Inheritance

Chapter 4

I quickly stashed the cryptic note inside my purse, unsure of how to interpret the evasive words. Nonetheless, the message would be proof enough to implicate Gregory Connor, if any harm were to come my way. I knew that he was simply attempting to intimidate me, but his open-ended threat only seemed to work against his favor and strengthen my resolve.

"I thought you hated him?" Frank questioned, clearly as confused as I was by the odd encounter. 

"Just because I don't agree with him politically on certain matters, doesn't mean I hate him. Besides, I find him too irrelevant to hate." 

"Okay. Just be careful Sasha, he's not a good man. Anyways, I overheard some of the board members suggesting that dad might be naming the new CEO of Milton Co. You think I have a shot?" He inquired, quickly glancing over to a group of refined business men situated on the opposite side of the hall.

"I have to be honest, I don't know, Frankie. He's never mentioned it to me before. Besides, don't you like your current position?" Frank had recently been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Milton Co. Enterprise, which meant his authority was second to only his father's. 

"I do, but I think I can take on even more responsibility. C'mon, can't you see that I've been dreaming about this since we were kids? If he doesn't name me, I can't imagine who else he'd choose." 

Frank had always been rather vocal about his ambitions to one day lead his father's company. Even as a teenager, he'd spoke relentlessly about taking over the family business and monopolizing off the success. He strived to become one of the greatest business men in the world, not just in New York City. These hopeful ambitions had motivated his every move up to this point, and would continue to do so long after.

"Don't worry, Frankie. I'm sure it's already yours, okay?" Before I could reassure him any further, a stout voice emanating from the stage urged guests to begin taking their seats. Frank gave me one final nod before we parted ways. 

I was the first to take my assigned seat at a sheer and finely decorated round table. Other guests slowly began to trickle into the empty seats, until only a few chairs remained. I absentmindedly scrolled through my phone and waited for the festivities to begin, silently hoping others would take my disengagement as a sign to leave me alone.

A few minutes after settling into my seat, I felt a similar shift in the air return. However, this time I took notice of an accompanying fresh mint and cherry scent. The chair across from mine was pulled back and a large figure sat down. I ignored the pervasive presence until I felt piercing dark eyes fixed on the peripheral of my face.

A deeply polished voice garnered my attention, compelling me to steal a quick glance at the undoubtedly attractive man sitting a few inches away from me. He was engaged in a casual conversation with an older gentleman sat beside him. After shortly ending his last sentence, he unexpectedly locked eyes with me. 

Once again, he stared deeply and thoughtfully into my light brown irises. I refused to break free from his hold, matching his challenging stare at every degree as his gaze darted from my eyes to my lips for a brief second. It happened so quickly that I almost assumed I had imagined it. Feeling flustered by the unreadable man, I reverted my attention back to my phone, scrolling through old emails I had already viewed the previous day.

Moments later, the chair beside me slid across the tiled floor. A firm tap on my shoulder forced my concentration to transition from my phone to the face of the ominous man now residing next to me.

"Hello, I don't mean to pry. But, have we met before?" The man asked cautiously. His tone was elegant, as he made sure to articulate every syllable of each word released from his pink-coated lips. Lowering his gaze, he inspected my face.