“Yes. That reminds me... the deal is off.”
Archer glared at his father. “What do you mean, the deal is off!? I hope we’re not discussing the deal that you forced me to work on for almost half a year and made me cram about two more years of work in the last fucking month. The same deal you swore Killian Russel would agree to after I found out over a fucking dinner that we’d be working with him!” he seethed.
Calvin laughed with a nod. “That one precisely—”
Archer cut him off. “Father. I don’t have time for your antics today. Why the hell did you go through with this! You told me it would work out, but pulling out of the deal will set me back for months!”
“Well... Kitten wanted to go to Paris, and we had a chat. Which led to me letting go of her father, ultimately erasing her primary obstacle.”
Archer scoffed before turning his head as he ran his hand down his face. “God, that little brat can really get anything she wants,”he muttered, but Calvin heard, noticing that his tone was a mix of slight anger and another emotion.
Nonetheless, Calvin stood up and sighed. “Son, this shouldn’t be a challenge for you. Trust me, backing out of the contract... was not a mistake.”
Archer rolled his eyes, and not wanting to hear more, he left the room and slammed the door in the process.
Andrew walked in from his conjoined office and leaned against the door frame as he took a sip of his coffee. “I expected things to go worse.”
Calvin shook his head. “The second I got his reaction from hearing it was Delilah’s doing, that was all I needed. He isn’t really upset,” he replied, and they both looked to the door as Eugene walked in.
Andrew furrowed his eyebrows.
“One of these days, Newman, you’re gonna use the fucking door to get into this damn building. All you do is sneak past security like some assassin,” he uttered.
Eugene paid him no mind as he crossed his arms. “What do you need, Calvin?” he asked, and Calvin chuckled.
“Eugene, I need you to make sure that Delilah goes on this trip to Paris. Though I did most likely the majority of the work in resolving the issue, I need you to make sure Killian agrees to allow her to go. Then your next job will be to keep tabs on them for me as well.”
“Both of them? At the same time?” Eugene asked, and Calvin nodded.
“They will be spending more time together, so this won’t be a challenging task… she’s going to be working for him in a few weeks’ time.”
Eugene frowned. “I’m assuming Killian doesn’t know about this whole ordeal either?”
“Of course he doesn’t. If he did, he’d go insane.”
“Then what the hell are you doing, Calvin!” Eugene asked, slightly raising his voice and glancing at Andrew for a split second before looking back to Calvin, who still looked unfazed.
He lowered his voice as he continued, “Calvin… You know the type of man Killian is. I’m already doing my best to keep quiet about your plans, and me keeping this secret from him is going to make me even more dead than I already am…”
“Eugene, let’s skip the theatrics. You’re already a dead man walking, so there isn’t much of a difference now. If you do your job, I promise you, Killian will not find out that you’ve been helping me.”
“How can you be so sure? He’s already skeptical of me and may already know more than we think!”
“Then we assume that he does not know and continue to execute the plan carefully. Do that, and you’ll be safe...from both me and him.”
“Calvin—”
“Need I remind you once AGAIN,Eugene,” Calvin cut him off as he approached him slowly, “you work for me, and yourfamilybelongs to me. You don’t have a say in this. For me tofullybe a part of Killian’s company, you need to keep your opinions to yourself and do your damn job. This is the only way that Killian will be forced to accept our companies merging.”
“Archer knows no girl other than Delilah. We both know that he literally thinks, sleeps, breathes her. The attraction he has for her is unhealthy. And Delilah, my realniece,has only known two boys who have done nothing but make her life a living hell and you—” Eugene looked and pointed to Andrew—“allow your son to harass her and play his stupid mind games just so she will fall into the arms of the only other boy who may treat her slightly better—but she doesn’t know anyone else out there. You’re manipulating them! Fucking forcing them to fall in love!” he yelled.
The room went silent.
Eugene ran his hands through his hair, practically forcing himself not to rip it out of his scalp as the guilt of being in the room with the two men continued weighing on him.
Calvin leaned against the front of his desk and spoke with a shrug.
“Well, they need to fall in love, Eugene.How else are they going to get married?”