My eyes went over the message written there, with a video attached. My hold on the phone tightening as I felt anger slowly brewing within me. Suddenly, my environment and everyone else blurred out, and I found myself zoning in that exact moment with no care for anything else.
I felt as though I was sucked into the moment, and was unplugged from the reality of what was going on around me-my mind bare of anything else. I have no idea how long I stared at the message, wishing nothing more than to send the phone flying across the hall so it could shatter, as if it would erase the message. Then, a call came in, from the same sender of the message. I stared at the call, the phone lightly vibrated in my hand. Then, I felt my breath becoming shallow, and the simple act of breathing threatened to become a tedious task I couldn’t bring myself to do.
One of my hand went to take a hold of the table in front of me, desperately needing to grasp something and keep myself grounded, perhaps to even break me out of this trance. Somehow, my eyes couldn’t break free from watching the video, making my heart tighten.
My fingers managed to reach the table, and instead of grasping it and using it to support myself, my fingers pushed the paddle, making it drop to the floor. It was the sound of the paddle dropping that sucked me right out of the trance I found myself in. I took in a deep breath, blinking while I managed to drop the phone on the table, locking it.
Then, I heard voices of the people in my surrounding returned, and a particular announcement served as the last pull back to the reality. “…sold at 50 million dollars to Mr. Christian Kingston!”
Wait…what? I looked up, turning my head around to see if I actually heard the name right just in time to see someone coming to walk past me, making his way to the podium where he would be given the painting. A man trailed behind him, not giving me the room to stare at him. However, when he reached the stage and turned around to face everyone, I could swear I ceased to breathe again. It really is him.
Then, our gazes met, and his lips slanted upwards into a smile I etched to my memory.
***
Christian Kingston.
The car came to a halt in front of King Enterprises, Carter stepping out of the passenger seat almost immediately and hastily making a move to open the door for me. Fixing the cufflink of my sleeves one last time, I stepped out of the car, Carter closing it behind as we were welcomed by three workers from the Management team, their heads slightly bowed as they offered their greetings.
I offered them a small curt, one of my hands going to the pocket of my suit pants as I took the lead, walking into the massive building which the Headquarters of King Enterprises situated in America, yet again welcomed by two rows of workers waiting on the inside, collectively bowing their heads the minute I stepped foot in the building.
“Welcome back, Mr. Kingston.” They greeted collectively.
I strolled past them, Carter walking a foot behind me and the three workers that welcomed us from outside tagging along, the other workers all dispersing to their various sites of work. The three rambled on, trying to brief me on everything that has happened while I’ve been away as if I don’t know already.
I raised my hand slightly, putting a halt to their reports. They knew what that meant, so they bowed their heads slightly one last time, before they turned around and headed back to their respective stations while I and Carter stepped into the elevator that would take us to the top floor where my office is.
The ride to the floor was quiet, aside from the light hum of orchestral music playing. It came to a halt the moment the doors slid open again, and I stepped out almost immediately, followed by Carter. The workers on the floor were all quick to get on their feet, each throwing their own collective greetings.
Upon entering my office, I was welcomed yet again by that familiar space I had missed admittedly. Now, this office feels like home to me. No other office could replace it. My hand went to undo the button of the suit jacket, which I shrugged off and placed on the coat hanger before taking my seat behind the table, drawing the chair closer.
“About today’s schedule, switch that board meeting tomorrow and schedule it to take place in fifteen minutes, send an email to all the Directors, I want them there ASAP.” I picked up the first folder in sight, one about the impending business I need to take care of, then carried on giving my instructions to Carter. “Also schedule a meeting with the CEO of Brian & Co. somehow between 2-3, we need to discuss the acquisition.”
Carter’s nervous chuckle came, making me halt my action of going through the document in my hand for I just know something is bound to come up, something I wouldn’t like. “Yeah, about that…” He chuckled again, though I doubt there’s nothing amusing. “…you just came back to the company after two years of being away to handle the overseas business. Why don’t you take time off today and rest? You know, do something that’s not business related.”
I drummed my fingers on the table, then lifted my head and fixed my gaze on him, my lips slanted into a tight line. “Spill it.” Carter knows better than to suggest I do something else when I have clearly given him instructions. But, for him to say that means there’s something.
He visibly swallowed thickly, his lips tilted upwards into an uneasy smile. Then, he hastily dropped another folder in front of me, and before I could ask him to explain, he did the honors himself. “Mrs. Gloria put this together and ordered me vehemently to make sure you go through it as scheduled till she gets what she wants…”
My brows furrowed together, as I stared at him, then at the grey folder that somehow made me feel uneasy. Hesitantly, I reached out to pick it up, getting chills from it almost instantly-I could sense this not going in my favor almost immediately. The unluckiness is rolling of it in waves I could practically see it.
Still, I flicked it open, and the moment my eyes fell on the first page, I could only shudder, dropping it back on the table almost immediately. “What the hell is this?” I flicked my eyes up to meet his gaze.
He offered me a wide, cheeky grin, no doubt knowing it’ll get on my nerves. “Mrs. Gloria arranged a blind date for you every week for three months.” He stated, as if I didn’t see it already on the first page. “You have one week with each girl to get to know each other and ponder whether she’s the one or not before moving on to the next. And if none of these girls are to your liking,” He lifted his phone, “she will prepare a list to last you a year or two if she has to.”
I huffed out a breath of disbelief, my eyes dilated. “No.” I shook my head, pushing the folder away while shuddering, the mere thought of going through meeting every woman on the list making me have chills all over. “I will not do any of this. I told her I have someone, why is she doing this again?”
Carter’s smile fell, as he gave me a look that screamed whether I really just said that. “That was the lie you made two years ago before you whisked yourself overseas and haven’t returned till now. You don’t think she’d buy that lie again, did you?” There are a few situations where Carter seems to forget I’m his boss, and not the other way around, this is one of those situations.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.