Chapter 5

“What's next?" Chairman Lexx tapped his forehead.

He thought for a minute and let out. "I should call Charmaine, this is unusual of her…"

He took out his phone and just when he wanted to dial her number, Mrs. Charmaine entered.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted, bowing her head a little. She didn't give him a space to respond, and she quickly added. "How was your night?"

"It's fine,” he answered in simplicity, and let out his worry. “Why are you late? I have been so worried."

"I am sorry for worrying you, sir." she apologized and explained. "I went to bed too late last night and ended up waking up late."

"It's fine. You have been my secretary for over nineteen years and this is the first time you are late. So, if I am not worried about you, I am not human," He pointed out, smiling. He put his phone down and threw a question. "How was where you went? Any good news?" 

"Where I went? What are you talking about, sir?” She acted innocent.

He scoffed and eyed her for a few seconds. Before he declared. "Charmaine, a year ghost is no longer a stranger to the grave. I have known you for a very long time. You can’t hide your feelings from me.”

"What do you mean, sir?” She frowned her face at him in confusion, stretching her hands beside her in a questioning manner.

"You aren't happy, you are just pretending to be." He said.

Hearing him said that, Mrs. Charmaine's eyes turned outrageously red. His statement pissed her off and irritated her. She raised her eyebrows in anger and yelled. "If you are in my shoe, will you be happy again after losing a darling husband and two children on the same day?!"

She took a deep breath, trying to control her anger. She lowered her voice. "It would be better if my children are dead. I would have wept maybe till I lose vision. But there are lost, not dead. How will I overcome the trauma?"

"Why didn’t you accept my marriage proposal? I would have mended your broken heart in a better way.” He asked in a pitiful tone.

She scoffed and widened her eyes. "Why would I accept your proposal?"

"So people will say I killed your wife; who used all her days to trusting me?" She queried.

"Do you still care about what the world says?" He asked.

A surprise sound escaped Mrs. charmaine's mouth. "Hun?!"

He paused for a minute before he nodded and continued. "Sometimes people push out a topic and they will drag and frustrate you, so you will be the one to say what they will use against you. But if they drag you and you say nothing, the commotion will fade away.”

"What about conscience? Will it also disappears?" She questioned.

"Conscience?” He let out in a questioning tone. He tinted the left side of his mouth with a devilish smile and declared. "Conscience is nothing. It never affects me and it can never do. Stop scaring yourself with what's not chasing you, forget about all that, and let's start afresh."

“What do you have to mend, my broken heart?" She asked.

"I am your first love, and you are mine. So, if we let go of all odds, we will be happy being with each other." He stated.

Mrs. Charmaine couldn’t help but smile. She stopped smiling and wore a serious look. "But we parted, and we get married.”

"Yes, but the marriage was in the past. Both of us are now a widow. Besides, true love never dies." He made a point.

She laughed hysterically for a minute and let out. "Truly, true love doesn't die, but greediness killed ours,"

Having those conversations was like driving back to her sad memories, which was the same as pitching her wound heart. Her eyes and voice were teary, but she acted strong and caged them in her eyes.

"Then, because I had nothing, you left me in a coma to face my fate and you went after a rich heiress and traveled with her to another country."

"It's not my fault." He voiced out.

"Whose fault is it? My fault for being born by my poor parents? Or my parents' fault for not going out of their comfort zone to be rich because their daughter loved you?!" She yelled.

"I did everything for your sake." He voiced out.

"For my sake?" She asked in a challenging tone. She took a second break and pleaded. "Please, let's stop going back to the past and leave things the way they have been."

"Charmaine, those things happened in the past. Don't let us judge the present with it. It's not too late and we can start all over again," he begged and added. "You married your late husband not because you loved him, but because you had no option. Now is the time to make things right. You can still be happy at this age."

She nodded. “You’re right. My husband loved me, but I didn't love my husband. But the least I can do to appreciate his love is to continue rejecting you."

"If someone else asks you out, will you accept?" He investigated.

"Why won't I?" She asked.

"Why am I forbidden?" He tried to dig deep.

"Let me get your morning coffee. It's too early for this." She bowed her head, ignoring his question, and she quickly walked out before he would say another word.

<<TEN MINUTES LATER>>

Carissa walked into Jackson company in haste and bang into the chairman’s office without knocking. Immediately, she entered. She was bitter on her face and sat down on the designated set of couched with a table between them, at the left side of the office, before the small three steps that lead to the chairman desk. The place was for receiving special visitor and discussing non-official issues. 

“Good morning, sir,” she greeted, crossing her hands on her chest with anger.

“Good morning,” he responded with a smile. He stood up and walked down to her.

He sat down and showed concern. “What happened? Did the mighty Kayden pissed you off?”

“I can't believe that son of bitch do that…” Carissa grinded her teeth with each other, fixing her eyes on her foot. She looked up at President Lexx's face and asked. “Before I find the document, is there anything I can do to teach him some lessons?”

“What did you witness that made have more interest in this assignment?” He investigated.

