The buyer

Ethan slammed the door, anger slugging through him like a running river. Never had he expected to fall at the hands of an invalid, a woman he had to toast to the side, but now she was back like a hunting ghost, ready to devour him without lifting a finger. Sofia walked in watching her fiancé match around like a madman. 

"There must be something we can do," she murmured, but Ethan wasn't listening. The shares had reduced to nothing. The value of everything had dropped within the night. He barely covered his eyes. From a top businessman, he now looked like a clown. Never had he imagined such could be his fate.

Yes, it has happened to many; those who had gone against the big bosses faced such fate, but never had he imagined this fate would be his. "Blair," he whispered, the name burning like acid on his tongue. Ethan was still consumed by his train of thoughts when Kelly Shiridan, his secretary, bashed in her face as white as a ghost.

 "What!" he hissed, but his scream did not frighten her when she was already in a ghost state from whatever she had seen from outside. "The company... the bidding," she stammered, unable to give a full sentence. Ethan was frustrated enough; he quickly logged in.

Staring at the bidding website, a smile crept on his lips. "Someone bought the bid. We are saved," he announced, but Kelly did not look relieved. "Tell the others we have a meeting in the next twenty minutes." Sofia watched the mood in the room lighten. Ethan wasn't as stern as before; his face carried some light. Selling the company in such a way was the riskiest but the safest. But the thought of it did not settle with Sofia.

Something felt off; not only was it too quick, but selling at such a high rate was impossible. It was too real to be true. "Ethan… I think we should look into the buyer; just be certain," Ethan's gloomy eyes raised from the laptop, staring at the woman who was the cost of it all. 

"Are you that dumb? I have been struggling all night trying to save the company. What have you been doing? You couldn't even convince your father to help; what use are you to me when you can't serve your purpose?" he barged angrily. 

Sofia staggered behind tears brimming in her eyes, her hands clenched on the sides. "How am I useless? Do you think I am Blair? a woman you can cast aside at your whim?" she laughed, walking closer. 

"Ethan, you lie. I tried; it wasn't you who stayed up with Sothan, comforting him against the shattering noises and constant screaming; it wasn't you who had to sleep your way into the beds of the top billionaires to back contracts and investments. It certainly wasn't you who had to be on her knees for a day while pregnant to have her father accept our child as his grandchild, so shut the fuckup; you know nothing of my pain." Ethan was taken aback.

 "I wanted to help, but I shall listen to my father. He was right when he said you are unfit; it was stupid of me to think you could go up against the Marge." She turned to leave but halted in her steps. "If I were you, I would find out more about the children; they may be yours." 

The door slammed hard behind her. Ethan did not have time to think so much when Kelly came to remind him of the meeting. 

The conference hall was packed with the heads of every department. Ethan walked in, taking a seat at the top. "I've dodged a bullet," he announced, and everyone cheered. "We are most likely to be under another, but everything shall remain as before. We will rise again with minimal change, and I may have to step down as CEO, but that will be for a short while." The applause gladdened his heart, but his happiness did not last long. 

The soft sounds of heels clicked resounding from the hall, and soon the door opened, revealing the face he never wished to see again. Mrs. Blair Marge stood smiling like the winner she was. Ethan quickly stood up as she walked up to his side. "Mr. Moons," she chirped happily. You're in seat," she announced. 

Ethan felt as though the earth would open up and swallow him. The words of Sofia echoed in his mind like a broken record. Indeed, the bargain was too high, the bidding was too fast, and how dare he think he would escape the claws of Kabir Marge so easily? "You're the buyer," he laughed. Realization fell on him like a bucket of frozen water, but something else clicked. 

He wasn't going to fall alone. He wouldn't give up, not without a fight. Watching Ethan walk away, Blair glanced at the guards, who instantly blocked his path. "You are not allowed to leave," she stated, sitting down. The room was suddenly too cold for everyone. The staff were shivering from cold and fear. "And what if I insist?" he sneered. 

 Blair's eyes lingered on the employees longer than they should, making them sweat even in regions they shouldn't. "Leave," she barged, and they scrambled to their feet, pushing their way out like sheep running from a dangerous predator. "What is the meaning of this, Blair? What more do you want?" Blair stared at him fiercely, her eyes cold.

 "You have to come crawling," Ethan took a laugh. She had to be the one to come begging; there was no way he would swallow his pride. 

"Aren't you scared I will tell the world your big secret?" he scoffed, but Blair remained unmoved, excited to see what he could do. "Bring it on," she challenged. This angered Ethan more. "Let's see how you remain relevant to Kabir when he comes to know I fathered your children," she chuckled lightly.

"You want to play dirty? Okay, the dice are cast." Blair walked out, but her presence lingered longer, like a wound on his flesh.