Chapter 102

MR JACOB POV.

Max and Nadia were up to something, and the syringe wasn’t just for show.

As Kenneth droned on about Richard’s virtues, I stole a glance at Nadia. She was sitting stiffly, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Her eyes kept darting toward the hallway where Max had disappeared. She looked uneasy, almost as if she was holding her breath.

I narrowed my eyes. If anyone in this room was likely to crack under pressure, it was her. Nadia didn’t really have Max’s calm demeanor or his knack for manipulation.

She was an accessory at best, someone Max kept close to do his dirty work. But even she had looked panicked when Max took that bite of the apple and I could tell.

That moment replayed in my mind over and over. The way Max had smiled so smugly, biting into the fruit without hesitation.

He had chewed it, swallowed it, and even smiled at me afterward, as if mocking my attempt to expose him.

Mocking me.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. There had to be an explanation. Maybe Max had some kind of immunity to the poison.

Or perhaps he had taken an antidote beforehand, knowing full well what was in the fruit. But how could he have known? Unless...

My thoughts spiraled deeper. Could Max have suspected that I was watching him at the supermarket? Was he playing me all along?

It seemed unlikely, but then again, Max was a master manipulator. He had fooled Kenneth for years, earning his trust while siphoning money from the company.

“Jacob, are you listening?” Kenneth’s voice cut through my thoughts, jolting me back to the present.

I forced a smile, nodding absently. “Of course, Kenneth. Richard has done well for himself. You must be proud.”

Kenneth beamed, clearly pleased with the compliment. I barely registered his response, my mind already wandering back to Max.

Something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut. Max had pulled off some kind of trick, but I didn’t know what it was. The thought gnawed at me, filling me with frustration and unease.

What if he was onto me? What if he had somehow figured out that I was watching him, that I knew about the poison? The idea made my blood run cold. If Max knew, then he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate me.

I glanced at the others in the room. Kenneth was still talking, his voice animated as he praised Richard.

Daniella sat beside him, her face glowing with pride. Tammie was smiling shyly, her eyes occasionally drifting toward Richard.

And then there was a strange lady who sat quietly with bandages all over her face and hand. She sat quietly, her expression unreadable.

I couldn’t quite place her role in all of this, but there was something about her that didn’t sit right with me. She wasn’t just a guest. She was connected to Max and Nadia somehow.

Because I could notice the eye's contact and signal they had given themselves when I arrived earlier.

My gaze returned to Nadia. She was fidgeting now, her foot tapping lightly against the floor. Her eyes kept shifting toward the hallway, as if she was waiting for Max to return.

I leaned forward slightly, my mind racing with possibilities. If Max didn’t die from the poison, then what was his plan? Was he using this moment to gain even more trust from Kenneth? Or was there something else at play, something I hadn’t considered?

I thought back to the supermarket, to the way Max had acted when I confronted him. He had been calm, almost amused, as if he had already planned his next move.

And now, sitting here in this room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was several steps ahead of me.

My fists clenched again. I hated the idea of being outsmarted, especially by someone like Max. He was a snake, a con artist, and I couldn’t let him win.

But how could I expose him without putting myself at risk? If I revealed what I knew, Kenneth might question my motives. And if Max had some kind of contingency plan, he could turn the tables on me in an instant.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. For now, I had to play it safe. I couldn’t let on that I was suspicious, not until I had more evidence. But one thing was certain…I wasn’t going to let Max get away with this.

As Kenneth continued to speak, his voice fading into the background once again, I made a silent vow to myself. I would find out what Max was planning, and I would stop him.

Even if it meant playing his game.

I sat back in my chair, staring at the polished surface of the center table, my mind racing with a torrent of thoughts. How did he do it?

How did Max manage to fool everyone in this room, including my own brother Kenneth? The memory of Kenneth’s words, spoken just minutes ago, rang in my ears, grating against every nerve in my body.

“Max has been one of my most loyal colleagues. He would never harm me,” Kenneth had said with such conviction that it made my blood boil.

Loyal? I nearly scoffed aloud. Max, loyal? The same man who had been skimming money from the company, manipulating people, and now, poisoning fruit? My brother’s blind trust in him was infuriating.

I tapped my fingers on the armrest, my eyes narrowing as I thought back to everything that had just happened.

Max had bitten into that apple…the poisoned apple…and chewed it with the confidence of a man who knew he had nothing to fear. How? How could he have known it wouldn’t harm him?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Max was far more cunning than I had given him credit for. He must have planned this entire charade, knowing exactly how to twist the situation to his advantage.