“He shouted at his staff and didn't apologize for coming late. I waited for more than an hour and he dared to tell me why I came uninvited.” She narrated.

He let a wicked laughter filled the air for a few seconds. He stopped smiling and looked straight into Carissa's eyes. "You are surprised because it's your first time. His staff are used to it and they can do nothing or they will face consequence."

"What do mean?" She inquired.

"Why do you think none of them resigns?" he raised a question.

"Of course he is paying them a good salary, so no one will probably want to leave. They stay because of money." She said her view.

"That's not the reason. Do you think those young people have given up on their life for money? They are not stupid," he explained. "They stay because they can't leave. He has threatened them and if they resign, he will cook lies against them and they will spend the rest of their life in prison."

"Why did he do that?" She inquired.

"Because he is afraid they will reveal his secrets if they aren't with him anymore. His opponents might use them against him." He answered. 

"He is heartless!" She yelled in irritation.

"You can say that millions of times. He is a zombie…" He supported.

"You said something about salary earlier, right?" He recollected.

"Yes." Carissa answered.

"He isn't paying them what they deserve. His staff work hard than him but he pays them a token. I pity his staff," he revealed and added. "I wish they will be free soon and I will employ them in my company. Those innocent souls are suffering. Kayden is just too heartless to be a human."

A tear dropped from his eyes, and he wiped them.

"Don't worry, I know what to do. I will make him shake in fear and he will cry blood in place of tears. He will wear clothes but still feel naked. Soon, he will call paper money. I assure you Kayden will spend the rest of his life either in jail or wandering around the street." She vowed.

"Does this mean you have given in completely?" He asked.

Carissa out-stared at him and crossed her heart. "Even if it remains a single breath, till my last minute, I will continue receiving order from you to destroy Rolland Kayden,”

"From now, I will be your servant to seek justice and together, we will destroy Rolland Kayden and eradicate more of his kind on earth." She pledged.

Chairman Lexx smiles in satisfaction. "Now, I can trust you with many things."

"If you feel like. I can't force you." She said.

"So, what do you plan to do now?" He asked.

Carissa smiled devilishly. "Don't worry, leave the rest to me. I will find a way and let you know if I need your help."

Carissa stood up and turned to leave.

"Bye. I hope to hear from you soon." He said.

Carissa laid her hand to open the door and turned back to him. "There is a limit to how I can come here from now on. Find a better place to meet."

She said and walked out. She slammed the door and discharged a deep breath. "I have to make a quick and neat plan. This is an additional reason to do things fast. I must free his innocent staff."

Carissa took her steps with anger, fixing her eyes down. She got to a corner to turn to the elevator, and she stumped into Mrs. Charmaine. And half of the coffee Mrs. Charmaine was holding split on the floor.

"O-oh, I am sorry!" Carissa apologized, bowing her head. She raised her head and cleaned Mrs. Charmaine's dress with her hand.

"It's fine." Mrs. Charmaine smiled.

Carissa stood in front of her and bowed her head. "I didn't see you coming."

"What are you thinking that you didn't watch your front?" She showed concern.

Carissa smiled insincerely, shaking her head. "Nothing, ma. I am fine,"

"I am sorry. Should I get you another coffee?" She stretched out her hands to collect the coffee cup, but Mrs. Charmaine declined.

"Don't worry, you can go."

"Thank you." Carissa appreciated. She took a step forward to enter the elevator and Mrs. Charmaine saw a birth-mark on her neck.

Mrs. Charmaine held her back and stated vividly at the birthmark. A memory appeared in front of her and she remembered something from the past; playing with a kid, looking at the kid's neck, the kid crying, kids playing together and parents laughing and chatting.

"Is everything okay, ma?" Carissa queried.

Carissa's words got Mrs. Charmaine out of the memory and she came back to reality in shock.

Mrs. Charmaine shook her head and quickly let go of Carissa. She smiled and apologized. "Everything is okay. I am sorry."

"It's fine." Carissa smiled.

"What's your name?" Mrs. Charmaine asked.

"Carissa."

Hearing Carissa's name, Mrs. Charmaine's eyes widened in shock, and she scanned Carissa for a second.

"Is there any problem?" Carissa queried.

"Not at all. You can go." Mrs. Charmaine said.

Carissa bowed her head and walked into the elevator and after a few seconds of looking at the elevator, Mrs. Charmaine walked to the chairman's office with outrage. She abruptly opened the door and slammed it.

"What are you planning?" she flung a question immediately she stepped in.

Chairman Lexx looked up at her. "What do you mean?”

"Do you know the lady that just left your office?" She investigated, pointing her finger to the door.

"That's John's first daughter. Carissa with the birthmark!" She explained.

 He looked shock for seconds and let out, "I didn't know…"

He suddenly laughed hysterically and let out. "If she is truly John's daughter, that will make everything more interesting."

She scoffed and queried. "Do you want the same dark side of fate from the past to repeat itself?"

He looked at her, confused. "Fate from the past?"

"Lot of dark incident occurred in the past. Which side of the dark fate are you talking about?"