All Chapters of The Day I Stopped Being Mr Nice Guy: Chapter 71
- Chapter 80
164 chapters
CHAPTER 71
The marble lobby of Sterling & Gray, one of the city’s oldest law firms, was a monument to quiet money. Caleb was leaving a court case he had taken care of when a slick, familiar voice stopped him.“Well, of it is not the champion of the underdog. Or should I say, the champion of the has-been trying to be a comeback?”Caleb turned slowly. Peter Wesley leaned against a mahogany panel, with a smirk on his thin lips.“Peter,” Caleb said, keeping his tone neutral. “Collecting extra hours on advising your client on how to lose gracefully? It is a niche.”Peter smirk did not shake. “I advise on winning, Caleb. A concept your current client seems to be only temporarily acquainted with. That little boardroom show was cute. A valiant effort to dress up desperation as diligence. How long do you think he can keep that up Before he cracks under the real pressure?”“The only pressure I see,” Caleb replied, adjusting his cuff link, “is the kind you bill by the hour to create. Dante Vance does not c
CHAPTER 72
Later that evening, Caleb did not find Dante in his study, but in the sprawling, book lined library of the mansion. Dante was sitting in a worn leather armchair, a low fire crackling beside him and an open but ignored book in his lap. He was staring at the flames, with the day’s weight etched on his face.“I see even the CEO’s sanctuary has its limits,” Caleb said in a loud voice.Dante looked up, and his eyes softened immediately as he said in surprise, “Caleb, I thought you would be home by now. Drink.”“I think I need one,” Caleb said, as he walked over to the decanter on the sideboard and poured pit two fingers of scotch and sat down on the armchair opposite Dante. Then he said amusedly, “I had a delightful double feature today. First, your favorite lawyer. Then, your favorite fiancé.”Dante’a jaw tightened as he growled under his breathe, “ Peter and Mason. A marched set of vipers. What did they want?”“The usual. To posture, to threaten, and in Mason’s case, to try a truly pathe
CHAPTER 73
The living room of Clara’s mansion was filled with domestic activities. Clara perched on the edge of the silk sofa, with a wine glass dangling from her fingers. Mason stood at the window, with his back to her, staring into the darkness as if searching for an answer in the shadows.“Annette,” Clara called out sharply enough to make the young maid flinch. “Jasper has been asking for a story for ten minutes. Are you waiting for a written invitation? Go. Now.”“Yes, ma’am. Right away.” The maid scurried from the room with relief in his eyes.The moment the door clicked shut, the tense silence in the room snapped. Clara turned sharply to Mason’s back.“Well? I have been waiting all evening. How did it go with Caleb?”Mason did not turn immediately. He just took a slow sip from his whiskey, in order to let the silence stretch further and turned to face her with his brow furrowed in contemplation.“It was,” he said with a short a sigh. “A qualified disaster.”Clara’s eyes flashed angrily. “W
CHAPTER 74
The library in Dante Vance’s mansion was quiet and warm in the evening light. His daughter Daisy sat at the big table, with a frown on her little face as she looked at her math homework.“Papa,” she said. “Why does algebra have to exist? Who decided letters and numbers should mix together. This is so hard.”Dante smiled and walked over to help her. That was their special time together. For one hour, he was not the busy CEO of a big company. He was just a dad.Then his special phone buzzed suddenly. The one only few people had. He saw the caller id: Liam, and he only called at this time of it was important.Dante answered. “Liam.” “Sir.” Liam’s voice through the speaker was serious. “We have found one of the leaks. The person who have been given our secrets to the other side. You need to see what we have found.”Dante looked at Daisy. She was watching him intently through her lashes. “Hold on,” Dante told Liam. Then he covered the phone.“That was Liam from work,” he told Daisy. “I h
CHAPTER 75
The closing bell at Crestview Academy had just chimed. Clara Vance stood beside her sleek car impatiently, as she waited for Jasper to come running out. She checked her Diamond watch, which was an unnecessary display in a schoolyard. Then she saw her.Daisy was playing tag with other girls on the junior playground. Her daughter floated across the lawn, looking very bright and carefree. Clara’s stomach tightened. The child looked healthy and happy, which was a huge contrast to the quiet girl who had once lived under her roof. Every giggle felt like a personal insult.Clara’s heels clicked across the pavement towards the grass, and a group of watching mothers around them felt silent. Daisy, who was counting with a huge smile on her face , turned and froze. The laugher died on her throat instantly.“Well,” Clara drawled as she removed her sunglasses. “Look at you.”Daisy stood perfectly still with her hand frozen on the metal post.“Cat got your tongue?” Clara took a step closer. “Or is
