A whisper of a smile curved across my mouth. There was suddenly a lift of the heaviness suffocating me. The sharp edge of the knife that was teasing my ribcage disappeared and I could feel myself calming down slightly

"Hi, Shar." I replied, looking above my shoulder to him. There were times Shar got right on my nerves, but times like now showed exactly why he was my best friend.

Having that back up was so needed right now. His dark eyes twinkled down at me as he plastered a bright, smile across his tanned face. "You look good." He commented, dipping his head down and placing a chaste kiss on my cheek. I anticipated the move and met his touch halfway.

"Thank you, you dress up well yourself." I said, making a show of looking up and down his outfit. Shar was a beautiful man. His whole body was sculpted to perfection, and he knew how to correctly style himself. Right now, he wore a dark blue stripped suit, and a white shirt with a few undone buttons. He wore a silver necklace of a ring, something he always wore and always told me meant nothing.

His open chest exposed a light dusty of hair and it was always so delicious to see. Any female would be swooning at his feet.

But for me, he was simply my best friend. I felt a sense of comfort and security that had been missing during my earlier conversation with Nate. His presence had a way of making everything feel more manageable, and I was grateful for his company.

WE both turned to the other parties and my father watched the exchange with no expression on his face. He knew of our friendship, and I believe a part of him always expected there to be more of it soon enough. We never dabbled with the idea before but we both found it humorous that my father went that angle. Heck, I have set up Sha with numerous of girls before... some he brought to dinners and I was rooting for them silently.

Although they never went past the first date.

My eyes turned to Nate, and I masked my surprise within seconds. He seemed to be reeling with something and I quickly darted my eyes to my father.

"Shar, you have been good?" My father, always starting with polite conversation. If he even cared, that would have been great.

"All good, Sir. I have been working with Ellie a bit with some data handling."

"Data handling?"

I had to pinch my palm to stop myself from laughing. And this is why he was my best friend. He spewed lies to my dad all the time to make it seem he was busy doing all sorts of things. Half the time, it was complete bullshit. I don't even do anything related to data handling. I pass that stuff on to the right people in the company.

"Just something I asked him to do for me," I butted in, enjoying that I showed no bump in my comment.

"Useful?" MY father asked, looking a bit sceptical but not pressing for more detail. WE would e screwed if he did. Unless Shar carried on with the nonsense...

"Very." I nodded enthusiastically and felt Shar's hand on my waist squeeze me close to him.

I flicked my eyes to Nate and saw him glaring at the hand placed on my side.

"You seem to be getting along well," Nate said, eyeing Shar with a hint of suspicion.

I could feel Shar tense up beside me, but he kept his expression neutral. "Yeah, we've known each other for a while now," he said, his voice even.

Nate's eyes narrowed slightly, and I could tell that he was sizing Shar up. "Interesting," he said, his tone betraying his discomfort.

I could feel my own frustration starting to bubble up, but I knew that I needed to keep my cool. "What's interesting about it?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. Nate shrugged nonchalantly, but I could see the annoyance burning in his eyes. "Nothing, I guess," he said, but his tone told a different story.

I could feel Shar's tension growing beside me, and I knew that he was picking up on the subtle digs that Nate was throwing our way. But he remained composed, and I was grateful for his steady presence.

"I don't think we have officially met. I am Shar. You are?" Shar said, extending his hand.

Nate gave Shar a quick once-over before reluctantly shaking his hand. "Nate," he said curtly.

Shar's friendly demeanor didn't waver, despite Nate's chilly response. "Nice to meet you, Nate," he said, his tone warm.

I watched the exchange between the two men with a sense of apprehension. Nate's hostility was thinly veiled, and I could sense that he was sizing Shar up with a mix of suspicion and jealousy.

But Shar remained unfazed, and I could see the quiet strength in his eyes. He wasn't going to let Nate's hostility get the best of him, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for his unwavering support.

"Nate, where are you from?" Shar asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the group.

Nate's eyes flicked to Shar, and I could sense his guard going up. "Why do you ask?" he said, his tone guarded.

Shar shrugged nonchalantly. "Just curious, I guess. I always find it interesting to learn about where people come from."

Nate's expression remained guarded, but he relented. "I'm from the North," he said, his tone clipped.

Shar nodded, but I could tell that he wasn't satisfied. "Why move down?"

Nate shrugged. "Change of scenery."

"So, what do you do for a living, Nate?" Shar asked, his tone curious.

Nate's eyes narrowed slightly, but he forced a smile. "I work in finance," he said vaguely.

Shar's brow furrowed. "Finance? That's pretty broad. What specifically?"

Nate shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Just finance stuff," he said evasively.

Shar didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he shifted the conversation to a different topic, but Nate remained evasive, giving vague answers or simply deflecting the conversation altogether.

"So, Nate, do you have any siblings?" Shar asked.

Nate hesitated for a moment, his expression guarded. "Yeah, I have a brother," he said shortly.

Shar pressed on. "What does he do?"

Nate shrugged noncommittally. "He's in sales or something. I don't really keep up with what he's doing these days."

"You have a brother?" My father butted in, taken aback by this information.

"I do,"

"Same parents?"

Nate smirked a little. "I wouldn't know. Never asked."

I glanced over at my father, who had been mostly silent throughout the conversation. He was staring at Nate with a mix of surprise and confusion, clearly taken aback by some of the new information that Nate had revealed.

I could see the wheels turning in my father's head, trying to piece together the puzzle of who Nate really was and what he was doing here. I knew that my father was a perceptive man, and that he would be able to read between the lines and pick up on any subtle hints or clues.

As the conversation continued, my father grew increasingly quiet, his eyes never leaving Nate's face. I could tell that he was trying to read Nate, trying to get a sense of who he was and what his intentions were.

After a few moments of silence, my father finally spoke up, his voice calm but authoritative.

"Nate, may I ask how close you are to your uncle, Claude?" he inquired, his gaze steady.

Nate shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes flickering nervously. "I don't see him as much," he said hesitantly. "And we're not exactly close."

My father raised an eyebrow, his expression sceptical. "I see," he said slowly. "And what do you know about his business dealings?"

Nate swallowed audibly, his hands clenching into fists. "I'm afraid I don't know much about that," he said, his voice strained.

My father's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "I find that hard to believe," he said coolly. "Given your line of work, I would expect you to be familiar with the financial dealings of my brother's company."

There was a tense silence as Nate and my father stared at each other, neither one willing to back down. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy, and I knew that things were about to come to a head.

Nate's eyes darted around the room, and he seemed to be looking for a way out of the conversation.

"I'm sorry, Sir." Nate said, his tone strained. "But I have my own things to deal with, and I don't have share any information that isn't mine to give.

My father's expression remained cool and collected, but I could see a hint of frustration flicker across his face. "Very well," he said curtly. "But if you happen to change your mind, you know where to find me."

Nate nodded stiffly; his jaw clenched tight. "Of course," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The tension in the room was palpable as the conversation ended. I could feel the weight of my father's disappointment and suspicion, and I knew that Nate's reputation had taken a hit. As I watched him retreat from the room, I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets he was hiding, and what consequences they would bring.