Chapter Five

"We both can't work at this headquarters. Watch your back, cousin," Aaron warned before leaving abruptly.

Armand muttered to himself, "You're right. You will cause too much damage if you're allowed to remain here. One of us has to go, and it definitely won't be me."

…

It had been a week.

Armand leaned back in his chair. He had been reviewing all of Aaron's work, he couldn't say what it was yet, but he was certain that Aaron had been doing something wrong at the Armstrong headquarters and he was determined to find out what it was.

When Aaron had been made CEO, the Armstrong empire had gone bankrupt, and Armand was certain that it didn't happen in a year.

Aaron had been doing some illegal underground activities, and it turned full scale once he had been made CEO.

Just then, a sharp knock on the door snapped him back to reality.

"Come in," he called out, his eyes meeting Vanessa's.

"Good evening, Mr. Armstrong," she greeted with a smile.

Armand acknowledged her presence and asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"

She shook her head, "No, Mr. Armstrong, I just wanted to thank you once more for standing up for me last week."

“It's fine, Vanessa.” Armand replied.

Vanessa leaned in, her tone hushed, "I'm so glad Aaron wasn't made CEO."

Her statement didn't surprise Armand, “I understand your sentiment.”

“You don't fully understand, Mr. Armstrong.” She suddenly blurted.

Armand's curiosity was spiked, “What do you mean?”

Vanessa glanced around nervously, her eyes avoiding direct contact with Armand. "Oh, Mr. Armstrong, don't pay too much attention to what I just said. I was just thinking out loud," she stammered.

Armand leaned forward, a reassuring expression on his face. “Vanessa, you can trust me. Whatever you say will stay between us. Tell me, what's going on?" he urged.

Taking a deep breath, Vanessa began to explain, her words flowing with a mixture of anxiety and determination. "Aaron has been pressuring the senior accountant to provide the standard budget for building materials for Armstrong projects. The thing is, he's been purchasing them from Greens LTD, not the authorized supplier. They sell substandard materials at a cheaper rate."

"Are you sure about this?" he questioned, searching for confirmation.

Amanda nodded, "I'm certain. A new building contract just got awarded to us. You should inspect the materials yourself. It's the only way to confirm what I'm saying."

Armand thanked Amanda for her honesty as she quietly left the room. "I've got you now, Aaron," he muttered to himself, already envisioning how he would expose Aaron to the entire world.

…

The next day, Armand decided to investigate further.

Jerry expertly manoeuvred Armand's car into the construction site.

"I'll be right here when you're ready, Mr. Armstrong," Jerry said, and Armand nodded in acknowledgement.

Exiting the car, Armand surveyed the construction site, and he spotted Aaron. He was engrossed in a conversation with one of the site managers.

Armand made his way towards them, but as soon as Aaron noticed Armand approaching, he dismissed the site manager with a nod.

"Hello Armand, what brings you here?" Aaron asked.

Armand replied with a tight-lipped smile. "Just wanted to check on the progress of our latest project. Mind if I have a look around?" he inquired, his tone casual but his gaze penetrating.

Aaron, seemingly unfazed, gestured expansively. "Of course, feel free to inspect. Everything is in order."

As Armand began his walk through the construction site, he couldn't shake the anticipation building within him.

…

Armand approached Aaron with a subtle smirk. "You're smart," he remarked, his words carrying a weight that hinted at a deeper meaning.

Aaron responded with a seemingly innocent smile. "I beg your pardon?"

Armand shrugged casually. "Oh, nothing. I am just admiring your handling of things. Everything seems to be in order here," he said.

Aaron thanked him sarcastically, "Is everything up to the standard you expected, Mr. CEO?"

Armand, maintaining a poker face, replied, "It seems that way."

Aaron then teased, "You seem disappointed, Armand. Were you hoping to find something amiss?"

Armand shot him a challenging look. "Why would you think that?"

Aaron responded, "Just a feeling."

Armand, a calculating glint in his eyes, replied, "Just a feeling, huh? Maybe your feeling is right. Maybe it isn't, but either way, if anything ever goes wrong, you can be assured that I will find out."

