The Royal Contract

"Nick, what are you doing here?" Jacob asked first, anxious to hear his answer.

He was not expecting Nick to appear in front of him. If he was not so distracted by that kiss, he would have seen him a mile away. He could have hidden behind a pillar or a wall before his brother had a chance to notice him.

But it was too late for him. He had no other choice but to find a way out of this mess. On the other hand, it was also his chance to determine if his brother was onto him. If he had any idea of what his secret was.

"I should be the one asking you that question." Nick smiled at his brother, confirming that he was hiding something from him. 

He could see a few telltale signs that he was nervous, but Jacob had a way of appearing calm. However, he was not leaving him alone until he got some answers.

"Well, I ask first." Jacob insisted as they stood in the middle of the lobby, acquiring a few stares from the few people lounging in the area.

He had to stall his answer since he was still trying to arrive with a plausible alibi for his presence in this building. He was sure that if his brother got a whiff of what he was keeping from him, then that would be the end of the two of them.

"Fair enough," Nick responded with a grin, staring at him, studying his expression. "If you must know, I recently bought an apartment in this building. I sometimes preferred to stay here."

Nick could see the wheels in his brother's eyes turning. He could easily read his expression because he was not particularly good at lying. As of now, he could surmise that he was still trying to come up with a lie.

He did not mind if Jacob had lied to him. He just did not care what Jacob did with his life. As long as it did not affect him, he had no problem with it.

"Oh, I did not know that you started living here," Nick responded with a bit of fright, but he quickly masked it with a nervous smile.

Learning that his brother always frequented this place put Cassie's life in danger. There was every chance that his brother might discover that she was also staying in this same building.

He had to do something quickly before his brother had found out about his big secret. He had to call Alex to transfer Cassie to another place and expedite the process of Nick's case.

"What about you? Don't tell me that you also have decided to live here." Nick jokingly told his brother, who he believed would never prefer to live in a place like this.

He would know his brother since Jacob could not afford a place like this with his meager salary. He remembered that his brother also refused the apartment he offered, which was more expensive than the units available in this building.

"Or are you dating someone who lives in one of the apartments? Maybe it is time that you introduce me to her." Nick quickly added before Jacob could respond to his earlier statement.

Something about his brother's unusual behavior caught his attention. It could probably have something to do with his curiosity about the kind of girl his brother would date. 

It was the only explanation he could think of for making him this peculiarly invested in his brother. Because he had not seen him with a woman before. Well, Jacob had not introduced a girl to him yet.

"No, actually... No..." Jacob almost stuttered upon his brother's last sentence. "I am not seeing anyone." He quickly answered. Technically, he was not yet seeing Cassie, so he was not lying. Maybe they had kissed her once, but it did not imply that it already meant something. 

He was about to come up with a lie when a phone ringing suddenly interrupted their conversation. "I think that is your phone." He quickly informed him.

He knew it was not his since the ringtone was different, so it would be someone else's phone that was making all the fuss. He could only guess that someone might be calling Nick.

"Give me a second." Nick pulled his phone out of his breast pocket and checked the caller. "Don't go anywhere. We are not yet done talking." He told his brother since he was not yet finished interrogating him about his recent activities.

He did not like the name that appeared on the screen. If he was calling this late at night. Then there must be a problem, he concluded. It was the only reason he would dare disturb him at this time.

He moved a few steps away from his brother, hoping to avoid him overhearing his conversation. But when he heard what the other man said on the phone in a rush tone, he realized it was a bigger problem than he initially thought.

"Fuck!" He expressed angrily, then held his tongue before he said more. He ran his fingers at the back of his neck, rubbing it to ease his tension as he continued to listen to the other line.

He remembered that he was in a public place and in the presence of his brother. He could not lose his temper. Not even when everything seemed to be falling apart in his world.

"Update me in an hour." He told the man on the other side of the conversation. He had to call an emergency meeting with his men about the latest issue they had to handle.

He quickly ended the call and let his mind work. He could not let this happen. He had to find a way to get out of this mess and fix things. But how?

"What is it?" Jacob asked when he saw the sudden change in his brother's expression. He walked closer to his brother when he ended his call. 

He appeared concerned about Nick, but he was actually not. He only wanted to know what was happening to him out of curiosity. At the same time, it was a perfect way to stir the issue away from himself.

He had never seen Nick with uncertainty in his eyes before. He had always been so calm and collected and constantly in control of his situation. 

At this moment, he seemed to be the opposite, but he quickly masked it with a confident smile as he looked at him. He put his phone away and fixed his coat.

"It is nothing. Just some issue about work," Nick replied, seemingly taking the issue lightly. However, his mind kept reeling from the news he had just received. 

It was something he was not expecting. 

It was something that he did not need right now.

But, it was a problem that could destroy everything he had built if he did not find a solution soon.

"Is there anything I can do?" Jacob offered, seeing it as an opportunity to get his brother off his back. 

He figured that using the reverse tactic method would do the trick in this situation. It would divert his brother's attention away from him instead of the issue Nick was having.

"I would really like to chat with you more. But I really must go." Nick said to Jacob. "Maybe dinner tomorrow night."

He would have liked to delve more into his brother's secrets, but at this point, he had to deal first with his own problems. If he did not stop this onslaught on his business and personal life. He would wake up the next day with nothing left. 

His company would burn to the ground. His life would be in royal shambles.. He would not just end up on the street but in an electric chair.