Temporary bride for the demon overlord-Chapter 23: High stakes

Tying up loose ends, Alphonse left the pocket world with a stiff back. He shed his cloak, exchanging it for a crisp black suit with all the ensemble.

He had a meeting to attend. That was the thing with running businesses such as this. His attention was always required somewhere and this time it seemed pretty urgent.

He knew Karma would not be at home as per his instruction, but he went into her room anyway. Just two months of living in this place, and her scent was already part of the room.

Baked by the heat, cool by the winter, until it is infused into the very air he was breathing. What was wrong with him? That was the question he asked himself as he trailed his fingers along the make-up product that was lying scattered over the dressing table.

He could just imagine her here, her tight ass sitting on the table as she decisively exchange one curled mascara wand for an eye shadow pallette.

Her quick and efficient way of thinking, her olive green eyes that seem to pierce right into his black soul.

Maybe he needs to get laid, he concluded ruefully. This was just a means to an end, he kept the words floating right under his eyelids.

Personal feeling would not only hold back his plan, it would make his hrain muddled up.

As if on cue, his cell phone rang inside his pocket.

He answered the call curtly, taking out his simmering anger on the poor caller.

"Good afternoon Mr Li."

He said nothing. Surely, his secretary couldn't be calling to bid him a Good afternoon. If so, he was thoroughly in need of a secretary change.

"The shareholders will be here in fifteen minutes." A pause on the other side. He was probably expecting some sort of reply.

Receiving none, he continued with renewed urgency.

"There's been some..erm.. unfortunate development regarding you. It is been speculated that you're opening up the position of CEO. Because," a slight cough. "Because you recently got married."

The man went quiet.

Alphonse wanted to laugh. Why were humans this stupid?

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." He said with a note of finality.

The silence was almost deafening but the other man's trembling voice hit his ears.

"I think you need to get here before then. Serious argument has ensued in regard to your eligibility and transparency as a CEO. I think this is a staged coupe. Several people are in support of voting you out and right now...I just think you should be e here before then."

Alphonse hung up on the man. Perhaps he should just fire the lot of them.

He left the house, entered his car and sped off. Who would try to pull off such a stunt?

His mind whirled with possibility. Only a few people were aware of his identity. And yet, none of them would dare to even raise their fingers at him.

It only brought a new suspicion into life. That external forces were at work.

Alphonse accelerated, thinking about how this would play out.

What is going on right now? What would they demand?

He was actually looking forward to firing a number of his staff. Maybe this would be a good opportunity.

Getting out of the car when he got to his private parking lot, he entered a private elevator.

Like he expected, his personal assistant, secretary and the general manager were all waiting for him.

They were scribbling furiously, the sound of pen scratching at paper reached his ears.

They stood up hurriedly when they sighted him and he motioned for the to sit down.

The general manager and his personal assistant were of course, demons from his realm.

But that wasn't the information for everyone.

"Boss," they said in unison.

Alphonse noticed the scribbles on the white board, the slew of papers scattered everywhere. On the desk, on the floor and a few were lodged on the window pane.

Alphonse cold demeanor radiated hostility at the state of his office.

"What's going on here?" He inquired quietly.

They swallowed audibly with fear.

"It was quite urgent," His secretary ventured, but a look at Alphonse and added, "sir."

Alphonse pinched his brow. He was surrounded by dumb people.

"Debrief. I have to join the meeting in five minutes no?" He growled.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The nodding in unison. It was the ultimate rule.

Twenty minutes to wait for the CEO before anything could commence.

He still has about five minutes left.

"When you left, someone tempered with our stocks."

Cold, taut silence. Followed by another bout of furious scratching sound.

"How?"

"That's what we're still trying to determine. But that doesn't mean our stock isn't going down as we speak. That is a reason enough to panic. Our stocks don't go under...like never before. So there's tension in the company." The manager was speaking fast now.

Calm but at a speed that Alphonse respected in humans. Only he wasn't. That would explain the way he was able to stare straight at Alphonse...before cowering away after two seconds.

"So, the company has been thrown into a bout of panic. What is going on? Our tech guys have been digging into it but that'll take a while."

"Then, I suspect whomever is behind all these decides to strike while the iron is hot. Why wait for you to get back when he or she could cause further confusion? Which leads us to the issues of marriage, transparency and accountability."

"All in that order." His secretary supplied unnecessarily.

Alphonse glanced through the files strewn on the table. Oh dear, this wasn't what he could wave off with just a few threatening words.

He breathed deeply to quell the rising lava inside him. The two demons took a tentative step back, and he admired their apt response.

"I guess it's time to do the proverbial weeding out." He smiled.

A cold smile that promised suffering, dole out with uttermost satisfaction. Slowly but surely.