It’s bad enough that Macsen has taken it upon himself to annoy me by calling me by his surname, knowing very well I didn’t agree to carry it. If I let anyone else speak to me this way, my people will start to think I gave my husband the power he so badly craves. My businesses are still mine, my soldiers mine and under my protection, listening to my orders. Nothing has changed in that case.
“Where is Macsen?” I ask them.
“Mr Addison left a while ago for a meeting. He said to make you breakfast and be at your complete disposal. Whatever you need.”
It’d be a nice gesture if I believed he’s capable of one. But I recognise it for what it really is. A smokescreen for whatever he is doing, and wherever he is in that fucking moment. We went through our itineraries for this week and other than him going to his office, he had nothing planned.
I nod. “I won’t be eating anything. I’ll get dressed and go to my house. Tell Macsen that it’s where he’ll find me when he’s back,” I say and go back out, heading to the bedroom. Some of my clothes are supposed to be there somewhere in the dressing room.
Agreeing to move in with him was yet another of my mistakes. Thankfully I didn’t sell my property since it’s as much my office as my house. Finding my phone on the nightstand, I text Diego to pick me up, and open my suitcase, taking out the first clothing options I can find. I decide on jeans and a grey tank top over which I put on a black leather jacket and then pull on my Doc martens. I don’t care about showering or anything else for that matter until I talk to William. I need to find out where Macsen went because I can swear on my fucking life it’s something I should know about.
Half an hour later, with surprisingly busy traffic at this hour, I’m home.
“Go and check on the ring. I should be there once I deal with everything here. In a week, we have a big fight coming and they’ll need every hand available,” I order Diego, even though I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. Let alone to him when he’d do it without so much as me asking. Since his girlfriend works there as a waitress, he’s more than happy to oblige.
I go inside. William is already waiting for me in the hall, phone in his hand and an annoyed expression on his face. So I didn’t imagine my fucking husband already pulling some shit behind my back.
“Where is he?” I ask, walking to my office with him next to me.
“Meeting with one of the financiers. His brother convoked it last night. I just found out myself when the media posted photos of him going inside his office buildings. Do you want me to find out what it is about?”
I shake my head, knowing very well what the problem is. Simply because I know what kind of men Macsen surrounds himself with and the reason why our organisations didn’t work together well in the past. They don’t take a woman's opinion into consideration and now they’re made to work with one as their boss.
Rage lights up inside me.
It’s bad enough that I have to fight to keep my position in the Firm, showing all those dickheads that I’m more than capable of ruling. Now my husband undermines my effort by excluding me from discussions.
I hate that.
“Put the files together for each of the financiers. Their businesses, assets, properties, investments, and order a background check on their personal lives. I need to know who I have to go to bed with to fight fire with fire,” I tell William and dismiss him.
The day has barely started, and I already want to kill more than one person.
Just fucking perfect.
Macsen
My guards follow me inside the building, Theo walking beside me.
“He has been waiting for thirty minutes now,” Theo mutters under his breath as we walk inside.
“So? I’m the boss here, not him.”
It’s a huge office building, all curved with glass and steel. Taking the lift, we head to the top floor. Within a few seconds, the doors open with a ding as I stalk inside.
Behind a solid sandstone desk, a woman with long, brunette hair is engaged on her phone. The smirk on her face definitely shows it isn’t work-related. But hearing a group of loud footsteps her head snaps up followed by a nervous smile.
“Is Mr Allen in his office?’’ Theo asks her.
“Yes. I will just–”
Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, I stride inside.
“Wait! Sir! You can’t barge in. He’s in a meeting,” she shrieks with panic reflected in her tone.
I suppress the urge to roll my eyes at her lame attempt to stop me. I button up my black suit as I barge inside his office. My polished black shoes thud against the wooden floor with every step I take.
“What the–” His words fade away when Oscar Allen’s eyes land on mine. His clients look over their shoulders with wide, shocked eyes, matching the same surprised expression as Oscar. Except he holds a hint of nervousness behind his grey gaze.
“Umm… we will continue the meeting at lunch,” Oscar says to his clients. I walk towards his desk.
“You two fuck off,” I say in a casual voice, watching both of them get up and walk out of the room right away.
I take a seat with Theo following suit.
“You being late for the meeting doesn’t mean you can interrupt my other ones,” Oscar mutters as he lets out a heavy sigh before looking at the closed door which is guarded by four of my soldiers. I don’t really need them but it’s better to be safe than sorry. “And really? Are the guards necessary?”
I remain silent, offering him a blank look. “If you’re done whining like a five-year-old girl, then shall we get to the point? I have way better things to do than waste my time here.”
That shuts him up as he leans back with his hands resting on his marble desk. Oscar Allen is one of our youngest but shrewdest investors. Ever since he inherited a load of money when his father died of cancer, he started investing in numerous different business branches, becoming a shareholder in some as well as being strictly involved in stock exchange tactics. He’s one of the main investors in my restaurant chain as well.
“What’s there to say? You’re married to Davina Kinsley,” he snickers. “I’m sure you will soon give up your restaurant chain all together to her.”
I lean back with my left foot resting on my knee, my fingers against my jaw with a five o’clock shadow. I don’t know how he found out about the restaurant chain deal I’ve made with Davina, but it doesn’t sit well with me to have any leaks in my ranks.
“We’re here to know about your doubts you have about this business adjustment, not about my wife. What is your fucking problem? Spill it out instead of wasting time with riddles,” I keep my tone cold as ice that even Oscar’s face starts to pale slightly.
Always show your power with your words in the first place. Always.
“I’ve invested two million in your business. Everyone knows the Firm is benefiting highly from it. Especially since you don’t have to take care of everything on your own. But you want to share it all with a woman. For what? Just to fuck some whore who thinks she can rule. We all know what kind of side businesses of the sex industry she’s involved in. I can’t be connected to any of this.”
All of a sudden, rage goes through my body the minute he calls Davina a whore. The fucker is lucky that he’s one of our reputed investors, otherwise, his body would be filled with bullet holes by now before it was thrown from his own building. My jawline ticks as I grit my teeth together to keep my composure.