I am dedicating this chapter to Ariana– Sawyer and Dawn–graceson, thanks for the support.
Michael watched Julia as she took charge of his office. She walked around with authority in her steps, her eyes glancing at the portraits hanging on the wall. Her fingertips mindlessly brushed the table. He froze when she turned, her gaze pinning him in place.
"Pitting me against your brother—quite schemingly iconic for a doctor who wants nothing to do with his family business." Her calm voice broke the silence.
Michael loosened his tie at her words, putting back on his harmless smile. He quickly replied with self-righteousness.
"I wanted you to have the best site to bury your friend, given how important she is to you."
"Do I look like a fool?" Julia shot him a glare, holding it long enough to make him uncomfortable.
"Fine," he sighed. "It was intentional. I wanted you to butt heads with my brother," Michael admitted, "but my intentions were pure."
"Yes, very pure. You know, the last time I thought someone's intention was pure, I ended up in a hospital."
"You're not here to fight me," Michael stated confidently. "Admit it, Julia—you need me now as much as I need you." He stared at her face, waiting for even a flicker of emotion.
"You're right—you need me. But I won't be a sword you use against your brother. And as for me needing you—you're wrong. I want to use you, and when I'm done, I'll dump you in a bin."
"Your brother's upcoming birthday—I'm attending as your date," Julia added, her cold eyes boring into his.
Michael sighed, contemplating something. "I hate my brother," he said. "As much as he hates me."
Julia frowned. "That's not a grand revelation. In fact, I believe the whole country knows."
Michael stepped closer, his eyes locking onto hers. "I need you on my side. I really do. I'll pay any price—anything. Imagine how strong we'll be together." His eyes were a dark pool of emotion as he stared at her.
"I have trust issues. And like I said before, I won't become a sword. I'm on nobody's side, and I won't take anyone's side," Julia said with finality, walking toward the door.
She still needed him—and that was the only reason she was keeping him around. Otherwise, keeping someone who shared her kind of hatred was not something she was keen on doing.
"You're already on his bad side, Julia. Let me clean this mess. He killed my mother. He's more dangerous than he looks," he said.
Julia paused, her hand tightening on the doorknob. Turning to him, she spoke slowly, her voice devoid of emotion.
"And yet you didn't think twice about pitting me against him. No wonder you keep losing."
She slammed the door shut.
Michael ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had thought he held the master card this time.
"I have to come up with a plan quickly," he muttered. "I need Julia on my side." His eyes burned with determination.
"Kelvin Kings has issued out a huge amount of money to anyone who can create an antivirus for their system," James informed her.
"It's all over the news?" Julia asked, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Yes. The entire country is buzzing about it. Will you be giving it a try?" James asked with a smile. He knew Julia was responsible for their current suffering.
"Why would I relieve them from their suffering so fast?" Julia replied. "Tell me, James—how many days did it take to manage the damage he caused to our company?"
"Two whole days, plus the ones we're still dealing with now."
"Well, I'll multiply it by ten. Twenty. Let them suffer for twenty days. That'll make up for the stress we've been through."
James shook his head with a smile. "He deserves it. They deserve it." Knowing Julia, he knew she would never suffer a loss without making the one responsible suffer more.
"So let's wait until he raises the reward higher," Julia continued. "Then we step in. Before that, make it known on social media that Aurexx is responsible. It would be a waste not to advertise our company's capabilities and technical skills."
"These are the words you should post:
'Kings Empire has stood for long because they never messed with the wrong people. It's time Aurexx shows them how the big game is played. If anyone manages to create an antivirus, Aurexx Group will double the reward.'"