Chapter 4

I stared at my uncle’s face, his hand stretched towards me for a shake, I let my lips curl into a smile as I took his hand in mine, tightening my grip.

“It’s an honour to meet you in person, Mr Collin” I said, smiling from ear to ear, startling Juliano, I could see the tension in his eyes, he hadn’t seen me smile or speak without being spoken to.

“Please, please, have your seats” Tilard said, gesturing to the empty seats that sat behind the big board desk.

“Thank you” Juliano answered, helping himself to a seat, I stood right beside him.

“Does he have to be inside here with us, while we discuss?” A young man I hadn’t noticed prior said, his voice unwelcoming, I could feel his disapproval of me being in the room while they had their meeting but I wanted nothing but to know what they planned to do.

‘Is he into the child trafficking too?’ I thought to myself as I looked at Juliano.

“He can stay, I trust him” Juliano protested, my eagerness peaked, I stood right behind him, not uttering a word even though I wanted nothing more but to put my hands around Tilard’s neck and make him lose connection to life, I restrained my hands but not my thoughts.

“So.. we’re deliberating on the contract” Tilard said, looking at the unfamiliar man that swiveled on his chair, his dark brown hair and blue eyes catching my gaze “Where’s your father?, he’s late..again” Tilard asked, perplexed, this deal seemed like one he could not pass on.

“I’m right here” the man emerging from the hard door said, his cigar in one hand, the other sprawled to the end as though asking a question.

“What took you so long?” His son asked.

I could see the unprofessionalism in their demeanor, even though their company seemed legal, something didn’t sit right with me, that is, apart from the fact that my uncle is one of the company’s owners.

“The name’s Giovanni, Giovanni Auder and that’s my son Carlo” he said, pointing at the dark browned hair man who seemed uninterested in the conversation they were about to have.

“Anyways I want my father to have his say in this decision, I only came today to ask if you aeevaware of the plan in place” Juliano said, his hand to his chin.

“Well.. you see, our company will provide the service you need only after the full payment is made, also for the building” Tilard said, his voice was low, my anger rising, I detested him so much, I wanted to take his hands from his limbs but all I could do was smile.

“Mr Juliano, may I excuse myself for a bit?” I whispered into his ear, he answered with a light nod. Bolting out of the room, right outside, I felt my chest heave, my body stimulated with anger, pure rage ‘I can’t stay out too long, I need to know their plans’ I thought to myself as I pushed my back against the wall, almost dropping to my knees.

My uncle was alive and well, living extravagantly with my fathers wealth, living happily after my mother’s demise and peacefully after hearing of my disappearance.

There was a feeling deep in my stomach, I felt my heart ache, it ached from the moment his voice echoed through out the room and I set eyes on his wrinkled, mangled face. I held my chest, hoping to control my anger, my hatred, finally it was possible, I held it in, my mother’s face, her teary eyes flooding my mind, I have to take it in, that’s if I truly want to make him pay.

I walked into the room silently, “We can go now” Juliano said, getting up to leave.

“We’re leaving? So soon?” I asked, trying my best to be formal.

“Yes, we’ll be back, with an update of the situation” Juliano said, looking at the two older men who sat across us.

“Let’s go Enzo” he said, walking to the car.

“I feel like they’re hiding something, I don’t like the thought of the sale or the collaboration” Juliano said as he sat in the car, his eyes on the building.

“What do you mean sir?” I asked, my voice almost high pitched, feminine, as though elated at the fact that he found something wrong, out of place.

“I mean, why do you think they’re hiding something?” I asked, in the most manly voice I could muster, my throat almost dry.

“We’ll talk about it in the office” he said blankly not batting an eye as the driver made turns to leave the premises.

As I waited outside the door of Juliano’s office, my heart raced, my mind paced ‘What could he be doing in Italy, does Giovanni know of his past, does Mr Bernard have anything to do with his past?’ I questioned myself while I stood still, hands folded behind my back as instructed.

I pushed my back against the door, only a little, just so that I could make out their words but it was of no use, Juliano’s yelling was quite obvious, luckily, the hallway leading to the office is empty.

“Dad, you can’t really be thinking of handing them that contract, they’re unprofessional and unpredictable” Juliano said. I could visualize him throwing up his arms in the air, as though he was frustrated.

“That’s my decision, you haven’t been in this business for as long as I have” Mr Bernard said, his restrained hoarse voice getting the best of him at his age.

“But dad, this is the new age, those men are not professional” Juliano protested.

“I’m going to give them the contract!” His father ordered.

There was a pause, an unsettling one and then I heard Juliano speak “What if we send someone to do some digging” Juliano said, now in hushed tones, I could hardly make of what he had to say.

“What do you mean?” His father asked.

“I mean, what if we send someone over there, one of our own as an employee or as we call him, a feedback transmitter” Juliano said, making his voice lower.

“I’m listening” his father said, that was all I could make out of, before Juliano opened the door “Come on, my office, let’s go” he said to me, tapping my shoulder.

I followed behind him impulsively.

“There’s a job for you” He said to me, standing close to the window upfront. “What might that be sir?” I asked, puzzled.

I want you to go undercover” he said, a smirk on his face.

“Not as a male” he added, I could feel my heart skip yet, my only reaction was me furrowing my brows at his suggestion.

“As a female” he added.

“How would I pull that off?” I asked “They've seen you, they’ll recognize you but as a female” he said, approaching me slowly, pulling up what seems like a wig from the side of his desk.

“They won’t see you coming” he said, putting the dark brown wig on my head, watching me with amusement. I smiled at him, not at the idea but at his thought process.

‘Does he really know my identity?’ I thought o myself as the wig laid still on my head, making my heart race.