Fight back

Jake was still at the bar and talking to the stranger, venting all his frustrations about Noah. After Noah and the others had left, someone had been sent back to have Jake sign the drafted contract. That very same day everything was put in effect and he had to leave the company his father had built and he had worked at for many years. Though his father didn't quite understand what was going on but when Jake assured him that this would make their troubles go away he reluctantly agreed. After that matters went from bad to worse for Jake, who was facing real consequences for his actions for the first time in his life. He did not count losing Laila among those consequences as he had always assumed that she would one day return to him. But with this repercussion he had lost many things at once among which the possibility of Laila returning to him. At least if matters stayed as is.

In a downcast voice he responded to the man's statements before his offer of a job. "It is not like there aren't any jobs. There are plenty of jobs. BUT no one is willing to hire me. I know that they are all afraid of what that weasel might do if they help me out. Though he claims that he didn't tell them not to hire me, he might as well have with the way they are treating me. How else can you explain that all of them will only consider me for entry level positions? I was the vice president of a large company. How can I stoop down to work at a simple desk job like someone fresh out of college?!"

Glaring at the space in front of him as he grew silent for a minute, Jake answered the man's question with a grave voice. "As for your question regarding the identity of the weasel who caused me to end up in such a state, there is only one man to blame for all of this. He is a weasel who goes by the name Noah Stephens. He used to live in this town but now he is apparently some big shot in a country nearby and he wanted to settle some past grudges. So, without any lead or cause, he came at me and took away what was mine from birth. He even used his tricks to steal the woman of my dreams and left me with no way to fight back."

With each sentence the anger in his voice became stronger and more apparent. "He cornered me, threatened me with the livelihood of my employees and the retirement of my own father, leaving me with no other option than to go along with his demands." With a look that showed the pure hate he felt for Noah, Jake faced the man who was seated beside him and ended his rant by responding to his offer, "So, if you do not fear him like the cowards around here, I will gladly join your company."

Hearing the name Noah Stephens, caused the other man's hairs to stand up straight. He couldn't believe his ears. Could it really be that he had found another victim of the man who had turned his life into shambles. With a stammering voice and widened eyes he repeated Jake's words. "D-did you just say Noah Stephens..?"

Jake lifted his brow and looked at the man with a questioning look in his eyes. "Yes..Why? Don't tell me you are afraid of him as well and you want to rescind your offer?"

This is when the man got a big dark grin on his face. He grabbed Jake's hand in both hands and started shaking it up and down. In a cheerful voice he said, "Ha, ha, ha. The opposite my man. The opposite. This must be a meeting orchestrated by fate." Jake was very surprised by the change in the man's demeaner and this surprised showed clearly on his face but all his questions were answered by the next sentence. "How else could I run into someone who hates the man called Noah Stephens as much as I do? With your long going relationship with him and your skills in the business world, I am certain that you will be a great partner in my mission to get back at that guy. I might not be able to pay you as much as you earned at your previous job but I can give you an actual chance at revenge at the man who put you in this position to begin with."

Jake returned the man's handshake with firming the grip of his hand that he was holding. Jake's face revealed a dark grin as well and he replied, "Any enemy of Noah can only be a friend of mine. I might have lost some fortune but I am far from poor. If it means that I can get back at that dreaded Noah, I would even work for free. So, I will gladly take you up on you offer."

The man started laughing even more loudly and patted Jake on the back as he pushed another drink in front of him and said, "Drink up my friend. Your drinks for tonight are on me. Let's celebrate. Here's to a successful partnership!"

Jake clinked his glass with his own and returned his toast, "To a successful partnership."

The two newfound friends and partners spent the rest of the evening doing that which the stranger had attempted to stop at the beginning of their conversation, they drank. But this time it wasn't to drown their sorrows but to celebrate finding a likeminded soul. The man told Jake about how he knew Noah and all about his plans to get back at him. Together they cursed Noah and continued well into the wee hours of the night. Just like that another threat had been added to Olivia's side along with the secret backer whose identity remained shrouded in mystery. While all of this was taking place, Noah and Laila were off to a week of fun, unaware of the other layer of danger heading their way.