At Flinn Corporation.
"I'm sorry Mr. Villan, but we are under strict instruction as to not disturb President Collins at the moment." The reception secretary at the entrance lobby was all smiles as she gawked at Aiden. "But seeing as you are such an esteemed guest I will be more than glad to try and get in contact with her head secretary."
Jacob held back the immense need to roll his eyes at the secretary 's obvious attempt of earning brownie points with Aiden. Something that wouldn't had happened if he had just stayed behind like he always did. But when it came to Claire, Aiden had a tendency to eagerly want to be very involved. Even if it meant personally asking for her at the reception desk.
"And is that going to be done by today? Or maybe after you finish eyeing him from head to toe?" Jacob practically barked at the woman who hadn't even blinked since Aiden came into her eyesight. Aiden would usually walk around with at least a dozen men surrounding him, but yet again he changed his everyday routine. He just had to walk around the lobby looking like a runway model, making Jacob's job even more difficult.
"O-of course!" The secretary blushed from embarrassment and awkwardly started to do her job. The other two secretary's behind the counter also avoided gawking at Aiden to save themselves from Jacob's icy tone being directed at them.
"Well somebody's in a mood." Aiden spoke for only Jacob to hear.
"Yeah well I'm sleepy. I'm entitled to be in a mood." Jacob was never one to hide his irritation. Especially when it came to the things he held dear. Sleeping being very high on the list.
"I'm sorry President Villan. The CEO's head secretary has informed me that a previous appointment must be made per company policy." The secretary was nervous as she spoke. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of somebody refusing to see a man as powerful as the one before her.
"Isn't Miss Clemson on leave for a few days?" Aiden was confused as to who was behind the obvious stalling. If it weren't for Claire not answering her text messages, he wouldn't even have stopped by her building in the first place.
"Why yes. She is. How did you-" Jacob didn't let her finish.
"Then who is it that seems to want to tarnish the business relationship between Flinn Corporation and Villan Enterprise?" His tone was stern and demanding without having to raise his voice.
"That would be me." A man's voice made both Aiden and Jacob turn to face him. "Jason Flinn. How can I help you gentlemen?" Jason stood in front of the two men without even attempting to shake their hands. Detail that neither of them failed to notice.
"We're here to meet with your CEO. I believe your secretary here already informed you as much." Jacob was in full work mode, but his tone was just as cold as it was earlier. The clear disrespect and the wasting of their time was something he would have already dealt with had he been under normal circumstances.
"Why yes. And I'm also aware of the fact that without prior appointment neither of you gentlemen are going to go beyond this floor." Jason wore an uninterested expression on his face as he spoke. But since his focus was on Jacob, he failed to see the face of the man standing behind him who was paying close attention to the way he was failing to use a more respectful tone.
"Mr. Flinn was it? As in the recently reappeared son of the late John Flinn?" Jacob feigned not knowing exactly who the man was. Seeing as he decided to waste their time, and how he couldn't go down his usual route of dealing with him, he was intent on being as petty as he could about it. And Jason's silence was evidence enough that he had successfully pushed a button or two. "Well let me say that I'm truly sorry for your loss Mr. Flinn. I couldn't imagine the pain you and your family have gone through."
"Something we agree on." Jason's neutral expression was flawless, but his eyes betrayed him. He was seriously irked by his words.
"Well maybe we can expand that agreement over to the fact that your blatant disrespect towards me and the CEO of Villan Enterprise is more than uncalled for." Jacob's words turned lethally sharp. So much so that the reception secretary's started to worry. Springing them into immediate action.
"I believe that the only disrespect showcased here today is on your part. For esteemed business men such as yourselves, I thought you to be more capable of understanding and following rules. Like I said before, without an appointment nobody goes beyond this floor." As soon as he finished speaking, Jason felt the air turn cold. Making him finally shift his attention towards the man who had silently studied him from a few steps behind Jacob.
Aiden's gaze on Jason made him feel as if he had shrunk five inches. Without a single word, he knew that whatever was crossing through the man's head was nothing short of terrifying. His face was unreadable, but the eerie air around him was a sure indicator of his dangerous nature.
"I do not enjoy wasting my time Mr. Flinn. Now, I would have patiently waited for this misunderstanding to be cleared up due to the high regard in which I hold Miss Collins. But standing here while my assistant and I are being spoken to with such utter disrespect, is something I will not so easily tolerate." Aiden stood with both hands in his pant pockets as his words made everybody in the lobby stop. He didn't raise his voice, but the authority that dripped from it made every single person freeze in their spots.
There was an obvious power struggle going on between a trio of men that looked otherworldly as they stood so close to one another. It was an image that all of the people present seemed to be simultaneously in awe of and terrified by. The tension in the air was so thick even a knife wouldn't be able to cut through it.
But little did they know that a certain irritated red head needed no such thing to disperse whatever tension was brewing in her very own main lobby.
The space was covered with an uncomfortable silence until the tapping of heels was heard. "Does anybody care to explain what's going on here?" Claire's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere between the three men by the reception station."I believe you all have jobs for which you are being paid to do correct?" She spoke as she scanned the other faces present. The rest of the employees didn't need to be told twice, making them hurriedly shuffle back to work.
Even if they weren't sure who she was, the authority in her voice was enough to snap them back into their busy hustle.
"I'm sorry to disturb you President Collins. I was just having a conversation letting these gentlemen know about the company's policy." Jason replied to Claire's question once she was near them. His eyes had quickly darted her way as soon as he heard her voice.
Not to mention he couldn't stand looking at Aiden any longer. The man made him feel menaced to say the least.
"Is that so?" Claire's entire demeanor screamed of irritation. Something that took Aiden by surprise. It was an expression he hadn't seen her wear before. "Because I could have sworn I didn't walk in on an orientation, rather than you making a scene in my lobby." Her voice was sickeningly sweet while her eyes pierced all three men's faces with a death stare.
Although Jason had seemed mostly cocky up until that point, as soon as he had heard Claire's heels tap against the floor tiles, his earlier macho alpha act immediately flew out the window. Both Jacob and Aiden held back a chuckle at the sight due to thinking they weren't in the wrong. Little did they know they wouldn't be spared from her sharp tongue either.
"Or better said, I didn't expect three fully grown men making a scene in my lobby." Having said that, she turned to face both Jacob and Aiden who were now slightly wide eyed. "I understand that you three believe yourselves to be big, bad and powerful. But do not forget that regardless of the power you posses, you all still managed to interfere with the work of my employees. Don't let it happen again." She looked at all of them before turning round. "Come Mr. Villan. I believe you wanted to see me."
Aiden looked at her walking figure for a few seconds in disbelief before he smirked and followed her. Meanwhile Jacob and Jason were left in front of the reception desk watching them go with an awkward air around them.