Page 1 of As the World Falls

Chapter One

James

I loosen the tie around my neck, feeling as though the air in the room is strangling me.

I was waiting for one of my employees to come to my office for a meeting, and although it was a good one, I struggled to give my praise, and the fact that I had to do so made me feel uncomfortable and suffocated.

I wasn’t good at showing my feelings or complimenting others. I excelled at the exact opposite—being cold and critical.

I hear a knock on my door, and then it opens. I look up from my desk to see Tobias Bowen walking inside, his expression a mask of indifference. He has no idea why I called him in, but I was sure he wasn’t worried. He was my right-hand man, for all intents and purposes.

“Sit down,” I tell him, gesturing to the seat opposite my desk.

“What’s going on?” he asks calmly, sitting down. I study him momentarily, noting his pale skin, dark brown eyes, and even darker hair that he kept buzzed short. He was a big, wide, muscular man, and his facial features were complex and rugged in a stone-like way. His smile and charming personality were hisonly saving grace because he looked like a terrifying brute if he wasn’t smiling at you or talking to you in any way that didn’t make you feel like your life was threatened.

“Do you know what a coo is, Tobias?”

He ticks one brow at me as he leans back in the chair. “A coo?”

“In simple terms, it means second in command.”

“Okay…” he says slowly.

“You’re being promoted, Tobias,” I state plainly. “You’ll be my second in command, which means I will delegate almost everything to you. I want you running this empire alongside me. Can you handle that?”

He sits up a little straighter now, and I glance at him, noting a small amount of shock in his features. “I can handle it. Thank you.”

His hands ball into fists for no other reason than the fact he had to be suddenly nervous. “Tobias,” I say his name sternly but gently. He and one other person in this world were the only ones I’d be like this for. The feeling was new for me when it came to Tobias, and it still made me uncomfortable at times, but whether I liked it or not, he was my partner and what one would typically consider a best friend. “You deserve this. I wouldn’t do this on a whim if I didn’t think you were fit.”

He nods, his limbs and hands relaxing. He kept himself so tense, and I never understood why. Mostly, he was a carefree guy despite work being his entire life. I’ve known him for five years now, and that whole time, he’s done nothing, and I mean nothing, but prove his loyalty to me. He was in a factory setting to eat, sleep, and work by my side. Nothing else. The only times he has any fun is if I practically demand, and then he will finally show the side of his personality that I rarely see. The fun side, I guess you’d say.

He reminded me of myself a lot in that way, although I couldn’t tell you the last time I’d had any fun. It’s been years, I know that.

“It’s nice to know you’re finally admitting you need some help around here,” he chimes in with a smirk, giving me that glimpse of him today. “Need someone to do the heavy lifting and all that.”

I press my lips together in a flat smile. “Exactly. I need someone to pick up the work's brunt so I can finally take a bloody vacation.”

His smile drops. “Are you telling me I’m going to be busier than I already am?”

I nod. “Very.”

“Mother fucker.”

“If you don’t want the job, then I can?—”

“I want the damn job,” he interrupts me, and I smile for real now, knowing that’s what he would say.

“Great. My assistant Marcy will review all your paperwork and pay raise with you, which I’m sure you’ll find satisfactory. Also, how are we on that deal with Andrei?”

“It’s progressing, but he informed me that he’s also in talks with Hodge Wiseman.”

I grimace at that. Hodge Wiseman is my competitor in the crystal industry. I have amassed my fortune from the trade of crystals, creating nothing but the most exquisite jewelry from them. Yet, Hodge came along, offering deals on cheap crystals and fake metals, and I won’t lie and say that it hasn’t propelled him forward and earned him a small fortune. But at the end of the day, those who seek the best and possess a more refined taste go through Labyrinth Crystals. He may have surged ahead with his tactics, but he could never surpass me.

“If he wants less than quality, then let him have it. I’m not in the business of striking deals with someone who wants to cheap out on the finer things,” I say irritably.

He grins at that. “He won’t like it if I say that.”

I glare at him. “Do I look like I give a damn what the man likes? Pull out of the deal altogether. I have better trades with people who respect this industry.” Tobias looks amused as he pulls his phone out to make the call. “Tobias,” I call him again before he leaves, pulling out my little black book from my desk drawer and tossing it to him. “Take this with you, ensure everything is accounted for, and bring it back to me when you’re done.”

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