chapter 7

Anna was feeling sleepy, but refused to go to bed yet, waiting for Cohen to return.

She left the event in anger and refused to wait for Cohen in the car. She thought he just put on an act in public and expected him to come after her to apologize, but he didn't, and it was already past ten P.m, and Cohen was yet back home.

She has called his line several times, but he didn't pick it, and he later switched off his phone.

She became restless every second as her mind paved ways to different questions, thinking Cohen could be with Patricia.

She was dozing off when she heard Cohen’s car horn, and she quickly opened her eyes.

She heard his footsteps, and stood on her feet, and immediately as he entered, she crossed her hand over her chest, challenging, “where are you coming from?”

“Where have you been, Cohen?”

“Why are you just returning home at this time?”

“When did you begin to monitor my movement, woman?” He queried and walked past her. 

She stormed to his front, blocking him from going. “It started tonight. I didn't monitor your movement before now because there was no reason to do so.” She responded.

“So, what warrants it now?” He inquired.

“Because you are coming back home late, which isn’t unusual for you.” She expressed.

Cohen chuckled, filling a part of his lip with a little smile. “It seems you forget things easily, Anna. Let me give you a quick reminder,” he let out. “It's usual for me to return home late in the night. It started eight years ago.”

Anna sensed where he was driving the conversation to, but she didn't want to conclude yet. “What do you mean?”

“Getting late is my old habit, and I started it again tonight, though I don't know when it will last,” he announced. “You taught me to get home late since my wedding night with Patricia. When I was supposed to spend the night with her, you forced me to spend it with you and it continued like that for years.”

“I didn’t force you, you chose to stay with me to kill your pain!” She yelled.

“Either of the two doesn't matter. What matters is you understanding that I have always been like that. So there's no need to act like this,” He declared, asking, “are you jealous or afraid right now?”

His question kept her mouth ajar for a few seconds.

“What are you talking about, Cohen? What does this mean?” She questioned in a low tone.

“It is what it is,” he savaged. “Will you get out of my way now?”

“Not until you tell me why you defended her instead of me!” She poured out.

“Who? Patricia?” He teased her.

“Yes, you should have supported me, your wife. A mother to your child. Why did you support Patricia instead of me?” He protested.

“I didn't support her.” He expressed.

“Then what happened? Why did you watch Bastian embarrassed me in public? Hun?” She queried.

“If I didn't watch, should I involve myself in getting embarrassed with you? It was your single-handed devil act, definitely you should pay for it,” he spoke out. “Besides, you followed me into the hall on a condition, and since you didn't abide by it, I have no reason to intervene when you were being punished.”

She giggled. “If she wasn't involved, you wouldn't have acted like that-” she said and he cut her off. 

“If she wasn't involved, would you act like that?!” He yelled.

Anna was startled, and she took a step back in fear. It was the first time Cohen acted like that to her.

“Why isn’t your mind at rest? Why are you acting suspicious? Hun?” He stormed her with questions and pushed her out of his way.

As he laid his left foot on the first stair, her question froze his leg and he stopped walking.

“Do you still love her?”

After a minute of silence, he glanced back at her. “Sleep with Rachel. I want to be alone tonight, and I don't want any disturbance…”

“Don't knock on the door. When I am ready to see your face, I will come out by myself.”

******

←weeks later→

“Cohen!” 

“Cohen!”

Anna called, running after Cohen, who increased his walking speed so that she wouldn't catch up with him.

They argued upstairs because Anna challenged Cohen about why he suddenly changed.

Ever since the incident at the funeral ceremony, leaving the house early and returning late in the night has become Cohen’s habit, and he has been acting cozy. He was careless about Anna and gave no attention to their daughter like he used to do.

“Hear me out, Cohen, please.” She continued to run after him, and he ignored her till he got to the parking lot.

He opened his car and got in. He wanted to close the car door, but she held onto it tightly, preventing him from closing it.

He gave her a deadly glance, and without saying a word, he put more effort into closing the door with force, but she held onto it tighter with all her strength.

