Ah, you mean his Finder's Fee?" Cecelia finally realized what was certainly going on. Then she moved out of her desk and slid next to me. "We called it here as Finder's Fee. And yeah. He got his referral commission earlier. Why? Is there something wrong?" Roland glanced at me, embarrassed. But I guess he was having a hard time responding to Cecelia's inquiry, so I replied on his behalf, "Nothing." then I smiled at him. "Nothing's wrong, Ms. Spencer, right, Mr. Roland?" He nodded and volunteered to go out of my office at the speed of light before his humiliation extended. The next day, Malia and Roland were scheduled to meet one of the most successful and influential CEO in Europe. This time, he forbade me to come with them when they believe that my presence is no longer necessary. The person they are going to meet knows how to speak English. And it will be the last meeting scheduled for us before we took our flight back to New York City. But because Roland forbade me t
I was about to run back to our room but Malia grabbed my hands and pulled me back closer to her. She then wrapped her arms around me and said, "There's no need, John. It's all my fault." "Why? What did you do this time?" I asked her, my voice low and sad, and acted clueless even if I already know what happened back at the meeting earlier. Malia burst out crying because of her answer to my associate's personal question about giving me three things she hated the most about Roland. And I was surprised by her answer. Three hours ago. "Then, I'm gonna ask her then." says my associate. "Can you give me three things you don't like about Roland?" Malia slowly dragged her eyes to Roland, who was currently stunned and dumbfounded while looking at her. He was caught up by surprise, I can tell. He found the meeting a bit personal when it was completely unrelated to the business they were offering. Then he adjusted his body away from Malia, preparing himself for the pos
So, I slowly switched off the coffee maker and lifted my feet closer to his spot with caution, and put everything by the book before he could finish talking to the person over the phone. As soon as I have enough of his evil plan, I went to his office and acted cool, while waiting for him to come back. "Good morning, Mr. Robin," I greeted him with a smile on my face and bent half of my body. "Someone had a good time after the Europe tour, huh?" he said. "I heard you did something big at the meetings. Good job!" then he dropped his butt on his desk. I guess someone also had a good time at the pantry when it was a miracle he did not begin my day with a task. Never in my one month working with him as his secretary, right-hand man, or whatever my position in his office that I got relaxed for a long time like this. He always gave me unnecessary workloads which were not part of my resume like making him coffee, cleaning the storage room, filing the company's financial
I'm so sorry, John." says Uncle Rustom in an awkward tone. "I tried to call you to call to inform you about Ms. Anderson, but she refused because she wanted to surprise you." "No, it's all right, Uncle Rustom," I said. "Could you prepare us something to eat?" Uncle Rustom flashed back inside while Malia and I remained our arms tied to each other. "Thank you for coming, Malia. I'm feeling good now." "Aren't you supposed to invite me inside our house first?" She asked and smiled while wiping the tears from her cheeks. I helped her shortly. While waiting for the food, Malia and I talked in the dining area. I began to feel a sense of peace in her presence. I know that no matter what happened, she would always be there for me. Then we decided to spend the night together, watching movies and eating our favorite takeout. Right after the meal, Malia and I ascended to our room, to begin our night plan. She and I cuddled up on the couch, laughing together as we snacked on popcorn and sipped
Staying inside the house suffocates me so I paced around the house, trying to calm my racing thoughts until I stopped at the picture of us on our first-ever vacation together on their private island, the one I cherished the most. We were both happy and carefree. I felt a pang of sadness, mourning the loss of that happiness. "Is everything all right, John?" Uncle Romnick asked the second he stopped in front of me. "Not that I am trying to meddle in your life with Ms. Malia, but what you did earlier... I find it, worrisome. Want to tell me about it?" He reached out to the photo in front of us and took a closer look at it. "She loves you, John," he added. "I can see it from her eyes while looking at you." "That's the thing, Uncle Robin. I love her too..." I said in a cold and sad tone. Uncle Robin cut in. "Why am I getting the thought of having a 'but' at the end of your sentence?" "I just found out she was the one who framed me for the crime I did not do five
As they continued walking through the mall, I couldn't help but notice how happy Malia seemed. She can laugh and joke with Roland's parents as though they were most likely similar to a real family. A twinge of jealousy resides in my heart while looking at them. I had always been attracted to her, and I know that she feels the same way about me. But what is Malia planning? Why can she just announce it to John and his parents about us being engaged? Didn't Malia realize that she was making it hard for me to believe that her love for me is sincere and real? After I few walks, they stopped at a clothing store, and Malia started fitting on clothes. I sat down on a bench, watching them with a bored expression. And I could not help but feel like I was being used, just there to carry their shopping bags. Three hours later, they finally finished their shopping trip and headed back to the parking lot. Malia turned to me and smiled. "Thanks for coming with us, John. It
