Chapter 5

It wasn't one of our best days at the office. On the card was written Zilak promotion enterprise. The son of the chairman was one of our vip clients then. As my company produces new beauty products, we come in contact with different influential personnels for marketing of our brand. Zilak promotion enterprise was one of our biggest advertisement and promotional client. They buy, test and advertise products from us and market or resell at their own price.

It was on a July, I had handed the deal to some of trusted staff to prepare and ready the products for marketing and promotion as Hosae, The son of the chairman of zilak was to represent the company to select new brands for marketing.

I had gotten a call that fateful afternoon about a commotion and problem with the dealing. In arriving at the location, I overheard Hosae Speaking lowly of our brands and had offered to buy them at large but on cheaper prices. I was really pissed, but on dealing with important clients, we had to be as polite as not to lose them or have them ruin our image with bad comments on social media platform, because if that happened, we would loose enough sponsors, public support, and customers.

He had gotten into a fight with Roderigo after he got violent with me for asking him out and calling security on his refusal to leave the building.

I came back to myself and immediately, ideas started to rush through my head one after the other.

"Trixie, I need you to make me a 10:00 o'clock appointment tomorrow with the new chairman of zilak promotion enterprise." I said as soon as Trixie picked up the call. She has been one loyal staff I had, and performs multiple tasks and never complained for once of her heinous job and her inconsistent working hours.

"Uhm... There's one problem ma'am. The new chairman doesn't take appointments unless he's the one that makes it. So there's only a 10% chance that he'd like to meet with you." She replied hesitantly.

"You know I don't take no for an answer. So make that 10% chance worth it." I replied and hung up immediately to avoid hearing more excuses, and also because I believed she'd get me the appointment. If I didn't have anyone to perform impossible tasks, I had Trixie. She makes the impossible, possible.

I wondered why every chairman or representative of the company were so arrogant and full of themselves. It pissed me even more that I had to be the one begging for an appointment.

I had planned to partner with the company whether anonymously working with them. I believed I would be a great asset they wouldn't refuse. I still had shares in my name that Roderigo didn't know about, and I planned to buy back every remaining share of my company back anonymously, he'd never know what hit him. All I have to do is wait for the perfect moment to strike, when he's cornered and would have no other choice but to sell the company shares. I wish to make them both wished they were dead than to be alive and suffer my torment.

I noticed I was becoming too bitter, angry and resentful. I've never wished my enemies misfortune before, neither have I laughed at someone else's misfortune because I've been there, I knew what I'd feel like, but right now all I deeply wished for was to see them both burn to the ground. I wanted so bad to snap their necks whenever I remembered or took a glance at them, I wanted to end their lives at any cost. It was this rage that made me loose guard and refused to focus on the important things in front of me.

I started to think carefully before I acted. I became more conniving. All I thought about when I was alone was them. At this point, I found myself obsessing over them, as much as they obsessed over me. But their own obsession was based on the fear of my rage, the wanted me out of the way because of the fear of what I might do.

Roderigo was more petrified because he never saw this side of me. Neither did he think I was capable of harming a fly or revenging. He was certain I would take pity on myself and move on with my life and let them be.

Every night, I had someone drive the exact same car at Jades house, he would stalk her and watch her every move, but more importantly, it terrified her. At first it was just an instinct she got about being followed. Then she became more anxious when she started to see the exact, same car parked at her compound with the lights on every night. I had followed her a few nights, before hiring someone to do it for me. One of the nights, the stalker had noticed he wasn't the only one that had been stalking her, I had him snick around to find out what the stalker wanted with her. Then it all made sense when the stalker made a move to threaten her, and it turned out she was owing the loan shark and they've been after her. She had actually planned to scam them by putting a different location so they couldn't find her, but they did anyway. I thought of how I could use that to my advantage.

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It wasn't easy setting an appointment with the chairman of the Zilak company, instead of a day, It took a week before he could accept my request, but it was worth the wait, at least that was what I thought.

I was supposed to meet him 9:00 o'clock sharp in the morning as he insisted I mustn't be a second or minute late.

On getting to his office, my eyes fell on him from a distance. He looked quite decent and different from what I heard about his intimidating nature. That was until I got closer. I couldn't quite take a good look at his facial features as he was busy, focused on the documented papers in front of him. He continued to flip the pages until he heard my greeting.

I was astonished as how absent minded he was because of his work. He didn't even notice me enter the room.

"You may have a sit miss Rose." He said as if he was aware of my enterance. Maybe I judged too quickly. I pulled the chair back and sat opposite him. Few seconds later, he finally closed the pages of the book and was ready to attend to me.

As his deep green eyes fell on me, and our gaze met, my heart raced as if I ran a marathon. It was unusual because that was how I felt when I first met Roderigo. But this feeling was different, my heart raced because I was perblexed at seeing the face in from of me. I was in total shock and was surprised. My memories fell back to our first encounter. He was 6ft tall and looked like he was in his middle 30's. His thick black hair brushed up and backward from the forehead.

I felt ashamed. "Did he recognize me? What is going to happen now? What if he reviews everything?" thoughts like that kept echoing in my head. Cold chills shuddered all over my body.

"I'm glad to meet you under different and sober circumstances." He said with a chuckle. He remembered me. What was I going to do. Now I was sure I was done for. It was the same barman I had a drink at his bar the night everything happened. I could remember how rude I was to him and how I had brushed him off when he tried to help me. I felt so embarrassed of myself, but I tried to remain calm and compose myself.

"Thank you." That was all I could mutter.

"We'll have much to talk about after this meeting if you want my mouth shut forever." He added. I felt as if he just blackmailed me to get to meet me again privately.

"Okay." And I agreed without questioning. I wasn't in the position to argue anyway. If I let something like that get out, it would be really bad for my public image. Without adding more comments, he went down to business.

I would say the meeting felt more like an interrogation than an interview. He caught me off guard few times but I still managed to give him proper answers. I made sure I was convincing enough to leave him with no doubts. My goal was achieved when he approved my proposal to work hand in hand with him and by his side.

I shocked him more after the interview when I still brought up the case at the bar. I realized I had more on him than he did on me. But it backfired. He convinced me with tangible reasons while the public would still side him if they found out he tended a bar, it would mean he was humble and also the fact that he was extremely handsome, and was on the top for the most dateable CEOs.

I was still curious as to what made him do that.

"We'll see soon enough Ms Rose." He said as he stood up and offered to shake my hand.

"Mr Sanchez." I shook his hand.

"Please call me Gustavo, just Gustavo." He said with a charming and satisfied smile. I replied by nodding my head in agreement. He finally let go of my hand and I bowed in respect before I made my exit.

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