Chapter 48

CHAPTER 48

NADIA POV

Max raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying how desperate I sounded. “Eager, aren’t we? I like that. But patience, Nadia. All in good time.”

“No,” I snapped, my anger flaring again. “We start now. There’s no time to waste. Mr. Kenneth is out of his coma, and I don’t want him interfering.”

Max’s expression froze, his smirk vanishing in an instant. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me,” I said, feeling a small sense of satisfaction at the shock on his face. “Mr. Kenneth woke up. He’s out of the coma.”

Max’s eyes widened, and for the first time, he looked genuinely rattled. His confidence faltered, and I could see his mind racing, trying to process the new information.

“What do you mean he’s awake?” he demanded, his voice sharper now, almost panicked.

“That’s exactly what I said,” I replied, crossing my arms. “And that changes everything, doesn’t it?”

Max didn’t respond immediately. He was too busy grappling with the implications of what I’d just told him.

For once, the tables had turned, if only slightly, and I reveled in the brief moment of power.

The silence stretched between us, heavy and charged. Max’s shock was so obvious, and I could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out his next move.

MAX'S POV

"Max, you seem distracted. What’s on your mind?" Nadia asked, glancing at me over her coffee cup. Her voice had that soft tone she always used when she thought something was off with me.

I shook my head, not wanting to let her in on what was really bothering me. But there was no way I could ignore what she had just said.

"Nadia, how did you know Mr. Kenneth is out of his coma?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, though my mind was racing. I had heard nothing about it, and here she was, so casually mentioning it like it was old news.

She didn’t seem surprised by my question. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and gave me one of those “are you serious?” looks.

"Max, have you forgotten already?" she replied with a small chuckle.

"Richard's mom is a close friend of Mrs. Daniella, and they talk all the time. Mrs. Daniella told Richard’s mom that Mr. Kenneth had finally come out of the coma.

Then Richard's mother told my mom. He’s still very weak, though. He can’t open his eyes, but he can hear everything that’s going on around him."

I sat there, frozen for a moment. My mind was still trying to process her words. I had no idea that Mrs. Daniella was that close to Richard's mom.

How had I missed something so important? My surprise must’ve shown on my face, because Nadia’s eyes narrowed as she watched me closely.

"Max, you look like you've seen a ghost," she added, her voice tinged with amusement.

I quickly wiped the expression off my face, trying my best to hide the shock and confusion that was written all over me. "I didn’t know about that," I muttered, forcing a smile. "It’s good to know he’s awake. I hope he recovers soon."

"Yeah," Nadia agreed, nodding slowly. "But he’s still a long way from full recovery. You know how these things go."

I tried to shift the conversation, not wanting to dwell on Mr. Kenneth’s condition for too long. There were other things I needed to focus on.

"So, Nadia," I began, my voice a little more casual, "Has the wedding date been fixed for Richard and Tammy yet?"

Her expression changed a little at my question, and for a moment, she hesitated before answering.

"No," she said finally, shaking her head. "The date hasn’t been set yet. They’re waiting for Mr. Kenneth to get better, and I guess they’ll fix the date once he’s stable and discharged from the hospital."

I nodded, pretending to be interested, but inside, my mind was already working. I had to act quickly, before everything got out of my hands.

If the wedding wasn’t fixed yet, that meant I still had time to maneuver things in my favor.

"Well, I guess that makes sense," I said, forcing my voice to sound more confident than I felt. "Once Mr. Kenneth is better, I’m sure they’ll get everything arranged quickly."

"Exactly," Nadia agreed, giving me a knowing smile. "I’d guess the date will be fixed as soon as Mr. Kenneth is discharged and doing better. You know how these things work."

I nodded, but deep down, I was already thinking about something else. It was high time I made my move. That contract sitting on my desk at the office… I had pretended to reject it before, but the truth was, I’d been waiting for the right moment.

Now, with Mr. Kenneth still weak and unable to see properly, I realized it was the perfect opportunity.

I leaned back in my chair, trying to hide the sinister smile that wanted to creep onto my face.

Nadia was still talking, but I wasn’t really listening anymore. My thoughts were elsewhere…on that contract, and how I was going to get it signed.

"I’ve been thinking," I said, interrupting her mid-sentence. "I think I’ll go visit Mr. Kenneth later this evening. It might be good to see how he’s doing, you know? Maybe I can help in some way."

Nadia looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. "Visit him? What for? He’s still not in a good condition, Max. You sure it’s a good idea?"

I smiled, but there was something in my eyes, something dark. "I think it’ll be fine. I’ll just check in, see how he’s feeling. ''

'' Maybe... just maybe, he’ll be in a state where he can sign that contract. Even if his eyes are closed." I thought to myself.

Nadia frowned, not understanding the full extent of what I was implying. "Max, you’re really starting to sound like you’re plotting something."

I chuckled, not bothering to hide the amusement in my voice. "Plotting? Nah. Just thinking about how to get things done efficiently, that’s all."

I stood up, pushing my chair back with a loud scrape. "I’ll head to the hospital later tonight or tomorrow. But I’ll need to make sure everything’s set up before I go. Don’t want to waste any time."

Nadia didn’t seem to fully understand what I was getting at, but she didn’t press further. She just gave me a small, puzzled smile, before turning her attention back to her phone.