IDTMB — Chapter nine

The cabin in the middle of the forest, surrounded by silence, with a cold wind blowing on the air. Ellie sleeps in his room, while he sleeps on the couch where all the woods have been burned up in the fireplace. The two didn't talk anymore after their dinner conversation, and he knows he upset her with his words. That's why, as the sun rose, he left early to go shopping for her. He placed the paper bag containing the clothes he bought for her the day before in front of the door's room so she could see it when she woke up. He just left a note so she wouldn't have to look for him while he's gone.

(Phone ringing)

Arthur was driving when his phone began to ring, and he immediately connected it to his bluetooth earphone. It was his secretary who called, and he began to wonder what the sudden call was about. "What exactly is it, Secretary Fiona?"

"Sir Arthur, I apologize for disturbing you at this time. I know you're off today here at the company, but someone wants to see you right now."

"Who exactly is he?"

"It is Sir Dominick who wishes to see you."

"Tell him he's wasting his time."

"But Sir Arthur, if you don't come here, your father might get angry," her voice shakes nervously.

"What does it have to do with Dad?"

"Sir Dominick said that if you refuse, he will call a reporter and tell them what you did to him, and I'm afraid that it will harm our company's image, and your father will definitely explode," his secretary explained, making him grimace, "I'm begging you Sir Arthur, please come here in the company."

"All right, I'll be there in an hour. Tell him to wait and don't ever do anything stupid," he said as he hung up the phone and changed his route to the company. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, and he was about to call Ellie when he realized her bag was still in his car, "You gotta be kidding me!"

He spent five hours driving on the road before arriving at the company. Arthur is the current CEO of Eurwen's International Hotels, the world's largest hotel chain, with a last year annual revenue of ₱15.74 billion. Despite the fact that Yuzon's company has the most properties, Eurwen's International Hotels has the highest current annual revenue at ₱25 billion and is present in 131 countries as opposed to Yuzon's 75. Dominick Yuzon, his former best friend, runs the Yuzon Hotels and Resorts, which are their main competitors in business, but since Ellie will be arranged on him, they will become business partners soon after the marriage.

"Sir Arthur!" Fiona had been waiting for him at the hotel's front desk, and she immediately followed him because he was already on his way to the elevator.

"Where the hell is the bastard?" he asked, not pausing to look around.

"He was in your office-"

"OK, you stay here, and I'll face him alone," he said as he entered the elevator by itself.

"But, Sir Arthur-"

"Cut it off, Secretary Fiona." He cut her off for the second time and the elevator's door were finally closed.

Fiona heaved a sighed where she was standing, having a bad feeling what was about to happen. "I hope sir Arthur doesn't kill him in front of his father."

As the elevator stops on the last floor of the building, Arthur walks with heavy footsteps towards the office, ready to take him in his death. There were only two rooms that can be seen on the floor, one of which was the boardroom, which was 300 square feet in size and could seat 30 people at the long table inside. When Arthur came to a halt in front of the doors office, he opened up the door wide and was surprised to see Dominick on the living room sofa talking with his adoptive father.

"Arthur was already here, Uncle." Dominick smirked on him where his face was covered in bruises and bandages.

"Arthur," Luisito called in an authoritative tone, "I'm glad that you're already here."

Arthur wasn't expecting his father at the company today, which made him wonder what he was doing here knowing Dominick was the one who wanted to see him. "Hello, Dad." He closed the office door and walked towards them while his eyes fixed on Dominick. "I didn't expect you to come here injured."

Inside the office, there are three sofas, two of which are for one person and one of which can facilitate three people. He took a seat on the single sofa facing Dominick, while his father sat on the large sofa to his side. The coffee on the table in front of them has been prepared by Fiona earlier, and the air conditioning would seem to be cold, but the tension between Arthur and Dominick is hotter than summer.

"Dominick told me he was in a fight last night, that's how he got the bruises, and I'm telling him to put the man who did it in jail," Luisito said, feels pity with what happened to him, "but he didn't mind charging against that man."

"Is that so? I'm glad you're still alive, Yuzon; you're almost a half deadman in your injuries," he said coldly, killing him with his dark eyes.

"Yeah, but if that man gets in my way again, I'll kill him with my bare hands," Dominick replied and his injured face widened into a fake smile.

"Just make sure you're not the one who gets killed first." He returned his smile and turned to face Luisito, who was just listening on them. "So, Dad, what is the sudden visit here? You didn't inform me that you'll be here at the company." He asked, changing the subject before the tension become out of control.

