Priority Of A Beta (MxM)

In Bad Faith (1)

Chapter 3: In Bad Faith (1)

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“How… did you even survive that?” Noah asked with such heartfelt emotion in his voice that anyone would genuinely feel bad for him. As if all his emotions were being brought to light in that pair of emerald eyes he held… The small droplets of water still visible in the corners of his eyes…

Akira took a few moments to reply before he hesitantly spoke up again. “After you drugged me and disposed of me, I was saved by someone… That same someone gave me this make over, all for this one chance…” His voice was mellow but also a bit bitter when recalling the not so beautiful experience he had to endure because of the other man.

“It’s alright, I understand… you can do it…” Noah said as he took a deep breath and then closed his eyes preparing for the immense pain he was sure to feel in a few minutes. It looked pitiful to say the least.

“You’re alright with me killing you?” Akira asked as his eyes widened in horror. He’d never imagined to see his strong and resilient boss to look so weak and fragile in front of him it felt wrong no matter how he looked at it.

“Of course… if that’s what’s going to make you feel any better… I’m fine with it.” Noah spoke in a somewhat lost sounding voice. It was obvious he didn’t want to meet his untimely end yet he was ready for it? That kind of determination was somewhat suspicious.

“What’s wrong with you?” Akira asked, instantly taking a step back. He felt like he couldn’t even recognize the person in front of him. Surely there was no way that was the same man he had admired for years? How could he ever turn into such a pathetic man in such a short timeframe? It was surely impossible…

“What do you mean?” Noah asked, his voice sounded pure to the point of naivety. Nothing like his usual demanding, strong and commanding sounding voice. Nothing like it at all.

“You’re not the same calculative boss I used to have… you’ve lost that spark to you…” Akira instantly replied. He was conflicted maybe that’s why he dropped his weapon, he was unarmed not because he didn’t wish for revenge but because he couldn’t extract it on someone that seemed so willing. It wouldn’t be revenge anymore!

“After you’ve left… A lot of things changed. I changed and the company changed as well…” Noah spoke in a low voice while looking at the ground. The way he described things made him seem even more pathetic than before.

“What about the company?” Akira asked as he furrowed his brows. He hadn’t really kept up with the company’s news at all for the past few years. Surely there wasn’t such a significant change?

“The BBH project never followed though… because of your absence no one scheduled them and in the end…” Noah continued his explanation while heading back to his desk and leaning on top of it in a sort of miserable looking fashion.

“You lost the contract because you didn’t find anyone more competent than me? What a compliment.” Akira remarked with a sort of snarky tone of voice. Then sighed heavily and headed to the man’s desk as well, grabbing a certain key and opening a file cabinet he knew very well. Though it he rummaged for a bit before finding the old BBH file that his employer had mentioned.

“What are you doing?” Noah asked in surprise as he watched the diligent man’s movements. ‘There’s absolutely no mistaking it… that’s Robin… there’s no one else that knows exactly where to look for to find such classified documents…’ He thought to himself every action further affirming the man’s belief.

“I’m working of course…” Akira replied in a simple manner as he sat down at the coffee table and began looking through the old contacts. He pulled his phone out ready to start the project anew.

“But you came here to-” Noah was going to argue with him but he was left no room to do so at all.

“I know what I came here to do… and I’ll do it when I feel like it. So watch your back.” Akita replied in a cold and calculating voice as he gave him a quick glance, then turned his attention back to the complex written document.

“Isn’t that a bit going against what you initially wanted?” Noah asked confused his eyes glowed in a naïve sort of light as he moved closer to the man. He didn’t seem to have any fear of getting hurt at all. But why was that? He clearly knew the other’s intentions…

“How am I supposed to kill someone that acts so pitiful, huh? I can’t do it right now so you better step up your game.” Akira said as if he was warning the man or giving him advice. Although saying something like that would be completely insane no matter how you look at it.

“I see… well then I hope I manage to get there again…” Noah said in a sort of hopeful manner. “To… being the same person you used to know before…” He continued in the same pitiful voice he sounded almost like a child that had broken a vase. Somehow guilty, somehow childish, somehow innocent…

“f**k… you shouldn’t look like that… where’s your pride gone? Did you murder that as well?” Akira made fun of his employer openly, something he’d usually never do before but now he was more open than ever.

“You’re quite more sharp tongued than before.” Noah remarked as he looked away, he couldn’t very well maintain eye contact like he once used to.

“I’m just letting lose. Anyone would after seeing the gates of Hell…” Akira replied in a cold sounding voice while flipping through the pages, observing and analyzing the reason why the project failed in the first place. Was there not enough funding? Did the investors back down last minute? Did they need a better team? Were the employees not capable of meeting the deadlines? There was so much more than meets the eye initially.

