Chapter 103: Spirit Animal /10.8 : One step ahead
Jacob looked at Eden and said:
"I love you more than I did before. Who knew you were the one to set Klay straight."
Klay narrowed his eyes.
"What are you saying?"
Jacob ignored him and he smiled when Eden said:
"I’ll teach you if you want."
"What?"
Jacob asked:
"Are you coming tonight?"
Klay looked back and forth between the two and asked:
"Can you guys even see me?"
Eden nodded at Jacob.
"I am I’ll introduce you to a friend of mine."
Jacob smiled.
"Okay."
Klay’s horns popped out and he turned Eden’s face so he would only see him.
"Stop ignoring me or I’ll punish you again."
Eden kissed him and whispered against his lips:
"I like it when you punish me."
Klay’s anger vanished and he kissed him tenderly. He pulled back and said:
"I want you to meet my mother."
Everyone looked at Klay when he said that. They all thought that he just had a crush on Eden and that it would be done in a day or two like usual but the fact that he wants him to meet his mother shows that it isn’t. They were sure Klay was about to lose it when Eden asked:
"What if I don’t like her?"
The entire classroom became calm and they all wished the professor would show up to stop the massacre that was about to take place.
Klay said:
"I would be disappointed, she’s the person I’m closest to. It’s always been she and I but we would be the one to spend the rest of our life together not her so as long as you like me."
Eden looked into his eyes for a few seconds then down.
"What if she doesn’t like me?"
Despite having his head down Klay could tell Eden was a little worried. He lifted his head and said:
"She will."
Eden pushed his hand.
"I’m not stupid I know what people think of me, and it’s not even like I can hide. The entire world knows what the only hybrid looks like. But even if I could I wouldn’t anymore. I have the most powerful spirit animal in the world but all they think when they see me is freak no matter how intelligent or stupid they are so I highly doubt she’ll like me. I’m just telling you right now I’m not going to hide in front of your mother or her high society guests so it’s best if I don’t go."
Eden turned his head annoyed. Klay was stunned, he didn’t think he worried that much. Eden always has this careless attitude as if nothing gets to him.
"Ede..."
Before he could finish the professor entered and ordered:
"Open your book to page 6."
He opened his book glancing at Eden every once in a while.
Once Arya was sure everyone was gone she unlocked her bedroom door. She went to eat lunch tired after being cooped up in her room all morning and was startled when she saw that her mother and Bastian were waiting for her. She was about to leave but Bastian glanced at a guard and he locked them in the dining room. She turned around and looked at him furiously. Alessa stood up and held her by the shoulders.
"I know you’re angry we didn’t tell you the truth but things are different now."
Arya pushed her and yelled:
"I don’t give a damn that Bastian is my father, everyone knows that old families stay powerful by inbreeding."
Because old families wanted to keep every generation powerful they would inbreed. It isn’t a secret nor shocking its part of what powerful families do, they even teach it at school. But why keep it a secret instead of marrying each other? Her parents made her a bastard.
Alessa was married and her husband died four months before she was born. That means Alessa was cheating on her husband with her brother. What shocks people isn’t that they are related its that they kept it a secret and had her out of wedlock. The Knox is a powerful family of dragons from the old country but by having this kind of scandal they tarnished their reputation and it was already hard to come back from Eden being a hybrid. They had to make sizable donations and gravel to come back to the top.
But now even if by some miracle they are okay she’ll never have the company.
"Have you seen what they are saying online? They are pitting me and Eden against each other and he’s winning. Everyone has seen the video where he was arrested they can tell how powerful he is now while I’m nothing more than a bastard. They all think he should run the company."
Alessa felt heartbroken hearing that. She knows she made a mistake but she’ll fix it and her daughter will have the company.
Bastian stood in front of her and said:
"I’ve already taken care of it. You’re mother and I are already legally married and you’re my daughter on paper. We backdated it and leaked it online. I swear you’ll be the one to run the company no one else. Why do you think we’ve worked so hard to get rid of him?"
Arya looked at her father and her eyes moistened.
"But Eden owns 70% of the shares he can make any decision he wants."
He shook his head.
