Chapter 123 Corrigan Empire

In the Corrigan resident,

"I see you've decided to return home. You've finally come to your senses after abandoning two hundred business enterprises and all your duties as the next in line of the Corrigan empire".

She talked in pride, her chin lifted upwards as her eyes were directly on his. The anger was evident in her tone. She was clearly trying to suppress it as she held unto the hand of the soft couch she sat proudly on, in a relaxed state

"What do you have to say for yourself, ma Cherie?" She gritted her teeth in a none visible way.

He wasn't smiling. His face was exceptionally expressionless. He didn't even have one single emotion in his eyes. He knew the kind of person she was. He knew when she was fake smiling and when she was not.

"Is that why you have called for me, Francine?"

His voice was cold and unimaginably fearful. No one, no one had seen him in this way since he was born. He had always been the understanding, easy-going charming prince of France. All of a sudden he had become so ruthless and unforgiving. Since he got back, he had dismissed six maids over a little mistake that he used to overlook before. He is indeed a changed man.

She furrowed her brows at his words wondering where he was going with this arrogant tone he just displayed.

"I will resume my duties fully tomorrow".

His voice was deep and low.

"Everything other thing starts tomorrow as well".

His eyes never left her face. He wasn't the same man that left the house a few years ago. This man had been born when he left the house. What happened to him? Why had her son suddenly become this cold?

"Hmmm...the fact that you're finally taking charge again doesn't change the fact that you abandoned your rights and family, Anthony". Her voice was stern. "How do you intend to make up for lost damages?"

She didn't even wait for him to talk before she opened her mouth again.

"The moment you stepped out of this house without informing anyone, without even sparing a thought of our empire, you broke the faith we had in you, therefore breaking the trust we had in you being able to handle the empire again".

"I am Anthony de Corrigan ||, whether or not you decide to have faith in me, the empire is still mine. Like it or not, there is nothing you or anyone can do about it. I call the shots, and I have every right to make decisions. However, I choose to run my empire is of no concern to you".

The moment those words left his mouth, her face dimmed his words. The anger had surfaced without her noticing. His tone was quite unpleasant and she didn't like it considering the way he talked earlier.

"HOW DARE YOU?".

She looked straight at him, not even flinching a bit. she didn't even realize that she had raised her voice.

"How dare you speak to me in that tone?"

The man in front of her possessed a breathtaking amount of energy that had her wondering and still asking herself the same question since he got here. What happened to him?

A lot about him had changed and it is taking her off guard.

"I see you've grown wings, my boy".

She smiled. People have different ways of expressing their anger. Hers is by smiling. She was irritated by his arrogance.

"Need I remind you that you are talking to your mother? You seem to have forgotten".

"Unfortunately, I haven't".

There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"The next time you call me to talk about business, go straight to the point".

Both hands were in the pocket of his pants as turned around and started walking towards the door.

"And quit the emotional bullshit, that doesn't work on me, dear mother". 

He walked out of the room without wasting any more time. He was pissed— at himself and everything.

Since she left him, it was as if she took the colors and happiness from his life. Meredith was all he thought about. She was his life, his everything. It was as if she took a part of him with her and there was nothing he could do about it.

Absolutely nothing.

~~~~

She ran her hand through her hair pacing back and forth in the room. She had lost her patience. All she thought about was Nicholas. She had been looking for him for days now and every single thing she gathered was all futile. She had called Klaus Alejandro a few days ago and he said he wasn't in the country and he was going to see her when he came back, but he seemed to be avoiding her which made her realize that he must be with Nicholas. 

She had asked her trusted hackers to track the call but his security skills were just top-notch and they couldn't get hold of a single information. Nothing seemed to be working for her and she was losing her mind entirely.

She was drowned in the thoughts of everything and was still moving around the room when the thud on the door infuriated her the more.

"Just fucking go away". She yelled at the top of her voice but the door still opened revealing the housekeeper.

"Good morning ma'am, breakfast is served". His voice was low and calm.

"Can you not bug me with your idiotic job?"

She was beyond pissed as she spoke to him with all the frustrations of her problems.

"It's not even morning and you are already irritating me with your stupidity?"

There were dark circles around her eyes and he noticed.

"Who the fuck serves breakfast at night?" She was pissed.

He was scared and confused at the same time. She had been so engrossed in finding Nicholas that she had lost track of time. She hadn't slept for days and it was talking a toiling on her.

"I-i-it's morning, ma'am".

His head was bent down slightly, showing his loyalty. He was terrified. His voice was shaky. He had lived in this house long enough to know what she was capable of. He had been the housekeeper for years and had watched her grow into the woman she had become. He knows how evil she is and how she is capable of doing anything to get whatever she wanted. She could go to any extent to achieve anything and didn't care about the people that got hurt. Yes, she is that selfish.

She ran her hand through her hair as she sat nonchalantly on her bed, staring at absolutely nothing.

"You may leave".

"Yes, ma'am".

She kept staring into the empty space she looked at as she thought of him.

"I will find you Nicholas, and when I do, you will be mine". She muttered.

"You are mine".

~~~~

Aliyah opened her eyes to the sunlight penetrating through the curtains. She furrowed her brows to the realization that it was already morning. 

It's morning already?

Her eyes strolled to the other side of the bed and it was empty— just as empty as her heart. She sat up from the bed and rested her back on the soft headboard behind her. Her hair was parked up in a messy bun, but it was messier due to the impact of the bed. She had called him until she fell asleep the previous night but he didn't even return one of her calls.

She was sad. She wondered where he could've been. she was worried and she was also panicking. Where could he have gone to?

What if something had happened to him?

What if he was in trouble?

She stood up from the bed with so much energy as she walked around the room in search of her phone. She ran her hand through her hair, making it more messier as she searched amongst the sheets and finally saw it under the pillows.

She released a deep breath as she sat on the bed softly and started dialing the number again. Lord knows if he doesn't pick up this morning she is going to have to report a missing case.

Her hands were trembling. Her eyes were wide open— even if they were baggy. Immediately she dialed the number again, it was sent straight to voicemail and her heart thudded heavily in the cages of her chest. She was going crazy and had lost her mind.

She stood up from the bed and started walking back and forth now. Her eyes were welling with tears. She was now thinking of the worst as she dialed the number again.

The moment it went straight to voicemail, she lost the strength to stand as she fell to the floor. The tears were now coming out on their own without her even realizing it. She was in a state where she couldn't feel a single thing but the pain in her chest. Her mind was a mess.

She was too weak to even realize when the phone started buzzing in her palm.

The moment she looked at the screen of the phone and saw the caller, the pain dissipated. Life came back into her body as she picked up without wasting any more time.

"Hey".

~~~~~~