The New Boss (MXM)

Chapter 21

(This chapter is going to be from Nicolai's POV. This isn't a bonus or a special chapter it's the continuation of the plotline but from a new perspective.)

Ms. Thompson, the HR Manager, sat across from Nicolai. She had a file in her hands and looked worried as she sifted through it.

"Nicolai, I need your help with something really important," she said, setting the file down on the desk.

"Sure, what can I do?" Nicolai asked.

"So, the boss's assistant, Jace, had prepared some notes for a client meeting that Mr. Warner had to attend. Unfortunately, with Jace and Mr. Warner out of town, I just received an urgent request from the substitute attendee for those notes. We need to retrieve them from Jace's house as soon as possible," Ms. Thompson explained.

Nicolai nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. "What kind of notes are they?"

Ms. Thompson showed Nicolai the file. "They are financial records related to the meeting. Should I mail you Jace's address or do you want it via text?"

"Oh, that's okay I know where he lives. When do we need to retrieve the notes?" Nicolai asked, trying to gauge how much time he had.

"The meeting is in three hours, and we need those notes before then," Ms. Thompson replied.

"Don't worry, Ms. Thompson. I'll take care of it."

With a nod of approval, Ms. Thompson wished Nicolai luck as he left the office.

It was a twenty minutes drive from the office, but the once-promising thoroughfare had become a veritable labyrinth, with no respite from the snarling mass of metal and rubber that ensnared it.

In the midst of a bustling metropolis, a tumultuous tide of vehicles surged forward in a seemingly endless procession.

Each vehicle seemed to be vying for dominance, inching forward only to be halted once more by the relentless gridlock that gripped the road.

By the time Nicolai reached Jace's place he felt tired and unmotivated to do anything but mostly tired.

He rang the doorbell waiting anxiously on the other side.

He was greeted by the sight of a mop of brown curls.

"Oh my god, Nicolai! It's been so long." Aspen said immediately engulfing Nicolai in a hug.

Nicolai stood rigidly for a moment taken aback by the heartfelt greeting but gave in a moment later.

"You've grown up so much kiddo." The last time Nicolai had met him Aspen had barely managed to reach his shoulders, now, he was tall, almost as tall as Nicolai himself, maybe he was a few centimeters taller. Aspen's acne marks were gone and so were those ugly specs. He was lean and athletic. He had a cute smile, all dimples and white teeth warming his brown eyes. The kid had worked hard on his glow-up. "How are you?" Nicolai asked squeezing his shoulder.

"I'm fine. You should visit us more often though. It's like you had disappeared into thin air for a minute there, I was so mad at you. You owe me a rematch in Valorant." Aspen complained.

Nicolai chuckled, "Sure, thing. Let me just retrieve some important files from Jace's room and then I'll make it up to you?"

A smile lit up Aspen's face, "cool, that might work for me. I don't have any live streaming to do today so I was mostly free anyway."

"Aspen, what did I say about talking to strange people that....?"

Nicolai's breath hitched.

It was Paxton Garroway.