“I suppose that’s true…” Noah replied in a calm manner, he had a faint smile on his face as if he was happy that the man was working for him again. Little did Akira know that there was more to his employer’s smile than was at face value.

‘So that really is Robin, huh? It’s been a while but I would be able to recognize him anywhere… he’s back here meaning that whoever helped him… has a personal agenda against me… and that… I can’t allow it…’ Noah instantly thought to himself, while outwardly maintaining a cool façade that seemed weak at times and pitiful at least. ‘Do I regret getting rid of him? Sure… but now… now that he’s back I have a whole new pile of s**t to deal with… I can’t allow him to kill me, nor can I just let this other mysterious person get away with ruining my plans…’ He continued in his mind, thinking of the proper way to dispose of the man that was now comfortably working for him, threatening his life...

“You should have gotten a secretary earlier…” Akira said as he looked down at the documents. “These are all messed up, you’re bad at your job sometimes as well…” He remarked as he caught a glimpse of the other’s expression with his peripheral vision.

‘Noah is acting far too pitiful… it might be an act… I ended up revealing too much information to him… but that’s fine… He’ll never be able to figure out who helped me and I’ll… I’ll make sure to pay him back with interest…’ Akira thought to himself as he calmly spoke up again, not allowing a single one of his inner thoughts out on the surface. “Do you have the data on the project still?” He asked.

“It’s been a few years I doubt they’ll want to listen.” Noah quickly replied as he shook his head. “Although I do have some of it kept on my email…”

“Send it to me. And their contact information. I have a way with words. I’ll break though to them for sure.” Akira said as he stood up, still holding the files he was about to walk out of the room but his employer stopped him.

“Do you think you can make them consider us after so much time?” Noah asked in a doubtful sounding voice. “Even for you that must be rather difficult…”

“I don’t think, I know.” Akira replied without hesitation. “You shouldn’t doubt my abilities, you know them better than anyone else does…” He said in a sort of warning manner.

“Then go ahead and show off…” Noah said as if he was challenging him. Although the way he spoke made it sound as if he was desperate and tired as if he had already given up on everything. It was part of his perfect façade.

“Only on one condition…” Akira said as he turned around one last time and locked eyes with his employer, he didn’t glare at him anymore, in fact his eyes softened quite a bit.

“And that is?” Noah asked as he raised an eyebrow at the man.

“If you go out with me after work.” Akira said, it felt a bit nostalgic as if it was the same thing he’d always asked the man only this time it was different. They weren’t the same employer that was infatuated with his boss anymore… They weren’t the same rather well known duo in the company… They were different people altogether, even though only a few years had passed it was significant enough.

‘If he’s really regretful he should accept, right? But if he refuses…’ Akira instantly thought to himself, his words too were a way to figure out if the man in front of him was sincere or dishonest…

‘If I refuse he’ll know I don’t feel bad… then I guess I don’t have a choice.’ Noah was quick to catch onto the other’s way of thinking. He had a way to read people in a timely manner. He knew exactly what he needed to say: “I’d like that… as an apology I’ll buy dinner…” Noah spoke in a pitiful manner once more, pretending to be apologetic.

“I’ll pick the place. I wouldn’t want you trying anything funny on me again.” Akira shot back instantly, this time with a sentence that would surely make the other feel more guilty.

‘So he’s still suspicious?’ Noah realized the other didn’t trust him. It was reasonable to say the least. “I’m really… sorry… I can’t even apologize enough…” He continued in the same rather silly manner.

‘f**k… is he just a good actor or is he really apologetic? I can’t figure him out…’ Akira was confused. He knew he didn’t want to trust the other but at the same time, seeing Noah’s pitiful face made his heart ache, how was he supposed to ignore it? Was it even possible to ignore?

‘Of course he’d be suspicious but I’ve never once lost when it came to acting… Becoming the president of a company and hiding my identity as a Beta all my life is quite more difficult than one might expect. You need real acting prowess for that…’ Noah thought to himself with a certain level of confidence. There wasn’t a single situation he couldn’t bluff his way through. Even today his life had been spared due to his extraordinarily well acted out scene that was completely improvised on the spot.

‘And someone like him might be useful but it’s not worth risking my position in the company because of him…’ Noah was a smart man, maybe someone far too intelligent for his own good even. It was precisely because of that, that he couldn’t allow a single flaw in his life.

‘However…’ Noah paused for a bit, he looked away from the man, making sure not to stare at him far too intensely.

‘He’s smart…’ Akira instantly thought to himself. He was carefully following everything the other did. ‘Smart enough to rule the company…’ He considered.

‘This game…’ Both the men had the same thought in their minds ‘Isn’t as simple as it looks…’ They both glanced at each other and then looked away.

At the end which one of them will outwit the other? That was yet to be decided…