Armand locked eyes with Aaron, a silent challenge passing between them. Armand's phone rang, shattering the silent standoff. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw Carla's name and sighed before answering. "Hello?" he said, his tone noticeably cold.

Carla's voice came through the line. "Hey, Armand, my love. How have you been?"

Armand wasn't fooled, he replied, "Fine." A pause followed.

Carla then continued, "Don't you want to know how I've been?"

"I know you've been fine," Armand retorted.

"I've been trying to reach you. You haven't been answering my calls or texts," Carla complained.

Armand, without a hint of remorse, stated, "I've been busy."

Carla pressed further, "Too busy for me?"

Armand was tired, "Is there a reason you called? If there's none, I'm going to hang up now."

"Please, don't." Carla pleaded, "I need to see you urgently."

After a moment of contemplation, Armand agreed, "Fine. Text me the venue and time." Without waiting for a response, he hung up.

Just then, a site manager approached them, offering a polite greeting. "Good day, gentlemen. Are you leaving, Mr. Armstrong?" he inquired.

Aaron, thinking the manager was addressing him, immediately responded, "No."

However, the manager's eyes flicked towards Armand, and an awkward look crossed his face before he apologized, "I beg your pardon, Mr. Aaron Armstrong. I was actually talking to Mr. Armand Armstrong, the CEO."

Armand smiled subtly, "I was just about to leave, but I'll be back another day."

The site manager nodded, offering a polite goodbye before stepping away.

Turning to Aaron, Armand's expression turned serious. “Try not to get ahead of yourself. And while in public, I am your CEO, and you're to refer to me as Mr. Armstrong. Do you understand?"

Aaron clenched his jaw in anger, but he managed a forced smile. "Of course. I understand."

Giving him a pat on the shoulder, Armand replied, "Good. Now get back to work." He then walked away.

…

Armand sighed as he glanced at his wrist, the transparent tattoo displaying the date 30/03/2024.

The spot Carla had chosen, a bustling and popular restaurant, made him shake his head. He remembered when Carla used to be embarrassed about speaking to him in public, but now, she had deliberately selected a very public place for their meeting.

Armand walked into the restaurant, the sounds of chatter and clinking cutlery surrounding him. People looked at him, but not out of disgust like they used to.

A subtle smirk formed on Armand's face. He would turn the tables around. He would give Carla a taste of her own medicine.

He approached their table, Carla, who was already seated, wore a dress that left little to the imagination.

It was a form-fitting, low-cut dress that exposed her breasts. The dress had a daringly high slit along the sides .

Armand looked at her, and the parts of her body that used to excite him no longer did. He knew the real her.

Armand took a seat, his demeanour composed, as Carla greeted him with a compliment on his look. "Thank you," he replied with a nod, his gaze not lingering on her attire.

Carla, hoping for reciprocal praise, asked, "Aren't you going to compliment me back?"

Armand raised an eyebrow, his tone unyielding. "What exactly am I supposed to compliment? Is it you or this dress, which looks as if some parts of it are missing?"

The unexpected response surprised Carla, who faltered for a moment.

Faking tears, Carla whispered, "I miss you."

Armand chuckled, his eyes locking onto hers, "Is there a valid reason why you wanted to see me?" Carla hesitated for a moment before pulling out an envelope and dropping it in front of him.

Armand raised an eyebrow and opened it, revealing a substantial sum of money.

"What's this?" he inquired, studying the contents.

Carla explained, "My mother sold one of your paintings, and this is your share," she continued, "As you can see, my family has no intention of cheating you. All you need to do is find a way for us to be together again."

She then reacted out and touched Armand's hand, the same place where the tattoo was, and just then, the tattoo appeared.

Armand was startled. He thought she could see it, too.

Carla noticed the shift in his expression and asked, “What's wrong?”

Immediately, Armand realized he was the only one who could see the tattoo. He was reminded once more of his mission.

Suddenly, Carla gasped loudly and pointed to the television. The words written on the screen made her face turn white.