He's just hurt

It was another hectic day, and piles of work are waiting to be done in no time. Ibrahim sighed sharply and buried his face in his palm, unable to believe that he hadn't completed any of his tasks. He tried his hardest to concentrate, but it appears that his mind and body were at odds. He's a quick- witted person who has always reminded himself to use his time wisely. However, he was unable to concentrate because the scene from the previous night kept flashing in front of his eyes like a picture. It's the girl he's called his wife, but it's also the same girl whose family he wanted to be destroyed. He's supposed to despise her, but he's perplexed by himself—why would he do something like that to her the night before? He is asking this same question again and again.

“Get back to your senses, Ibrahim. You were inebriated yesterday.” He made every effort to persuade himself.

He's certain it's because he's half drunk. Why would he want to hug her? This is not right, and he should stop thinking so much. Sometimes the world can trouble you as much as your own thoughts, and this is what Ibrahim feels right now.

Just as he was about to take another report, the door was opened, causing a loud bang to echo through his ears and vibrating the silent room. Ibrahim rolled his eyes in annoyance upon looking at who was coming. He swore to himself that he would kill this guy if he wasn't his friend.

"How many times do I need to remind you to knock before coming in?" said Ibrahim.

Alan chuckled teasingly at Ibrahim and sat directly on the couch without minding Ibrahim’s anger. Ibrahim could see that he came with two cups of coffee.

“I wonder why you are always free. What I see is that you're just hanging out and messing around while I'm busy, Alan, and I'm not in the mood to talk to you." Ibrahim said he was already in lot of trouble from last night and he just wanted sometime alone to work properly.

Alan laughed once more. "I only need 10 minutes of your time, and you can work while listening to me."

Ibrahim looked at Alan, puzzled "What exactly is it? Why does it sound important?” Ibrahim inquired, his gaze fixed on the screen in front of him.

“As you own more than a quarter of Paul Rae’s company. Do you know who the other major shareholder is?” Alan inquired as he intended to reveal the most confidential information to him.

Ibrahim laughed. He had never imagined himself dealing with such a small company. "Of course." He replied softly.

Alan's eyes widened in shock. "Really? How much information have you already gleaned about that family?"

Ibrahim gave a light chuckle. Of course, if he wanted to win this game, he had to be smart. "I've learned enough about them to gain their trust before I crush them to ashes."

Allan exhaled a sigh. "Do you really want to keep playing this game? I'm worried about you."

Ibrahim’s movement stopped for a while upon hearing what Alan said. He shifted his gaze to Alan, confused "Why would you worry about me?"

"Arthur Jones is the man who wields as much power over Paul Rae as you do. How could I not be worried? Arthur is just as dangerous as you. Did you remember his daughter..."

Before Alan could finish his sentence, Ibrahim abruptly cut him off. "Stop!" exclaimed Ibrahim, anticipating what Alan was about to say. His face darkened at that precise moment. His expression became sour, indicating that he was angry.

Alan gaped and picnicked briefly. “I’m sorry Ibrahim.” He had no idea that his best friend still hadn't moved on from that incident.

Ibrahim got up from his desk and sat down next to Alan on the couch. For a brief moment, Alan becomes even more sacred. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Ibrahim did his best to etch a small smile. "Alan, I know you have excellent detectives that can assist me with my plans. Thank you for your concern, but I'm completely aware of Arthur Jones and how much that old man despises me. As I previously stated, I have been planning this game for quite some time. I felt so grateful when I found out Arthur Jones was Paul Rae's ally, as if the heavens had blessed me to destroy them. It's like killing two birds with one stone.”

Alan is completely taken aback. "You intend to destroy both of them."

Ibrahim nodded, his face turned even darker. As a scene played out in his mind, he gritted his teeth and balled his hand into a tight fist. "Do you know why Arthur Jones didn't assist Paul Rae?"

Alan's head shook. "I never considered that. I'm not sure if they're close enough to support each other."

Ibrahim grinned. "They certainly are. As I told you, I meticulously planned everything. Arthur Jones is just another greedy man who aspired to be a politician. The election is less than a month away. I believe he will use the funds and money he owns to win the election. He couldn't bear the thought of losing it, which is why he doesn't even look at Paul Rae when his company is in such disarray."

Alan gulped his saliva after hearing yet another clever trick from his friend. He thought his detectives would be useful in gathering information, but he was wrong. Ibrahim is smarter than he ever imagined. "Do you ever wonder why Arthur seems to despise you from the start?"

Ibrahim gave a sad smile. "Because I turned down his offer from the start."

A soft knock was heard, followed by the door being opened, just as Alan was about to ask another question. The sound of high heels echoed throughout the room, and Alan smiled immediately upon seeing who was approaching.

"What is it, Jessica?" Ibrahim inquired. Yes. It's his lovely and trustworthy secretary.

Jessica smiled politely at her boss' regular visitor, or should she say, the only one who could come and go from her boss' office as he pleased?

"Sir, I brought some paper that will require your approval, and I wanted to confirm whether you will attend the Kingdom Corporation's charity event. If you're going, I'll have to let them know." Jessica inquired before placing the papers on Ibrahim's desk.

Alan's head shook. How could such a coincidence occur? "No, Ibrahim, Arthur is the man behind the event. He's one of the most important sponsors."

"I'll go," Ibrahim said to Jessica, disregarding what Alan had said.

"Yes, sir," Jessica said as she exited his office.

Alan exclaimed sharply. "This is so complicated!"

"Arthur will think I'm avoiding him, and I'll bring my wife with me to the event.""

"You're crazy!" Alan yelled when he heard the word wife. So, now he considers Anna to be his wife now?

Ibrahim smiled with delight as he imagined how that old man would react if he brought his wife with him. "I can't wait," he said simply.

"I'm sorry to say this so abruptly, but I believe you are aware of what happened to Natasha." Alan tried to be as cautious as possible when mentioning her name.

Exactly as Alan had envisioned when he heard that name, Ibrahim's face darkened. His breathing became erratic. Although he appeared to be mad, a painful gaze was clearly visible. He had never wanted to hear that name again in his entire life.

Ibrahim simply nodded. "Yes, Arthur is the one responsible."

Ibrahim thought his heart was about to burst for a split second. A slew of scenes kept playing in his head like a broken CD. He is still a human, no matter how cruel he is. People sometimes forget that he too has feelings. He may appear to be strong, but on the inside, he's just a normal guy with a lot of wounds. He's not a bad guy. He's just hurt.