Chapter 3

Stepping out of the taxi and shivering in the cold night, Elena dialed her boss's number. It rang thrice before he picked up. Liam's voice came in, hoarse and scratchy. “Are you here?”

“Yes, sir.” She realized that contrary to what he said earlier when she called him, he hadn't gone out to check if she'd arrived.

He saw a man dressed in a dark suit and with a stern facial expression walk toward her. “Helena, right?”

“Elena, yes. Did Mr. Liam send you?” Elena replied as her eyes scanned the entrance of the club. She could see two lesbians making out on the bonnet of a car parked near the entrance.

“Mr. Hemsworth is waiting for you inside,” the bodyguard said, drawing Elena's attention back to him.

“Right,” She nodded and followed him closely. 

When they got to the entrance of the door, Elena passed a few strippers who had sultry expressions on their faces as they smoked recklessly. The girls attempted to harass Elena but one glaring look from the guard sent them scampering away. 

Little did Elena know that it wasn't the guard they were afraid of. It was the man who was seated on a red couch, surrounded by three strippers. Her boss, Liam Hemsworth.

“You took so long,” he said. There were bottles of expensive alcoholic wine littered on the table but he didn't look or sound drunk.

“Sorry, sir,” Elena apologized as she scrunched her face in disgust at the sight before her.

Liam raised his hand, giving a dismissive wave and the girls gave him some space, but they didn't leave. They smoked while giving Elena a deadly glare.

“I called you to tell you I'll be making a four-day trip to France in two days. So I want you to book a flight for me.”

Elena didn't believe her ears. Was this a prank or something? Was this why he dragged her to a club in the middle of the night?

Anger boiled in the pit of Elena's stomach and she couldn't keep it in anymore. “Just to book a flight for you?”

“Yes, my dear,” He winked at her and leaned back into the arms of his girls.

“You could have just said it over the phone, or waited for tomorrow—” Elena began to protest but was quickly interrupted by Liam.

“Will you shut up your goddamn mouth!” Liam barked as a glint of annoyance flashed across his features. His once enchanting face suddenly morphed into a terrific one. 

“How dare you tell me what to do with you? You're my secretary for goddam sake. Did Mr. Clinton not give you any instructions?” He cursed loudly, causing a deafening silence to course through the club.

“I'm really sorry, sir,” Elena apologized, not wanting to cause any more problems. There were over a couple dozen eyes staring daggers at her now. “I'll book the flight now, sir.”

“Good,” Liam said, his features softening. “Now hang around and have some fun.”

Elena nodded and turned away, head banging and eyes red with disrupted sleep. The next moment she was tapped by someone. Her eyes fluttered open as she wiped drool from the sides of her mouth. When had she fallen asleep?

“Get up and get going, girl, we are closed for the day,” a short burly man said.

Elena got to her feet and looked around. It was dark and there were no signs of Liam or the strippers in the club.

Elena rubbed her eyes groggily. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Five after three,” the club owner replied and began walking away.

Elena sighed dejectedly. Liam had gone home and left her at the club. Exhausted, Elena found a cab back home. She quietly opened the front door, careful not to make a sound. She shut the door and heaved a sigh of relief but her breath got caught up in her throat when she turned around and found her dad sitting on the couch in the living room.

“umm… You…you’re awake, Dad,” Elena stammered nervously.

“Yes. I heard you go out and I decided to wait for you. Is it Liam, my dear?”

She glared at him and nodded. Her father knew about Mr. Liam's excesses but he acted like it was so cool and that made Elena angry at her father. How can he be so cold-hearted toward his daughter?

"Are you done for today then?"

Elena didn't know if she was done, but she nodded. Ignoring the glare in her eyes, her father gestured at the couch and she sat down. 

"Now I want you to listen very carefully to me," Elena's father spoke. "If you're observant enough, you'd have noticed how important your interview and working with the EliteCorp mean to me. And I want to reveal the reason I asked you to work there.” He paused for a minute and went on. “I sent you there to be an eye for me."

"An eye?" Elena was taken aback

"You see, our company is going down the drain. I have invested and lost so many resources and thousands of dollars, but all ain't working. I want you to go there and look deep into their system of operation. Ask questions. Capture what they do that works for them. All of their secrets. I mean all. Write 'em down if you will. And get back to me with your findings," Elena's father spoke in a dangerously low tone.

