Chapter 78: Omen
Growing up, Derek had known thunderstorms to be bad omens. A holdover from childhood where every single scary story that he had ever heard had always begun with ’ It was a dark and stormy night...’
But that Friday, there was no thunder, no lightning. Just cold rain falling down on them for hours on end. So Derek did not pay it any mind. He had not seen any need to be on edge. But he should have been. Especially since the first person that he had run into that morning had been his uncle.
The older Haven, was back to his scheming self now that the crisis that he had created was well and truly behind them.
"Nephew, lovely seeing you at work so early. One would think that with the magnificent save you pulled last time, you would be giving yourself a bit of a break, perhaps a vacation somewhere," He’d said, raising his brows suggestively like he and Derek were sharing a joke, his laughter as fake as a hyena’s cackle. Then, with his playful banter having been heard by all, he moved in close and let his venom out. The words were meant for Derek’s ears only.
"You might think your little stunt at the solar panel plant bought you some immunity, but it did not. You are just a pup playing in the big dog’s pen. Sooner or later, you are going to slip up, to mess up, and I am going to sink my teeth so deep into you, I’ll cave that thick skull of yours in," He’d said, whe he had backed away, he had still been smiling, thinking Derek would somehow be cowed by such a useless threat.
Instead of backing off and letting his uncle think that he had won the round, Derek had moved in, his own attack disguised as a hug.
"Uncle, the day I let a toothless dog like you chase me out of the company, pigs will fly. You are nothing without the family name and everyone knows it. Your younger twin brother got chosen for the position of CEO over you. Then his wife, who is my mother took over instead of you. She retired, and I am in charge now. But here you are, still barking at ghosts only you can see. Give up...uncle, find yourself a nice retirement home and let young blood run things peacefully," He had left his uncle there, fuming, and gotten into the elevator, where he had the pleasure of watching the man’s murderous glare follow him until he disappeared.
After that brief exchange of barbs, Derek had walked into his office feeling on top of the world. As usual, he had found Emily already there. He had thought that she’d looked a bit under the weather when he had greeted her. But he had explained it away, as it probably just being because of the rain before going into his office to work.
Which brought him to the present moment.