[This chapter is dedicated to Down_RiverDIVA for being the top 2 fans of this book. Your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you!]

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"Sir, what seemed to be the problem?"

Noah heard Antonio's question but he ignored him for his sole focus was the information that he was reading on his phone.

One of the contingency plans that Antonio proposed was to have someone posted in Mumbai despite the fact that the ongoing meeting will be held in San Francisco.

He didn't question Antonio's plan because he trusts his vision. And he was proven right because he just got an email from Markus who was currently in Mumbai that Shiv Mittal transferred large shares from his company to his first-born son.

"What's the situation at the meeting, Antonio?"

"Our lawyers were already there. I was informed that Mr. Mittal arrived fifteen minutes earlier than expected."

"And he was just in the meeting room?" he chuckled wryly. "The bastard was already celebrating." He clenched his hand into a tight ball of fist and punched the leather seat of his SUV.

"Delayed the meeting with Mr. Mittal, Antonio. And get us a room in the same building, we need to buy time for Markus to settle this shit from his end." He barked the order but his fingers were already tapping on the keyboard of his laptop balanced on his lap.

"Louis, inform the hotel we are going to use their VIP entrance. We don't want to announce our presence to whoever put the notion to Mr. Mittal's empty head that he could fuck me."

Louis grunted his reply and dialed the special number for the Hotel Nikko. He knew the hotel's special number off the top of his head, as well as the rest of the places his employer frequents.

Rich people don't mix with commoners. And establishment catered to the needs of those who are good for their businesses. They were given a special number to call that could make impossible things possible at the drop of a hat.

***

Jess turned off her phone to stop herself from sending Noah more messages while she was overwhelmed with annoyance with the jerk.

She really couldn't contain her pettiness whenever it was triggered. She lost it when Noah told her that she called him 'baby. Or was it from knowing that every time he calls her 'Miss Zimmerman' he wanted her to dominate him.

She no longer has an idea. She already sent a lot of unnecessary things to him that buried herself deeper. And now that she somehow cooled down, she regretted everything but she can't really unsend those messages.

She wanted to pull her hair in frustration, but she doesn't like pain. Thus, she just rolls down the car window from her side after shoving her phone in her purse.

The wind brushing her face slowly melted the frustration she was feeling that she didn't get the last word with her banter with Noah.

As the gentle breeze from the open car window kisses her skin, a different emotion rises up from her chest. One that brought a smile to her lips as she quietly snickered like a teenager who got a compliment from her crush.

"You are acting really scary, Jessica."

She caught herself from grinning ear to ear when he heard what Luke said from the backseat. Oliver who was behind the wheel chuckled softly too.

She cupped her face in embarrassment, 'What the hell is wrong with me?', she wondered.

"Oliver, are you going back to the campus?" she asked to divert their attention.

She shook her head to push Noah's memory from her mind. She has things to do and doesn't have time to daydream about Noah and how his blue eyes could melt her barriers she painstakingly put up and desires she never knew she had.

"Yes, I still need to speak with Professor Boa about my research. What about you two?" He glanced at Luke in the rearview mirror.

"We are going to visit Luke's new apartment and meet with the interior designer that my friend recommended."

"Hmm," he nodded as if he understood what Jess was saying. Although in the back of his head he wondered why relocating to a new apartment would require an interior designer. He had questions in his mind, but he didn't ask them.

***

"Tell me the situation, Markus."

They are on a video call to Markus who is currently in a party that involves a lot of women wearing animal print bikinis and fake fur.

He raised his hand in front of the laptop camera to stop Markus from explaining the situation when he heard a soft knock on the door of the hotel room they are currently in.

Antonio got them a room a floor above the private room where Mr. Mittal and his lawyers along with ANAT and Pharma Co's lawyers were waiting for his arrival.

When Antonio opened the door, a man wearing a blue business suit and carrying an attaché case entered the room.

"Mister Teifenbacher," he said in greetings.

He stood up from the armchair to welcome one of the lawyers who were in the meeting room with Mr. Mittal but left the room on the pretense of an emergency to meet with Noah.

"Larry," he greeted the lawyer with a smile and a handshake.

"I got your email, and I could say that Mr. Mittal is indeed being a very bad man. I couldn't wait to see him cry once he realized his mistakes of crossing the wrong man," he grinned with excitement.

Larry is one of his attorneys who enjoys acquiring business from others. He approached all the business deals that he has as the adult version of stealing someone else's candy — right in front of their faces.

He gestured for Larry to sit down in a chair next to him when he returned to his video call to Markus.

"Larry, my man, shit was about to go down," Markus grinned wildly, seeing the top-notch lawyer in Noah's team in the room.

"And it looks like you got all the fun," he commented, seeing that Markus has women in his lap doing a provocative dance, enough to make any man get hard.

"Oh, don't pout that Noah didn't put you in here. He knew what makes you hard was seeing adult men cry." he chuckled, slapping the butt of the woman on his lap that arguably looks too young to be in a party they are seeing.

However, they are not having a video conference to determine the age of women who are allowed to party.

When the woman disappeared from the screen, Markus said, "I have the son of Mr. Mittal who conveniently bought the shares of the other shareholders of his daddy's company."

"Does he not have the capacity to buy the said share that Mr. Mittal forgot to tell us?"

"Larry, Mittal junior is currently moaning out in the open with two women in between his legs. I highly doubt that this bastard has the idea that he now owns a quarter of his father's company."

"What is your plan now Noah?" Larry asked.

"Antonio, how was the situation below?"

"We sent in the expensive wine and your 'pretty secretary' asked for an apology that you'll be late."

"Father and son were alike. Pretty women are their Achilles heel."

"Do you still want this company, Noah?" Larry asked next to him.

"Yes. We will buy the company of Mr. Mittal and the shares that Mr. Mittal transferred to Mittal junior."

"Copy boss, let me have the moaning Junior sign the papers. I'll have it faxed over to your side so that Antonio can present them to Mittal Senior. I don't want him to feel left out because he wasn't sent to the meeting room for not being pretty."

Markus stood up, throwing his head in laughter, clearly intoxicated. "Larry, my man — you can watch the old man cry once he realizes he lost everything. Pervert!" he spat the last word before cutting the call.

Noah and Larry exchange grim looks.

The information they got was not just Mr. Mittal got the idea of lying to Noah in buying the majority of the shares of his company, but he lied his way to gather the shares of the other small shareholders that Noah left as part of showing his good graces.

Mr. Mittal agreed to sell him all his shares of the company he is acquiring which consist of sixty percent of the company, giving him total control. He wondered what made him change his mind, but Noah will deal with it later — after he got the whole company from him.

He will find the bastard in the shadow that has been trying to make things difficult for him in his plan to expand ANAT Pharma and Co. The bastard in the shadow has always been careful in sabotaging every move he has.

He will deal with the bastard who had the guts to cross him over, but maybe after a dinner date with Miss Zimmerman— for he truly misses her.