The ticking of the clock echoed through the silent room as Nik sat at the long mahogany table, dressed sharply in a black tuxedo that contrasted with his smooth, white hair. His emerald eyes were fixed on the group of elderly men seated across from him —their expressions a mix of unease and defiance.
Alexei stood calmly on Nik's left side, while Dmitri sat to his right, his expression unreadable.
After hearing from Alexei that all the investors had suddenly pulled out their shares from the drug production unit, Nik had immediately called for this emergency meeting. There had to be a reason behind such a move, and he intended to find out what it was.
But ever since he'd asked them for an explanation, none of the old men had dared to speak. The heavy silence stretched on, testing Nik's patience. His fingers tapped lightly against the table — slow, deliberate.
Tic tac… tic tac…
One man, looking to be in his late seventies, slammed his hand on the table, a smirk on his lips.
"So this is it?" he sneered. "A kid telling us how to handle our own money?!"
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes glinting with disdain.
"Do you really think you're in charge here, little Nik? You're nothing but a kid playing at power."
Alexei opened his mouth, but Nik's icy stare froze him in place.
The old man chuckled, loud and mocking. "I've survived more dangerous men than you. And now we're supposed to take orders from… you?" He shook his head, still smirking. "Pathetic."
Dmitri's jaw tightened. His fingers twitching, every muscle coiled, ready to make the old man regret his words.
The man, seeing no reaction from the others, pushed back his chair.
"I don't know about you clowns, but I'm done with this nonsense."
He started toward the door, still laughing.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed sharply through the room. Everyone flinched—everyone except Nik and Alexei. The old man screamed, clutching his leg as blood seeped through his gloves. "You… bastard! Who dares—"
Dmitri's eyes narrowed, his fingers itching on the trigger, ready to fire a second round. But before he could, Nik's voice cut through, cold snd sharp: "Stop."
Dmitri's finger reluctantly relaxed. The gun thudded against the table. But the smirk on the old man's face… it didn't fade. And that smirk? It made Dmitri grind his teeth.
Alexei leaned closer, whispering under his breath,
"I told you it was a bad idea to bring Dmitri along."
Nik didn't respond. His emerald eyes stayed fixed ahead. With a faint sigh, he adjusted his cufflinks and finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with steel.
"Since none of you seem willing to give me a reason for pulling out your shares,"—he leaned back slightly, a dangerous smirk curving his lips—"then I suppose we no longer have a problem."
The old men exchanged uneasy glances.
"Alexei," Nik said smoothly, "hand them the documents."
Alexei nodded, distributing a sleek black folder to each man. The sound of paper rustling filled the silence.
"Open them," Nik instructed, crossing one leg over the other as he watched their faces shift from confusion… to shock.
"This—this is unacceptable!" one man sputtered, holding up the first page. "You can't—"
Nik's smirk deepened.
"Oh, I can. You see…"—he rose slowly from his seat, adjusting his black tuxedo—"you don't really think you can withdraw your shares and simply walk away, do you?"
His words sliced through the air like a blade.
Several of the men began flipping through the pages again, panic creeping onto their faces as they realized what was written there.
Dmitri stood, hands buried in his pockets and followed Nik as turned toward the exit. Alexei following him closely. But just as Nik reached the door, he paused. The entire room fell silent.
Without looking back, he lifted a single finger and said in a calm tone "Bring the money within thirty days"
Then he opened the door and walked out.
Dmitri followed, but not before casting one last glance at the bleeding man on the floor.
As they left the room,murmurs immediately filled the space.
"How can we possibly come up with such a huge sum?" One of the men grumbled, frustration etched on his face.
Then another man muttered under his breath "I just hope that woman isn't playing with us..and that what she said is actually true."
The room fell into an uneasy silence again.
**************
Dmitri yawned, stretching his body as they stepped outside the building.
"Today was such a boring day," he muttered, glancing at Nik and Alexei.
Then, a sudden idea seemed to strike Dmitri. Without a word, he quickly climbed onto his bike, strapped on his helmet, waved a casual goodbye to both of them, and revved off, leaving a small cloud of dust behind.
Nik and Alexei stood there for a moment, watching him disappear. Alexie finally spoke, "Sir Nik, is your head still hurting? Would you like to go directly back to the mansion?"
Nik's ears turned red instantly.
"I… I'm fine," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Alexei let out a soft chuckle at Nik's flushed ears, noticing the way he struggled to maintain his composure.
Trying to act cool, Nik added, "You're free to leave.You don't have any plans today?"
Alexie nodded. "Yeah… I have some things to take care of with Kelly."
"Fine," Nik said, taking the car keys from Alexei 's hand. "I'll drive myself."
With that, he walked to the car, slid into the driver's seat, and started the engine, the sound of the motor filling the quiet afternoon.