CHAPTER 76
Dante was in his home office when his phone rang. He did not know the number, but he answered. “Dante Vance.” He said clearly. “Mr Vance. This is Harold Fitch. From Lotus Group.”Dante sat up straighter. Harold Fitch was one of the oldest members of the Lotus board. He was known for being honest and quiet, and he never called anyone.“Mr Fitch,” Dante said, with respect in his voice. “This is a surprise.”“No time for small talk,” Fitch said, his voice rough and direct. “I am in the city. I need to meet. Somewhere private.”“Of course. My office—”“Not your office,” Fitch cut him off. “Somewhere neutral. The bistro at Wellington and Fifth. Le Jardin. One hour.”The call ended and Dante put down his phone slowly. A call from Harold Fitch meant something big was happening.An hour later, Dante sat at the corner table in the quiet restaurant. The air smelled like herbs and old wood.Harold Fitch arrived right on time. He was an older man, thin, with white hair and sharp eyes. He moved
CHAPTER 77
The lobby of Willow & Ivy Boutique was quiet and pretty. Then Clara Vance stormed in with her heels clocking noisily on the polished floor, and with her face full of cold anger and resentment.“I need to see Eva. Now!” Clara demanded, as she walked past the front desk.Eva’s assistant, Leo, stepped in her way, trying to stop her. “Mrs. Vance. Ms. Stewart is in a meeting. You can not go in.”“Move,” Clara said sharply “Now.”“I can not let you—”“Do you want to lose your job?” Clara whispered sternly.The office door opened before Leo could answer and Eva stood there, with an annoyed look in her eyes, but then upon seeing Clara, her expression became cold.“Oh,” Eva said flatly. “It is you,”She did not invite Clara in. Instead, she just turned and walked back to her desk, and left the door open.Clara followed her inside and slammed the door.Eva’s office was bright and modern, filled with fabric and clothes sketches. She stood behind her desk with her arms crossed tightly on her ches
CHAPTER 78
The Vertex pharmaceuticals laboratory was silent except for the buzz of equipments. Dante Vance observed a small lab rat in an isolation chamber, breathing very shallow and rapid and it’s vital signs on a nearby screen traced a steady decline.Dr. Anya Chen stood beside him and reported in a clear tone. “The neuro toxin is at full effect. We are ready for the antidote trial.”Two other researchers watched closely, but Liam stood apart from them, as he looked at the scene before him with vigilant eyes. “The last tissue trial was promising,” Dr. Chen said with a glassy look in her eyes. “If this works, we can request clinical trials next quarter.”Liam stepped closer and requested for permission. “A critical juncture, sir.”Dante nodded, with his eyes pinned on the suffering animal. The work was important. But he was aware that it is not every one present was there for the science alone.“Proceed,” Dante said.As Dr. Chen moved to retrieve the antidote vail, Dante held up his hand. The
CHAPTER 79
At La Perle, Daisy sat on a velvet booster seat, swinging her legs excitedly as Nurse Amy helped her make a choice from the oversized menu.“And she has a rabbit named Custard!” Daisy announced happily as she told them about her day at Crestview. “He is white with one floppy ear. Her name is Poppy. And she is in my art class.”Dante smiled, as he cut Daisy’s chicken into bite sized pieces. “That sounds like a wonderful friend. I would like to meet her.”Daisy nodded her head enthusiastically, with a smear of butter on her chin. “Can she come over? We can have cookies and tea in the sunroom!”“We can arrange that,” Dante said, as his heart swelled at the simple normal request. It was these moments he fought for, moments of cookie invitations and talk of floppy eared rabbits.The moment was broken by a familiar, sturdy figure approaching their table. Caleb Walker, his lawyer and oldest friend, moved towards them in his usual no-nonsense suit. A smile appeared on his face when Daisy spot
CHAPTER 80
The penthouse suite of the Lockwood hotel stood tall above the sprawling city, and Mason stood by the floor to ceiling window, with a glass of whiskey in his hand. His best friend and lawyer, Peter, sat on a low leather sofa, scrolling through a tablet.“The pressure on Vertex is working,” Mason said without turning back. “Their stock dipped another two percent after the regulatory inquiry was announced. Dante is spending his days putting out financial fires.”Peter looked up, and asked with a slight frown on his face. “And the board? Any movement on the trustee proposal?”Mason smiled and replied with an absent wave of his hand, “Fitch is stubborn, but the others are listening. Chen is worried about instability. Adebayo is concerned about reputation. I have had dinners with the three of them this week. They are starting to see Dante not as a guardian, but as a liability. The vote will happen soon. We just need a tight moment to call it.”“And Dante?” Peter asked as he set his tablet