THE CONSORTIUM HEIR'S RECKONING

CHAPTER 2

Sarah's scream pierced the air as Nicolas stormed into the room, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. The atmosphere was electric with tension.

 "How can you do this to me Sarah?" he says softly, the pain evident in his voice.

Sarah looked shocked at the interruption but a sneer soon replaced it. "And so?" She taunted, her voice dripping with malice.

Alex laughed. “So, your husband was actually eavesdropping? So much for a useless man.”

Nicolas's face twisted in rage, and he launched himself at Alex, but Sarah intervened, her hands grasping at Nicolas's arms. "Stop, Nicolas! Don't be stupid!" she snapped at him.

But Nicolas shook her off, his eyes locked on Alex. "You're using my wife, aren't you?" Nicolas accused, his voice venomous.

"Sarah knows what she wants, and it's not you," Alex sneered.

Nicolas turned to Sarah, his eyes blazing with rage. "Can't you see that he's just using you? 

You're just another pastime to him. When he's done with you, he'll fling you aside and move on to the next unfortunate lady."

Sarah's face twisted in defiance. "I don't expect nobody like you to understand, Nicolas," she spat. "What Alex and I have is special. It's something you would never understand."

Alex smirked, his eyes rolling in amusement. "Yeah, Nicolas, you're just a boring, predictable husband. Sarah needs someone with a little more_,” his voice trailed off as he thought of the right word to say. “_excitement in their life."

“And you are the right candidate for that? Isn't all this a game to you?" 

Alex sneered, “Be careful of what you say. What I share with Sarah is more than what your lowlife has to offer.”

Sarah stepped forward, her eyes blazing with anger. "Just get out, Nicolas. Leave! No one wants you here."

"Yes Nicolas, be a good boy and run along now." Alex said mockingly.

"How can you not see this, Sarah? He's merely using you," Nicolas's voice was low and menacing, his words dripping with pain.

Sarah's eyes flashed with anger. She turned to Nicolas and slapped him hard on the face. 

Alex laughed again.

"You're just a useless man who can't even provide for himself, talk less about me. I deserve better, and Alex can give me everything I want."

Nicolas's face twisted in disgust. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Sarah. How do you think the world will feel when they hear about your story? You're having an affair with your boss! You're using your body to get a promotion!”

Alex stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're just a jealous husband who can't accept that his wife has moved on to someone better. You're nothing but a loser. The better you accept it, the better for you!"

Nicolas scoffed. "Ok then, I will expose your affair and ruin your reputation. You'll pay for what you've done. Then we'll see who the loser really is."

Fear flickered across Alex's eyes but it was gone as fast as it appeared.

Alex sneered. "You think you can take me down? I'm a powerful man, and I'll crush you like the insignificant insect that you are."

Nicolas smirked. "Good then, let's see who laughs last."

He turned around to leave but Alex hurried closer. He reached out for a vase that was close by and smashed it on Nicolas head.

Nicolas crashed to the floor, and laid unconscious. 

Sarah's eyes gaped with horror as she stared at Nicolas's lifeless body.

Alex hesitated, his heart breathing faster. What just happened?

“Hey!” He called softly but no answer came from Nicolas. He kicked him, trying to get a reaction, but there was no response.

At this moment, Sarah dropped to the ground, and reached for Nicolas's neck to check his pulse but there wasn't any. 

She looked up at Alex, her eyes wide with panic. "He's dead!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking.

Alex's expression flashed with fear, but he quickly covered it up. "We need to get rid of him," he said, his voice firm.

Sarah's eyes widened in horror, her face pale. She took a step back, her hands flying to her mouth. "What? No! We can't just get rid of him!" she protested in a shaking voice.

Alex's expression didn't change. "We have to, Sarah. He's a liability now. We can't let him ruin everything we've worked for."

Sarah's eyes darted back and forth, her mind racing. She looked at Nicolas's lifeless body, then back at Alex. "But...what about the police? They'll find out. They'll know it was us!" she stammered.

Alex's voice was cold and detached. "We'll take care of it, Sarah. We'll make it look like an accident. No one will ever suspect a thing."

Sarah's face contorted in a mixture of fear and revulsion.

"Just make sure you shut up about this."

Sarah watched in horror as Alex stuffed Nicolas's body into a suitcase. She was terrified, her eyes wide with fear. She couldn't stop shaking.

"Where are you going to dump it?" Sarah asked eventually after she had calmed down a bit.

Alex turned to her, his eyes cold and calculating. "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it. Just make sure you keep your mouth shut."

Sarah nodded, still looking frightened. Alex zipped up the suitcase and lifted it into his car. It took a while though but Sarah was too frightened to help him out.

He drove off into the wilderness, with the suitcase in the booth.

As Alex discarded the suitcase in the wilderness, the latch popped open. But he didn't care. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. So, he hurried back to the car and drove off at fast speed.

Suddenly, the necklace around Nicolas' neck started to emit a soft blue light. It went brighter.

As the light enveloped Nicolas's body, he felt a strange, tingling sensation. It was as if electricity was coursing through his veins, jumpstarting his heart. The sensation was painful, but it was also exhilarating.

Slowly but surely, Nicolas's heart began to beat again. He coughed, groggily opening his eyes. He was disoriented, unsure of where he was or what had happened.

He pushed the suitcase open and sat up. 

Where was he?

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was in the wilderness, surrounded by trees and bushes.

How did he get here?

His memory felt foggy. There were a lot of questions but the answers eluded him. What was he doing in a suitcase?

A phone rang suddenly, its noise almost deafening Nicolas. He looked for it quickly.

It was an unknown ID. He picked it up anyway. 

"Hello?" 

"Am I speaking with Nicolas Belford?" A thick voice asked.

"Yes, who is this?"

There was a slight hesitation. "You're the heir to the super-rich Belford family. Now it is time to take your place as the billionaire heir, Nicolas.

What!

“Your life is about to change forever.”