The first order of business was to stop the whole spying nonsense going around Salome and that meant a visit to the office. I could handle it in a sensible way but what fun would that be?

After letting Austin know where I was headed to, I made my way to the office in my trusty steed, and sure enough, it caught the attention of paps yet again. The tall royal blue tapering skyscraper stood out from all the others situated near the Thymes. I never really enjoyed heights which was why my office was on the first floor, conveniently allowing me to enter and go as I pleased as everyone else was on the tenth floor or above.

I noticed that the security guard was still the same man who had suffered a lot on behalf of my reckless days. I could already see his face turn into a frown as the yellow car made its way into the porch.

'How are you, Steve?', I chirped as I got out but Steve was still having a hard time registering the fact that I had arrived. 'Fine, sir', he finally said and quickly stepped forward to take my keys. 'Would you mind parking it somewhere convenient? I won't be staying long', I said with a click of my tongue, to which he quickly nodded, and with a quick wave, I entered the Pharaoh Towers.

It wasn't really difficult to stand out at the office. Almost everyone wore boring suits. If you ever saw a pop of color, it probably belonged to either the receptionist or an ignorant intern, which was why my turquoise trench coat caught the eye of almost everyone in the lobby.

I didn't even bother to remove my Aviators as I walked in and no one dared to stop me either. Almost everyone knew that it was better to leave me alone or just hand me what I wanted to avoid a scene because believe me, I excelled at making them. I entered the elevator and caught some of the staff to peer over to get a glimpse of me which made me feel awkward and guilty at the same time.

I had done all of that in spite and now coming back I felt a sense of responsibility which was I decided to contradict my initial plans. It felt strange to allow my old self to take dominance over the reckless one and it made me wonder if I was really doing all of this just to spite Nico.

The doors opened on the 11th floor into a white and blue lobby where at the center a female secretary sat at a weird-looking blue table. Nico's style of architecture was post-modern, hence the theme of his office was either minimalistic or pure chaos.

'Hello, Aubrey', I grinned at the secretary who was busy sorting the contents of a file.

She sported a forced smile as she looked up but it quickly turned into a genuine seductive one once she realized it was me.

'Mr. Pharaoh', she said in her husky voice and took her time to get up making it a point that I got a full view of her body.

'Oh, you know I prefer that you call me Ethan', I replied as always feeling uncomfortable. Aubrey swayed her body a bit to show her interest and I internally sighed at how she hadn't changed one bit. The only reason Nico had hired her was for his own entertainment and as a distraction for his client meetings.

I had tried to get her to do something else at the office than be his eye candy but he wouldn't allow it. Aubrey didn't seem to mind it a bit and after a while I let it go.

'Can I help you?', she asked eagerly.

'Yes. I need you to do me a favor. It would mean a lot to me', I said and her eyes glistened in excitement.

'I need you to get me every single file about me in Canada. Nico has someone tailing me', I continued and noticed that she looked a bit worried now.

'I can't give you them without his permission', she said with a small frown.

'What if I told you I could get you into the Gold Stem this Friday? You could invite your friends and everything is on me', I said hoping that she'd take the bait.

'You can do that?', asked her miserable office tortured self.

'Is there anything I can't do?', I grinned and watched as she ran to get what I needed.

Nico might have been an excellent Architect and businessman but when it came to being a boss, he was a nightmare. He barely gave his employees a bonus or even allowed them a day off.

That was the only upper hand I had over him, which was why anyone here would help me even if it meant having a scent of betrayal in the air.

About thirty minutes later, Aubrey came back with a rather bulky file and I couldn't help but scoff at how obsessed Nico was to find dirt on me so that I'd never come back. Well, the joke was on him now.

'Excellent work', I grinned as I found a picture of me walking to class.

'Friday night?', she asked eagerly.

'Ah yes. You can expect an email from me with my details and the password. I'll call them up and let them know one of my finest employees is coming', I said tucking the file under my arm and she grinned from ear to ear.

'Oh, one more thing Aubrey. Is the intern, Sumithra here?', I asked.

Her face twisted into a quick scowl but she corrected it into a smile as she replied, 'She must be at the university. She works in the evenings'

I nodded amused at her dislike towards the company's star child and with a quick wave, I exited to the elevators.

I was too busy building a plan to meet Claudia, that it wasn't until the doors opened that I realized I had reached the ground floor but I found myself stuck in front of Pierce Pharaoh.

'What are you doing here?', he asked and I quickly pressed the close button but he stuck his arm out preventing them from closing.

'Really, Ethan?', he asked tiredly.

'A man can try', I shrugged as I unwillingly got out.

'A man would tell his father why he's home', he said, his eyes not leaving me for one second.

'Oh, you're playing the father card again', I scoffed.

'Take off your shades when you speak to me', he said in his strict tone.

That tone meant that he was done fooling around with me but I wasn't.

'And if I don't?'

'Then you will hand over that file and go on your way', he said looking at it and I internally scowled as I took my shades off.

The lack of black tint made his eyes appear even colder that I couldn't even look at him.

'I don't wish to make a scene in the lobby. You will come with me and explain yourself. I've already had enough phone calls from the bloody press asking why you've suddenly appeared out of thin air', he said and entered the elevator as well.

