Francis sits in his office, sipping on his coffee and going through the hospital's weekly revenue report. His jaw tightened and his hands curled into fists. Numbers didn't lie - patients have dropped, donors have pulled out and one of their suppliers had suddenly 'cut ties'.
"What in the hell is happening?" He barked at his secretary.
She flinched and fidgeted with the files in her hand. "Sir... it looks like the pharmaceutical company you signed with have moved their contracts to another buyer."
"Another buyer?" Francis snapped. His voice thundered through the room. "Who could offer me more than I did?" He said as he slammed his hands on the wooden table.
The secretary swallowed hard. "We don't know. But....the whispers say it's the Vetercio"
Francis froze. That sly fox. His knuckles were white beside his laptop. He should have known that Aaron was a sly fucker.
He came back and ruined everything for him. First it was Mina and now his business. Why was Mina still with that bastard?
Aaron hasn't touched him directly- he was smarter than that. Instead, he strangled the hospital from the inside. Cutting off the lifelines one after the other. Suppliers. Donors. Even a sudden 'anonymous' health inspection forced Francis to close the wing of the building for two weeks.
Francis shot out of his chair, pacing like a caged animal. His chest burned with rage.
A knock was heard at the door and a nurse entered. He slipped a letter on his desk.
"What is this? " Francis snapped.
The nurse trembled and said;
"It came with the files for the hospital. I was assigned to give it to you since it had your name on it, sir."
Francis waved his hand and the nurse scrubbed out.
He tore the envelope open.
Inside was a single card, embossed in gold. A handwritten message. He knew who it was from. It was him. Aaron. His handwriting slashed across the card, sharp and merciless.
'You should have stayed away, Francis. I warned you Mina was and is still mine. So is our daughter. Come closer to her and not only am I going to take your business down. I'm also going to take you down.'
Francis crumpled the card in his fist, his teeth grinding.
"Enjoy this round, Aaron." He muttered.
"But this war isn't over."