Nicholas couldn't shake off the feeling of unease as he left Mr. Elijah's office. He had taken a huge risk by passing off Benjamin's project as his own, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light. As he walked back to his desk, he caught Rachael's eye; she raised an eyebrow, clearly curious about the meeting. Nicholas forced a smile, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Everything okay?" Rachael asked, strolling over to his desk.
Nicholas nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine."
Rachael's eyes sparkled with interest. "Yes, I was impressed by your project proposal in there, but you didn't tell me about it."
Nicholas hesitated, unsure how much he needed to reveal. "Just a little something I've been working on," he said vaguely.
Rachael leaned against his desk, her expression thoughtful. "I see. Well, if you need any help, I'm happy to lend a hand."
Nicholas smiled, feeling a pang of guilt. He knew he didn't deserve Rachael's kindness, not after what he had done.
As the day wore on, Nicholas found himself struggling to focus on his work. His mind kept wandering back to the meeting with Mr. Elijah, and the weight of his deceit. He tried to push the thoughts aside, telling himself that he had gotten away with it. But the guilt kept rising, preying on his conscience.
It was a reckless move, and Nicholas knew it. But he couldn't stop himself. He was addicted to the rush of adrenaline and he then started to plan his next move.
Nicholas's mind began to spin with the possibilities. He thought to himself, "If I can keep this under wraps, Benjamin will never find out. I'll just tell him Mr. Elijah didn't consider the project, and that'll be the end of it."
But his thoughts were soon hijacked by the memory of Rachel's words: as to when she mentioned a "proper date". He couldn't help but wonder when that date would be, and what it might lead to.
Nicholas seized the moment, asking Rachel about the date before she left. She smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "No date yet," she replied, "but once I have a day, I'll let you know."
As the days turned into weeks, Nicholas found himself growing increasingly anxious. He knew it was only a matter of time before Benjamin discovered the truth.
But for now, he was safe. Benjamin was too busy working on the project to suspect anything.
Benjamin didn't know what was going on so Nicholas begin to dive deeper, he was beginning to get more and more entrenched to his own deceit. He began to steal more of Benjamin's ideas, passing them off as his own and presenting them Mr Elijah to show him how seriously he was working on the project. He started getting close to Mr Elijah because how knew now he was so interested in his work and he wanted to know more about Mr Elijah weaknesses in the company.
But little did Nicholas know, his troubles were only just beginning.
And as for Benjamin, he was still working tirelessly on the project, unaware of the storm that was brewing on the horizon.
Benjamin was exhausted after sitting for five hours, working on his project. He decided to visit Nicholas at home, where he met his mother, Mrs. Emily.
"Hello, Mrs. Emily," Benjamin greeted her.
Mrs. Emily looked up, a strange expression on her face. "How are you, Benjamin? It's been a while," she asked.
"I'm very good, thank you," Benjamin replied. "It's just been work, work, work nowadays. Is Nicholas around?"
Mrs. Emily shook her head. "He's not home yet, but he should be back soon. Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"No, thank you, ma'am," Benjamin declined. "I just need to speak with Nicholas. I have something very important to discuss with him."
"I'll let him know you came by," Mrs. Emily promised.
As Benjamin turned to leave, he couldn't help but notice the strange expression on Mrs. Emily's face. It was a mixture of concern and curiosity, and it made Benjamin wonder if everything was okay.
"Is everything alright, Ma?" Benjamin asked, turning back to face her.
Mrs. Emily hesitated for a moment before responding. "Oh, yes, everything's fine. Nicholas has just been...preoccupied lately, that's all." She lied.
As soon as Benjamin was leaving, Nicholas arrived and saw Benjamin about to start his car. He quickly jumped out of his own vehicle and rushed towards Benjamin.
"Hey, Benjamin! Wait up!" Nicholas called out.
Benjamin turned around, a look of surprise on his face. "Nicholas! I came to see you."
Nicholas approached him, a mixture of curiosity and caution on his face. "What's up? What brings you here?"Nicholas asked.
Benjamin smiled. "I came to see my friend, hahaha ! I was working on the project, and I found something really interesting," he said.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What's that?" he asked. Or we can go in and talk about it?
Benjamin hesitated for a moment. "I've been studying the decentralized AI, and I think I've found a way to break pattern challenges and I don't think it has ever been done," he said.
Nicholas asked, "Really?"
Benjamin nodded, launching into a detailed explanation of his findings. Nicholas listened and asked probing questions.
As they talked, Nicholas felt a pang of guilt. He had been passing off Benjamin's ideas as his own. Now Benjamin was sharing even more of his research with him.
But Nicholas pushed the feeling aside. Benjamin didn't seem to suspect anything yet.
Benjamin knew that his current job wasn't his true calling, which was why he had poured his heart and soul into the project. He had trusted Nicholas implicitly, and that trust had led him to share his work with his friend.
Just as Nicholas and Benjamin were about to part ways, a loud, heated argument erupted from within the house. They exchanged concerned glances and hastily rushed inside. The scene that unfolded before them was chaotic: Lucas and Nicholas's mother were engaged in a fierce quarrel.
Nicholas swiftly intervened, his voice firm but calm. "What's going on here, Lucas?"
Lucas's face reddened with rage. "He's none of your business, boy!" he spat. "I'm not that boy anymore. And if you lay a finger on my mother, I'll make sure you sleep in a cell tonight."
Nicholas stood his ground, his voice firm. "I dare you. Just lay a finger on her and see what will happen."
The air was electric with tension. Lucas's anger boiled over, and he stormed upstairs. He returned moments later, fully dressed, and marched out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Nicholas's mother burst into tears, and Nicholas and Benjamin immediately comforted her. But she remained silent, overcome with emotion.
Benjamin sensed that it was time for him to leave. He gave Nicholas a reassuring handclasp. "Take good care of her, Nick. I'll come check on her tomorrow." He turned to Nicholas's mother and said softly, "Good night, Mrs. Emily." With that, he departed.
Nicholas turned to his mother, concern etched on his face. "Mom, what happened?" he asked gently.
His mother sniffled, wiping away tears. "I hadn't seen Lucas in days," she began. "When he came back, I asked him...I asked him what was going on. And he just exploded. He told me I had no right to question him, that he's none of my business." Her voice cracked, and she dissolved into tears once more.
Nicholas's expression softened with concern. "Mom, you look exhausted. Have you had dinner?" he asked.
His mother nodded weakly. "Yes, I've eaten.
Now, go to sleep, mom.. Whatever this is, we'll sort it out tomorrow."
Nicholas's phone buzzed, breaking the silence. After escorting his mother to her room, he returned to the living room, his eyes scanning the screen. A text from Rachel made his heart skip a beat: "Tomorrow, 7pm, The Statesman Restaurant."
Nicholas let out a triumphant yell, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes! This is what I'm talking about!" a wide grin spreading across his face.