NICK“Welcome to the corporate business annual gala, my name is Tom, and I will be your host this evening. Without wasting anymore of your time. I would like to call to the stage to open for us. New Village’s favourite billionaire. He needs no introduction as many of you already know him, some of you have had the pleasure of doing business with him and some know him through his good deeds around the city. Ladies and gentlemen. Let us put our hands together and welcome to the stage, Nick Jones of Jones Enterprises.”The room erupted in applause; I was annoyed in a second. I didn’t need to be there, but I didn’t attend the past two years and Sandra insisted we come to this one. I should have been at the office facilitating the search for my son.As I sat there watching people coming into the gala, my mind was on my parents, wondering how their talk went with Olivia. Also, I was curious to learn about what they knew about her that I didn’t. I took my time getting up on that stage after T
OLIVIA“You look like a queen Mrs Jones, and you move gracefully like one as well.” Brandon complemented; I didn’t know he knew who I was. I must have shown my shock because he said. “Oh, don’t be shocked, everyone here knows who you are and wondering why you and your husband came here with different dates.”I was afraid of something like that, but Nick and I could never appear in these circles together again. “Are you one of those who are wondering, Mr Ryan?” he chuckled spinning me around. “No, I already know what happened. The moron didn’t know his wife well enough to trust her. He sent her to jail and is now jealous that I am dancing with her instead of him.”I laughed; I should have known he was someone powerful enough to provoke Nick like that without fear of the consequences. “How do you know that I didn’t do what they say I did?” He smiled; the man was beautiful, not handsome but beautiful.“Because I know how to read people and you don’t look like the type who would be with a
OLIVIAI stood in front of the tall skyscraper building of Ryan Properties with my hands sweating and my feet glued to the ground. I was supposed to have gone inside ten minutes ago but my feet were heavy as cement. In my mind I kept thinking about that text Brandon sent and wondering what it meant.What did his father approve of? Was it the business deal we spoke of or something else? Being in prison made me a suspicious person, I could no longer take anything someone said at face value. I had shown Ethan the text trying to get his views on it and all I got from him was.“Be careful, Olivia. Brandon is Nick’s business rival. They might not run in the same circles in business, but they are still rivals, I can’t explain but be careful.” He looked angry when he told me that and it made me wonder if Brandon was his rival too.But I did not ask him. here I was standing there not sure if going in was a good idea. I needed the business, and my company was small. I couldn’t afford to turn aw
NICKI went straight to my parent’s house after the gala. I was pissed by what Olivia did there, allowing Brandon to dance and flirt with her. She was all smiles and laughing as they danced like an old couple. Brandon is going to stay the hell away from my wife if he knew what was good for him.Going to my parent’s house was the only logical thing I could do in that situation. I was too angry to go home, about one, being that I didn’t want to go home and face Sandra. I was angry with her for what she did at the gala, and I was afraid if I went home. I was going to say things I was going to regret. Second, I was going to find out what they learned from Olivia after talking to her.But by the look of things and how she was behaving towards me. I had a feeling that it didn’t go well. Given parked in front of the house. “I am going to sleep here, no need to wait for me. you can leave if you want to.” I told him then went into the house.My parents were still awake, the light was still on
NICKI couldn’t believe father was advising me to let my wife go, he was the one who taught me that you don’t give up on family, that you fight for your family and that you always try to make things right with the people you love. Yet, today, that same man was telling me to give up on my wife. The mother of my son and just let her go.What a hypocrite he was being. Am sure he and mother had their issues as well. Did he give up? No. they were still together, raised me together as a family, why did he ask me to give up on mine? I did my wife wrong that I know but what was I supposed to do when all the evidence was against her?I just wanted her to acknowledge her wrongdoing and learn from it. Sandra was her friend, and she needed her to do right by her. It would have taken time for her to get over what she did, but she would have forgiven her eventually. I didn’t care about the money she stole; she was entitled to it as my wife.I wish she would have asked for it instead of stealing it b
OLIVIAWith the business I got from Ethan plus the others that were coming through, which I didn’t know where they came from or how they came to know about us. I had to hire more people to help out. I hired seven more drivers, another administrator and fleet coordinator.It was becoming too much for me to do everything on my own with the logistics side of the business and the consulting side. I would work at night as well just to make sure that I deliver to our clients. My business was growing fast, and I didn’t know how that was happening.It was clear that it was not just Ethan who was helping me but someone else as well. I thought of Nick but then dismissed that thought, Nick would never help me. He hated me. “Jane, please come to my office.” I called her. Jane was helping me in the consulting side of the business, but she was not putting much effort into her work and missing deadlines.A few minutes later she came in chewing gum. Gosh, I hated a woman who chews gum in the workplace
OLIVIAI was busy in my office doing two people’s jobs since I fired Jane. I have asked Lauren to advertise the position for me, but the process was going to take at least a month before I could get someone in to fill the position. Meanwhile I would have to suck it up and do the work. It was my business after all, and it was growing fast.I had two big clients and over fifteen smaller ones. Then the individual tax and finance consulting for the small businesspeople in town. It seemed like I was going to have to hire someone else to help with the work if things continued the way they did.My door opened and closed. “Lauren, it’s good you came in. I wanted to ask if the truck company got back to you regarding those two trucks we want to buy and please ask HR how far they are with hiring the two drivers who are going to be driving those trucks. We need to keep this moving so we can take the load off our current drivers.”There was no response until I lifted my head, and I was shocked to
CHAPTER 3018 Months laterNICK“We have lost five contracts in the last six months, five! Does anyone want to tell me when we became the losing team?” I was pissed to no end, a year ago a company popped out of nowhere and started making waves. I didn’t notice it until we were in the same room bidding for the same contract.I didn’t know where they came from or who the owners are, but they are giving us a run for our money. They won that contract and they have been winning them since. It’s been six months now and we have lost five bloody contracts to them, and I wanted to know why. I needed to know how as well.Granted, they were good, but they had no background or reputation to speak of. I didn’t understand how investors and others put their trust in them. Because of that, we were losing, and they were winning. I called a deep briefing to try and find out what the hell is going on with my team.“Lina, what have you found about them?” I have asked her to do some digging on those people