RENT A HEART

CHRISTOPHER's POV

I watched the surprise dawn on her face as she began to understand the implications for us.

"How? When?... I mean, what evidence are you talking about?" she asked, her voice laced with nervous energy.

I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out a flash drive.

"This right here contains footage of what happened the day your uncle Jaime was killed," I said, placing it in her hand.

"Oh my God," she breathed, still in shock.

"You need to hand it over to the police as soon as possible. Everybody, including my father, needs to know that your father is innocent," she insisted.

"I will, at the right time. But do you want to watch it?" I asked.

"Uhm, if you insist," she said, so I took the drive and inserted it into the USB port on her desktop.

I watched her reaction as the footage began to play.

"Oh my God," she gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Who did this? I mean, who would murder my uncle in cold blood at such a young age?" she asked, her voice cracking towards the end.

I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her to comfort her. It was never easy to witness a family member being murdered so gruesomely.

"I'm really sorry about your uncle," I said, gently patting her back while she fought back tears.

"What happened to your father?" she asked after calming down a bit and sitting up.

"Oh, well, he was arrested and sentenced to twenty years in prison." I paused as I heard her gasp, covering her mouth.

"But he only served six years. He was given a presidential pardon by the president at the time, and the rest is history," I summarized.

"I'm so sorry, Chris," she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I'm truly sorry, from the depths of my heart. Your father didn't deserve it," she said, rubbing my back in a soothing circular motion.

Strangely, it was calming, and I felt my heart ease. I held her tight, breathing in her familiar lavender scent.

"So, what's your next step?" she asked, readjusting on the couch.

" I'll be returning to Atlantis as the general director," I told her, watching for her reaction. "And I'm working on a merger between Stratos and Atlantis."

A bright, genuine smile blossomed on her face. "Wow, congratulations!" she purred, her eyes sparkling. I returned her smile, pleased by her enthusiasm.

We talked for a while longer before I decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was going to be a whirlwind.

"I should head out. It's almost past midnight," I said, standing up.

"Oh," she replied, her voice a little deflated. "Okay."

I chuckled softly and went to her, wrapping my arms around her. Hugging her had quickly become a favorite pastime. Among other things, of course.

"I mean... you... you can sleep here if you want," she blurted out, the words tumbling out in a rush.

"I didn't hear you, love," I teased, keeping a straight face.

I hadn't considered staying, but the idea was definitely tempting.

"Uhm, I... I said you can sleep over if you want. I mean, it's late, and you've slept here before, so it's not exactly a new thing, you know?" She stammered, avoiding my gaze.

I dropped my car keys on the table and started unbuttoning my polo shirt.

"What are you doing?" she nearly shrieked, covering her eyes. I smiled at her; she looked incredibly cute flustered.

"You told me to sleep over, didn't you?" I asked, feigning surprise.

"Oh, I mean, I did... but... but you don't need to strip in front of me!" she protested, still peeking through her fingers.

"I'm just taking off my shirt, not going completely naked. Unless, of course, you want me to?" I said cheekily, stepping closer. Her blush deepened.

"Hmmm, tell me. Do you want me naked?" I locked eyes with her, enjoying her reaction.

"I'll... I'll get you some pillows and a blanket. It gets cold," she stammered, then hurried off towards the linen closet. I couldn't help but laugh at her adorable awkwardness.

Exhaustion hit me hard. The moment my back hit the couch, I was out. A few minutes later, the familiar scent of lavender woke me slightly. I felt movement around me, a gentle touch. Opening my eyes a sliver, I saw Eve hovering over me, carefully arranging a blanket and fluffing the pillow under my head. A soft smile touched my lips.

"You must be really tired," she whispered, her voice filled with tenderness. Then, I felt the feather-light touch of her lips on my temple.

"Can you stay with me for a minute?" I managed to murmur, my voice thick with sleep. I shifted on the couch, creating space for her.

She settled into the space I'd made, and before I could think, I instinctively cuddled her close, burying my face in her hair and letting sleep claim me again.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered softly.

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My father had called an emergency conference at the company, a carefully orchestrated event. He planned to announce his resignation as general director and appoint me as his successor at Atlantis Conglomerate. The news was a tightly guarded secret; the reporters and shareholders arriving had no idea what was about to unfold.

