Chapter 56 Those Are The Symptoms, Man.
Rafael’s POV
“We even checked the street cameras; the man was very cautious. He made sure to cover his face and used a taxi instead of a private vehicle,” the officer investigating the matter said.All content is © N0velDrama.Org.
I let out a frustrated sigh. Despite all the efforts and resources I invested in this case, we didn’t get any good results. The perpetrator was incredibly adept at concealing his identity.
“So? Does that mean the case will be closed?” I asked in a furious tone.
The officer squeezed the area between his brows in frustration and mumbled, “I’m still working on the case, but I have something in mind.”
“What?” Jack inquired.
“It’s obvious that the man was a messenger; he wasn’t acting rationally. His goal was to ruin Natalie,” he stated, staring into my eyes. “I think they will come back to achieve their goal.”
When he mentioned that night, rage boiled inside me. How could I ever forget what I saw that night? Even the punishment I had inflicted on her for the past six nights and five days hadn’t made me feel any better.
I knew she was a victim, and here I am trying to fight for her rights, but why did she accept his drink in the first place?
I asked her several times, but she refused to explain, insisting that as I did what I wanted, she would do the same. And what she meant by this, only God knows.
However, I had to find a way to make them pay for what they did. I was determined to make them pay, no matter the cost. I had to make them pay.
After a lengthy discussion with the officer about our next steps, he departed, assuring me that he would give his utmost effort in this case.
As I flipped through numerous documents before me, Jack occupied the chair in front of my desk and exclaimed, “So? How’s it going?” I could sense a peak of curiosity in his tone.
I replied nonchalantly, “About what?” without raising my eyes from the documents. My focus was on completing my work as swiftly as possible and attending to other matters at hand, including returning home to Natalie.
“Have you two been alone all these five days?” he asked.
I crossed my arms over my chest, raised an eyebrow, and inquired, “So?”
“Did she sign the contract?” he asked again, a look of confusion on his face.
I leaned forward and grumbled, “Nope! And I’m not going to discuss my private life with you.”
He let out a deep sigh and mumbled, “Just don’t hurt her. Always remember she didn’t choose this; you pushed her into it.”
“No, Jack. The last person I would ever think of hurting is Natalie,” I countered.
“Then, you have to end your engagement. From the start, I wasn’t in agreement with it, but you were so stubborn,” he urged.
“I intend to meet Debbie and her father soon and inform them of my decision,” I explained, feeling guilty about Debbie.
“Then, you have to pause copulation with Natalie temporarely. Sex always complicates things,” he sighed sadly. “It’s a bit too late for advice though.”
I tapped my fingers on the table as if playing a piano and whispered in an almost inaudible voice, “I know that. But I can’t stop. I’m becoming addicted to her. More obsessed.” I sighed sadly. “I just can’t stop myself.”
“So… you feel like you want to be around her all the time, shower her with gifts, look after her, protect her, and even mean to vanish any male who dares to even put a single finger on her?” he asked with amusement.
I stared at him coldly, but inside, my thoughts were in turmoil. What he just said perfectly described every single feeling I had for her.
He smirked and chimed, “Those are the symptoms, man.”
“Symptoms?” I asked. “Which symptoms?”
The echo of my private secretary’s voice through the intercom interrupted, “Sir, Mr. Nefson is here,” her voice sounding a bit tense.
Jack and I locked eyes. It was the opportune moment to inform him that I was calling off the engagement.
“Let him in,” I ordered.
The office door swung open, and Mr. Nefson stormed in, his expression somewhat gloomy. He grumbled, “Here you are, finally.”
I was seated at my desk, crossing my legs and tapping my fingers. Ignoring his tone of voice, I glanced behind him and said calmly, “See what Mr. Nefson would like to drink.”
“Mr. Nefson,” the secretary began, but he cut her off, yelling, “I’m not here to drink anything!” He scanned the office room and demanded, “I want to talk in private.”
I gestured with my finger to the secretary, who promptly left and pulled the door shut behind her. I then turned my attention to the man before me, who, despite being in his fifties, appeared to be aged beyond his years.
“Please, have a seat, Mr. Nefson,” said Jack, pulling out a chair for the man.
“So, Mackenzie, what brought you here to my company in person?” I asked.
“You have to marry Debbie within two weeks!” he demanded.
“Aha,” I narrowed my eyes at him and inquired, “And why is that?”
He cleared his throat and explained, “After that video of your stepsister slapping Debbie, my daughter faced humiliation from everybody, and the elders in our family demanded that your wedding take place within two weeks. If not, they will arrange for her to marry another groom.”
My eyes darkened with anger, but despite my rage, I spoke calmly, “Then let’s call off the engagement. No one mistreats a member of the Merrin family. And you, the Nefsons, are trying to mess with the wrong person.”
He wiped the small drop of sweat that appeared on his forehead and pleaded, “Rafael, son. I can’t afford to offend the family. We’ve had business deals together, and if we don’t comply with their demands, they will force me to cancel all the ongoing deals with you, costing both of us trillions of dollars.”
“Is this another threat?” I murmured, taking a sip from my coffee.
His face went pale, and he exclaimed, “No, no, no. They’re threatening me. I’m here asking for your help.”
I sniffed, then leaned forward and said calmly, “Look, Mackenzie. We built this engagement on the basis of our mutual benefits. Now, we have different goals. I suggest we call off the engagement.”
Mackenzie’s eyes became bloodshot with rage. He hissed from between gritted teeth, “But this wasn’t our deal!”
“As my deal was with you and your daughter, not the rest of your family,” I said calmly.
He pressed his thumb on the area between his brows and said, “So, did Debbie tell you about the latest news regarding the suspected shipment of yours? She mentioned to me that she had been trying to call you for the past few days about this matter, but your phone was off!”
“I’m not protecting any of my employees. If any of them betrayed my trust and were involved in this matter,” I said nonchalantly, not willing to give him the chance to negotiate any further.
“Even if that person was your stepsister?” he asked with a smirk.
I furrowed my brow. How dare he insinuate such a thing about my wife? I might doubt myself, but I would never doubt her doing such a thing!
“Have you gone crazy?” Jack snapped from where he was listening to our dialogue, seated in one of the corner chairs.
I grabbed Mackenzie by his shirt collar and hissed in a dangerous tone, “How dare you? If you even mention a letter of her name in this case, I’ll destroy you, Mackenzie!”
He pulled himself from my grip and stammeringly explained, “Hold on, guys. I didn’t believe this about her at first, but unfortunately, our men have proof. So, I suggest we try to resolve the problem with a sum of money before the matter reaches the police!”
I glared at Jack furiously and growled, “Where are our men? Where their fucking reports? Go and check the damn matter!”
Jack dashed out of the office, while I grabbed Mackenzie’s collar and pinned him to his chair after storming over to his seat.
“It’s better for you to tell the truth and what you are up to now before it’s too late to regret,” I warned him, my tone dripping with danger.
“I know, I know. And I’m not stupid enough to offend or lie to you,” he stammered, trying to free himself. “I even intend to help Natalie. She did wrong, that’s right, but that will affect the Merrins’ reputation, especially after her last incident.”
I raised an eyebrow and let go of his shirt collar. “I didn’t believe that nonsense in the first place, let alone accept your offer of help!”
“Fine, after you investigate the matter, you may need my help, and I’ll help you. But on one condition: marry Debbie within two weeks,” he stated.
When I ignored his offer, turning my back and heading to the large window, he added, “After two days, go to this address. She will be there. Then you can learn the truth for yourself!” He placed a small piece of paper on the coffee table before him and then got up and left.