Chapter 6 – Adrik
It had been almost a week since Emika arrived as my bride. Her presence at the mansion had transformed the place into something livelier, something I dared not name. Even the maids had already developed some sort of strange liking for her.
She seemed to be settling in just fine and was taking her role as my personal assistant quite seriously. For someone who claimed to hate this union, I thought it would take her a while to adjust to her new reality.
I’d been wrong.
Her act and fake smiles could deceive everyone else but me. I knew she was way too stubborn to just accept her fate without having something up her sleeve. We did have an agreement to coexist in this house for the next twelve months.
However, I couldn’t help thinking that she was up to something fishy because people like her didn’t break easily.
Maybe I was just being cynical. Maybe the girl was just focused on fulfilling her role under the contract. Perhaps she’d come to terms with the fact that there was nothing she could do about her situation.
Whatever the case, she was proving her usefulness in my business. And it was something I couldn’t ignore, whether I tried to or not.
Emika was attentive to even the most minute details. She was smart, brilliant, quick—though slightly clumsy with some Russian documents.
What was even more disturbing was that these days, I found myself watching her every chance I got. I noticed the slightest change in her facial expressions and body language.
I could tell when she was focused; her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. When she was confused about something while working, she’d bite the base of her pen. She often tied her hair back whenever she was buried in work, but let it spill over her shoulders when she forgot herself.
Noticing these tiny details about her made me wonder why I was suddenly so interested in this spoiled little brat.
Today, she was working in my office, as usual, and seated across my mahogany table. Her hair was tied back with a clip as she helped file some documents.
Behind my laptop screen, I observed she was engrossed in a particular file, one she’d been reading for the past ten minutes now. Every now and then, I’d glance up at her, trying to understand why she was so interested in that document.
“Hmm.” She stroked her chin, leaning back in her chair.
Although my eyes were fixed on the lit screen on my table, I could still feel her gaze on me. I tried to pretend not to notice, but she wouldn’t stop staring.
“What?” I barked without bothering to look in her direction.
“Hey, chill, okay? You don’t have to bite my head off,” she said, her voice calm but dripping with defiance. “I’m just trying to point out a legal loophole that could save one of your businesses.”
I didn’t respond.
“Fine, I’ll just keep it to myself then,” she said. Then, she added under her breath, “You have more than enough money to get yourself out of tax complications anyway.”
Now that one caught my attention.
I paused, my eyes shifting toward her. However, by now, she’d already gone back to flipping through the files in front of her.
“What do you mean by ‘tax complications’?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
She hesitated for a while. “So now you’re interested, huh?”
My face twisted into a faint scowl. “Are you gonna answer me or not?”
“Not with that tone, I’m not,” she stated bluntly without looking at me.
I locked my jaw, knowing that she wasn’t going to say another word if I didn’t ditch the authority in my voice. Usually, I’d choose my ego and just let this slide. But I was way too interested in this fuss about tax complications to turn a blind eye.
My eyelids closed for a second as I drew a deep breath, summoning the courage to dance to her tune. Then I asked, as politely as I could, “What did you want to tell me about tax complications in one of my businesses?”
She raised her head and met my gaze, a small, knowing smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “For the record, I’m only answering you because you asked nicely.”
I swear to God, I’m gonna….
I swallowed my pride and clenched my jaw as I listened to her. This had better be worth my time; if not, all hell would break loose.
“You see this clause right here?” She leaned in, tapping her finger on a page of a document. “It contradicts the annex.”
I reclined in my chair, watching her closely.
She continued, “The annex references Article 217 of the Tax Code.”
“And?”
“And that article only applies if the subsidiary is registered to an operational entity.” She paused, letting her words sink in. “This one isn’t.”
I stroked my jaw, paying rapt attention.
She continued, “Instead, it’s listed as a consulting shell. What does that mean? Simple. It means the tax authority could argue misclassification.”
I stayed quiet, refusing to show how impressed I was by her analysis.
“Do you even understand what I’m saying, or am I speaking Latin?” she asked, clearly confused by my silence.
“What are the consequences?” I asked.
She scratched her forehead, flipping to the next page. “Well, best case, you pay penalties. Worst case….” She clicked her tongue rapidly. “They freeze the account.”
My expression darkened ever so slightly. “What can we do?”
She let out a soft sigh. “You could amend the wording to align the annex with the primary clause. Or reclassify the subsidiary before the next filing cycle. That way, the loophole closes. Easy peasy.”
I leaned back in my chair, watching her as though I was just seeing her for the very first time. She was sharp. Too sharp. And honestly, it unsettled me in a strange way. I masked my surprise, refusing to let her know that she’d impressed me in a way I didn’t expect.
“Next time, stick to filing,” I said coldly and went back to working on my laptop.
Her face twisted into a frown as she murmured something about my ingratitude and sheer arrogance. She was obviously expecting some sort of appreciation, but what she’d received was a cold dismissal. And that pissed her the fuck off.
Good.
A weird sense of satisfaction washed over me as I pursed my lips, suppressing the mocking smirk threatening to break free.
For the first time, I felt something crack in my control. And I knew instantly that trouble wasn’t far behind.