Against All Odds!

Holding Grudges

☆☆Two Years Later☆☆

Leo's POV

"Damn it! This is so fucking messed up", Scott shouted after throwing another letter on my desk from another client canceling the contract. It's the tenth one and I can tell that Gravity is struggling. Scott has been having trouble with his business for the past year. Clients were cancelling contracts and we had no idea why. "Scott, relax. We'll get to the bottom of this", I said and before I could finish reading the letter of termination his phone rang. He looked at me then answered and put it on loudspeaker.

"Mr. Romon, how are you?", he said nervously. "Scott, how many times do I have to convince you to call me Alex?", Angel's friend asked with a chuckle. "I don't think the number has been invented yet Sir", Scott replied seeming more relaxed. "You know what? I give up... so I was calling because I just came from seeing a very impressive presentation from Liam. His right-hand woman makes it impossible to say no to him. Do you happen to know Felicia Evans by any chance?", he asked and I felt my body go into shock.

Scott cleared his throat but nothing came out. "Yeah, I had the same reaction when she talked about the contract terms that only a handful of people knew, so who was she, and what went wrong?", he asked making me feel the need to step in. "Hello Alex, it's Leo", I said and waited. "Oh hey man! How's Angel and the twins?", he asked cheerfully. "They're amazing thank you for asking... I would like to apologize for all this mess. Felicia was my secretary for a few months, I fired her and she went off the grid but I guess Liam got his hands on her and they have been taking Scott's clients ever since. We didn't know who was behind it but now we do and we thank you for that", I said hoping that he didn't take the deal. 

"No problem. Just fix it because I think she did a pretty good analysis of you and she knows all the right things to say too. I gotta go I have another meeting and Leo... I'm not going anywhere. Have a good day", he said then hung up. "What the actual fuck! Is she obsessed with you?", Scott asked. "No, she needs money. Liam must have come across her somehow and offered it to her. "What are we gonna do?", Scott asked me. "Handle the clients and I'll handle Liam", I said and he nodded. We always liked the divide-and-conquer way.

I called Cruz the moment Scott left the office. "Hey Bro, what's up?", he said as if he was out of breath. "Were you fucking someone in your office again?", I asked with furrowed brows. "Not that it's any of your business but yeah... what do you need?", he asked. "I want everything on Builder's Lane by COB can you get me that?", I asked knowing that such tasks fuelled him with excitement. 

"It's about time. I'll send you a link to the shared drive. I've been on his case since Scott started complaining about his clients so you should have everything you need in there", he said making me chuckle. Always one step ahead. No wonder Dad gave him Zakon Consultants. It's the best law firm in the country with awards to prove it. "Thank you Bro", i said then hung up when I heard him call someone to sit on his lap.

Bloody Hell! Liam had A list of clients with a very nice track record in project delivery. Gravity Construction was nothing compared to him which means that this attack is personal. It has nothing to do with Scott. I called Cruz again, "What's the verdict?", he asked. "Well, it's obvious that he's trying to get my attention so I wanna give it to him", I said making him chuckle. I remembered what Angel told me,

'he is nothing compared to you ok? he might be a competitor but he only controls twenty percent of the market share in only one aspect of your business, so let him have his moment and remain focused on the bigger picture'

"Find me evidence of him stealing my clients then buy Builder's Lane", I said and he replied, "Yes Boss". The difference between him and me was, i didn't need my father's approval to do things, but he did.

☆☆A few weeks Later☆☆

"Mr. Armstrong. Miss Evans. It's a pleasure having you in my office, please come in", I said with a serious face. Liam looked at me with anger but I remained neutral. Cruz was sitting quietly on one of the visitor chairs, observing.

"Leo, what the fuck is this?", he said throwing a contract on my desk. It was the one I signed with his father when he handed over the company after I gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. "Oh, it's a contract, Liam. I thought Felicia could easily see that", I said looking at a fuming Felicia. "You are so fucking selfish!", he barked. I stood up and went to where he was standing towering over him. "I am selfish Liam? What do we call you then? You betrayed our friendship, you slept with Alexa even though you fucking knew she was everything to me. I decided not to react thinking it was done and dusted then you started coming after Gravity because you knew I was a partner in it. Outbidding me in auctions that you didn't even need to participate in and now this?", I said then turned to Felicia who looked shocked. 

"With that look it means you didn't know all that huh? It's funny because I used to know a woman who never cared about money before. She was carefree and everything a man could hope for but here she is... consumed by it to the point of not noticing when she's being used by someone who has no right to hold a grudge against others", I said while panting. I was furious, I wanted to break something. "Leo I'm sorry. I didn't know", she said with tears in her eyes. "I don't fucking care Felicia, just get lost, if I see you anywhere near my businesses or my family, I swear to you. I will make you suffer so much that you would wish you never met me", I said making her run out of my office. "As for you. I expect your shit out of Builder's Lane by Monday morning", I said making him bow his head in defeat as he walked out of my office.

Cruz held a glass of whiskey on my face and we toasted to a new beginning.