The CEO's office was on the fourteenth floor which only added more to my misery as I hated coming up here for tons of other reasons other than it's freaking height from sea level.

I wasn't surprised to find his office looking exactly like it did in its ash and white theme other than a-

'Is that a cactus on your desk?', I gawked and he shrugged.

'Sumi won it at university. She said that my office could use some green even if it was a cactus', and I had to blink to make sure that it was a smile I saw on his stone face.

A prick for a prick, I thought and smirked to myself.

'What are you doing here, Ethan?', he finally asked.

'I thought you were in Dubai'

'I was. I returned today morning after learning that you've been here for more than three days', he said and sat down in his leather chair while I remained in my standing position with my hands deep in the coat's pockets.

'Answer the question and what is that file?', he pointed at with a serious tone.

'Nico had someone stalk me and Salome in Canada. I can understand why he would do that to me but I would appreciate it if he left my friends out of it', and I looked at him waiting for a cocky reply but instead he looked confused.

'Nicholas did what?', he asked.

'You didn't know?'

'Everything that I need to know about you I get through your college administration and from my brother. I don't need to hire someone to stalk my son', he said crossly.

'Well finally someone sees him as the airhead I see', I smiled.

'I will have a word with him. Is this why you both fought like mad dogs?', he scowled.

Neither of us had said a word to him that day and he finally let us go with a warning to stay away from each other.

'He told Salome who I was when I never even had a chance to tell her'. I was startled at how easily I was confessing this to him after everything he had done. Maybe it was because for once he believed that what I did on my own was right and not some pre-prepared agenda.

'This Salome, who is she?', he asked curiously.

'A good friend of mine', I said too quickly and it made him chuckle.

'You like her don't you?'

'I'm not sure yet', I countered.

'Then why else are you here? You came all the way here to do this when you could have easily done this back in Canada. You're here to do something else. Tell me the truth, Ethan', he demanded, leaning forwards in his chair.

Fine.

I let my arms out from the pockets and folded them across my chest.

'I'm here to talk to Claudia as well', I smiled and watched as realization slowly appeared on his face.

'You wouldn't-'

'I wouldn't have but the to-be-CEO just had to blabber about how I was nothing but a deal. I still have to explain that to Salome and I'd rather talk about it after making sure it no longer exists', I said shaking my head with a smirk.

'You left your place as heir and your union with Claudia was supposed to be the agreement to it all. I have shares invested in the both of you since the deal was made!', he exclaimed furiously.

'I don't care', I answered.

But Dad's response was not what I expected, 'Ethan, don't tell me you're doing this because you like this woman',

I felt like the truth was out there right in front of me, just waiting for me to accept it.

'And what if I do like her? What are you going to do? Send me away again?', I scoffed but he ignored my questions and after a minute asked,

'Isn't that student an Indian woman?', and looked down with a smirk as if it were the funniest thing he had heard.
'What? Do you have a problem with that?', I challenged bracing myself for the usual banter.
'Do you know anything about Indians, Ethan? Other than the girl you messed around with?', he asked getting up from his chair. And I had actually thought he had changed.

'Don't you dare',

'Oh, I'm not being racist or anything. It's just that no Indian family would even consider taking you into their family', he shrugged with a mocking expression causing my heart to relive a painful memory of the past.

'Indians work hard and they're passionate about what they do. That woman who you are obsessed with traveled around the world to pursue her dream, leaving everything that she had back there. Do you think that her family would accept you? A boy who threw away his future because he didn't feel like taking responsibility?', came the words like a knife twisting itself into my brain.

'You know that's not why I left', I countered trying not to lose myself to his mind games.
'Then come get it back. It's been sitting here ever since you left but you never turned around even once', he said.

'Well you won't have to worry about that because I want it back', I said without batting an eye and now it was his turn to be shocked

'You heard me. I want my position and birthright back. You of all people should know that my name itself brings shares to this company more than Nico could make in a lifetime', I shrugged proudly knowing that it was true.

The second the business world had heard that I was out of the race there was a sudden dip in our charts. It took months of public service to get it back but it's still nowhere where it used to be.

But Pierce Pharaoh was not done messing with my brain yet, 'Here's another thing you probably skipped, Ethan', he said ignoring my anger, 'Indians have high regard for their culture and tradition. Family means everything to them. I just can't see you in her life, so why don't you save her from the trouble and focus on your own life for a change'.

My heart seemed to have relocated itself in my head because all I could hear and feel was a throbbing pain up there.

'I'm not going down without a fight. I can make this work whether you choose to believe me or not and you better not try and mess it up or I swear you will face the consequences again and I promise you they won't be pretty', I finally said but he remained unshaken.

'But what about her? Is she ready to do that as well? You are still a boy stuck in one of your theatre fantasies. Real-life has no instant happily ever after where you can just re-write some person's life for your amusement', he said.

'Just because you screwed up with Mom doesn't mean I'll do the same thing. I chose to leave this place because I had no idea who I was anymore other than a money-making machine for you but guess what Dad? It all finally makes sense and I will take back what's mine but this time, I'm the author to this tragedy of a family so get ready for some really good cliff hangers before the final chapter. And you know what Dad? You might want to brush up on your theatre knowledge because every happily ever after takes a few sword fights and poison apples', and left him alone in anticipation of my next move.