Molten rage

IVAN
~•~
"Bring the car around."
"Yes sir."
The line went dead.
I stood in front of my mirror and adjusted the collar of my red tuxedo and my red inner shirt. I could not remember the last time I was forced to step foot outside the comfort of my walls, but today's meeting was necessary.
I had barely gotten any sleep last night. Ian's arrival and Antonio's message bothered me more than I cared to admit. After calling nine out of ten other members of my board, I knew there was only one person I could reply on.
One person who would never say no to me.
I headed straight towards my black Tesla and settled into the backseat. The drive to her house would have taken less than an hour, but I had to stop at the flower shop. The way to her heart was a bouquet of roses. So, I made sure to get that for her, and a box of chocolates to spice it.
For the sole reason that she was going to break the oath of the board for my sake, she deserved it.
My valet parked the car in front of her mansion. I slipped on my sunglasses. Reporters often disguised as anything, ranging from mail men, to delivery men and women, just to get a glimpse of something, anything at all for their silly tabloids and news paper headlines.
I knew heads would roll for any information on me.
Her doormen welcomed me into the house, and I stepped into the pink hall in front of me.
"Ivan Hernandez Holloway."
The female voice called from above me. I looked up, only to find her staring down at me from the stop of her stairs.
Elina Washington.
My strongest ally and biggest supporter.
She could have easily passed as the woman who loved me the most, after my stepmother.
Sometimes, I asked myself why I had not married her, instead of Tina.
What a shame.
Elina walked down her stairs, as beautiful as usual. Her sunny blonde hair and sea blue eyes could illuminate any room she worked in. She was particularly famous amongst my board of directors for being an extremely curvy woman. In her current sea blue dress, I could see why men kept knives at each other's throats for her.
She flashed me her most charming smile, feigning surprise at the gifts in my hands.
"Is that for me?"
She knew it was. Elina knew that I never took nothing for nothing, this was her compensation for the tip she was about to give me.
She walked up to me and tiptoed, just to place a kiss on my right cheek. I smiled down at her.
"You're so thoughtful Ivan." She turned around and clapped her hands twice.
A stewardess appeared from the corner of the house. She took the gifts from my hands and handed it over to the lady.
"Would you like anything to drink? Tea? Water? Champagne?"
"I have nothing to celebrate." I cut in.
She paused her speech and looked over me. I saw something like pity flicker in her gaze.
She took hold of my right wrist, before looking up at my face again.
"That's right, you don't. Follow me."
I allowed her lead me by my hand, like a lost child. We walked into an office and she closed the door behind us.
She let go of my hand and walked towards the edge of the table.
"As a matter of fact, you are in deep shit Ivan."
"I figured. I knew something was wrong when they called for a meeting. What's going on Elina?"
I could not bring myself to sit, not while my heart pounded furiously against the muscular walls of my chest.
She folded her arms in front of her chest, her eyes staring down into a file. Her silence was driving me nuts.
"Elina…"
"You are to be voted out as chairman, on Monday." She blurted out.
I blinked twice.
What…what did she just say?
"The decision was made on Wednesday. You were not supposed to find out. You were only supposed to show up at work and get voted out." She continued.
My knees turned to jelly beneath me. I staggered backwards, my back crashed against her door. She did not move to me.
She was not making any sense. Nothing she said registered in my head.
I opened my mouth to speak, I wanted to ask a million questions, but no words came out.
"Your medical report leaked to the board Ivan. Goodness! Why didn't you let me in? I could have done something about it before now!" Elina sounded furious, and I knew she was.
She cared about me and it hurt that she could do nothing to help.
But, my medical report leaked to the board?
How was that even possible?
I was the only one who had access to where the files were kept, because I knew what could happen to me if they got out.
"El…Elina…how?"
She sighed and shook her head, sympathy etched in her gaze.
"It was argued that you were mentally unfit the chair the board, or even run the company."
"I own fifty five percent of Holloway's shares! I built that company alongside my father from scratch! I have invested, how long has it been? Seventeen years of my life into Holloway Empire and you're telling me that I am to be voted out? I'm losing my place as CEO?! To who?" Molten rage flowed through my veins. The bones underneath my skin grew livid with anger.
She was visibly shaken. Elina had never seen me like this, not even on the night she found me sprawled on my kitchen floor; the night Sarah left with Tina.
"Bloody answer me, Elina!" I banged my fist against her door and she shuddered.
"Ian! Ian Holloway, your brother."
The words fell on my ears like a surprise missile.
"The bastard." I muttered, but Elina heard me.
She began to walk towards me when my fists rolled into tight balls.
She had fear in her eyes, but she wasn't the one who needed to be scared.
"Ivan, don't do anything stupid."
She tried to reach out to me. I stomped out of the room and banged the door behind me.
The door flung open and she rushed out.
"Ivan! He is not worth it! Whatever you're planning to do, he's not worth it! Ivan!" She called after me. I paid her no mind.
Soon, her cries grew distant. I could tell she had given up on running after me.
I flung myself into the backseat of my car.
I was sending Ian to hell today. No other day, but today.