The Contract.

PRESENT DAY.

“ He isn’t here Ma,” Yul informed as fear gripped him. He had always dreaded getting on her nerves or being in her black book so he always did his best to be on good behavior but this time it was inevitable.

“ What do you mean by that?.” Mrs. Ivy Alvinda yelled angrily and slapped the file in her hand on the table. She would have understood him coming late to work but missing a meeting as important as this was the limit of it all.

“ I am sorry Ma but he hasn't been to work for some days now.” Yul informed, his head bowed. He was Marco’s personal secretary and he could remember telling him what his week schedule looked like five days ago. He had missed two meetings but being his secretary, he was able to cover up for him and seal the ‘not so important’ deals quietly under his name. However he doubted if he could do that for long as his boss hasn’t been picking his calls or responding to his texts.

“ That little brat!.” She swore between clenched teeth and squeezed her palms into fists. “ Call him over at once.” She ordered.

” I'm afraid I have done so Ma but he never picks.” He disclosed, his head still bowed.

Mrs. Ivy exhaled deeply before signaling him to leave. She was fed up with Marco’s constant disappearance whenever an issue occurred between them. This time around was a wrong timing because they had an important meeting going on, a deal worth billions.

What was she to do when they personally requested for the smart yet mischievous Marco?.

She thought as she picked up the telephone while dialing a number.

“ Welcome to Real Suites, how may we be of help?.” The soft feminine voice inquired in a polite tone.

“ Do you have a ‘Mr. Marco’ lodged in your suite?.” She asked curiously. She was sure he had to be in one of those fancy places where he spent his money like it was a no man's business.

Was she to talk about the usual Friday night clubbing? Or the way the ladies would swamp around him? Or the way he changed women almost every week with different excuses?

The last time, he had ended things with a model because she said she preferred tea to coffee. One time he broke up with the daughter of a well -to-do family because he found out he had surgery to change her nose shape.

Ivy could go on and on about his excuses which she all found lame and baseless.

“ There is no perfect woman.” She would often say to him.

“ If there isn't any yet then I will make one for myself.” He would reply, all to annoy her.

That spoilt little brat.

She cussed.

“ Just a minute Ma, I will check.” She responded politely before dropping the land phone on the table and clicking on the keyboard. She hummed softly before picking up the phone, bringing it close to her mouth. “ I am afraid we don’t have anyone under that name here Ma.” She informed.

“ Hmm.” Mrs. Ivy hummed briefly. “ Okay.” She added then dropped the call. She knew better than to keep calling up all the expensive suites in town cause now wasn’t the right time. She however would make sure she made Marco pay for this and this time it was a vow.

She let out another deep breath before getting up and walking out of her office, heading for the meeting.

Thoughts of what she would tell them crowded her head and in the end, she pushed them all out. She knew all she had to do was act natural and maybe wait for nature to come up with a lie, a white harmless lie.

She cleared her throat as she walked into the enormous room, squeezing out a fake smile.

“ I don’t see Mr. Marco anywhere.” Mr. Grey said, looking at the door.

Mrs. Ivy let out a long forced laugh.

“ I am sorry to inform you that my son, Mr. Marco won’t be able to make it to this meeting. He deeply wishes that he could come but things at Lapiela have been crazy so he has to overlook work there.” She lied effortlessly and watched them all send each other glances.

“ We really want him to be the one to handle this project, that was the order of the Chairman. I believe we will have to put this on hold till he comes.” Mr. Grey replied. He knew better than to disobey his chairman, Mr. Alearnado Da Smith. He was like a ticking bomb that would blow up in the face of any that dared to provoke him.

“ No, I can help put you through this. I am his Mother after all so I know better.” She responded, a part of her worried.

Mr. Alex chuckled dryly.

“ I am afraid we would have to do as my colleague said. We want Mr. Marco. It’s him or no one else.”1 He chirped in.

“ Isn’t that too irrational and unhealthy for business?.” She yelled angrily before putting her nerves under control. “ This deal is worth billions and would take a long time to execute.” She added.

“ The exact reason we want Mr. Marco, reviews on his works lately have been so good. We can’t afford to ruin the Chairman’s mood by letting someone else overlook it.” Mr. Grey responded calmly.

Marco!.

Mrs. Ivy screamed angrily in her head as her palms tightened into fists.

“ We will have him contact you once he comes back.” She said in between clenched teeth as she tried not to sound annoyed.

“ Okay, we will take your leave then.” Mr. Alex replied.

She watched the three men dressed in official suits, get up from the seats they were previously seated in and bowed briefly before heading out of the room.

She could feel her blood boil.

Angrily she picked up her phone and dialed a number. That number she never thought she would need to dial again, the one she dreaded dialing.

“ I need your help, Marcus.” She whispered into the phone, setting herself right into his trap.