Chapter 14 - The Scotch on the Desk
Arthur's eyes darted nervously toward his glowing laptop screen before he forced a warm, hearty laugh.
"Of course, Daniel! Of course!" Arthur declared, walking over to the glass bar cart to pour me a drink.
"It's an absolute tragedy what that woman tried to do to you today... to think she was a common criminal!"
"I feel completely responsible for introducing her to you at that gala, Daniel! I really do!"
He handed me a crystal tumbler filled with amber liquid, his hand steady and untrembling.
"To surviving the storm," Arthur said, lifting his own glass in a celebratory toast.
I looked down at the amber liquid, swirling it slowly in the glass while studying his face.
"To surviving the storm," I repeated softly, setting my glass down on the desk without taking a single sip.
Arthur watched me set the glass down, a subtle flick of disappointment passing across his brow.
"You're not drinking, Daniel?" Arthur asked, his voice taking on a slightly sharper edge.
"I prefer to keep a clear head when I'm negotiating a major corporate buyout, Arthur," I replied casually.
"Buyout?" Arthur blinked, laughing nervously. "What buyout are you talking about?"
I reached into my tuxedo jacket, pulled out the black USB drive Noah had given me, and tossed it onto his desk.
May you like
The small piece of plastic rolled across the polished mahogany, coming to a stop right beside his laptop.
Arthur stared at the USB drive, the color draining from his face so fast he looked like a ghost standing in the moonlight.
