Chapter 14

14. Look who it is!

“Well, well, well,” Aiden sneers, and I feel my fists clenching on either side of me, “look who it is.”

“Aiden,” Coraline breathes next to me, and in the next moment, moves behind me. I feel so damn protective of her that I move my body right in front of hers yet again, just like the night at the restaurant.

“Hello, Coraline,” his voice is anything but pleasant when he voices her name, “I see you’re still shagging the cockroach.”

“He’s ten times, no, a thousand times the man you are,” surprising me, Coraline growls, “What the fuck are you doing here, Aiden? Are you stalking me?”

“Is that what you think this is?” he demands.

“What else am I supposed to think? We broke up, Aiden, don’t you remember? I left. You’re the last person. I expected to see here.”

“Well, I could say the same,” a gloating smile takes over his mouth, “Do you know why I’m here, Coraline?”

“Clearly, we don’t,” I find myself saying, “which is why we asked in the first place.”

He ignores me, his attention on Caroline, his eyes predatory, “I’m here because my father bought millions of dollars’ worth of investments in this company.”

I feel my blood run cold.

“And that made him the third majority shareholder in the company, as well as a member of the board,” Aiden cannot contain his gloating grin, “Remember what I said, about the dangers of letting me go, Coraline? How I would ruin your life? Well, consider this the beginning.”

The grin vanishes. “You left me. I’m going to destroy you for that. And crush your little cockroach with you.”

“You truly think you can do that?” I inquire, partly awestruck at his sheer arrogance. One would think he was the one who bought the shares, not his father.

Finally, his attention switches to me, and an expression of disgust overwhelms his face, “The fuck are you here anyways, cockroach? Are you her new emotional support buddy? Lapping after my leftover like the dog you are. Tell me, how do second-

hand goods feel like?”

I can ignore a jab at me, but not at Coraline, “Shut your whore mouth,” I growl at him, and a flicker of surprise flashes through his face. “Try to act a bit civilized. Coraline is here for an interview for which she was formally invited to. You can’t do anything to stop her from participating in the interview.”

“Oh, can’t I? Can’t I, cockroach?” That word is starting to get on my nerves really fast. “Well, let’s see about that. I give you one chance to hightail out of here with dignity. No way in hell will I let her interview here.”

“That is not your decision to make,” I inform him.

Aiden grins again, this time almost murderously. “Yeah, but I know a man who can.”

He takes out his phone from his pocket and rings a certain number.

“Mr. Crane!” He exclaims jovially, “how are you doing? It’s Aiden. Listen, we got a problem at the main entrance Some bitch is here, demanding an interview.”

The need to punch him in the face had never been higher, and I believe I should be given some sort of an award for reigning myself in.

“Yeah, yeah, no, I don’t think my dad would like that very much, no, what with me being his only son.

Wouldn’t want someone like that in the company, considering how new we are.” Aiden goes on to say, and I can’t help but raise a brow.

Oh, now it’s ‘we’, isn’t it?

Suddenly, the doors of the main entrance open, and out trots a middle-aged man, looking like a hurricane personified. Aiden cuts his call, his expression smug. Coraline shrinks into herself behind me.

“What the hell is happening here?” the man yells.

“Mr. Crane, this is the girl,” Aiden points at Coraline, who is now beet red from embarrassment.

Mr. Crane turns to us and screeches, “what is the meaning of this? I’m the manager of this prestigious. company, and I don’t have time for snotwads like you to waste my day with nonsense. Get the hell out of here before I call security to do it.”

I feel like this charade has gone far enough, so instead of replying to his questions, I ask him, “Mr. Crane, do you have any idea who the owner of this company is?”

I didn’t think it was possible for the man to get even angrier than he was, but he does. I can almost see the smoke coming out of his ears, “Are you trying to be funny, young man? Is that it? Of course, I know who owns the company I work at What the hell do you think I do all day long?”

“Yeah, you tell him, Mr. Crane,” gleefully, Aiden interjects himself into the conversation, “Teach this welp a good lesson for me, will you? He and his slut have been a major issue for the last few days, and I believe they should be taught their position.”

Mr. Crane looks at Aiden, “They’ve been disturbing you too?”

“Disturbing is an understatement. Especially this asshole,” he points at me, “He’s been running my life. Even stole my girl.”

“Nobody stole me,” Coraline replies from behind me, “I left on my own because you beat me up, Aiden. You’re an abusive bitch, stop trying to make excuses.”

She steps forward from behind me, eyes blazing, and points at the manager, “Listen, Mr. Crane, I got an interview at this company today. I’m a damn good student, and I’m good at my job. I will be an asset to this company. Please don’t listen to Aiden, he’s not telling you the truth.”

Mr. Crane’s eyes narrow, “Aiden is the son of the third majority shareholder, and you can bet your mother that I’d take his word over yours anytime.”

Then he yells out, “Security! Get these little shits off my property, right now.”

Then, his eyes turn cruel, “And rough them up enough that they won’t even think of stepping around these parts ever again!”

“No, you will not be doing that, Mr. Crane,” suddenly, a new voice comes from behind us. “Because you are fired, effective immediately.”