Chapter 109: Perceived arrogance

Tom stepped out of the bathroom and reached for his phone at once.

However, anxiety only grew bigger in his chest... There was no reply, no missed call.

For a few seconds he only stood there with the screen lit in his hand, his mind spinning. Doubt crept in harder than he wanted to admit. Maybe the message had been too soft. Maybe Adrian had read it, dismissed it, and decided a nobody was not worth answering.

Tom’s fingers tightened around the phone as those thoughts rose.

"Should I..." He was about to start turning over a harder approach when the phone vibrated in his hand.

A message had entered... He opened it at once.

’Let’s meet. Brown Cafe, 11AM tomorrow.’

Adrian had replied without any courtesy or acknowledgement. But with his preferred ground, and his preferred hour.

Tom scoffed under his breath.

"Still giving orders, you pompous showoff!" Tom scrunched up his nose then he began to type back without hesitation and with anger tightening his chest.

’No. Belarus Wine Room. 9AM tomorrow.’

He sent it, then sat there looking at the screen with a thin smile at what he had done, totally pleased with him. Belarus Wine Room was not a random choice. It was the same venue from the wine evening, the place where Adrian and his friends had looked through him like he was some cheap furniture.

~~~~~~~~~~

The following morning, Tom woke up early, did some exercises according to the daily task and started getting ready.

He chose one of the two remaining expensive suits from his earlier shopping, settled the jacket onto his shoulders and checked the fit for a moment in the mirror before heading out.

The house was quiet as he moved through it, toward the entrance. But he barely noticed that as his mind was already ahead of the meeting, already measuring how much pressure the recording could apply before Adrian tried to twist the exchange into money and silence.

He was nearly at the car when Sienna’s vehicle turned in through the gate. But Tom did not stop for a heartbeat.

He did not wait for her to step down. He did not look long enough to invite conversation. He opened his door, got in, and drove out while her car was still coming to a halt.

Sienna dropped from her own car, her gaze chasing after Tom’s car that seemed to be fleeing the property.

"What the heck was that? He saw me... He did." Her mouth parted in surprise and disbelief.

"He saw me and- wait-" Sienna stopped herself before the thought could get longer.

When she realized what she was about to be doing, annoyance followed quickly, sharply and defensively.

Why did she care? It was a contract that joined them now. He could come and go as he pleased as long as the movements didn’t affect her and her career.

That was what she told herself as she locked her car door. Still, the feeling did not leave with the excuse. Being passed like that, as if she had not even been there, sat wrongly in her chest as she walked into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tom arrived at Belarus Wine Room at 8:30.

He parked where he could see the entrance clearly and stayed in the car with the engine off.

Arriving there thirty minutes early was intentional. He wanted the ground first. More than that, he wanted to know whether Adrian would arrive with the same kind of men who had dragged him off the street before. If backup came, the morning would require a different kind of handling.

He was prepared for any kind of scenario Adrian could pull.

At 9:00, Adrian’s car pulled in. Alone, no obvious escort climbing out behind him. Just Adrian Cole stepping down in a smart tailored gray suit.

From where he sat, Tom could how Adrian had pulled his composure together delicately. His jaw was clenched as he pulled out his phone and started typing.

A few seconds later, Tom’s phone beeped. It was a message from Adrian informing him he was at the location.

Tom replied then stepped out of his car.

’Look at your opposite’

Adrian’s gaze lifted immediately he finished reading the message. His gaze found Tom standing by the Mercedes a short distance away and the frown that followed was sharp.

Recognition landed with visible irritation. Still, he recovered quickly enough, schooling his face back into control as he stared ahead at Tom. He expected Tom to walk towards him but when he saw the man was just standing there and holding his gaze instead, he gestured toward the building with the expectation of a man used to being followed.

Tom shook his head once and motioned instead to the passenger side of his own car.

The frown on Adrian’s face deepened.

For a moment he looked like he might refuse on principle. Then he decided. He walked to the car, glared hard at Tom then opened the door, lowered himself into the seat, and shut it hard enough to show temper.

Tom smirked then got into the car too.

"What kind of game is this?" Adrian asked sharply before Tom could properly settled into his seat.

Tom kept one hand loosely near the wheel and turned his head just enough to meet the other man’s eyes. "The kind where you don’t get to choose the room." he replied calmly.

Adrian’s jaw clenched harder. "You dragged me out here with a cheap message and now you’re giving instructions?" he retorted.

"You came, That already answers how cheap you thought it was." Tom countered.

The glare he received for that was colder before Adrian demanded;

"What do you want?"

"Before that, you should know how far I can destroy you." Tom said still calmly and unlocked his phone, found the recording, and played it.

Adrian’s own voice filled the car, as the recording replayed everything that had been discussed in the manager’s office inside Goldy Realty company.

Adrian went still as the words continued. The longer the recording ran, the harder his composure worked to hold.

When it stopped, he breathed out heavily through his nose.

"How much to end this and delete that permanently?" he asked sharply as if he had done this countless times and wouldn’t bother wasting time on another one.

Tom did not answer. He only fixed Adrian with a calm gaze.

The silence stretched. Adrian’s fingers tapped once against his knee, then stopped.

"200, 000?"

"250, 000?"

Numbers started coming out of him in rising increments, each offer edged with more irritation than the last. Only when he had gotten to 450,000 and the frustration was glaring on his face did Tom finally speak.

"Give Stella back the ambassadorial deal you made them terminate."

Adrian turned fully toward him. For a second he looked almost unable to process the request. "This is about Stella? What the hell are you even doing with my fiancée?"

Tom held his gaze. "Ask her."

He let that sit before adding, "You have until this evening."

Adrian shook his head at once.

"It doesn’t work like that. Another actress has already been signed. I can’t walk into a closed arrangement and force them to hand the deal back because you decided to insert yourself." He paused to catch his breath as he had been rushing out his words breathlessly and his voice hardened as he continued;

"Ask for money. Ask for access. Ask for something that can actually be moved."

"I don’t need any of that from you," Tom spat out.

That perceived arrogance made Adrian lose his remaining patience and he snapped;

"Then you’re wasting both of our time." Adrian reached for the door handle. "I can pay you well enough to forget this recording ever existed. If you grow sensible enough to take a better deal, contact me."

The door opened and Adrian stepped out swiftly.

Tom’s mouth opened then closed on its own accord without making out any word. He hadn’t expected this turnout. His mind began to race;

How would he get back the ambassadorial deal for Stella?