chapter 136: shopping spree gone wrong III
The man groaned in agony as he hit the floor. Antonio, maintaining a firm grip, forced his face closer to the fallen suit. "Now pick it up," he growled, "unless you want something else broken."
James placed a hand on Antonio's shoulder, signaling him to release the man. Antonio immediately stepped back. With a swift, almost casual movement, James then broke the man's leg—the same leg he'd used to kick the suit. "That's for bullying my wife," he said, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. He then moved to the man's hands and broke the one he'd used to throw the suit. "And that's for ignorantly insulting me."
Belle screamed, watching the brutal scene unfold. Her screams, along with the man's cries of pain, drew the attention of the growing crowd.
"You should have let the women handle their own mess without butting in," James said to the man, his tone flat.
The man continued to scream, on the verge of losing consciousness from the excruciating pain. James delivered a sharp punch to his face, snapping him back to awareness, though leaving a dark bruise blossoming on his cheek.
"What the fuck do you want, man?" the man shrieked, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"I've already told you what I want, but I'll make it crystal clear," James said, his gaze unwavering. "I need you to pick up that suit, kneel in front of my wife, and hand it to her, saying, 'I am the dog now.'"
"Alright! Fine!" the man yelled, desperate to end the torment. He painfully gathered the suit and knelt before Diana, whose tears had now dried. He extended the suit to her, his voice trembling as he choked out, "I am the dog now."
Diana reached out to take the suit, then paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You forgot to clean it with your shirt," she reminded him, her voice cool and composed.
Belle, her face contorted with rage, hissed, "Just take the damn suit, bitch!"
James's eyebrow arched, his gaze turning to Belle. She immediately shrank back, fear replacing her anger. "You'll get what's coming to you too," James warned, his voice a low threat.
James glanced back at the man. "You do what the lady says."
The man, his face a mask of pain and humiliation, nodded obediently and used his own suit jacket to dust off the soiled garment. Only then did Diana finally accept the suit. Even though the man had only touched the wrapped portion of the suit when he'd thrown it, Diana wasn't about to let the matter drop.
She turned her attention back to Belle and, to the surprise of everyone except James, who had anticipated her next move, delivered two swift slaps to her face. "That's for calling me a bitch," she stated calmly.
She then addressed the trembling sales assistant. "Please, may I place my order now?" The girl nodded fearfully as Diana completed the purchase, leaving the change as a generous tip. Turning to Antonio, she whispered, "Compensate them for the disruption over the last few minutes." Antonio nodded in acknowledgment.
Diana then looped her arm through James's and they walked out of the mall. Once inside the car, James turned to her, his expression concerned. "Are you alright? Does your hand hurt?" He gently took her hands in his, examining them.
Diana looked at him and offered a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."
"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner," James said softly.
"It's alright," Diana replied. "I didn't even notice the time."
James simply nodded, a pensive look in his eyes. He leaned back against the seat, his body subtly tensing, reverting to its usual guarded posture. Diana noticed the shift in his demeanor and sighed inwardly. She moved closer to him and rested her head against his chest. "Hubby," she murmured, "hold me, please. I'm tired."
He immediately wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.
"What happened?" Diana finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Nothing much," James responded stoically. "Just work problems."
Diana looked up at him, her expression questioning. "You don't want to talk about it?"
Just then, Antonio entered the car. "Antonio, take us to Stone Group," James instructed.
"Yes, boss," Antonio replied, discreetly putting in his earbuds.
James glanced at his wife, who was still looking at him expectantly. "You don't mind, right?"
She shook her head. "Just get me some food. I'm starting to get hungry."
James nodded, and the car pulled away, heading towards Stone Group headquarters.
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Diana sat in James's break room, enjoying a meal, while James was in his office with Jared and Angelo, discussing the urgent situation.
"Okay, tell me the latest," James began, his voice firm.
Jared spoke first. "You remember the company we had to give three percent of our shares to in exchange for that contract? Beulah Constructions? They were the first to sell their shares."
"And the next person to sell was one of the board members, Valentino Fraiser," Angelo added.
"Isn't the company selling their shares a breach of contract?" James asked, his brow furrowed.
"Yes, it is," Jared confirmed.
"And what was the stipulation for a breach of contract?" James pressed.
"Ten percent of their company shares," Angelo replied. "And before you ask, they've already transferred the ten percent to us. It happened not too long ago," Jared finished.
"This Timothy Hutchkins is quite daring," James commented, a dangerous edge creeping into his voice. "Beulah Constructions doesn't realize they've just paved the way for their own downfall."
He turned to Jared. "Get Derrick to start buying up the majority of their company shares. I want control of that company by sundown—which is in four hours."
"Angelo, get me everything you can find on Valentino Frasier, and organize a board meeting within the next three hours. Jared, make sure to stabilize the company within four hours—I need good news for the board.
''Yes, bro,'' Jared replied, ''but won't Timothy attend the meeting?''
''That's the point, Jared,'' James said with a sly smile. ''I need to see him face-to-face. It seems he's not fighting fair. But then again, this fight hasn't been fair from the start. Secretly reach out to the other board members and pressure them not to sell their shares—threaten them if you have to. Do you understand?''
''I do,'' Jared nodded. ''But Timothy Hutchkins hasn't signed the shareholder agreement yet.''
James chuckled knowingly. ''I'm aware of that, Jared. But what's the point in exposing him right away? We'll use this as leverage. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. He can sign the agreement after the board meeting.''
Turning to his brother and secretary, James continued, ''I'm certain Timothy has paid Valentino Frasier to either hide or run. Even if you have to dig to the depths of the earth, find him. He must pay for breaching the shareholder agreement. Let's give our old friend the surprise of his life. He thinks he can step into my circle and play games with me? Let's show him he's wrong.''
Jared and Antonio exchanged determined looks before setting off to complete their tasks.