"Father, this is equivalent to sending me to spy on them, which you know is a punishable crime," Elena protested.

"Nonsense! It is what you call it. We've come too far to go back. You have to be wise and extremely cautious. I am your father and will never mislead you. This is for our own good and the company's benefit."

Elena sighed. She knew that it was pointless trying to argue with her father and if she dared to argue, he'd try to emotionally blackmail her. "I've heard what you said."

A smug smile spread across his face and he tugged at her cheeks. "Don't worry, I've got you covered. Your step sisters will be proud of you."

Chelsea and Jennifer were the last people Elena cared to impress. If she could turn back the hands of time, she didn't want to have anything to do with them.

•••

It was 6:45 a.m., and Elena was about to hit the snooze button of her alarm clock that sat lazily on the nightstand when someone barged into her room. She knew it could be one person. Her dad. 

"Good morning, Dad," Elena murmured groggily as she rubbed her eyes. 

He ignored her greeting and showed her a picture of an important-looking document on his tablet.

"This right here is a letter of contractor-ship from the secretary-general of the States," He said, barely containing his excitement.

Elena didn't know how this concerned her. 

"With this document, you can send a direct request for sponsorship to the office of the Secretary-general himself. It gains access without any hitches," He said, his words coming out in a rush.

Elena's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she waited for her dad to finish his statement.

"Do you know where the document is?" He asked, raising his eyes in anticipation.

"I have no idea. And I don't care right now," Elena retorted nonchalantly. She could see the glint of mischief in her father's eyes.

"My men and I have been doing undercover digging, and we found it. It was last seen with your boss, Liam. And I want you to find it and it for me."

Elena threw her hands up. "No, no, I reject. This is the height of it. I can't do anything related to that."

"Well, you must." His tone had changed to a threatening and dangerous one, one which Elena too well.

“But…He's traveling—” She tried to argue again but her father quickly cut her statement short.

“I know about his four-day trip to France,” her father interjected, leaving Elena dizzy with surprise. How on earth did he find out about that? 

“You're getting me those documents and that is final.”

"I will get it, sir," Elena said in a defeated tone, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good. Now get dressed and get ready for work." Without another word, Elena's father stormed out of the room.

*******

Elena dressed in her professional attire and walked through the doors of EliteCorp, her nerves buzzing with anxiety. She knew that today she had a task to fulfill, one that challenged her ethical boundaries. It was still early, and most of her colleagues were yet to arrive.

Liam's absence provided a window of opportunity for Elena to execute her plan. Taking a deep breath, Elena donned her professional demeanor and approached the door to Liam's office. 

She clutched a tray of coffee cups tightly in her hands, using it as a guise to conceal her true intentions. With a calculated act, she knocked on the door before entering, feigning the role of a dutiful employee.

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning. Elena's heart raced as she carefully closed the door behind her, ensuring privacy.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she quickly shuffled through Liam's desk, desperately searching for the document her father had asked her to bring. Finally, her eyes locked onto the sought-after document, and a sense of relief washed over her.

As she carefully reached out to take hold of it, the office door swung open, and Liam's tall figure stepped inside. Time froze for an instant, Elena's breath catching in her throat as she stood frozen, caught in the act of stealing from her boss.

Liam's piercing gaze locked onto Elena, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "What the hell you doing there, Miss Corper?" He demanded, his gaze flickering between Elena and the document in her hands, piecing together the puzzle before him.

Elena's mind raced, desperately searching for an explanation that could save her from the situation. “I... I was just... delivering coffee,” she stammered, her voice trembling.

Liam's face twisted with disbelief, his voice laced with an edge of menace. “Delivering coffee? In my office? With a stolen document in your hands? Don't insult my intelligence, Ms. Corper!”

Fear tightened its grip around Elena's chest as she watched Liam walk towards her, his strides were intimidating. She instinctively took a step back, her thoughts ran wild with the consequences of her actions.

"Give me the document," Liam demanded, his voice low but commanding as his gaze bore into Elena.

Elena's hands trembled as she reluctantly handed over the document, shame and regret etched across her face. Liam took the document from her grasp, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before breaking their intense gaze. 

He spoke, his voice filled with a cold detachment, "You have the guts to come into my office and steal from me."

"I'm sorry, Sir," she finally managed to utter, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to invade your privacy."

