Falling For The Biker - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Arthur's POV
“Good day, sir,”
“Your welcome, Mr. Floyd,”
Their greetings followed me as I walked through the hallways of Floyd Empire. My steps were precise and in no need for interaction, so I did not respond to any of their greetings.
I could feel everyone's discomfort at the sight of me, but some people still dare to murmur gossips. Unfortunately, their words were loud enough for me to hear.
“Isn't that Arthur?”
“He is,”
“I thought he was more aloof. He looks like he could burn us,”
“He has been that way for the past two days since he came,”
I didn't care to confront any of them. It has been two days since I last saw Sierra and was forced to come here and behave like the perfect heir, perfect CEO, in charge of a company I barely care about. Their gossips were the least of my problems.
My secretary, whose name I cannot remember, was perched on the edge of her seat and was up at the sight of me approaching. She helped with the door of my office and began the rundown of my schedule.
“A meeting with the marketing team at nine. Followed by a quarterly budget review at eleven and then lunch with Mrs. Floyd at two…”
Her voice trailed off my mind as I took my seat, already getting a headache from all of it. I finally caught notice of what she had on. A short skirt that barely covered enough of her thighs and her shirt that seemed to have lost a few buttons that gave a full view of far too much.
I clenched my fists. “You're fired,” I stated, my emotions in check.
Her eyes widened in panic. “Mr. Floyd, I-” she took a step towards me, exposing her breasts even more.
That only irritated me. I had no time for this charade. “Security!” I barked into the intercom. “Escort this woman out,”
Before she could utter another irritating word, two men bundled her out of my office while she struggled for audience. Her words faded in the background soon after.
Barely a minute after, Terrance, my personal assistant, rushed into the office. Out of all employees, he was the only one who doesn't seem to irritate me so much until now.
“Mr. Floyd, you can't fire her. That is the fifth secretary you are letting go of in two days,” he said, with worry lines on his forehead.
I didn't need to be told. It was a little excessive due to my horrible mood, but they were all fired for good reasons. Either they tried to flirt with me, annoying or they were mind-numbingly incompetent. I was too short of patience to give anyone a chance, and they should all know that.
“Perhaps, you should find competent people for the job rather than complain when they get laid off,” I retorted.
“Of course, sir. I apologize,” he swallowed.
I waved my hands in dismissal. Just as he shut the door, my phone buzzed with notifications. It was messages from my friends in our group.
_Has anyone heard from Arthur? Radio silence from him for two days._
_Yeah, and Jackson too. Did you two finally have that brawl we were all expecting?_
Jackson and I rarely fought. This would be our biggest fight in so many years of our friendship. I have been too busy with work; I didn't have the chance to reply to any of their messages.
_He's active. Yo, Arthur, coming to the hangout tonight?_
I typed a quick reply. _Yeah, I'll be there_
Almost instantly, Jackson responded. _Me too_
It seemed we were surely going to have an awkward gathering. I distracted myself with my work and meetings. Once I had the spare time, or at least was ready to see my mother, I left for the restaurant.
A waiter led me to the private VIP dining room of the restaurant. As expected of my mother. She sat at the table like the well-polished lady she was as her eyes scrutinized me as I approached.
“Killian, you look rather dashing in that suit,” she commented, her eyes shimmering in admiration with a knowing smile on her lips.
I took a seat, reaching for the food in front of me. The rich aroma did nothing to help my appetite. But I should be glad. This could be worse. She would have brought my father here, making things worse.
A few spoons in and I realized she was not eating, just staring at me. I sighed, breaking the silence. “I had no choice, Mum. You changed my entire wardrobe without consulting me.”
Her smile widened. “Darling, I simply could not have my son attending board meetings in faded jeans and worn-out leather jackets,”
She made it seem like I put on scraps. She knew all she said was false, but I did not bother correcting her. It was a clear path to an argument. After all, I could not fight it. She always had her way. Just like this lunch.
She placed her hand over mine. “Son, don't you think it is unnecessary to stay in a suite? The house is perfectly capable of having us all.” Her deceptive tone was evident.
I scoffed. It was my house that they chose to evade because I was their son. My rules were nothing to them, especially my father. I needed my space and privacy. Most importantly, no nagging, which I was sure would not be the case with my father.
I would not be under the same roof as he for a full day, or I could say goodbye to my sanity.
My mother sighed, her expression softening slightly. “I understand you wanting your space away from your father, Killian. But what about me? Don't you care that I miss you?”
“I agreed to this lunch, didn't I?” I replied, my voice flat as I stuffed my face with food.
“We agreed on two o'clock, Killian. It's almost four.” She fired.
“You two wanted me to be the CEO. That means my time is no longer my own.” I placed my cutlery down, the sound echoing in the silence. “I seem to have lost my appetite.” I pushed back my chair.
“Thank you for the… lunch.” I added, turning around to leave.
“Your father has made a decision on the marriage alliance. You can't say no,” Mum said, making me halt in my tracks.