Roland and his parents did not hesitate to tell Don Lucas about the incident earlier in the mall. All of them pointed the blame at me Malia got kidnapped by those men in masks. With their combined false accusations, Don Lucas did not think things through as he slapped me straight in the face. I could even feel the handmarks that were left on my face. Of course, Malia getting kidnapped was a huge incident all of us could barely imagine. So before Don Lucas blames any one of them, they pointed it on me because they fucking believe that I am just a mere employee of the Andersons. That my life was not even worth a dime. What else would I expect from those people who only cared about money, fame, and name? Roland doesn't want to ruin his reputation in front of Don Lucas, considering he and Malia were going to get married soon. "For God's sake! Aren't you supposed to be the one keeping an eye on your wife, huh, John?" Don Lucas furiously announced right after slappin
"Are you kidding us right now, Mr. Stevenson?" Don Lucas asked, still in disbelief, and at the same time, he was extremely furious at me. Truth be told, it was all of them who shared the same expression toward me, even Mr. Emilio, whom I believe as the only person in this meeting room Malia considered our ally. I already announced the case to everyone, so I stood up with my decision. "You can call your contact person in Europe if you don't believe me, Don Lucas. That's how desperate I am to save Malia from the hands of the kidnappers." Don Lucas was about to reach out to his phone but Uncle Robin stopped him and asked, "If we'll provide you the remaining four billion dollars, what's in it for us?" he asked. "I mean, four billion is four billion." "Then I will be the company's slave for the rest of my life." I proposed desperately. "I managed to close the European business deal which all of you is impossible to happen. My brain is a huge asset for the company."
"Don't forget to bring those with you, Miss Spencer!" Uncle Romnick added. He pointed a finger toward the table. "Relax, Uncle Romnick," I said in a calm tone, trying to take control of the situation. "How can I get relax, John." Uncle Romnick insisted. "Our enemies are here. And we are caught by surprise. We let our guards down." Without hesitation, Cecelia sprung into action. She swiftly gathered all the essential documents and pieces of evidence we had been examining, carefully concealing them from prying eyes. "I'll be hiding in the guest room." Cecelia cut us in. As she disappeared into the shadows, I followed Uncle Romnick, making our way toward the main door. With a touch of apprehension, we opened the door cautiously, revealing Don Lucas and Malia standing before us. Although I already knew the purpose of their visit, I could not let them suspect that this villa truly belonged to me. Taking a deep breath, I masked my true intentions and put on a c
"I would like to apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Roland. Let's go, John." Uncle Romnick bent half of his body toward Roland and his parents. Then he tried to drag me out of the room but I dodged him. "Are you challenging me right now, huh, Roland?" I scoffed with confidence while glancing at them, one by one. I groped my phone in my pocket and dialed Cecelia's digits which confused Roland and his parents. "How about canceling the European expansion?" "What are you doing?" Cecelia said from the other line of the phone. Good thing I did not put the call on speaker so no one could hear it apart from me. "Yes. It happens that I am confronting Roland in front of his parents for the five million dollar scheme but he denied it despite the evidence we have. Is that the kind of person are you going to be part of Mr. Stevenson's business?" Everyone's eyes, especially Roland's dilated in disbelief. He even tried to snatch the phone from me but I refused to give it to
"Are you sure about involving them in this case, John?" Uncle Romnick asked, his voice laced with doubts while looking at Chris and his friend from head to toe. "I mean, this is a crucial case in your life." I cannot blame Uncle Romnick to feel that way. He still doesn't know a thing about Chris and his hacker friend. I once informed him and Cecelia back at my office when we hired someone to be the fake Mr. Stevenson. But we already reached this far. Chris and his friend already know my secret and I was amazed by how they achieved a mission without any trace. So, keeping them on my side will be the best thing to do. Chris and I already sealed a deal that he will serve me until I say so. And their skills are one-of-a-kind. ''They are here to help us, Uncle Romnick." I smiled at them to lessen the tension. "And besides, I have something on them if they are going to betray me." Chris and his friend were taken aback in disbelief. Though it was simply a bluff, the