"Well, you can say that to the police," Liam said, as he moved his hand to press the intercom. Elena's desperation reached its peak as she watched Liam move towards the intercom, his intention clear.

Elena fell to her knees, her eyes welling up with tears. “Sir, I can explain.”

“Shut the fuck up, you disgusting thief! Save the explanations for the police,” Liam barked. “Is this what you came to do here? Damn, how I almost trusted you!”

“You can trust me, sir, believe me, you can. Just give me a chance to explain” Elena pleaded desperately.

“Oh, really?” Liam scoffed, raising his eyebrows. He paused, his hand hovering above the intercom button. He looked at Elena, a hint of curiosity replacing his initial anger. "Alright," he relented, his tone cautious. "Explain yourself. What are you looking for, and who sent you?”

Elena stared at the floor, at the almost invisible specks of dust lodged between the white tiles. Was she about to give her father away?

“It's my father,” she murmured, trying to find a way to cushion the effect of his father's guilt. “My father asked me to bring that document from your office. He... he wanted it for his own gain. I didn't know what it contained or the implications of taking it. I was misguided, and I deeply regret my actions." Her words tumbled out in a rush.

“Your father sent you to steal from me? Liam Hemsworth. And you agreed.” After a moment of silence, Liam sighed, his voice calm yet firm. "Call your father, Elena. I want him to come to the office immediately," he instructed, gesturing towards the phone on his desk.

Crying and sobbing, she dialed her father's number, her fingers trembling with anxiety. After a few rings, her father's voice echoed through the receiver.

"Dad, it's me. I need you to come to EliteCorp right away. There is trouble," Elena said with a trembling voice.

“You call this trouble?” Liam said after she ended the call. “This is way more than trouble. You're in deep shit, you and your father. Now, get out of my office this instant!”

He almost kicked her. Outside, Elena sat on the waiting bench, bemoaning her plight. She desperately wanted to be fired, to be miles away from Liam and his cursed company. But with this shit that she has been lured into by her father, it was impossible to go scot-free.

Within minutes, Elena's father was escorted into the hallway, smiling. His facial expression remained unfazed as his eyes darted between Liam and his daughter. 

 Liam didn't wait for him to come near. “Are you her father?”

“I'm George Cooper,” Elena's father responded calmly with a thin smile on his face. “My daughter called me and—”

“Your daughter here tried to steal from me,” Liam interrupted, and George shot Elena a sad look. “Upon asking her, she said you sent her. Do you care to explain why?”

“I understand your grievance, my good friend, we did you wrong. I'd only ask one favor from you. Let's go into your office and talk this out, and perhaps reach an agreement.” George's voice was so convincing that Liam was left speechless. 

Liam nodded and led the way to his office, shutting the door behind him as he walked into the office. Elena settled in the reception area, her thoughts racing, uncertain of the outcome of this unexpected meeting between her father and Liam. 

Time seemed to stretch as moments turned into minutes. The muffled sound of voices emanated from the closed office door, leaving Elena to wonder about the nature of their conversation. 

Finally, the door swung open, and her father emerged, his face holding a blank expression. She rushed to him, both angry and curious. “What did you agree with him? Is he suing me?”

He made his way over to where Elena sat and took a seat opposite her. “He says he'll sue us, and we'll serve two years term in prison.”

“Christ!” Elena gasped as her eyes widened in surprise.

Her father hesitated, his eyes avoiding direct contact with Elena's. “But I gave him another offer instead, and he accepted.”

Confusion clouded Elena's features as she leaned closer. She hoped the offer was money. Liam must have demanded monetary compensation, and it was way better than going to court.

“What is the offer?” her voice trembled.

“You.”

Elena's mouth fell open, stunned into silence. She blinked rapidly, trying to process the unexpected news. “Me? How?”

“You're getting married to Liam and the court marriage comes up in two weeks after his trip,” Her father said with a tone of finality.

The hallway began to swirl in crazy circles before her eyes. She staggered back and held a wall for support.

“You're forcing me to get married to Liam?” Elena said, her voice escaping as a whisper. She tried to raise her voice but couldn't. “I'm not getting married to that son-of-a-bitch! There's no way it's happening.”

“It is the only option we have” her father barked as he stood up, a glint of anger gleaming in his eyes. “...or do you want to go to jail after bagging an MBA?”