Luisito take a last sip on his cup and cleared his throat before he says, "I was heading to the resort where I will meet my old friend when I suddenly remember something that's why I decided to stop by."

"What is it all about?"

His adoptive parents turned his head on Dominick who was silently listening on them before he rise on his seat. "Let's speak privately in the boardroom."

"All right, Dad," Arthur rises from his seat, and it it seems he already knows what the conversation will be about.

"Will you please excuse us, Dominick, because this is a matter of our business."

"Go on, Uncle, I'll be just right here waiting for your son." He was trying to pissed off Arthur with his sarcasm and smile to provoke him because he knows his former best friend is a short tempered person.

Dominick was left in the office when the two moved in the next door which is the boardroom. As they got inside, Luisito walk manly towards the wall glass. Since the building was built on the 100th floor, he can see everything from where he stands. The building was their first hotel and this is where can be seen the main office of the Eurwen's International Hotel in all of branches they have around the world.

"You can spill the tea now, Dad, what is it?" Arthur asked directly, standing at his back.

"How did our hotels do this month, Arthur?"

As he heard the of his adoptive father, it took him a second before finding the right answer. "If you're worried about the company, Dad, you don't have to because we're still on top, as we've been for months and years."

"I know, Son, but I'm not worried about the rank of our hotel." He turned to face him. "I am worried about the rumors that their is a thief here in the building who stole a ₱1.5 million without our knowledge. How this thing slip out in your hands?"

"Tss. I told her not to tell you not until I said so, because I'm already working on it," he replied annoyingly pertaining to his secretary.

"Don't blame Fiona for telling me, Arthur. It's right for me to know what's going on here, and I don't want all our hard work to be stolen by a thief who's also working here in our company!" Luisito's voice suddenly filled by rage and he was disappointed of him that his adoptive son let the situation happen. "Since you're the acting CEO now of our hotel, I want you put yourself together and focus finding out who is the thief. If you have to search all the backgrounds of our employees here in the building, do it at all cost and we will put that person on the jail. Am I making myself clear here, Arthur?"

"Yes, Dad, I will find who is the thief in our company."

"Good," Luisito says as he approaches him and places his hand on his shoulder. "I want it done before your wedding, and I'm counting on you for the sake of our hotel's future," he squeezed his shoulder before letting him go. "I'll have to leave now, and I'm sure Dominick has been waiting for you in the office for a long time; tell Ellie to come home as well because there will be a dinner party with the Yuzon family tomorrow."

"All right, I'll tell her." The two walked out of the boardroom together, and Arthur led his adoptive father to the elevator before returning to the office with his dark aura. "I assume you received the notice that my attorney prepared for you, and I believe you should be preparing to enter the jail right now." He smirked, looking at him with cold stares.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." He shakes his head at what he said, thinking Arthur is making fun of him. "I think you're overreacting, Arthur. Whatever happened last night, let's just get it out of the way that day because you know I didn't mean to scare her like that."

"And you think I'm stupid enough to believe you?"

"No, but I believe your secretary already told you that if you refuse, I will call the reporters the moment I step out of this room and tell them what you did to me, and you know how much it will affect your company that the CEO tried to kill the CEO of their opponents."

"Stop talking, Yuzon, and leave while I still have patience for you."

"I know you don't care, but come to think of it, Ellie will marry me soon after your wedding with your fiancee, so there's no need to charge me my soon brother in-law."

Arthur formed a fist and punched him in the face in a split second. "Fuck you!" He knocked him to the floor, where a drip of blood stained the white tiles. "You will never going to have Ellie and you will come to me first before you could get her!"

"Hahaha. You are truly a monster, Arthur. I wonder how Ellie would react if he saw her brother's true colors." He spit out the blood from his mouth, laughing as if he was enjoying the pain.

"You've really got something in your head," he clenched his fists, knowing Dominick was just provoking him and that he was up to something to bring him down.

"Sir Arthur!" The door burst open, and Fiona and their security guard entered. "Please stop; your father will be furious if he finds out about this!"

"Yeah, you should listen with your secretary, Arthur, and I guess it's already a threat for you to turn over the charges." He used all of his energy to stand up where the security guard helped him. "I'll wait until tonight, and if you don't do anything about it, you can expect your company to be in the headlines of newspapers with a bad reputation because of you." He walked through him and out of the office, accompanied by a security guard. Now, he's really like a half deadman with another injuries he receives in provoking him.

"Sir Arthur, are you–"

"Get out, Fiona!" he yelled, storming over to his office table and erasing everything he saw on the top. "Ahhh! Fuck! Fuck!" he cursed over and over again while knocking his fist on the table, almost breaking the top glass.