CHAPTER TWELVE.

Dressed in a pair of black suit, Gregory walked into the conference room with the help of his walking stick and two of his guards were slowly threading behind him.

As soon as everyone saw him enter, they all stood up in obedience to him and bowed. He was the king of the empire after all.

“You may all take your seat” Gregory announced through the large microphone and they did as they were told. There were more than two hundred persons in the conference room and all of them had a share in the Furgesson business but he had the largest share making him the president.

“Let us begin with today’s meeting” he announced again and sat down but the commotion outside the door caught his attention.

Everyone’s eyes flew to the door as it flung open and he entered in all his glory.

Dressed in a pair of purple suit and with his hair tied to the back superbly, Nick Furgesson walked into the room. The aura emanating from him was so strong and everyone in the room could already feel it. Threading behind him slowly was his wife, she was also dressed professionally and looked superb in her blue shirt skirt and her white shirt neatly tucked into the skirt. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she had little makeup on her face, the two of them were like an unreachable height and they commanded respect as soon as they ventured into the company premises.

“Forgive me for coming so late, I am a very busy young man after all” he said in a mocking voice as his eyes lingered on Gregory for a split second.

“Why are you here?”Gregory asked immediately, he hated the sight of the boy he once called son.

“Why shouldn’t I be?I am one among the biggest shareholders in this company Mr Furgesson lest you have forgotten” he replied lowering himself on the chair next to Gregory while April sat opposite him with a sly smile on her lips, she knew a good show was about to start.

Shifting the microphone from his mouth a little, Gregory bent towards Nick,

“You have to do more than purchasing Dogbam holdings to bring me down”

Nick smirked, “At least it caused a stir for you Gregory Furgesson”

The respect he always had for this man was no where to be found and all he had left for him was hatred and loath.

Smiling, Gregory slowly took his seat and gestured for the meeting to start.

The person who was supposed to start the pitch stood up and moved towards the podium but April quickly stood up making the man freeze from where he was standing.

“Excuse me but Dogbam holdings will be making a few changes to how it has been operated and I will like to discuss those terms first before the commencement of the meeting because the changes will be made immediately I am done”

She spoke with poise and confidence that some of the people In the room were intimidated while Nick just kept smiling looking at Gregory, if only he knew what was coming.

“What do you mean, miss?” Gregory’s secretary asked, he was a man in his early forties and he looked corrupt just like his boss.

“I believe even Mr Gregory here understands what I mean” April’s voice was filled with so much sarcasm and Nick was loving that part of his wife, when she chooses to do something she always gave her all to it.

“Let her be” Gregory’s voice resounded in the room and everyone kept quiet.

Winking at her husband, she picked up a document and walked towards the podium. Each step was more confident than the other.

“Hello everyone” she said as soon as she mounted the podium, “I am April Furgesson, the assistant of new owner of Dogbam holdings Nick Furgesson. A few changes would be made to the existing structure of the company to enhance a more sustainable business environment for everyone and I will read out the new plan. First of all, Dogbam holdings from today will collect forty percent more than what is being collected before reason being that it is the biggest supplier to the Furgesson automobile” she looked around and could see a few people murmuring while Gregory had a straight face but she knew underneath that calm face, trouble was brewing.

“What do you mean?”his secretary jumped up immediately and asked.

“If you are not willing to accept our request then you can switch to another company” April replied, her lips curved up in a mocking smile.

“What other plans do you have?” Gregory asked.

Not for once did he think that Nick would do this to him, collecting forty percent more was like sending billions of dollars into the hands of his adopted son to take revenge on him but this was too big a slap on his face. Dogbam holdings was the best steel company in the whole of the country and its environs, refusing to accept their terms meant only one thing….settling for fake steel.

“And also” April spoke again, “we will no longer deal in supply before payment, we only supply when we have received payment and all these changes take effect immediately, I hope we can have a better understanding of ourselves” she added with an air of finality before stepping down from the podium.

Gregory Furgesson almost went crazy. All the years that he has worked with Dogbam holdings, they always supplied him and he paid after but Nick was actually changing the rules, was he planning on making him bankrupt?

“Is that all?” He asked after a while struggling to control his anger and that was when the door opened again and Chris entered looking dashing in his white suit.

“I am sorry I am late, I got caught up in traffic” he said as his eyes flew to Nick, “and what is Mr Nick doing here?” He asked again, the hate in his voice did not go unnoticed.

Nick smiled, “a son who can not come early for a shareholder meeting, I wonder how he will take care of his father’s business” he mocked and Chris balled his hands into a fist.

“Let us take a twenty minute recess” Gregory announced and all of them began to leave the conference room aside from the people he wanted.

As soon as everyone was out, he turned to Nick. Anger was evident on his face and he felt like slapping him so hard.

“What do you think you are doing Nick?” He bellowed, hitting his hand on the glass table but the latter did not flinch, rather he loved the look of anger on his face.

“What did you do to Emily and Steven Furgesson?” Nick asked and both father and son froze, “why can’t I find any information about them on the database?” He asked further.

“Where did you hear that name?” Chris asked out of shock.

This time, Nick gave a throaty laugh,

“You have always been a fool Chris and I have always been better than you because I am smart” he added turning to Gregory who had an unreadable expression on his face, “what happened to the almighty Furgesson?”

“Did that old nun tell you?” He asked, glaring at him.

“Maybe you should try checking your things for a change”he mocked before standing up, “I won’t ask you nicely next time, you should tell me what you did to my parents and why they fucking have the same last name with you or I won’t even spare any of your family Gregory, don’t push your luck” he threatened.

“Watch how you talk to him,” Chris bellowed.

“Don’t raise your voice on my husband” April chipped in, she looked fierce.

“You call this loser a husband?if he was that great, why didn’t he atay and fight five years ago?” Chris asked, turning to her thinking she would cow but April kept staring at him deep in the eyes before her lips curved up in another mocking smile.

“Because he is not a fool like the rest of you”

“I will give you three days to tell me what you did to my parents or else, I won’t only buy Dogbam holdings, I will make everything that you have mine and I will make sure your family lives on the streets of London”

His eyes were bloodshot as he spoke and as soon as he was done, both husband and wife walked out of the room with their heads held high.

“Call your mother and ask her to check for the box in my study” Gregory immediately ordered as soon as his nemesis and his wife were already out of earshot.

Chris did as he was told and after two rings, his mother answered.

“What happened?”she asked.

“Father said you should check the box in his study”

“A minute” Emilia answered and from the background, Chris could hear his mother looking around after opening the study door.

“It is not here” she said in panic and Gregory hissed angrily as he balled his hands into a fist, once again Nick beat him to his own game.

“Fedora” he muttered under his breath as he stood up immediately and stomped out of the conference room in anger, he just suddenly realized something.