Chapter 19

"How's the situation?"Aiden removed the vest he wore and asked Dominick.

"The public has already reacted to the news and are very expectant.How are we going to get out of this Aiden?"

"How far has our project gone?"

"We're about the last phase,but if the Burdis group release it before us,then we'll be labelled as the ones copying."

"F***!" Aiden cursed loudly.These shameless people had obviously hidden a mole in their company to steal their idea and they would be the ones in the bad light?

Aiden thought for a bit.

"We'll be moving the launch date.We'll release our product on Wednesday."

"But sir,that's too soon!What about the marketing plan?"

"Screw the marketing plan!We don't have any more time!"Aiden then grinned."We'll try a different approach.Use something that will draw the attention of the media to us.Use Burdis,even if you need to,who said they're the only ones that can play dirty?I want our group to be at the top search tomorrow.Also act in secret and try to find who might be the culprit that leaked our idea.I will collect the members and try to finish so we can be ready for launch on Wednesday."

"On it!"Dominick immediately got outside.

Aiden took his phone and started to make a few calls.Seems like Sunday wouldn't be a rest day.

***

The teams all came in the company,early in a Sunday morning.Though they were dissatisfied,they were promised a good bonus for working outside work hours and on an off day.

No one had the time to relax and slack.Everyone was busy,trying to finish the work of a few weeks in 3 days.The situation was such an emergency,that most didn't have the time to get home to sleep at all.Amelie and her brother were also one of those people.Because they had to finish in such a short while,they also had to take many tasks that weren't in their field.

For 3 days they didn't sleep.For 3 days they couldn't afford themselves even a coffee break.

Amelie who was usually a fashion icon in their company,had her hair in a messy bun and wore a loose T-shirt with a pair of random jeans she had just took and put on.Her eye circles were so dark and her eyes so red,that it would be scary for people to look.Good thing that she had her glasses on and the purple screen reflection slightly hid them.

There was no trace of that well-kept,pampered girl,only an employee that was surviving on energy drinks.

The empty cans she and her brother had put on the table were uncountable,and they still continued to down.

"[Amelie,if you're finished,go and help Sindy!]"

"[Ok!After I finish this!]"

It was about 3 am when they could finally relax.They had finally finished.

Ivan as a team leader stood up getting everyone's attention.

"[Everyone,the product will launch in the afternoon 12 o'clock!We have finished this project with full success!]" everyone clapped at the delightful news."[You can now get home and rest!Be ready for anything unexpected!If today passes full of success the we won't have anything to worry about anymore!Thank you for all of your hardwork!]"

In the afternoon Yoxal Technology launched a new product that overtook the Tech industry.At first Burdis Tech had been on the public eye for the news of their new product that seemed to have the same concept as the one released by Yoxal Technology,but these past 3 days Yoxal Group had been in the eye of the public for several things,but what kept the public's interest alive was the news that their heir was in the discussion of marriage.

Aiden had been conflicted when he had seen the article Dominick had planned,but since it hadn't been completely a lie,he allowed it to be released.He was currently pursuing someone after all and the signals seemed to be all green.

The product launch had been a complete success and this story had a happy ending for Aiden.He had finally managed to beat that bas**** from Burdis group again.Gabriel,think twice before you mess with me.

No matter what the Burdis group tried to pull,they were too late.

Aiden was satisfyingly checking the public's reaction after a few days of release and grinned.In his mind a person he hadn't seen for days came.He had really earned that kiss this time.There was nothing that could be in their way now.A knock suddenly interrupted his happy hour.

"Come in!"

Dominick came with a grim look on his face.

"What could possibly be the bad news after this wonderful victory of ours?"

"We managed to find a possible suspect that might've leaked our product,sir." Dominick's tone was very serious and that sudden usage of sir didn't make the situation any better.

Aiden was still in too much of a good mood,so he was still pretty positive.

"And this is bad news?You look like you're bringing the news of some tragedy!"Aiden laughed."Even if it's someone very close to us,who cares?I had been meaning to do some cleaning up lately.I already have a few people that can replace them in mind."

Seeing that Dominick's face was getting even uglier and his eyes were with a bit of pity. Aiden had a sudden bad feeling.

"The person we hired had managed to find these sir."

Dominick handed him an envelope.Aiden took the envelope and opened it.A few pictures were in it.When Aiden saw the content his eyes were full of disbelief.As he kept going through them,his fingers would grip the pictures,becoming white.

"Aiden-"

"When were these taken?"his voice was calm,but that scared Dominick even more.He sense a bit of emotion in it.Surpressed emotions.

"Last week.It was the day the president came.Some paparazzi seemed to have taken them and the Burdis group had tried to surpress them,since it wouldn't do well for the alliance they want to make with the Leutchford group."

"I see."

"Aiden, this-"

"Get out."

Dominick didn't speak anymore and just left quietly,gently closing the door.

Aiden kept going through the photos several times.And no matter how many times he saw the same photos,it still hurt the same.

Finally, he threw them on the floor.The photos were that of a man and a woman having lunch together.One showed them having a toast together.In one the man held the woman's hand while looking at her with a smile.Some showed them chatting happily.They seemed like a normal couple,having lunch.

That woman was none other than Amelie.The one that made his heart beat for the first time.The one that finally made him feel things he had never felt before.

She had smiled at him.She had even taken his hand,but it seems that it had all been a lie.That smile had been a lie.That gaze had been a lie.That comfort had also been a lie.This had all been a game by those two and he,the fool,had unknowingly been the pawn.

No wonder she would run away at the last moment.She wasn't shy,she was probably disgusted that it wasn't the man she loved.

Aiden threw the file in his table on the floor and then glanced at the photo where that bas**** Gabriel was grabbing Amelie's hand.

Aiden closed his eyes in pain.Seeing that image made his heart feel as if a knife was stabbing his heart and those two were twisting it painfully.

He wanted to believe that it were a lie,but Dominick had probably checked before sending them to him.

Suddenly he was craving for a smoke.Aiden rummaged through his desk and found nothing.He forgot that he had tried to quit smoking these past few months.After he saw her coughing that day on the rooftop,he had tried to quit his more than 10-year-old addiction.

He rummaged again on the drawers,finding nothing again.

"S** ** *****!****!" Aiden yelled and punched the table.

The glass layer was smashed and his hand started bleeding.Aiden just looked at his bleeding hand.He then sat down on his chair and looked at the view outside the window blankly.

His hand kept bleeding,but it didn't hurt.After all, there was a deeper wound in his heart.There was nothing that could stop that one from hurting and bleeding.