peering over the balance sheet for this month. The smirk is still evident on his lips from Bella's reaction. He just wished he could tell her that he wasn't lying about the claim he made before she stormed out of his office, calling him a dickhead under her breath, sending him gasping for air.

Nonetheless, he was certain this wouldn't be the last time they would meet.

The doors of his office burst open dramatically. Dimitri only knows one person who enters in such a manner - Anwar Armani.

"Dimitri," he begins, thumping himself on the sofa. Dimitri merely gazes at him, his mood evaporating from his once playful smile to something serious.

He didn't need Anwar's long list of questions right now. It was crucial that he proceeds with his work and a way to please the board and them on his side. It seemed like Dimitri had brainstormed one on Bella's arrival.

"What is it, Anwar?" he doesn't meet his gaze but he doesn't need to look to know he has a smirk on his face.

"So..." he merely states, easing into the conversation. "Who was that?"

Dimitri shakes his head, flipping through the pages. He kisses his teeth, he really didn't want to be on Anwar's Saturday night quiz show right now. "No one."

"She left in a bad mood. What'cha do to piss her off?" Dimitri remains silent.

"Isn't that the same woman who's car you crashed," Dimitri couldn't catch a break. Why did everyone constantly remind him about that night? It wasn't like he felt bad about it anyway. "And the same one you ordered Aisha to send flowers too? And a brand new car?"

Dimitri's eyebrows knit together, passing him a hardening glare from distracting from his work at hand. "Don't you have my PA to be fucking?" he slaps the manila file down on his desk.

When Aisha had applied for the job, she was everything Dimitri was searching for: well-organised, scheduled and pre-planned every single detail making Dimtri's life smoother by the second.

Most importantly, she was easy to talk to and quickly becoming Dimtri's source of confidence. That was until Anwar Armani – playboy extraordinaire, sex-maniac, chief marketing officer and best friend, took an interest in her.

Exactly, two years later, Dimitri found himself sitting next to Anwar as Aisha descended down the aisle at their lavish Pakistani wedding. He was indeed very happy for both of them, having found a tight-knit friendship in the duo and having witnessed their blossoming love.

He wishes he could say the same about their antics. It still manages to surprise and shock him how they've never been caught by anyone else other than Dimitri - not that he's seen anything (luckily and gratefully) but only heard them.

Anwar smirks before innocently blinking at him, his hand landing on his chest. "During work hours?" he feigns innocence. "I would never!"

"Yeah right." Dimitri nods, clicking his tongue together unable to hold the sarcasm from his voice. "What on earth did I hear in the bathroom yesterday?" he retorts, passing him a disapproving head shake. Anwar merely smirks at his comment.

"We did it in the common room too."

Dimitri swirls on his chair, his eyes widened at the revelation, blatantly shocked. "Remind me to burn that room." he tries to hold back the disgust in his voice but is unable to do so. "And fucking take it home, you horny bastard."

"Don't be mad at me cause you haven't been laid in a good decade." Dimitri only passes him a burdensome glare, telling him to watch that mouth of his.

Anwar turns on the balls of his feet, ready to leave. "Please familiarize yourself with the company policy about fraternization and sexual acts within the workplace."

"Alright boss," Anwar sends him a wink. They both know well that he won't.

"Harami," is one of the few Arabic words that Dimitri has learnt from Anwar's vocabulary and he intends on using it commonly.

Anwar remains unfazed and only passes him a widened grin, chortling in his laughter.

Despite the feigned hatred and disgust Dimitir currently felt for Anar, he still managed to make him smile with his unfiltered and unapologetic behaviour. He was his best friend for a reason – simply because he never failed to bring a smile on his face and ease him down in times of sheer heat.

He glances down at the taunting balance sheet, his stomach churning and his smile deflating. His head throbbed on the left, it was piercing pain that failed to disappear despite the two paracetamols he popped earlier. He wipes his hand over his forehead, trying to soothe the pain and thinking. Dimitri had only done that – thought so much, he was beginning to feel insane for being stuck in his head for too long.

He partially blames it on his never-ending headache on the lack of sleep. How could he get a peaceful night's sleep when the board had presented him a new problem.

The balance was a whole snapshot of Asterio Industries, divided into each month. It covered all the assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity.

He painfully peers over the assets.

Goodwill 105,000

Trade names 200,000

Total intangible assets: £305,000. Minus, Asterio Industries from Dimitri's name.

The purpose of a balance sheet was to give interested parties an idea of the company's financial positions, in addition to displaying what the company owns and owes. He might have been the face, dream-maker and billionaire of Asterio Industries but it wasn't like he owned any of it.

All because of a stupid drunken mistake, a lawsuit and his media-hungry ex, the board did not trust him enough to give him full access to Asterio Industries. His father has bestowed the company to him, left, retired and everything was in his control. Yet, he wasn't in control. The board, more specifically his grandfather, deemed him as irresponsible, unreliable and reckless.

His grandfather did not deem him worthy of the gift he so greatly desired that was Asterio Industries written under his name.

Three years, he may have been those things when the hennessy was filling his cup, his ex decorated his arm and sex was the only thought on his mind. But now, three years later, he's none of those things.

Dimitri is dedicated, devoted and only has his eyes on the prize. And he wouldn't stop at nothing until it was his. It was crazy how three years could change a person.

Then when he heard Bella utter that simple sentence of somebullshit about "simply maintaining her peace and having a zero policy for bullshit." He knows that he's the missing puzzle piece to the greatest plan he's ever conjured up.

It only revolves around a few simple vows, a wedding ring and convincing his grandfather that he's settled down enough for him to sign away Asterio Industries over to Dimitri.

It was the perfect illusion and Dimitri has never been more pleased with himself knowing that Asterio Industries is just a sign and contract away from him.

So, welcome to the greatest wedding you've ever witnessed. News flash! It's all a sham.

———