CHAPTER NINE:

NATHAN

I stare blankly at the file that was delivered to my desk some minutes ago, and everything in here doesn't make sense.

I feel like there's a huge gap of information that was missing here.

What could they have missed?

Everything here is just mundane kinds of stuff about Eleanor Duke and Jake Smith. The only intriguing Part is that Jake Smith is the director of account and finance at my company and the fact that they both usually screw each other now and then

“How come I have never heard of the name Jake Smith as the director of account and finance?” I asked Jeff, who was standing at the other side of the table.

“You know him, sir; you just don't care about the names of your workers. As far as they do their jobs well” Jeff replied sarcastically

“Well… I know your name, right?”

“Yes sir, and that's because I do my job well” he replied

No lie about that. He does his job well.

“Sir, you have a meeting to attend in five minutes,” Jeff reminded me.

“This guy—Jake. Is he going to be present in this meeting?”

“Yes, of course, sir. This is the monthly budget review meeting”

“Okay,” I answered absentmindedly, my gaze distant as my thoughts wandered elsewhere. My fingers moved instinctively as my index finger was softly tapping on the glass desk in a slow, irregular rhythm.

Nothing in this report adds up as to why Kim looked mortified when she heard the name Jake Smith. The report only shows that they attended the same college.

No! I can't sit still, I need to check this out myself. I stood up abruptly, taking Jeff by surprise

“Let's go to the meeting”, I called out to Jeff as I was already opening the door and heading towards the elevator.

“But sir, there are still about 3 minutes and some seconds to the meeting”, I heard Jeff call out from behind me as he desperately tried to catch up with my pace.

There are too many questions roaming rent-free in my mind to care about being early for the meeting. I just want to meet Jeff.

We rode the elevator down to the 24th floor where the meeting was to be held, and I went into the conference room to wait. The room was eerily quiet, as nobody was present except Jeff and I.

After about 3 minutes of waiting, all the personnel involved in the meeting began to saunter into the conference room with shocking expressions upon seeing I was already in the room waiting.

And then I saw Jeff Smith. The one whose name gave my wife a mortified expression. He was the one who would make the presentation at this meeting.

“You're Jake Smith” I asked in an authoritative voice

“Yes, I am, sir,” he replied, looking surprised.

He was surprised because I know his name, whereas I don't care about the names or faces present at the meeting today or any other meeting. I only care if they did their job well and the report the president submitted to my table.

He doesn't look peculiar to me. Green eyes, brown hair, and muscular body frame.

He looks good, yes. But not as good-looking as the people I have in my close circle.

‘What did you do to my wife that made her so afraid of your name?’

‘What dirt do you and that marketing girl hold on my wife?’

All these questions kept circling in my mind, but I couldn't ask him. Asking him would raise his suspicion.

I just stare at him, blankly. I need to get him unaware.

“Is…is..there something on my face, sir?” he asked nervously. Beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead.

I ignore him and walk out of the conference room, leaving them stupefied in the same position.

“where are you going, sir?” Jeff, who had run after me, asked.

“Sunset Hill” I replied nonchalantly

“what? The club? It's still early in the evening, sir,” Jeff stated. Confusedly

All I need right now is a strong drink that can calm all the voices and anger in me.

The reason why I'm feeling this way, I don't know. I have never been curious about anyone other than Kim. But I'm very curious about Jake and what he has done to Kim in the past.

I ignored Jeff, retrieved my phone from the inner pocket of my tux, and dialled a number. The receiver picked on the third ring

“Meet me at Sunset Hill,” I said to Will Francis

“what? What business do you have at my club, Nathan?” he asked, A small Coquettish laugh can be heard from the background

“What do they do in a club?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm

“Isn't it too early to drink? What is going on in that robotic head of yours?”

I rolled my eyes at his excuse as I got into the car, and Jeff closed the door to the owner's corner.

“Will If it's not too early for you to be smooching with some girls, then it's not too early to drink. I will be there in one hour” I replied and hung up

Will Francis is my best buddy since high school, the only guy who understands me, even better than I understand myself. He owns most of the hotels and resorts all over North America, and because he is rich, he spends like a criminal who just robs a bank.

Another of his bad habits apart from being a reckless spender is that he is a playboy. He has never dated a girl for one week. After 3 days, he had lost interest.

It's funny how we became best buddies when our attitudes were exactly opposite. I can't stand the sight of any girl who tries to flirt or seduce me, and I only spend when I want to.

The car pulled up in front of Sunset Hills, and I made my way to the VVIP room, specially reserved only for Will. Much to my surprise, he was there already waiting with a tumbler of whisky in his hand.

“You talk as if you wouldn't come,”, I said to him as I walked toward the chair and sat beside him.

“You said you will be here in an hour. Have I ever turned you down when you call out to me?” He said, pouring me a glass of whisky.

“I can't do anything about the traffic in New York.”

“Yes, you can. Your technology company can build a flying car” he said while passing me the glass of whisky

“Hmm, we're working towards it”, I replied, and he laughed.

“So, what's on your mind” he asked

I went silent for a while, thinking of how to start. And that's my problem, I'm not good with words.

“With the way you're silent, it has to be something that is eating you up badly, huh?” I heard will say

“I think someone is messing with my wife,” I told him

“Kim? Your wife? Now I'm curious to know who wants to court death,” Will stated frankly.

I gulp down the content in my glass all at once. The drink burns as it slides down my throat, and the fiery trails spread warm through my chest

“Yeah, maybe this time, I will send them to their hell if found guilty!”