The Devil's Harem

Chapter - 96

While Alex was lost in thoughts about his future, there was a knock on his door.

"It's open," Alex said, getting out of his thoughts.

Opening the door, Martha walked in, "Dinner is ready. Hurry up, let's eat it while it's warm."

"When did you come? You should have called out for me," Alex asked Martha and got off his bed.

"It hasn't been long. Only about ten minutes," Martha said.

Hearing Martha, Alex nodded, "You go first. I will be down in five," Alex told her.

"Don't make us wait long," Martha said, and closing the door behind her, she went away.

On the dining table,

By the time Alex joined them, Martha and unexpectedly George were already seated at the dining table.

"Well, this is a rare sight these days," Alex said as he pulled the chair and sat with everyone else.

"Don't be sarcastic with me," George made faces hearing Alex, "When I try and take it easy, you have a problem, and when I am busy working my ass off, you are still snarky."

"Areeyy... Why are you getting hyper?" Alex looked at George in surprise, "I was clearly happy to see you." Alex said.

"Well, if that's the case," George nodded.

"But looks like all this work is taking its toll on you," Alex said, taking a bite.

"I told you not to bring work talks back home. But no, all you want to think and talk about is work," George rebuked Alex, "What about that girl you went on date with? You never told me what happened after that," George asked.

George didn't know that he had unknowingly sprinkled salt over Alex's bitter wounds. George then turned towards Martha.

"You supported him in his stubbornness to work somewhere else. Now see what happened," maybe George was overly stressed out with his work. But he reacted rather oddly and aggressively to a simple remark from Alex.

"What happened? Why are you being loud out of nowhere and taking it out on me?" Martha asked in irritation.

"I am being loud? I am?" George asked, pointing at himself. He looked at Alex for confirmation.

"You and your pointless words," Martha said, shaking her head in annoyance. She then turned towards Alex.

"So, how was going back to work after some nice few days at home? They all must have missed you," Martha asked, and by they, she referred to the ladies in the PR department.

Hearing Martha's question, the first thing that came to Alex's mind was the two resounding slaps he received on either of his cheeks in the morning itself. Now that he had calmed down, he regretted lashing out at Karen and bringing her husband in the conservation out of context. He knew for a fact that Karen was never going to hope anything bad for him, but he could not think straight at that very moment because of Susan. And thinking about Susan, weird enough, he didn't feel bad at all because of her. Alex was not the slightest bit remorseful or guilty over what he did. In fact, even now he was furious about that slap.

When Martha saw Alex drift away in his thoughts, she shook him a bit, "Where are you lost? Did something really happen at work?" Martha asked.

Alex was jolted back out of his thoughts, "Not with me, mom. Nothing happened to me,” Alex didn’t want to talk about his messy life with his parents, especially with George being there, “It's the company that's in deep shit right now," Alex told them. He said it all in whispers as if they were some state secrets, and he was afraid that someone might hear them through walls.

“I know already. It's all over the news... Aishh... You are so cut off from the world. All you ever watch is those silly men running behind a ball." Martha remarked on Alex’s obsession with football.

"That's not silly, mom. It’s very much fun. You should take some time out and watch it with me. I know, let's watch the next game together." Alex suggested.

"Whatever, tell me, what is this all about your corrupt company that's going around in the news?" Martha asked, avoiding the topic.

"Where should I start from? In just two days, dozens of lawsuits and complaints were filed against Theation. A couple of celebrities were caught by police for hit and run and driving under influence. Some executives got arrested for bribery cases, and the number of copyright suits is never-ending. I have been asked to help in the Legal Department for the time being". Alex told his mother.

"Really? Is your company really into some shady business?" Martha asked.
"No, Mom! What are you saying? Haven't you heard dad praise that boss of mine?" Alex said, quickly coming to the defence of Jessica.

"If that's not the case, then this sounds suspicious. Looks like someone has a bone to pick with your CEO," Martha told him.

"That's what everyone feels," Alex nodded, agreeing with Martha.

"Do you want me to look into this?" George asked from the sides, pitching in to their conversation.

"No need for that, and you should focus on work. You don't concentrate on your own company that very often. If I were to ask for your help, I would just be giving you an excuse to slack off," Alex downright rejected George's offer for help.

"Whatever, it's not like I am dying to help you out. I have hundreds of things to take care of anyway," George rebutted his son.

"Dad..." Sensing his father's annoyance, Alex wanted to justify himself but was cut short by his mother.

"So, what wrong is he saying?" Martha came to her son's support.

"Honey..." Like a scared cat, George could only whimper.

"Focus on your plate," Martha sternly told George.

"Yes, ma'am".

While enjoying the one-sided tussle between his father and mother, Alex finished his dinner.

"I am done. I am going to my room. I have some work left to do."

"Don't just work, rest early," Martha told him, concerned about her son.

"Yes, mom" Alex nodded.

"I told you not to bring office work to my home. Don't my words mean anything to you?" George said, but Alex ran away from there as fast as he could, “Only for the time being dad,” Alex said as he made a run for it.

After Alex left, Martha looked at George, and the latter nodded.

"About Peter," Martha opened her mouth after some time, "Did he say anything?"

George shook his head, "He is still the same disillusioned self. He recognises me, but whenever I ask something of him, all he would blabber about some nonsensical shit. Some kind of experiment," George sighed as he continued, "I can't make head or tail of what he is saying."

Martha stood up from her chair and walked behind George. She put her hands on his shoulders and began gently massaging them, "It's alright. It might take some time, but he will be back to his usual self."

"I hope so," George leaned back and enjoyed the massage, “After all, you were the one who operated on him.”

"And what about Jessica? Any lead on that?" Martha asked again, "Does the situation with her company has anything to do with her accident?"

"Ahaan," George denied once more, "What is happening to her company is childish and an amateur's work. Some of the other companies have joined hands to malign her company's image. They even wanted me to join in their dirty plan." George let out a snicker, "How childish."

George then looked up at Martha's face, "Her accident, on the other hand, was something more planned and well-executed," George said, "The driver was caught by the police, and it was a case of driving under the influence, but the very day 'coincidently' there was a blackout, secondary power source for maintenance and under everyone's noses, the driver was killed." George said as lines appeared on his forehead, “No clue on that as well. Well at least for now I don’t have anything.”

"So you don't have anything on either of them?" Karen asked.

"For the moment, no," George replied.

"Well, don't worry. I am sure you will have something soon," Karen said and patting his shoulder, she walked back to her chair, ready to clean the table.

"By the way, why did you bring that girl from dinner into the conversation?" Karen suddenly remembered and asked.

George smiled hearing Karen. He picked up the plates, and without replying to her, went to the kitchen, leaving a confused Martha behind.

“C’mon, tell me.”

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