The Devils Of Harvard

Chapter Forty Eight

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" I heard Nathan yell and coming down the stairs to the hallway that ran the parameter of the North half of the renaissance styled penthouse that towered sixteen floors over the city just not quite as much as some of the other buildings.

The hallway was white painted with black trim, the flooring was lined in black marble, and decadent art. Nathan had barely gotten back from his morning run through Monte Carlo, his jogging pants and hoodie still on except now the hood was off and his tousled uncombed hair flopped around atop his head in annoyance as he talked to whoever was on the other side of the phone.

"Listen, I don't care about the petty wars that are going on in the background but I can promise you that if you are questioning my family's capability if you ever levy anything of the sort against them I will make sure that your demise is swift Mr. Morgenstern".

Nathan then stood in silence clenching his jaw as he listened to whatever it was that this Mr. Morgenstern was saying.

"Perhaps I should remind you that I hold more power and influence then you could have possibly cultivated in a millennium. I'm more then aware that Winters Group International has a specific asset management firm that holds majority stake of your company, I could put in a favour and have you silenced at my nearest inconvenience. Do your part, get your people to dig into it, and resolve the bloody problem. Or of course if you're not what you claim to be I can remove you, pick carefully".

And with that Nathan hung up and stopped to bask in the warmth of the sun, though it wasn't very warm this morning.

"What's going on?" I ask not meaning to insert myself into Nathan's business but if I could help relieve him of tension or stress, I'd do my best.

"Gerard Morgenstern, he's the CEO for a private investigations company, used by many people who would ask to remain unmentioned. Mostly it's the result of my dad's vision to build a company so powerful no one could challenge it. No one will oppose you if you know all their secrets, and we have those well documented".

"So powerful you can change anything in the world".

"It's not unheard of for us to tamper slightly with what happens with our opponents" he says walking over to me and I just laugh lightly with a shake of my head.

"I would say I'm surprised but I'm not. Something even makes me wonder if you goad business opponents for fun because you know none of them can do a damn thing back at you" I muse.

"There is a lot going on in the background Arilynn, and a lot of it I don't want you to get tied up in. For your safety".

"Do you doubt I could defend myself?" I pose and he hums.

"No, I'm more then certain you could, it's the fact that I am purposely trying to make my own reputation, and during the ascent people get hurt, and are targets. This isn't wonderland where everyone's dreams come true, unfortunately I will end up destroying people's lives".

"Considering I just heard you yell into a phone just not I'd say that's true" I say and Nathan remains silent as he head shifted in thought not really looking anywhere specific.

"I don't like lazy people, especially when they complain about things that are a part of their jobs. They knew what they were doing, and part of the reason I pay so much to my staff is because there are so many and I require them to earn their money" he says.

"Anyways what are you doing wandering the halls of my penthouse?".

"I was looking at some of your paintings, I never realized you paint but you have a whole room dedicated to it".

"Painting is a form of control every aspect is in the creators hand, it's also why I often use it as a metaphor for life. We are all entrusted with a canvas and some are colourful others are dark, some like the one in my office on the Syren are different as you look at it from different angles".