Turning point.
My hand shook, and I was forced to look at Skylar. Her hand vibrating affected mine, and I wondered who the guy was.
"Skylar!" I called her name, and she looked up at me, her eyes flickering with fear.
"Well! Well!! Well!!! We meet again. Did you really think you could run away from me, you tramp?" The guy grabbed all of a sudden, and a gasp escaped from her mouth.
My face twisted into a frown as his words fell into my ears.
What the hell?
"Let me go, James." She pleaded, but his grip grew even tighter. My fist clenched as I stood there in shock.
"I can see you are looking all pretty. You even have makeup on. Did you come here with a guy? You dared get together with another guy after breaking up with me." He yelled at her, causing a scene immediately.
"Leave me alone. Don't do this here, I'm here for work." Her voice shook as she spoke.
"Good thing you've got a job, now you can pay all the debt you owe me. I paid your student debt and your mother's hospital bill for years. And I want my money now." He threatened her.
I sighed in frustration as I already got an idea of what's happening.
No wonder she left him.
"I will pay you. Just give me a bit more time." Tears trickled down her eyes as she spoke, and I snapped.
"Let her go!" I pushed him off her and pulled Skylar into my arms.
"And who are you? Stay out of this!" He ordered, and I scoffed.
"Tristan Ravenscroft. And who are you?" I answered, and his face fell immediately.
"Mr Ravenscroft… I'm sorry…. It's just that…" He stammered.
"If you have any problems with her, take it up with me." I demanded, and his mouth dropped open.
"What! Why?" His frown deepened, and so did mine.
"Yes Mr Ravenscroft." He bowed his head.
"Are you okay?" I shook Skylar, who was still shivering in my arms. I looked up at James with a deadly glare, and he turned his face away from me.
"What's happening here?" My face stiffened as I heard Thomas's voice.
"Let's get out of here, Skylar?" I muttered.
"I can see you have a special relationship with your assistant. Is history repeating itself?" Thomas mocked, and I felt my blood boil deep within me as my veins popped out of my head.
"Mr Ravenscroft, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend your brother. I was only trying to have a conversation with my girlfriend." James apologised to Thomas and walked towards him.
"He's no brother of mine. You don't have to apologise to that bastard. You are my assistant, and whatever you do is on my behalf." Thomas continued, and I drew in sharp breaths with my legs stomping the flow gently.
"He's nothing but a loser whose mother slept with my father to have him contend my inheritance with me. I can see his assistant is a slut just like his mother, trying to sleep her way to the top." His words echoed in my ears and my eyes darkened.
I pushed Skylar away gently and turned around. I grabbed Thomas's neck with my hand thudding loudly.
Sweats dripped down my forehead and my entire face turned red with my eyes strained. The veins in my hands popped out and my hair sprouted evenly on my head.
"Don't you dare speak ill of my mother like that. Take it back!" I yelled at him with tears gathered in my eyes.
"Did I lie?" Thomas chuckled and my grip on his neck grew tighter.
"Take it back!" I strangled him and his breath grew heavy.
"Let me go you bastard" His voice came as a whisper.
Time seems to stop as everyone else disappeared before my eyes. My mind went on a rampage as my entire body trembled vehemently.
"Mr Ravenscroft! Mr Ravenscroft!! Please stop! You are going to kill him." I heard Skylar sobs and my foggy mind dispersed little by little.
"Mr Ravenscroft!" She wrapped her arms around me, filling me with warmth, and tears trickled down my eyes. My heavy breath filled the room, and my hand loosened.
Thomas dropped to the floor with a loud thud struggling to breathe. He held his swollen neck, as the redness all over his face dispersed. My other brothers, Williams and Christopher, ran towards him alongside Leila, his wife, and my ex fiancee.
Oh my goodness.
Did he just try to kill his own brother?
How brutal of him.
He's truly a bastard
What is going to happen now?
Will he be kicked out of the family?
I don't think he's fit to even handle the company.
The murmurs and whispers from the crowd jabbed into my heart, and I looked at my trembling palms all red, swollen, and sweaty.
My eyes caught sight of my father, who stared at me from afar calm and undisturbed on his wheelchair.
"What have you done, you bastard?" Willaims yelled at me.
"Are you trying to kill my brother? Do you think that will get you the company permanently?" Christopher added.
"Have you forgotten you would have to go through us first? Father! This is all your fault. You never should have brought this bastard home." Christopher yelled.
"He was better off on the street delivering chicken with his tramp of a mother." Williams added.
"Mr Ravenscroft, let's go." Skylar touched me softly, and I nodded my head.
She wrapped her arms around my shoulder and pulled me away gently as I followed her in a daze.
As we reached the door once again, my father's wheelchair double crossed ours, and he stared at me. My head dropped down beneath my shoulder, and more tears rolled down my cheek.
"I've told you, son. The only way you can truly stand up for yourself is to compete against your brothers for the company. It is your right to own and lead the group because you are my son." My father words echoed in my ears.
"Fight for the Ravenscroft group. Fight!" My father emphasised and wheeled his chair away.
My eyes squinted and my fist clenched. I looked back at my brothers and all the people staring at me with their eyes filled with contempt, disdain, and mockery.
I grabbed Skylar's hand this time and walked out of the hall.
We arrived outside the hotel, and I tugged down at my tie, my mind spiralling with different thoughts.
"Mr Ravenscroft, are you okay?" Skylar asked, her voice filled with worry and sadness.
"Skylar!" I turned around, and our eyes met.
"Uhnn!" She murmured.
"Marry me…." The words rolled out of my mouth.