Internal Disagreements

The tension in the room was could be physically felt by everyone present. Whatever discussion they had going earlier had taken a wrong turn somewhere and it hadn't been good.

Especially between Gein and his uncle.

He might have adequate control over his temper but not even that could help his increasing irritation at their ongoing arguments over the same thing. They kept going back and forth, disagreeing with the other party's suggestions and at some point it started to get personal, much to Gein's dislike.

"Gein, I'm saying this for your own benefit."

His uncle's voice, which he couldn't believe he thought was reassuring once a long time ago, was beginning to grate his nerve terribly. "And what precisely is it about, Uncle? Because the last time you said it was for 'my benefit', I remembered that it really wasn't the case."

Gein couldn't stop the cynical scoffing from forming. He also knew that his exasperation was starting to show on his face, looking at the reaction of his other board members.

His uncle sighed. It was also apparent that he was growing wearier with their discussion straying off course horribly. "It may have not seemed like it benefits you, but it clearly did, son."

He flinched, however subtle it was. Gein felt his blood boiled. He might have liked that term coming from his uncle when he was young, but things have changed, in so many ways he couldn't begin listing it, and the way his uncle pretended nothing was amiss between them made he felt his inside churned in a very bad way.

Their relationship wasn't the best out there and everyone knew it, and the way he acted as if it wasn't the case was almost hilarious.

Gein wished he could actually laugh it off.

The room was filled with prickling intensity that was on the verge of exploding, no one dared made even the slightest movement.

"It's late. I suggest we stop here for the day," Gein tried to suppressed the anger in his voice. Although it was a poor attempt considering how it still sounded like a low growl.

The relief was evident almost immediately across the room, besides for the two that was arguing earlier.

Slowly, his uncle rose from the chair, deliberately taking his time doing so. He watched his niece with mixed feelings, one of it being deep regret; over the fact that he no longer held influence over his niece, his only relatives left, and the fact that their familial relationship were beyond repair regardless their attempt to mend it.

Even if their attempt at reconciliation were all directed at the wrong place.

In their own way, they did try their own best at that.

Before he stepped out, he stopped to face Gein, with a grim look. "I hope you will give it thorough consideration, Gein."

"Uncle..." To say he was exasperated would be undermining what he felt.

"No. I mean it. Even your parents would wish the same of you."

How dare he brought them into their petty arguments!

Gein was reeling from the sheer force of his fury hitting him, but somehow he did his best at remaining silent. He watched his uncle exited the room, his gaze lingering on the door as it quietly closed behind his uncle.

It took him a while to calm himself, and it was proving hard with all that had been going on. He told his assistant to leave him in the meeting room alone, to which his assistant did reluctantly.

"Call me if there's anything I can help with."

Gein could see the worry on his assistant face. Considering their long-time friendship and lengthy acquaintance period, Gein believed that his assistant knew where he was standing at with what just happened.

As reassuring as he could, Gein tried to smile. "I will."

He was finally alone.

He remained on his chair, needing to gather his thoughts over what happened and was just brought up by his uncle. It was starting to weigh heavily on him.

Thinking back, Gein realized that he had been dismissing the signs of dissatisfaction coming from his uncle. He had thought that it would calm down after some time, considering the fact on how they themselves were doing relatively good.

Seemed like that was a mistake on his part.

As a result, his uncle even managed to rile up almost half of the board members to agree with him.

Even worse, what his uncle came up with was downright unacceptable, with how he wanted to spread some rather nasty piece of information about them.

Gein wouldn't have agreed it, even if he didn't hear how it also entails dragging the Queneviere's name through the mud.

He rested his forehead on his laced fingers. What his uncle had suggested could literally led to bloodshed if it came to be. It was common knowledge that Olivia, the one currently spearheading the Queneviere's straight to the top, did not take kindly to anyone that dared to even start a rumor about her family, much less create a scandal that would very much put the whole family under hard gazes of scornful scrutiny.

On the other hand, Olivia's maternal grandparents, the Wolfram who his uncle had had issues with, were the sort that could and would silently remove you without creating ripples on the water surface.

Their family business had enough influence to not be easily cleaned out, but Gein wasn't confident he had what it would take to face them and came out unscathed from that, and he found it unironically funny that his uncle thought it was a good idea to mess with them.

His uncle was his only blood relative he had left, so Gein sincerely his uncle would not do anything as dangerous, even if their relationship was terrible.

His heart laden with unexpressed emotions, he tidied up his leftover works and proceeded to exit the room. Staying longer wouldn't help him solve anything. Not his mounting works nor his problems.

He really needed distraction. But he didn't know what could be distracting enough to pull him out of the hole he was in.

A fleeting thought of Olivia crossed his mind and disappeared just as fast.

He made a rule years ago that he wouldn't cling to 'if-only' and that night he was rather close to breaking his own rule.

He shook his head to clear his mind.

"Hopefully sleep won't avoid me again tonight," he wished to the air with a sigh as he walked to his room, with great heaviness.