The Traps of Black Swan

Chapter 139 - Zachary Barnes

The soundless and calm dining hall tensed. Melia noticed Aaron signaling her to leave so she quickly left the couple alone. Aaron asked Aarvi who was in her thoughts, "What are you up to?"

Aarvi left the fork hearing his grave tone. She knew the situation was crucial but she didn't like how he was asking her in an interrogative tone. Her tone was laid-back resting her head on knuckles looking at Aaron's serious face, "Aaron Rivas, I will give a chance to change your tone and the question."

Aaron realized she could be looking into the case because of him. He turned his chair and pulled her chair between his legs until her knees were just a centimeter away from his chair. Aarvi was adjusting to the momentum when his finger grabbed her cheeks and pulled, "You are so unfair." He complained.

'Unfair?!' Aarvi tried to think why she was unfair forgetting he was playing with her cheeks until he squashed her both cheeks to get her attention. "You are also cute." He said squeezing her face to smaller.

Aarvi: "..."

They were talking about a serious topic which he changed about her and now her looks. 'Oh god, this man is unbelievable.'

She took a deep breath and took his hands off of her cheeks which were red due to his pinch, "Aaron Rivas, shall we please talk about the issue?" She rubbed her cheeks glaring at the man.

Aaron too became serious, "We got nothing useful from the initial investigation." and continued, "And you are unfair because you could collect information about me then why am I not allowed to know about you? Huh? Aarvi Evans."

Then his tone changed to concern holding her hand, "Don't trouble yourself about my work and stuff. You have lots on your plate."

"Oh!" Aarvi responded darting her eyes around whether she should speak or not before she sighed, "I don't want my presence or my past to trouble you in any way so I always keep track of your things."

Aarvi quickly moved when he raised his hand thinking he was going to pinch her but the man cupped her face and tried to make her understand, "If not you, who else will trouble me? I can handle it if anybody dares to provoke me and you don't have to bother about it."

Aarvi nodded and threw his line back at him, "Exactly President Rivas, I can handle it if anybody dares to trouble me and you don't have to be bothered about it."

Aaron really wanted two brains to handle her when it comes to talking about the things related to her past. "President Evans, you hide everything about yourself and you get to know everything about me. That's unfair." He grumbled like a wronged boyfriend.

Aarvi smiled resignedly. She wanted to tell about her past slowly too so she asked, "What do you want to know today?"

Aaron had many questions to ask but chose one for the day, "Why aren't you coming with me today?" Since Aarvi doesn't go to Skylar International and works in the Flower shop, he feels it doesn't make changes if she follows him to the Rivas Industries and Hospital.

Aarvi chuckled bobbing his head, "Let's go, I will drive you… And I will tell you what happened in the last two days."

Aaron quickly stood up pushing his chair behind and pulled her up as though he was eager to know what was going on in her head. However, he actually wanted to know she wasn't planning to go to Leon Harmon's weaponry stored villa putting herself in extreme danger.

In the SSC Tuatara, Aarvi drove the car narrating the friday events.

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The previous week, on Friday

Once Billy Craft woke up in the hospital he got to know Mia Craft, his daughter went under the shelter of Aeon Harmon. Billy felt it as better for her in terms of safety. Billy knew Leon wouldn't show his complete cruelty in front of Aeon Harmon.

The doctors strictly instructed him to rest a minimum of week else he might worsen the recovery of bone fractures and wounds.

His company director and secretary visited him reporting the deteriorating condition of the company. Many shareholders demanded a change in Executive officer and many sold the shares leaving the company when it needed their support the most.

The Craft company's state was disappointing and the matter of Leon Harmon selling the shares hit the market harder. Hence most of the small shareholders, fickle-minded shareholders, and the shareholder who blindly follows Leon Harmon just dived in to sell off shares at whatever good rate they found. 

The worst mistake Leon made was selling off the shares without knowing he was being played too. Hence Leon Harmon and the other shareholders didn't care who was buying the shares of the Craft company when it was falling into the bottomless pit.

That's where Aarvi succeeded in her planning marvelously and got the Craft business into her hands. Of course, it wasn't known to the public yet.

In the evening, Billy was lost in his world lying on the hospital bed, broken-hearted to see the Craft family business was crumbling down right in front of his eyes. He heard a knock on the door and was surprised to know the other end was waiting for him to permit. 

"Enter." He had lost all the vigor and looked seventy in his mid-fifties hence his voice was soft and hopeless.

A man clad in a business suit entered followed by a few men who were also in formal suits carrying the officious air around them. Billy didn't identify any of them so he tried to sit to talk to them.

"President Craft." 

A few voices greeted him in unison while the man in a business suit quickly went to him helped by keeping a pillow to his back while the other man who seemingly looked like an assistant rotated the bed liver to raise the upper part of the bed.

"I don't remember seeing you all." Billy uttered meekly.

The man who Billy thought of as assistant spoke, "President Craft, let me introduce to you." He spoke formally and pointed to the man who had an expressionless face, "He is Zachary Barnes, specially appointed by the President of Skylar to manage your company."

Billy Craft's eyes widened in shock hearing his words and gazed at Zachary. He couldn't make out if Skylar is helping him or Skylar is the reason he was in that state. However, his thoughts were overridden by Leon Harmon, he believed Leon dumped him and Skylar just doing its business.

It is Skylar, Hunt, Revamp, and Excel. Even if Skylar is behind the Craft business remnants, Billy knew well that Skylar had the capability to make it back on its feet and stand. 

In fact, he perceived just the name of Skylar is enough to kill the spread of negative news in the hope Skylar will handle it efficiently.

Before the man continued to talk, Billy weakly asked recovering from his shock, looking at Zachary Barnes, "Should I appoint you as CEO?"

Zachary Barnes, a good-looking man in the late twenties. His brown eyes carried indistinguishable emotions looking at the man in front of him.

Zachary didn't speak but the previous man continued, "You have got it wrong President Craft." Then he cued the advocates to go ahead and speak.

A man in a black suit who was chief of three stepped ahead, "President Craft!" He passed a set of papers to Billy continued, "Skylar has acquired 54 percent of the shares and is a leading shareholder of the Craft business. Since the current state of the company is awful, I will straight jump to the important matter."

He glanced at Zachary and continued, "We will officially announce the acquirement of the company on Monday. Before that, Skylar wishes to take control over the company management hence we need your signature for handover and also consent to keep this information confidential till Monday."

The men in the room were expecting Billy to enrage, make a fuss and curse them but Billy sat like a wooden log without any reaction.

Other men looked at each other thinking it might be too shocking news for Billy and he might lose his mind looking at the depressing, solemn expression of his. However, Billy started chuckling in dejection filling the room with his eerie laughter.

Zachary who was near stood gazing at him while others were ready to run out thinking Billy lost his mental stability. 

After a minute, Billy asked, breathing heavily due to the laughter that tired him out, "What about my shares?"

The assistant who was standing answered it, "Presi… Mr. Craft, your shares are with you unless you would like to sell them to us." But they were ordered to let Billy have his shares.

Billy didn't respond and extended his hand at the advocate for the pen. Struggling to hold the pen, he took time and signed on the papers before laying back on the bed.

The team was about to leave, his ailing voice sounded, "I don't want to sell my shares, is it possible to handle my shares too? I will give power of attorney." 

Billy wasn't sure why he was ready to believe them but he was too tired to meddle in business now. If his shares could be safe with them, he thought he could live his life without worrying about daily life. He didn't want to trust anybody who could be bought by Leon Harmon and end up losing his shares too.

This time, all looked at Zachary because they weren't instructed about it.