9. Unfinished Business

Nikolas's gaze settles at the door for a moment after Selene left, an odd feeling settling over him. 

He couldn't shake, the fact that he had seen her before—somewhere, at some point—but the memory refused to surface.

Tilting his head backward, he exhaled, still lightheaded from the scent of her perfume. 

It had been short, just a single passing moment when she stepped close to pick up the files, but the fragrance lingered—warm and familiar, filling his nostrils.

Before he could dwell on it further, his sister's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Who is she?" Callista asked casually, eyeing him with interest.

Nikolas turned to her, blinking his thoughts away. "She's the new manager," he replied calmly.

Callista's lips curved into a teasing smile. "The new manager is kinda cute." Her gaze watching him closely, waiting for a reaction.

He scoffed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I didn't notice."

Callista hummed knowingly, but she let it go, moving further into the room. 

She picked up the remote from the table, flipping through the screen before glancing back at him. "You sure about that? Because from what I saw, she could not wait to leave your office."

Nikolas leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "It's normal for new employees to feel that way," he said. "But I have a feeling Selene will get used to me sooner rather than later."

Callista narrowed her eyes at him, noticing the slight amusement in her brother's voice, but she didn't press further; she only smiled.

Instead, she made herself comfortable, switching to small talk—something that quickly began to annoy Nikolas.

"Alright," he cut in, his gaze sharpening. "Why are you really here?" He said, crossing his arms.

Callista laughed innocently. "What? I can't come visit my favorite brother?" Teasing him.

Nikolas rolled his eyes. "I'm your only brother, kiddo. Now, spill."

She hesitated, then sighed dramatically. "Fine, Mr. Grumpy. Mom sent me."

Nikolas groaned, throwing his hands up. "Yup. I knew it. What does she want now?"

Callista still teasing him as she moved closer to his desk, dropping her purse on it and leaning in slightly with both her hands on the desk. Her voice dropped. "It's serious, Nik."

Nikolas exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face before picking up Selene's file, skimming through it as though already bored of the conversation.

"Everything is serious with her."

Callista scoffed but pressed on. "She wants to know why you haven't come to see her since you got back."

"I'm exhausted," Nikolas muttered, flipping through the file pages. "I just need rest, kiddo."

Seeing that she was being ignored, Callista moved around his desk, perched herself on the edge, and plucked the file from his hands before he could react.

"Hey—" he started, but she cut him off.

"It's about Dad's will." Her brows frowned.

The words made Nikolas stiffen instantly. His jaw tightened, his hands folding together as he leaned back in his chair. "What about Dad's will?"

His mind drifted to the phone call he had earlier that morning with his lawyer—before Selene walked into his office. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary at the time.

Callista pressed her lips together before speaking. "Austin wants to contest the will."

Nikolas let out a slow breath through his nose, his expression darkening. He wasn't surprised—not entirely. He had expected this the moment he saw Austin's reaction during the will reading.

His brows furrowed as his jaw clenched further. He didn't say a word.

Callista, however, noticed his lack of shock. Her eyes narrowed. "Wait… you knew?"

Nikolas pushed his chair back and stood, dipping his hands into his pockets. "I expected it."

Walking towards the painting,he pulled at it, revealing a small safe at the back. He put in his passcode as the safe clicked open, revealing stacks of cash and important documents. He retrieved a file.

She eyed him closely, still waiting for a response as he handed the file over to her.

Confused, Callista flipped it open—and her eyes widened in shock at the contents.

The file contained photos—photos of Austin and photos of him meeting with several men—men she instantly recognized.

"Wait! These are Dad's agents," she whispered, her voice laced with shock as she flipped through the images.

Nikolas nodded, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. I hired a private investigator to look into Austin's activities ever since his little display at the will reading."

Callista clenched her jaw as she continued scanning the pictures, her lashes flapping as her nostrils flared. Her fingers tightened around the pages. 

"That ungrateful little shit," she spat. "After everything this family has done for him since Uncle passed away…"

Her words trailed off when she reached a particular photo. Her face paled, and her eyes widened in shock.

It was Austin.

With his mother—Aunt Ruth.

Her hands flew to her mouth in shock as realization dawned on her. 

It wasn't just Austin—it was their aunt and several members of their father's side of the family. They were all in on it.

"They're… they're all involved?" Callista stuttered as she turned the photo toward Nikolas. 

"They all want Daddy's estate?"

Nikolas leaned back against his desk, his eyes watching her carefully. 

He had already made his peace this betrayal, but watching the truth sink into his sister hit differently. She was feeling what he had felt weeks ago.

"Yes," he nodded.

Callista slowly sank into the chair, the weight of the revelation pressing onto her shoulders. 

Her brain piecing everything together, her breath quickening as she connected the dots.

"So that's why he got engaged last month… secretly," she murmured.

Nikolas rubbed his chin, his expression cold, knowing. "I suspected it, especially after I found out who he was engaged to."

Callista's head snapped up. "Wait, what?"

Nikolas exhaled, his fingers tapping lightly on his desk before his eyes met her gaze. 

"He's engaged to Cassandra."

Callista's mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. "Your ex, Cassandra?"

Nikolas gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "The one and only."

Callista's expression shifted from shock to anger in seconds. 

"That manipulative little witch—" She stopped, racking a frustrated hand through her hair. 

"Of course, it makes sense now. Austin has always been jealous of you, and Cassandra… well, she's always been obsessed with power."

Nikolas nodded. "Exactly. And if Austin marries her, he'll have a strong case when he contests the will. He'll argue that I've neglected Dad's will by not meeting the criteria to run the estate."

Callista inhaled sharply. "But that's absolutely ridiculous. Dad chose you because you were the rightful heir, and not being married shouldn't stop you from getting your inheritance."

Nikolas gave her a knowing look. "Since when has fairness ever mattered to people like Austin and Aunt Ruth? They're opportunists, Callista. They'll use whatever they can."

Callista's hands curved up into fists. "So, what are we going to do?"

Nikolas hesitated for a moment before forcing a smirk, though there was no humor in it. "First, you and Mom don't worry about this. I'll handle it."

Callista narrowed her eyes. "Nik…"

He straightened, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I mean it. I've been dealing with this for weeks already. I'll make sure Austin doesn't get a damn thing."

She looked up at him, still not convinced. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Nikolas let out a slow breath, "Well… first, I need to get married," he said.

His words hung in the air full of uncertainty.

Callista drew a deep breath as her shoulders dropped when she exhaled.

Nikolas let his gaze linger on her. He could see how scared she was, and it broke his heart.

"Don't worry, kiddo," he said, smirking, giving her a playful reassuring nudge.

"I'm not going to let Austin win, I promise."