just trying to lighten up the-" I immediately dropped the idea, he was my Boss's boss's boss. I had to Shut my cheekiness or my family would be on the streets.

"I see your performance record is very clear?" He said without letting me complete my last sentence. This dude was hella snobbish.

"Uhh yea... I was-" I started speaking again when suddenly my cellphone jingled.

Shit.

"Uhh... Sorry." I mumbled to Mr. Rodriguez, and he just shoots me glare. Ignoring him, I took out my cellphone and saw it was Ruth calling. "Wife emergency! You would know?" I scoffed not sure about the fact if this guy was married or not? He strangely shot me an extremely pissed and irritated look and...

"I guess there are no cellphone rules in the office?"

"Uhh... yeah." I mumbled and then disconnected the call shoving my cellphone back in my pocket. Sorry babe! But your husband is stuck with an overly arrogant jerk who perhaps hasn't smiled in a century.

"You were promoted as a chief editor to the magazine, weren't you?" He said getting his legs back down from being at the table and started rummaging through my file.

"Yes, sir!"

"Not going to happen! I don't think you're well-trained enough for the spot." He said slamming my file shut.

"Huh?" I don't understand. Is he actually thinking of demoting me for no fucking reason? If it was so, why did he promote me in the first place?!

"Now that the company is mine, I can do whatever I want with my staff. I have looked for a better person to fill in your position here. You may pack your stuff up and leave"

"But this is wrong! You can't just-" I started again and he yet again out of his weird habit didn't let me speak at all

"Either submit your resignation by an hour on my desk or I'll have to get you dismissed." He said coldly. Okay enough!! I banged my fist in anger against his table and glared at him in fury!

"YOU CANNOT JUST DISMISS ME JUST LIKE THAT! I'LL DRAG YOU TO THE COURT." I yelled.

"You're welcome to do that Mr. Lewis, but until you win the case you'll have to live on the streets with your wife and your little daughter and trust me, if I won the case.... I'll make sure you don't get another job in any decent company anymore."

This guy... Does he hold some kind of unknown grudge against me?! Why do I look into his eyes and all I see is pure hatred for me?!

I know I should fight back but this guy was very, very powerful, and he will 90% win the case. I can't allow my family to suffer. This was my dream job... Fuck! I can't believe I have to do this.

"Sir, I'm very sure there must be a way we both could pass our both differences here. I'm willing to do anything it takes." I almost begged for my job. A sadistic smirk curled up his lips. This bastard wanted this.

"Yeah, there is a way out." He said, got up and circled around his table to come and stand right before my face.

"If you hand your wife, Ruth over to me, things could be settled. You can save your job?" He said, his eyes carrying lust for my Ruth. Some deep shitty kind of lust. And before anything, I pumped my fist and knocked a punch hard on his face, so he was thrown a few steps backwards.

"You BASTARD!!" I aimed another punch at him when he scoffed wiping the blood off his lips and blocked my punch midway quickly grabbing my neck and shoving me against the wall.

"Well honestly, I'm the kind of man who takes what he likes, I don't need anyone's permission. Not from someone like you at the least."

I struggle through his four fingers choking me trying hard to fish a few amounts of oxygen into my lungs.

"And your dear wife Ruth, she has belonged to me all along."

He let go of my throat and I gasped loudly for air. He slowly went back in his seat as I plucked out my ID from my shirt in hatred and flicked it on his face.

"DO HELL WITH YOUR STUPID JOB, I QUIT THIS COMPANY." I said and stormed off the office.

...........

A wide victory smirk curled up Nick's lips as he took Brian's ID and flicked it out of his table to the floor of the room.

"Very soon, you'll even quit the earth." He said, rocking his back in his chair.

.................

RUTH'S POV

After sending Brian to his office finally, I got back at the couch, with my hands over my head

"You okay mommy?" Irene came towards me, playing with her doctor's set, placing the plastic stethoscope over my belly

"Yup! Sending your dad to the office can be really tough at times." I sighed and smiled, and so did she.

"So then play with me mommy" She asked wearing her plastic stethoscopes in her ear "I wanna hear my little brother's voice" She said placing the loose end of the stethoscope over my belly.

I tried playing with her for a while where she was the doctor and I was the nurse trying to operate one of her barbies when I received a call from Scarlet.