"I'm so sorry, John." Finally, some dare to speak up. However, it was neither Dad nor Mom but Uncle Romnick. Cecelia and I exchanged confused glances when we realized it was just the two of us who seemed to be unaware of what was currently going on. "Perhaps this is the result of what I did behind your back," he added, his voice sounding desperate and regretful. "Did I do something wrong to you in the past that I am not aware of, Unce Romnick?" I said back. "Was my monthly allowance not enough for you to betray me?" I tried to stay calm as much as possible but my nerves are showing the other way around. So I grasped the metal bars of the cell I was in to minimize the trembling of my nerves. One thing that I hate the most about trusting people is when they stab me behind my back. I already learned my lesson after what happened to me five years ago. That is why up to these days, I only limit those people who I talk and share my day with. And that includes Unc
Malia may have shown her tough side but I feel her heart was also in excruciating pain. She barely looks me in the eye even if my glace at her is quite obvious. It means to me that she still has feelings for me even if she was already married to Roland. So am I to her. Unfortunately, our love is not enough, and was bonded by a lie. As Cecelia and I left Don Lucas' dinner, the weight of her actions weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn't help but express my frustration as we started our journey back to my place. The car ride was filled with an awkward silence, punctuated only by the faint sound of the radio playing softly in the background. "Cecelia," I began, my voice tinged with disappointment. "I did not expect you to go that far tonight. Announcing our relationship in front of everyone, it's just... it felt like too much." Cecelia sighed, her gaze fixed on the passing city lights. "I'm really sorry, John, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just t
Don Lucas, who was sitting next to us, coughed all of a sudden. He quickly regained his composure and asked, "Why? Did something happen, Malia?" Malia glanced at Roland with her eyes sharp. "Well, my beloved husband didn't spend a single cent before and after our one-week honeymoon. His credit cards kept getting declined every time we pay something." The room went silent as we all caught up in the middle of absorbing Malia's shocking revelation. Then Cecelia and I exchanged glances, our mouths agape in disbelief. Not that I was trying to tease Roland. However, I couldn't help myself from bursting out laughing, finding the situation incredibly amusing. "I'm sorry for laughing," I said, trying to compose myself. "It's just that I find it hard to believe that a billionaire's son does not have anything on his credit cards. Perhaps he already maximizes his credit limits. It happens sometimes, right?" Malia suddenly gave me a stern look, clearly not amused by my reaction. But despite h
Then, I filled Cecelia and Uncle Romnick in on our plan to meet up. "Remember Chris, the one that I fired from this company?" I said. "You mean, the Branch Manager Chris, who we met in the shopping mall and humiliated you?" Uncle Romnick asked, pointing to the main event of our encounter. I nodded. "I ran into him outside, and brought me such wonderful news." "But I thought you already fired him?" Uncle Romnick furrowed. "Why changed of heart?" he and Cecelia looked me in the eye without even blinking. "He did something big for me in return," I uttered. "Something that I cannot just ignore. And it worked somehow." "If it has something to do with the Andersons, then perhaps that's what changed your heart and mind." Uncle Romnick said, however, this time, in a cold tone as though he disagreed with it even if I haven't told them anything yet. Before everything gets awkward, Cecelia's cut us in and said. "That's great! I'm glad you are now thinking indifferentl
Uncle Romnick and I looked at each other as if we had something in common, then back at Cecelia. There was a long pause before Uncle Romnick spoke, "That's... actually not a bad idea." I nodded. "But who and where should we hire someone to do the job? And how much was the probability this idea is going to work?" Before anyone could respond to my inquiry, my entire family appeared in the living area all of a sudden. Their unexpected appearance made me furrowed when as far as I could remember, I did not ask Uncle Romnick to invite my entire family back to the villa. What was more surprising by their unexpected visit was that all of them were carrying luggage bags and backpacks behind them as though they will be on a one-month vacation or more than that - to stay with me for good. If they could have bought with them their house's electrical pieces of equipment or utensils, I could have assumed they will be staying here with us forever. So, I glanced at Uncle Rom
Right after that, the tour continued. Cecelia and I did not waste more of our time but enjoyed the best the night could offer. We experienced eating street foods, listening to live music, and even taking a riverboat cruise. On top of that, I also found something new about the woman I spent them with. Cecelia Spencer is such a lovely woman, easy to go with, and she always put a smile on her face every time I asked her something. And the experience was all worth it. The next morning, Cecelia and I walked into Don Lucas' office, hand in hand. It was part of our plan to pretend to be a couple. I could feel the sweat on my palms as we walked closer and closer to the meeting room. We had been practicing our act, but it was finally time to put it into action. As we entered the meeting room, I could see the confusion and curiosity on Don Lucas and Uncle Robin's faces. I knew we had to sell this, so I kept my grip on Cecelia's hand. We greeted them warmly and made our way t