"Good morning, Chairman," a chorus of voices greeted us as we entered the company. A group of men and women stood side-by-side, their expressions respectful.

"Good morning," my father replied, his smile radiant. He seemed genuinely buoyant.

"This is my son, Christopher Luther. Extend to him the same respect you accord me," he announced.

"This way, Chairman," a man in his early forties, presumably his assistant or secretary, said, leading us into the main building.

I noticed the looks of shock and surprise on the faces of the staff. It wasn't because of my father, whom they knew well, but because of me. I had never set foot in Atlantis before today.

The secretary had already convened an emergency meeting with all the directors and department heads of the company. They were seated in the meeting room, waiting.

Everyone stood the moment we walked in, a collective display of respect for my father.

"Be seated," he instructed. The secretary entered and placed a stack of documents in front of my father.

"As you may have gathered," my father began, his voice strong and confident, "the handsome fellow on my right is my only son, Christopher Luther. He will be taking over from me as the general director of Atlantis."

I was handed a document, which I reviewed quickly before signing. One transferred ownership of my father's 50% stake in the company to me. The other finalized the activation of my 30% stake, a legacy from my grandfather.

A clause in the previous agreement stipulated that if the 30% stake wasn't activated before my thirtieth birthday, it would revert back to the company, leaving my family with only 50% of the shares. Thankfully, that contingency had been avoided.

"Now, we can proceed to the press conference." My father's secretary stated and ushered into a vast hall, the air thick with anticipation.

Reporters from various media outlets were already seated, their cameras primed and ready, the flashbulbs glinting. The stakeholders were seated separately, and to my side, I spotted the delegation from Nexus. A smirk tugged at my lips. They had no idea what they were about to witness.

A hush fell over the room as my father, the chairman of Atlantis, approached the podium to address the press.

"Today, I have an important announcement to make," he began, his voice resonating clearly through the hall. He met the gaze of everyone present, ensuring his message was received.

"After this address, I, Lionel Luther, will be stepping down as the General Director of Atlantis. My son, Christopher Luther, will be taking over from me, leading this company to even greater heights, as he did with Stratos," he declared. Instantly, a wave of murmurs, incessant chatter, and a flurry of camera flashes erupted within the hall.

The news caught the stakeholders completely off guard. They couldn't conceal their displeasure at the announcement.

He raised a hand, signaling that he wasn't finished. The noise in the hall subsided almost immediately.

"Also, and this is crucial, earlier this morning, in the presence of my trusted staffs, I signed over all of my 50% shares to my son, Christopher, making him the majority shareholder and General Director of Atlantis Conglomerate," he stated.

"Mr. Chairman, what does this mean for the proposal sent by Nexus?" a reporter called out.

"I will leave that for my son to answer," my father replied, descending from the podium with a proud smirk on his face.

It took me a moment to compose myself before approaching the podium. As always, I heard a few muffled giggles as I walked forward. 'Glad to see some things never change, regardless of setting,' I thought, a small smile playing on my lips.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Christopher Luther, the founder and CEO of Stratos Construction Company, and, as of today, the General Director of Atlantis Conglomerate," I said, my tone calm and measured. I wanted everyone to fully absorb what I was saying, to prepare them for the next announcement.

"Answering your question," I said, looking directly at the reporter, "the proposal from Nexus to acquire a 30% share of Atlantis became null and void this very morning." I let my gaze linger on the men from Nexus seated in the audience.

"This is because I have already activated the 30% stake my grandfather left to me. In effect, this means that I now own 80% of the shares of Atlantis. Also, and this is very important, Stratos will be signing a merger agreement with Atlantis in the coming days. This will undoubtedly increase the stock value of Atlantis, positioning this company at the very top, where it rightfully belongs," I stated. To my surprise, a round of loud cheers and applause erupted from the Atlantis staff in attendance.

"And finally," I continued, my gaze sweeping the room, "for the shareholders who have been embezzling from the company, they should prepare to face the consequences."

With that, I stepped down from the podium and headed towards my seat, the reporters clamoring with questions.

After a few closing remarks from the company secretary, we left the press conference and went up to my father's office.

The press conference had generated a significant buzz online. "Atlantis," "Stratos," "Lionel Luther," and my name were trending topics for hours.

It was a day I never thought would come, but I was glad it had. Now, the real battle began.