"Hey Babe!"

"Hi."

"Wassup?"

"Nothing. Just playing with Irene. What about you? How come you're calling from the office at this time? Is Brian okay?"

"You think I'll only call you to discuss about Brian or Irene? Come on, I wanted to talk to you!" She pouted.

"Okay... Wassup?" I chuckled.

"So, listen up! Me and our wild troop have planned out something really crazy for your twenty fifth birthday eve tonight." She said.

"You remembered?"

"Ofcourse, we are best friends. You HAVE to come!"

"I'll have to drop Irene ar Aunt Mary's for that. Okay, Let me figure it out with Brian, and I'll let you know. Okay?" I replied.

"Alright. See you tonight. Brian will tell you the details. Bye."

"Bye"

It's been a while since the last time we went out together at a friend's party. I called Brian. Weird that he wasn't receiving my call. Maybe he would be stuck up at a meeting.

........

An hour later, Ruth calls Brian once again and he picks up.

"Hey? Uhh... Ruth? Hi." He sounded really stressed about something.

"You okay?" Ruth asks.

"Yup. Umm... It's just some work. You wanted to say something?" Brian says and hides the entire thing about the interaction with Nicholas Rodriguez and about how he got fired an hour ago.

"I called to ask about this thing. Scarlet was planning a wild party for us tonight. Do you think you'll be free till seven tonight? I'll drop Irene to Aunt Mary then?" Ruth asked.

"Yeah. Sure." Brian replies and mumbles randomly wondering, "I'm gonna be free for a long long time after tonight."

Ruth couldn't hear his mumbling and asks, "Umm... what? Did you say something?"

"Nothing!" Brian says realising that he didn't want to tell Truth about being fired and worry her. It was her birthday tonight and there were a lot of secrets she needed to know apart from getting fired. He didn't want to hurt her on her birthday. He really wanted her to have this day.

So, he decides to change the topic. "What are you wearing for the party?" He asked in a naughty tone making Ruth taken by surprise and then blush.

.................

RUTH'S POV

I bit my lips when he asked me that. My mind suddenly turned to dirty mode and I breathed out in a naughty tone as well.

"Maybe something so special that you would like to have me in the desert for tonight?"

"Oohh. You just turned me on with that, babe." He replied.

I bit my tongue, turning red, drunk of his love and this feeling of being cherished by him.

"I'll be looking forward to my dessert tonight then." He said in a husky voice. "I'll... uhh... I'll talk to you later babe, the boss is calling me." He said next and ended the call.

Two hours later.

I wore Brian's favorite black dress along with his favorite pair of lingerie that he liked the most on me and checked myself out in the mirror. It looked sexy on me and was making me blush. Although I would have skipped draping myself in a shrug right now, but it's going to be pretty cold outside. I had dropped Irene at Aunt Mary's who was living next door an hour ago.

Irene anyway loved Aunt Mary a lot and Aunt Mary too treated her like her own grand-daughter.

Where was my husband who I was getting ready for right now anyway? I looked over the clock. I asked him to return to me at Seven, but it was already 10 o'clock.

I reached out for my phone and dialed Brian's number. It went unanswered two times. But when the third time it rang, he finally picked up his phone.

"Brian? Where are you?? I asked you to come home early tonight. But it's been so long. Still stuck at work?"

"He isn't coming back." The reply came from the other side. In this cold, dark voice.

It wasn't Brian's voice. I couldn't understand who it was but it almost felt like I've heard this cold, domineering voice so many times in the past.

"Wh-What?"

"Ruth. Brian. Lewis." The man clicks his tongue distastefully taking my full name and chuckles darkly, "Did you miss me, Walker?"

My heart started racing as the pictures started piecing up together now. He called me "Walker".

ONLY 'HE' CALLED ME "WALKER".

"You didn't do the right thing by getting remarried, Walker. But don't worry. This husband of yours is coming to get you instead."

"N.... NICK?!" I stammered hard calling out his name but no reply came to me after that.

"Hello?! Nick? Where is Brian?! HELLO?!"

I kept asking him but he disconnected the call. Although I know, there's no point asking him. I know my past and I know Nicholas Maverick Rodriguez. Knowing Brian Lewis is my husband... He would have killed him by now.

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