"He doesn’t we sold 30% of his shares he can’t make a unanimous decision. The shareholders will have to vote and you know they all follow Luna Ryatt even if she only owns 7% of the company’s shares. She invited us to her birthday party tonight we’ll go and make sure she makes you the president. Eden has never set foot at the company while everyone knows your hard work there. You’ve seen how taken with you she is she even wants you to marry her son."
Aryan looked at Bastian and nodded.
Since she’s friends with Klay and the group she’s been at his house multiple times and Luna indeed loves her. She would always smile and chat with her at every shareholders’ meeting. Of course, she’ll vote for her not Eden. Plus she’s seen how taken with him Klay is and she knows that Luna will never accept that. Klay is the apple of her eye she’ll never accept a hybrid freak being with him. They’re the oldest dragons in the world and their reputation is spotless. Thinking that Arya felt better and she hugged her parents. Alessa and Bastian hugged her back with a smile.
Eden walked into the restaurant and decided to sit next to a window. He pulled out his computer waiting for Espen. He linked to Versem and then checked his family’s conversation. He sneered and went online. He checked what his aunt and uncle leaked and burst out laughing. He knows that things are different in this universe and that incest is nothing for old families but he knew them having Arya out of wedlock would be seen badly.
Over the years Alessa and Bastian had to sell some of his shares to restore the prestige of his last name by making donations and organizing events for haute society and they met a lot of useful people. One of them made false documents saying that they married right after Alessa’s husband died and that Bastian has always been named Arya’s father on her papers. He isn’t surprised that’s why you always have a plan b.
He doesn’t want to go to Luna’s birthday party but he’ll go just to see how he’ll deal with her if she ends up being a problem. He doesn’t care that she’s Klay’s mother he won’t let anyone ruin his father’s company. Just because everyone wants to be able to say they are friends with her all the shareholders follow her vote. As soon as he sees what kind of person she is he’ll leave and know if she should be destroyed or not.
He looked up when someone sat in front of him. He smiled.
"Espen."
He tilted his head.
"So you are the famous Eden."
Eden smiled maliciously.
"In the flesh."
Espen smiled.
Eden tapped on his keyboard as he said:
"Do you agree with my terms?"
Espen leaned back.
"I do provided your tip is truly helpful."
Eden looked up and said:
"It is. Sell all your shares of Zhen Inc before the end of the hour."
Espen narrowed his eyes.
"You made me come here just for that? Zhen Inc shares are around 200 000$ do you think I’m a fool?"
"They are but in 45 minutes they’ll be worth 100$ and you’ll lose all your money."
Eden turned his computer and Espen looked at it wide-eyed. He immediately stood up to make a phone call.
Eden looked at him leave with an amused smile. In the original timeline, Espen lost all his money because of his investment in Zhen Inc and had to sell his shares of Knox Fort to Luna. As if he’s going to let that happen again. He’ll never let someone else have his fate in their hands ever again. Espen took back his seat 30 minutes later. Eden looked up.
"All done?"
Espen looked like a mess. His tie was unloosened and his first buttons open. It was clear that he had been sweating the whole time he was gone.
He took a sip of water and said:
"It is I managed to sell all the shares."
Just the thought of losing that much money scares him. If it wasn’t for Eden he would’ve lost everything. Eden turned the computer and ordered:
"Sign."
Espen signed electronically and Eden finalized their contract. Once all of Espen’s shares were officially his he sent the money.
Espen checked his cellphone and said:
"Thank you for everything."
Eden nodded and said as he closed his computer.
"I know that having an ox as a spirit animal is not practical but you should use it more, if you did you would’ve seen it coming. You should take a break until you have some of that power back because right now I don’t feel it in you you’re just human."
Ox are like seers and it’s the perfect spirit animal to be a trader but by not using it enough anymore Espen lost his power and that’s how he ended up broke in the original timeline. Even after he sold his shares of Knox Fort he continue trading and ended up in the street. Espen swallowed and passed a hand through his hair.
"I know you’re right."
He sighed and looked at Eden.
"You’re just like your father, he would often tell me to be careful and not to take my spirit animal for granted."
Eden smiled. He looked down and his eyes flashed in pain, he wishes he would’ve met him even for a sec. Eden stood up and Espen hugged him, he hugged him back with a smile. He knows Espen was a good friend to his father that’s why he was always planning on helping him. Eden grabbed his computer and left feeling eyes on him.
