8 Chapter Eight | By hook or by crook

E i g h t

Behind the door, he thought of how many times he'd always managed to piss off the girl―any girl he ever met since Stephanie passed away. He still blamed himself for what happened just like he wouldn't stop messing up with every girl he somehow starts to find fascinating. It was his way of not feeling any emotion, but pain.

His fist connected hard on the solid wall. And the impact made him grunt, "Shit!" He kept on asking himself why the hell did he have to quibble needlessly about the freaking alarm anyway, to the extent of making her cry, sure enough, he's got an appointment to attend to, because when you have an overbearing and demanding mother like his, you tend to do that which you don't want to do. Like attending stupid meetings on a Friday morning for example, when she knows he's got classes to attend to. But that never justified snapping at her over a freaking alarm clock. He was just looking for something to take out his anger on, and she was there, clouding his every thought. He smashed the clock against the wall, and for some reason, he felt a tad bit relieved.

He wasn't sure what his mother or her boyfriend had up their sleeves. A boyfriend who was too involved with their lives more than his liking, in the sense that he was practically her right hand side man in everything concerning the Dan Enterprises, as well as a few things concerning him and his siblings.

His mother, Lilian, held the position of the CEO after his dad's death. Because the Hunter family's first born, Nathan, decided business related sector wasn't for him, he'd rather stick to knives and save lives, and he sure made a fine Surgeon. Dimitri never showed interest right from time, or maybe it was probably because Lilian was so pushing him into being the sole heir of the company and just to spite her, decided to choose creative writing as a major. The look on her face when he told her his decision was priceless, it still made him smirk whenever he reminisce. Their little sister had being the only one that at least followed the track of being part and parcel of the company by studying Business Administration at Quest University in British Columbia, but she still got two more years before she graduates.

Dimitri dismounted his black motorcycle, taking off his helmet as he did so. He made his way to the steps leading to the entrance of the gigantic 23 storey glass building of Dan Enterprises. The security man greeted him, opening up the door for him. He entered the large lobby already busy with vast numbers of people, and as always, he was greeted with a few seductive smiles from the female employees, and men nodded their heads in recognition. He forced a smile their way mainly to avoid seeming rude.

He entered the elevator and pressed the 20th floor. He ran his hand severally through his hair as he stared at his reflection a moment before the door slide open. He took off his black leather jacket upon entering another lobby, handing it to his mother's secretary who stood up from her desk making her way towards him, the platinum blond was dressed in a white shirt with a suit skirt a little too tight for her curvaceous body, "Miss Hunter has been expecting you, Mr. Hunter."

She beamed, walking away and swaying her hips as she did so. He took his eyes off of the view uninterestedly and opened the double doors leading to the glass-walled white marbled meeting room. The large unique wooden table with about a dozen chairs around was scanty except for the head table, occupied by his mother, and of course her boyfriend right next to her, his brother, he noticed, as well as sister were all present.

"Always the late comer, aren't you?" Nathan rose to his feet, clasping Dimitri on the back as they shared a quick side hug. His blond hair was cut in a mile quiff style, he let out a blooming smile that reached his blue eyes showing off his alabaster teeth." It's good to see you after four months, brother." Nathan was the spitting look of their father and four years older than Dimitri.

"Five actually," Dimitri shrugged, "How's life treating you back in Vancouver?"

"Never better, you should visit sometime."

"Might as well," He laughed, his gaze darted to his little sister already up and heading towards them. He gave her a crushing hug the minute she threw her hands around him. "Long time no see, Alison, you look more beautiful every time I see you."

She playfully nudged him on his shoulder, her blond hair had a streak of brown highlight, she had dark grey eyes just like their mother's with thin lips that somehow enhanced her child-like face. "Oh, Dimitri, getting more beautiful isn't exactly what to call a girl when college stress is taking a ton on her, how have you been?"

"Better than I deserve."

Lilian cleared her throat, "We don't have all day now, please take your seats." She was casual dressed in an elegant cream jacket and sheath dress, her auburn hair was tied up in a bun, even at her age of forty-nine, Lilian never showed a sign of aging, she was the epitome of timeless beauty.

"And hello to you too mother," Sarcasm was clear in his voice. "Hey, Dave, still filling up your pocket off someone else's?" He eyed the middled aged fair haired, lanky man curtly.

"I never understand why you have always doubt my loyalty and faithfulness towards your mother, Dimitri, what did I ever do to you?" Is this guy for real? Dimitri thought. He always tried to play the honourable man when people are around, but Dimitri had for long been aware his wicked schemes―not in detail―but if David was an honourable man, then the Mariana isn't a trench.

"Settle down everyone," Lilian's booming voice had the power of making the large room quiet, Dimitri sat right next to his sister, and she placed her hand on his, squeezing it reassuringly. "You might all wonder what the emergency meeting is all about, seeing how busy everyone is, so I'll cut it short. The Dan Enterprise is having some... certain issues."

"What do you mean?" Nathan leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. The secretary, April, and another light brown skin woman dressed in the same fashion as she, came in with a bottle expensive wine and flutes, filling them up.

Lilian didn't say anything, until the door went shut, signalling the exit of the two employees. "You see, the thing is, we've lost no less than three deals for the past nine months. Such record is bad for business and if the situation isn't tackled, I fear a potential threat of the instability of this Enterprise."

"I thought you said last month's deal had been finalised, what changed?" Alison inquired.

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we're trying to figure out. All the three deals had been finalised really, but the organisations always bail out at the last minute."

Dimitri's jaw clenched. "This shit wouldn't have happened if you didn't try to make this man part of this company. You made him a director for crying out loud, after just four months of dating!"

"What are you trying to say? That David is behind it, does that even make sense when he practically works here?"

Oh, my naïve mother, you mean when he's practically your lover? "Oh, I dunno mother, but I know that your so-called boyfriend isn't what he appears to be, and I think it's time to wake up from your fantasy dream. He's using you!"

"What proof do you have?" Nathan questioned, "I understand your concern, but you can't just go about accusing someone just because you'd have a few disagreements in the past."

"You don't believe me? Fine, but―"

"Answer the question Dimitri, what prove do you have?"

"I don't―"

Lilian threw her hands up, leaning back against her chair, "I'm a forty-nine year old woman, capable of making my own decisions, you might be my flesh and blood, but I will no longer tolerate you meddling with my personal life. Don't cross the line honey, it really won't end well for both of us."

"Yeah, boy." David shot him a cunning leer, his voice imbued with menace. "Why don't you stick to your story books and mind your damn business, what do you even know about this company?"

Dimitri scrambled up, ignoring his sister's protest and landed a solid punch on David, he raised his fist to strike another when Nathan thwarted him with all the force he could muster, "This company is ours―my father's legacy! if you think you can waltz into our lives and hijack or try to destroy it, by seducing my weak minded mother, then you'd better think again."

"That's it, get out of here Dimitri!" Lilian hissed, dabbing a handkerchief at David's bruised jaw and bloodied lips.

"Gladly." He trailed off, ignoring the storm he triggered and the sound of his siblings voices' calling him back, he just had to get away. He yanked his jacket from the hanging rail ignoring the flirtatious secretary bidding him goodbye.

"Jennifer here, please leave a message." A female voice mail chirped from the other end of the line.

"Call me back as soon as you get this Jenna, I need you to do some digging up for me." With that, he placed his phone back in his pocket, and set his motorbike's engine roar to life.

They wanted proof, and proof they'll get. By hook or by crook.

***