Chris marched into the meeting room, more angry than he had been in a very long while. Evans was right beside him but the man's presence did nothing to comfort Chris. Pete was at the table and beside him was Jefferson, the supposed joint heir of the family. Chris could see from the surprised stares on other members' faces that Jefferson was not the stranger he'd thought him to be. Pete rose from his seat and performed the rites for the meeting to begin. There was a hush that fell over the assembly, no one looked eager to say anything. But soon, Hogan broke the silence just like he always did, this time with a question. "Is his return approved by the Jupiter?" He asked and Pete nodded. "How else would he be in our midst? The laws must be followed." He replied. Hogan frowned. Jefferson had been his rival long before Chris ever sat as the CEO of the company. Hogan had also faced scorn when Jefferson was the heir and just when he had stood a chance to finally take that seat

Loyalty, Chris knew as a song of the skilled. Being loyal was almost as hard as thwarting the family business, both were a herculean task. As Chris sat in his car that afternoon, he wondered how hard it would be for someone to stay loyal to one person, he wondered how easily the family could be bought and how soon he'd find out about it the hard way. Evans was right, Chris thought with a sneer. The table was not a place he could trust. Almost everyone could be bought and the chameleon nature of the members was a cause of concern.Chris huffed as he looked at his rearview mirror again, nearly praying to be wrong and that there was probably a reason why Potter, his trusted family butler, and driver, was speaking with Jefferson in a hushed tone. He'd seen Jefferson exit the building with a manilla envelope that Potter had handed to him secretly in the hallway, the CCTV had caught it and although both of them had been very quick and sly about it, Christian's trained eyes could still. p

The large living room smelled of strong coffee and waffles, the chef walked in with another tray of freshly fried salmon and crispy potato chips, he laid it down and bowed slightly before walking out. "I don't think I'll have breakfast, I might grab something on my way out, I'm already running late," Chris said to his chef. The man nodded and went to clear the table just as Mr Potter walked in. "Ahh, Potter, welcome to my home, but again, I guess you made the choice yourself so... What's new?" Chris Joked and grabbed his coat from the hanger on the wall. "Good morning, Mr Chris, it is a pleasure to be here." He replied with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. Chris saw this smile and immediately slowed down, "We might be late for work but I don't think you're here just to give me a ride, I do remember asking you to take the day off." Potter nodded, "I will take you to work, sir. That is all I live for and I need work to take my mind off things, but, I have to talk to you." H

Chris was in his house, in the living room with Pete, a table between them and two glasses of Brandy on that table. Pa Pete had not taken even a sip, but Chris was on his second glass. "Alcohol won't solve this," Pete said as Chris gulped the second place and poured himself a third. "One reason I'd recommend you quench your thirst, the drink did nothing to offend you, huh?" He said with a crooked smile. "The election is tomorrow, Chris." He nodded and took another sip of his drink. "It's my election too, I don't think I'd forget when it is." He replied. "I don't reckon you would. I'm only reminding you how much this means to the family, and how this will likely go." He said. Chris held up a finger, "I'm very sorry, Pa Pete, but once again, you and I have different beliefs about life. I don't believe in fate and the predictable, I believe that a second can alter everything. " He said. "And that, exactly is your problem, boy!" Pete snapped impatiently, "You rise to make a declara

Potter bowed slowly and escorted Christian to the car. He opened the limousine and shut the door as he got in. "Good evening sir, you look great as usual." Potter complimented. "I might have to ask who tailored such a fine tux, I wouldn't mind saving for a piece too." He joked. "Ahhh, I can have one made just for you, remind me when you need it," Chris said and Potter smiled, thanking him. Chris looked down at his tux and smiled, it was handmade by Celestine himself. It had been a gift, some form of appreciation for his help with Sylvia, he'd never found an occasion worthy enough to wear it to - until tonight. His phone beeped and Chris sighed, he'd received over a dozen calls in the course of the night and rejected a few too. Everyone wanted to get information from the source itself, they were eager to know what he had in mind. Some believed that he would accept to share the seat with Jefferson since that was the only way out, others believed he'd lose the election and leave t