TEACH ME NOT 2 HATE LOVE

30

🧑Nik Anthony POV🧑

Forty-four...

Forty-five...

Forty-sixxx...

Ah, man! Heavy breathing non-stop. I can't go anymore. Phew!

Well, that's enough working out for today. It's time to go get myself a shower. I rushed to my room, stripped myself down to nothing, and got into the bathroom. What happened next?

Aaaaaaaahhh!!!!

Screams. Whose screams? Mine and hers. Who is she? Tajea. I ran out of the bathroom faster than I got in there—like I was set on fire, searching around like a madman for something to cover myself. Ugh, I feel like a stupid kid.

By the way, what is she doing in there? Obviously, she was cleaning the bathroom, stupid.

Why does this keep happening to me?

"I swear that you are out to kill me," she voiced disgruntledly as she exited the bathroom.

"I'm sorry," I stuttered as I used the sheet from the bed to hide my nakedness. "I didn't know you were in there."

"Like hell, you do!" She screamed at me and left.

Ah, shit. This is crazy.

Anyway, after a short and awkward shower, I went down for breakfast. I was a bit nervous too, hoping she wasn't there to see me.

Thank goodness she wasn't.

Quickly, I gobbled up breakfast and left that house to clear my head. It's just too awkward to be there right now.

And while I was on my journey to wherever the road took me, McCarty called me up. He wanted us to meet up for some drinks at a bar for the elites of society—the luxury bar. It sounded like a good idea, so I agreed to it.

We drink and chat, as we normally do, about random stuff. Well, him more than me. I'm still on my first bottle of beer. He's on his fifth. And with his constant blabbering, there is just no room for me to say anything. But I don't mind.

Then we got interrupted by two males and a female. I'm not acquainted with any of them, but I know very well who they are. Elisha, Ethan, and Elissa Montgomery were former managers of the different branches of the Montgomery Group of companies. The children of Tavares Montgomery, the former head.

"You dirty piece of sh*t! You have some balls of steel stealing and kicking our whole family out of our companies," Ethan, the youngest male of the brothers, lashed out at me. Well, that's expected.

It must be shocking to find out this morning that the companies that have been in their family for over sixty years have been taken away from them overnight.

"Steal, you say?" I was amused. "Tell me. How can I steal something that is already mine?"

"What sh*t are you spouting?" Ethan continued behaving like a hooligan. "Those companies belong to our Montgomery family. And when our legal team is done with you, you will be finished, I tell you."

His empty threat doesn't scare me. If he knows what I know, he'll shut up and leave right now. As a matter of fact, why not tell them the truth? "OK. But before you waste our precious time on a case you are bound to lose, let me just let you all in on a little secret. You see, your family companies were struggling a few years ago. In other words, it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Your father and uncles, however, came begging for my help to get the companies back on top of things again. And I did just that. Of course, I'm no savior. I wanted something in return. Total control of the companies. At first, they were reluctant to agree to my terms. But everything was going downhill so fast. They were going to lose it all. Therefore, they had no choice but to give in to my demands.

"Well, on one condition. I let the Montgomerys stay in charge of business operations. Or at least let it appear so to the world. I presume they didn't want the world to learn about your family's problems. It would disgrace the family's reputable name. And though I've been so generous to the family, your father and uncles have been laundering money from my companies."

"You're lying," the three siblings snarled at the same time. I don't blame them for not believing me. Their father and uncles kept them in the dark. But just because you don't like what you heard doesn't make it false.

"Am I?" I smirked. "Why don't you call up Daddy and ask him then?"

"You're a liar!" Ethan bashed his arms angrily against the counter. "Father and uncles would have never sold our family legacy to anyone. And money laundering? That's the biggest BS I've ever heard."

"Like I said, go ask him and stop pestering me." These three have wasted enough of my time already.

Elissa stopped her brother from saying another word. "This isn't over, Mr. Phoenix. We won't go down without a fight." The three then left. Of course, not in a good mood.

"Bro, what's that all about?" McCarty inquired.

And since he's my friend, I told him everything, with the promise of not saying a word to Tajea. The reason I kicked out the Montgomerys from my company was not because of the money laundering. It's because of the way that the bastard son of Tavares treated Tajea, as you all already know.

Therefore, I want to make him suffer. And if Daddy doesn't have any money, which I'll ensure after I have him and his brothers charged and imprisoned for stealing from my companies, then Gary Montgomery will have no one to support him. Nothing. He will suffer. Simple mathematics.

"So you're going so far for her sake." McCarty laughed. "This should be fun. But you better watch your back. Rats backed in a corner tend to be very dangerous."

"So is an angry lion," I retorted.

"I have no doubt you can take care of yourself, but I'll feel bad if I don't assist you with this. At least let me send you a few of my guys."

"OK," I agreed, to keep his heart at ease. I know if anything happened to me, McCarty would have that family burn to the ground. Literally. And I'd do the same for him. He's my brother, after all.