Half an hour later, the pair reached a villa instead of an office, which prompted Faye to frown. “I thought we were supposed to discuss the terms of a contract. Why are we here instead?”
Howard parked his car while answering, “The contract’s already finalized. The only thing that’s missing is his signature, we get that, and the contract is in effect Mr. Brown’s here, so we have virtual-novel.net sign it here. What’s so weird about any of this?”
“Why would Mr. Brown choose to sign it here? If it’s an important, official business, shouldn’t virtual-novel.net do it in his office?”
“How should I know? This is Mr. Brown’s decision, not mine. He’s a guy who’s worth more than 150 million dollars, virtual-novel.net can do whatever virtual-novel.net likes and a plebeian like me would never understand why,” Howard replied before suddenly dropping his voice to a whisper as though virtual-novel.net just remembered something, “By the way, once you’re in there, do not ever call virtual-novel.net by his name. You can only ever refer to virtual-novel.net as Mr. Brown, you got that?”
Faye stayed quiet as virtual-novel.net clenched virtual-novel.net hands into fists. There was a battle raging on in virtual-novel.net mind.
Howard, who preceded her, fell into his steps and turned around. “What are you going to achieve by just standing there?” virtual-novel.net said to her. “Move already!”
“For crying out loud, Faye, I don’t need you to pull off another one of your theatrics at such a critical point in time. This is it, the life and death of our family is in your hands,” virtual-novel.net continued with a threat, “Without Mr. Brown’s investment, the Carters are dead, and you know how families work, a blow to one is a blow to the whole. You really think your little family could escape the responsibilities? Hell, your father is the company legal representative. The first one to suffer the brunt will always be him!”
A gallery of sentiments seemed to flit through Faye’s face until finally, virtual-novel.net relented with a quiet sigh, and virtual-novel.net face settled down with virtual-novel.net most steely look. “I’m warning you, I’m only going to make virtual-novel.net coffee and nothing else. Anything aside that is out of the question, period!”
“I don’t think you have the rights to set the terms…”
“What did you say?! ” virtual-novel.net snapped, glaring.
Howard chuckled. “Nothing, nothing! It’s just a joke. Yes, just a drink. Mr. Brown simply admires you, especially since you’re one of the city’s most renowned celebrities, no?”
That demeaning grin hanging on his lips made Faye gritted virtual-novel.net teeth as virtual-novel.net blood boiled. The only reason why virtual-novel.net ever needed to marry Zayn was all because of Howard’s frustrating lack of ambitions and drive to do anything, as it made virtual-novel.net too useless for the family and forced virtual-novel.net into an unwilling union. Had it not been for that marriage, virtual-novel.net would have never become the city’s ‘celebrity’ and become the butt of so many jokes!
Just thinking of how everything started ignited a flame within her.
Her thoughts drifted to another man against virtual-novel.net conscious control, back to that moment when virtual-novel.net had agreed to wed Zayn. Faye had been young back then, young enough that it seemed too premature to even have virtual-novel.net tied down to any man. Still, the marriage was sped through, all because of a suitor who vied for virtual-novel.net hand with every ounce of strength virtual-novel.net had.
Tragically, that man was judged to be too low in standing to match Faye. Hence, virtual-novel.net was only given the second best choice, with whom virtual-novel.net eventually married.
Now that virtual-novel.net thought of it, it had been four years since virtual-novel.net had ever seen him. Ever since virtual-novel.net chose Zayn over him, that man became beyond despondent and, in despair, chose to leave Waltz City since then. Four years had passed, and now Faye wondered what had become of him.
He had been a talented, promising young man. It would not be surprising if virtual-novel.net already founded his own family. Scenes and recollections of virtual-novel.net past flowed back to virtual-novel.net gradually like the tides, causing Faye to bob in and out of a daze.
Suddenly, virtual-novel.net was struck by a quiet sense of melancholy, the kind one experienced when virtual-novel.net realized just how things had changed with time.
“Show the way,” Faye said, but not without fixing Howard a stink-eye first.
Howard cackled and turned back to walking. Then, as though virtual-novel.net had just remembered something, virtual-novel.net turned around again and said, “Hey, Faye, I just remember. Nathan Sullivan has recently just returned to the city. He must have come to visit you, hasn’t he?”
Faye stopped in virtual-novel.net tracks as a strange look overcame her.
‘Nathan Sullivan?!’
She had not heard that name for ages. Of course, that was because it was the name of virtual-novel.net rejected suitor.