Emperor of Mayhem

100

THREE YEARS LATER

MIKHAIL

Bethel Pharmaceuticals

The name written in bold blue letters and nailed to the building grazes the edge of my thoughts. I had never really understood the name. And I had never been fond of it. What was the founder thinking when he came up with this name anyway? He was so careless. No wonder it almost sank.

Good thing I could always change it. I acquired it some months ago after being a business partner for the longest time. They had the potential to be great. The scientist knew their homework all too well. But the management was terrible even though a lot of my money was being pumped into it. The chairman lacked the skills of a sharp-minded businessman. And I don't work with people that would drag me back. The only reason I stayed long as their partner was because it had been that way before I took the baton from Dad. So I couldn't cut them off.

When we were still partners, the annual revenue was always in trillions. But I knew the company had the potential to be so much more than that.

So after much thought, I bought eighty percent of the shares and I was confident I was going to triple the annual income once I successfully took charge.

"Welcome, boss." The current manager appeared in my line of vision as I stepped into the building, slinging my jacket over my shoulder.

"The Shipment to Macau," my hand fell inside my pocket that had my phone which was currently vibrating with an incoming call, "Has it been done?"

"No yet, boss." His steps fell in line with mine, a wave of nerve sweeping past me when I registered the identity of the caller.

My wife.

As much as it felt good to see the name displayed on the screen, I was a little scared to pick up her call. A lot could happen from this call. A lot I was willing to accept as long as it didn't involve me having to come back home because I dared to leave the house without her knowledge. I had a lot to do today. And I felt like I was running out of time. With no second-in-command, I had been shouldering everything and I constantly had to be very strict with my usage of time.

Azania resigned from her duties after she lost our child. She said she didn't want to be too involved in the mafia anymore because that decision she made took away her child.

But she still didn't want to leave everything for me to handle so she volunteered to be responsible for the smooth running of my chains of hotels, most of which in no way were affiliated to the mafia.

Her decision to me was the best she had ever made in her life, well other than when she accepted to marry me. I actually never wanted her involved in my dangerous life. But she was a stubborn little minx who wanted everything her way, and I happened to be a completely whipped man who was ready to bend to any of her rules. So I had no choice but to give her what she wanted when she asked me to make her my second in command. When she finally renounced her duty after the loss of our child, I was beyond happy. Because she would be more protected from harm's way.

I hadn't had a second in command ever since. Riccardo was helpful most times even whilst halfway across the ocean trying to run his mafia. There was a time when he wanted to relive the role to one of his uncles so he could return to Russia to be my second. But knowing my sister who had the same hunger for power as me, she refused, by doing what mothers tend to generally always do. Emotional blackmail.