The Young Trillionaire In Shadow

Chapter 8: The Cross Firm

Caius looked at her intently.

"What was that? An accusation? Or Is this a police station where you report your stolen stuff." 

His voice was quiet and firm.

"Who the heck are you to speak to me like that?" Diane's voice cracked through the air like a gunshot making heads turned immediately.

"You're loud, young woman," Caius simply said, "you're shouting on my girlfriend." 

Diane tossed her hair to the back, diamond necklace catching the illuminants on her neck. She let out a laughter that echoed off the roof like shattering glass.

"Girlfriend? Huh? Perfect. Just perfect.." She spun to Arabella who was panicking across the table, muttering something no one heard that could be a plea.

"So this is what you do, Huh? You hook up with some trash and tell them to spit nonsense at me?"

Caius's inside boiled but he didn't move. His expression was perfectly impossibly composed.

"Diane..no.. that's not true. Caius is my boyfriend. Yes. But were were just hanging out.." 

"Hanging out?" 

Diane's laughter was an ugly breaking thing.

"How... Romantic. How lovely."

She stepped closer and yanked her hair tight.

"Get up now!" She barked.

Arabella winched in pain. She grabbed her wrist to free her grip but Diane's grip tightened even more. Caius was moving already. The focus in the Hall was shifted on them now, the staff members were moving to the scene to handle the scene too.

Diane raised her hand into the air. It came down like a whip to meet Arabella's face— the  collision sounded like a gunshot on steel— but it didn't meet. 

Caius clamped her wrist, standing tall over her like shadow. She glared into her eyes menacingly and Diane blinked, her expression cracking in fear— just fractionally under his cold gaze.

"If you dare lay a hand on her again," Caius voice was rough. "I swear you won't be able to do that again for the rest of you life." 

His voice was flat and dangerous.

He pushed Diane back off. She stumbled back and caught herself on the table. Her expression went from fear to anger.

Her finger snapped at Caius, trembling, diamond bracelet jangling in her wrist.

"I swear you're going to regret this. You'll regret it!"

She dartred across the hall to meet the man that came in with her. Her finger occasionally snapped at Caius's table as she told him everything.

The man was already moving, his Polished loafers clicking on the expensive marble repeatedly. His suit was deep black, drinking in the roof light without wasting a figment. 

He loomed in front of Caius, his shoulder puffed in arrogance, anger plastered on his face. His name, Ryan Brook.

"You insulted my woman," His voice was flat , dead serious and commanding. "Fall to your knee now and apologize."

The waitress attending to Caius earlier was already shaking in anxiety. It wasn't because of Ryan. It was because of Caius. 

"Sir, please I..I am sorry about the disturbance..I'll handle this profession.." She was saying his voice directed to Caius.

"The hell with professionalism!" Ryan cut her off, invading caius's private space. "Who the heck even allowed this thing from the street to enter this place. This is nonsense!"

Caius expression was calm.

Diane gloated.

Arabella held Caius's arm, her grip surprisingly tight.

"Please let's go already. Let's go." Her voice trembled.

"We're not leaving here." Caius said firmly.

If anything, Caius stepped closer to Ryan.

"And who are you to speak about what happens here? You're dishonest thing in suit walks here straight to show your dumbness because your slut yapped you lies?" 

The hall went into silence.

The statement came at Ryan like a physical blow. 

Diane's expression turned beet red.

"Do something, Ryan! You can't just stand and watch this nobody speak to me like that!"

Ryan stepped closer, his expression dark like storm cloud.

"Did you just speak to me like that?" He bellowed. "Do you know who i am, kid? I work for the Cross Firm. The Tech department. I am the manager and you had just insulted one of their staffs in their restaurant. Young man, you are dead!"

Murmuring stirred in the air.

Cauis went silent. Calculating. He couldn't believe his family company employed someone like this as the manager and the thought alone made his inside twisted.

Diane misunderstood his silence for cowar. She smirked sharply like she'd won.

"What happened, Huh? Cat got your tongue? You suddenly can't speak, Huh?"

"The Cross?" Arabella repeated, her voice breaking in fear.

Then Caius looked at Ryan, unbothered.

"And so?" He said simply. "So this is how you go about threatening people with the Cross family name. You detest me."

"And who are you? A member of the cross family?" He shook his head, smirking in mockery. "They won't even employee you as their cleaner."

"You'll regret this." 

"No you will! Because staff members of the cross Firm are on the second floor with their partners, sponsored by the Cross family personally for lunch. And you this peice of shit had just spit nonsense to one of them."

Caius chuckled in amusement.

So he was even feeding off his money. 

"This needs to get the the CFO." He was already pulling out his phone. "The requirements to access this place should he upgraded. They shouldn't just allow just anybody waltz into this place. Who knows, he might even be a thief impressing woman with stolen cash!"

Caius kept his expression relaxed through the insult. He smirked faintly in mock amusement allowing Ryan to go ahead with the call.

"Hello, Sir. Someone just insulted us here and it's looking very bad...Yes..Third floor." 

He dropped the Call, his eyes flashing with predatory satisfaction of a predator trapping a prey to the corner.

"You better start crawling at her feet now maybe your punishment will be menial. If I say so." 

His chest puffed with pride and justified anger.

"You're dead. Very dead." Diane said. Her finger snapped at Arabella. "You and your ugly boyfriend are getting thrown out." 

The door of the room parted and a man in navy immaculate suit walked in swiftly.