Nicholas's temper stopped short of a ticking bomb. His father's secretary gave him a bigger headache than his college professors. 

"Look, I just need to speak to my father," he said, trying to keep his cool.

The secretary frowned. "I understand, but Mr. Muller is busy in a meeting at the moment," replied the impotent man behind the desk.

Meeting my ass, thought Nicholas with a scowl. He's just hiding like the coward he is. 

Fists clenched at his sides, and teeth grinding against each other, Nicholas took deep breaths in an attempt to relax his tense body. Spinning on his heel, he sat back down on a waiting couch nearby. Fury pulsed through his veins, yet his visage remained indifferent. 

His father continued to play a game of chess with Nicholas, screwing with his life as if he was the king and Nicholas was the peasant who bent at his father's will. Nicholas knew his father jeopardized his chances in other workplaces. 

His father had a calculated plan devised for Nicholas's obedience. If his unemployed status did nothing to render his determination to stay away from his family's business, then his father targeted the person he couldn't live without. He targeted Dina.

The door creaked open. 

He stood up, meeting his father's icy blue eyes, bright with false happiness. His usual placid smile painted his lips, giving the illusion of a gentleman. His blonde hair was swept back as usual, a clean shaven face and shining teeth. His sleeves were pulled back, exposing pale skin that mirrored Nicholas's.

They were identical in every way, yet they were strangers to each other. Father and son was only a written relationship on his birth certificate. There were no emotional attachments to this man.

"Nicholas, it's a pleasure to see you again," the devil smiled.

"We need to talk."

His father opened his door to his office wider, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "Well, by all means," he said, gesturing Nicholas to enter. 

As Nicholas walked into the CEO's office, a chill fell across him like a sleet of ice fogging his glasses. Memories flood his mind once more, tormenting Nicholas until the oxygen stopped flowing and his mind became hazy.

This was the room where his parents decided that a mental hospital would be the best for their son. This was the room where his heart broke over and over and over again. 

Uneasy and nervous, he sat in the vacant chair while his father leaned against his desk. 

Nicholas's father was too casual, too calm. Something was up, something was turning the gears in his head, and Nicholas knew from experience that his father's mind did nothing but formulate immoral strategies. 

"What did you need to talk about?" he asked, still smiling like he won the lottery. 

Nicholas glared. "You're forcing Dina into marrying one of your employees."

"And if I did? She seems perfectly content with marrying a Muslim man with a good job." 

That stung a bit. "You're forcing her!" exclaimed Nicholas, standing. "She has a God given right to refuse any marriage. You can't take that away."

His father tilted his head, blue eyes studying him. "You seem to care a lot about this girl, son."

"You already knew I did."

His grin only widened. "Perhaps."

Nicholas clenched his fist, hating how coy his father was being as if nothing Nicholas said had pulled at his heartstrings. There was only one way to settle things with him, only one way to guarantee Dina's freedom without anyone else suffering the consequences. 

"Name your demands."

His father furrowed his eyebrows. "Come again?"

Nicholas exhaled a deep breath as if giving himself a burst of confidence. Allah, help me. "I know you only forced the marriage with the intent of communicating to me about one of your wishes. I'm willing to do whatever you want as long as you leave Dina and her family out of this entire ordeal," he said, meeting his father's gaze with his own storm. "I converted for my own personal reasons. It had nothing to do with them."

"Is that so?" he asked, a coy smile playing on his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, with an offer like that, I'm not sure I know how to refuse. Very well, take over one of our departments, and I'll contact the family to retract the proposal."

You damn bastard, you knew exactly why I'd make that offer.

Nicholas bit back his own smile. "I wasn't finished."

His father's grin fell, a frown poisoning his cracked lips as bewilderment fell across his face. "What?"

"I will run a department of my choice with my own leadership," stated Nicholas, tilting his head at his father. "You realize what that means, don't you?"

He cleared his throat, straightening. "I believe so."

"It's a shame that I can't believe you," remarked Nicholas dryly as he reached into his backpack. "I've drafted a contract for you to sign. Within the document, I have stated both our responsibilities, your relationship to me, and the consequences of either of us breaking the contract. I had Elijah and his lawyer friends look through it just in case you wanted to bring your lawyers in on this as well." 

He handed his father the document, which he quickly skimmed through, eyes widening at the fine prints and Nicholas's meticulous planning. Scott had to agree that his son saw through his father's tricks like he was gazing into a mirror. 

"And if I choose not to agree?" he dared himself to ask through the tightening in his throat.

A spark glinted in Nicholas's blue eyes, the cold chills directed at his father. "Then I get lawyers involved to look into some of your questionable business negotiations," he said, plopping himself back down on his seat. "Don't think for a minute that I haven't done my research on you or been paying attention to our family business."

He narrowed his eyes. "What game are you playing here, son?"

"The game that you started, Father."

Scott was stuck in an ultimatum. Either he agreed to his son's terms and get the heir he always wanted or he surrendered his assets due to a media scandal. He knew his business dealings were not always proper, but he had hoped that involving his well-educated son would erase those sins. 

His son was more aware than he anticipated, and he would play all cards necessary to win.

"You have yourself a deal."

Nicholas smiled like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. "I knew you'd see it my way."

----

I bedazzled my writing laptop, and my mom made fun of it T-T

I JUST WANTED A HUG.

Anyway, isn't Nick such a smart guy, taking on his CEO father with only his wits and friends? What a legend.

I've criticized politics way too much today. 5.6 billion dollars for a wall, people. There are people not getting paychecks over A STUPID WALL.

IF THE MONGOLS INVADED CHINA EVEN WITH THEIR GREAT WALL, HOW IS OURS GONNA BE ANY BETTER?

That was dry humor, I'm sorry. Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!