He didn't want her to get hurt, so he released the car door to her. “What’s it, woman?”

“Why are you like this, Cohen? Why the sudden change? Your daughter needs your attention. Please create a time for her…” she pleaded, faking a pitiful look and teary eyes, like she would cry soon.

“Cohen, don’t you want us anymore? Should we vacate the house for you?”

He raised his gaze, and fixed his outrageously red eyes on her pitiful eyes, which later expressed fear.

“That will be-” 

Before he could complete his statement, Jacob, his assistant manager’s call, came into his phone, and he ignored her to pick the call.

“Hello.” He responded to the greetings and patiently listened to Jacob.

“What! How is that possible!” He yelled and calmed to listen to the rest of the news. “That's not possible!”

Immediately, as the call ended, he weakly dropped the phone from his ear and vented his anger on the steering wheel.

“Fuck!” He yelled as he hit the steering wheel.

She took a step closer with concern. “Is everything okay?” She asked. She tried to touch him, but he pushed her back.

She fell to the ground. “Ouch!” She moaned.

Cohen closed the door and drove out of the compound at a high speed.

______

After an hour and a half drive, Cohen arrived at the company. 

He parked and rushed into the company, leaving his car door open.

Immediately as he stepped into the ground floor, Jacob ran to him. “Good morning, sir.” He greeted.

Cohen’s mind wasn't at rest, so he couldn't respond to Jacob’s greeting. Instead, he raised a question. “What’s going on?”

“Sir, we lost the Switzerland and America project.” Jacob proclaimed, and despite hearing it for the second time, Cohen couldn't help but widened his eyes in disbelief.

“No, that's not possible!” He yelled.

The Switzerland and America project was a big project, and it would probably be the biggest break for Cohen because it would fetch him a lot of capital. 

Cohen dashed out a lot of funds to win the project, expecting to gain a tenth of what he had spent, and now that he couldn't have it, he may go bankrupt.

“I did the needful. What could have been wrong?” He wondered. “Which company won the contract?”

“Ivy organization, sir.” Jacob answered.

Cohen frowned his forehead, confused. “Ivy organization?” He repeated, shocked. It was the fifteen big projects in a row he has lost to them since a month ago that an unknown president has emerged. 

Ivy organization publicly declared their lack of interest in the Switzerland and America project, which was why Cohen put in his all, and invested a lot in it, because except Ivy organization, no other company in the city could stand against him.

“What's going on? Why is Bastian acting like this?” Cohen raised a question which only Bastian could answer.

“Is he doing this because of what happened at the event?” He suspected.

When chairman Jackson was alive, he agreed to share projects with Cohen to avoid war in the business world. And if Ivy organization wins a project, they will leave the next one for Lucas to win. But that has changed within a month after the chairman's demise.

Ivy organization secured its permanent position at the top of the billboard, while Lucas suffered the loss.

“Something needs to be done,” Cohen let out. He turned to the entrance, saying, “I need to meet Bastian.”

His phone rang, and he halted to pick it. He checked, and it was the secretary of a Russian chairman. 

“Hello, Mr. Cohen,” the secretary greeted with a Russian tone, and without allowing Cohen to respond, he hurriedly broke the news. “Mr. Cohen, I'm sorry to inform you that you lost the project.”

“Why? I've already done the needful. I've spent a lot of money and I already bought the complete plan for it.” He protested.

“Yes, I know. I tried to explain to the chairman, but all my efforts were abortive. He already assured to give you the contract, but suddenly changed his mind,” the secretary explained. “I don't know what Ivy organization did to win his heart overnight.”

“But-” Cohen wanted to talk, but the secretary hung up.

Cohen kept his mouth ajar, and his eyes widened open. “I’m doomed…” he said in a low voice.

Had it been he won the project, it would be his biggest break, and it was enough to cover for his loss on the Switzerland and America project. 

He was chasing it in secret, so as not to divert his opponent's attention to it, but they still found out about it.

“What should I do?” Cohen yelled. He fell to the floor and fainted.

“Boss!”