CALLA

37: Teasing the Snake

"You tricked me"

I was in grandfather's private jet when I received Ben Carter's phone call. Despite his irritation, I was smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh?" I faint ignorance.

"You were going to New York all along"

He was upset at being fooled. I purposely didn't answer to irritate him some more.

"Now I'm stuck with all these pile of work" He complained. "How do you expect me to finish this?"

"Mr. Carter, surely you're not going back on your words"

"This_ you_"

"And it's only simple work" I grinned evilly. "Someone with your skills is completely capable of handling a little bit of paper work"

"These will take me the rest of the years to finish" He shot back. "On top of my own work in Aion, this_"

"That's not my problem" I said haughtily. "An agreement is an agreement"

"What agreement?" He said after a moment of silence.

I could hear him smiling through the phone as he regained his composure. In that moment, I searched through my phone and played him the recorded agreement between us. When I heard him cough through the phone like he was choking on water.

"That's blackmail"

"Actually, in legal term, its call a verbal contract Mr. Carter"

There was silence through the line while I was trying hard not to laugh.

"But it's no big deal if you want to break this deal. After all, the conversation was only between you and me. And I'm not a petty person to pursue it" I smiled coldly through the phone. "If you can't handle the simple task, I'll have someone pick up those files from you this afternoon"

"No" He said sharply.

I knew my underlining words bothered him.

"I'll finish it" I could hear his resentment.

"Good"

Then I hang up on him before I turned back to the chess game in front of me.

"The snake will bite if you tease it" My grandfather stated without taking his eyes off the chess board.

"A snake with no venom" I replied as I moved my pawn forward. "Nothing to be afraid of"

Hearing the old man laugh made me smile.