Joyce's POVI was informed that the personal assistant of Mr. Goméz had arrived and was waiting for me in the meeting room."I'm leaving, sir," I announced to Adrian, who gave a slight nod with his eyes glued to his phone. The sudden news of the deceased's passing was shocking, but it was also expected.I picked up the necessary materials I'd need and stepped out of the office. The thought of Rafael popped up in my head. I felt the urge to check on him, but then I remembered I had a business to attend to.Adrian wanted the whole process of acquisition to end today.I pushed the door to the room and walked in to see a young man sitting on a chair. He was the same person I saw earlier today, but his appearance was disheveled."Hello, Mr. Javier. I'm sorry I'm late," I apologized politely, taking my seat.He was sitting before me so that I could see his swollen eyes."Are you okay, Mr. Javier?" I asked worriedly, but I didn't get a reply. His eyes seemed distant, his mind elsewhere.Relu
Adrian's POVI slowly opened my eyes to the harsh lights of my office, exhaustion clinging to me. My head was throbbing, and my body was stiff. I gently adjusted my seat, displeased that I had fallen asleep.It was then that I noticed the jacket draped over my body. My seat had also been made to lean backward. I had no memories of carrying out those actions before falling asleep, so I chose to ignore them.My gaze darted round the room, from Joyce's empty spot to the table clock in front of me.It was already 9 pm. There was definitely nobody left in the building.Groggy, I stood up from my chair and grabbed my jacket, ensuring I regained consciousness well enough.I passed through the elevator and got out of the building. James, my personal chauffeur, was already waiting patiently for me while leaning on the car."Good evening, boss," He greeted with a bow, his hands covered in gloves placed on his chest. "Are we heading to the penthouse?""Yes," I nodded in affirmation. He opened th
Joyce's POVThe morning was like every other: exhausted smiles, soggy cereals, and the frantic rush to get my little one ready for daycare on time.I made him use his face cap and rushed out of the house. It was already 8:30 a.m.; I couldn't afford to be late for the meeting. I boarded a cab, which took us right to Santoria Industries.The next step was to drop Rafael off at the daycare. Madame Pat greeted me stoically, and I smiled, trying to ease the awkward tension.""Good morning, Madame Pat," I greeted politely."Good morning to you, too," she replied flatly."I won't be late this time," I assured her.She ignored me and greeted Rafael with a smile. I watched him settle down before leaving for the office. I sighed in relief when I got there and noticed Adrian wasn't in by the time I arrived.The incident from last night flashed before me, and I tensed at the thought of him finding out that I was the one who had tried to make him a tad bit comfortable as he slept."I shook my head
Adrian's POVI drummed my fingers on the table, checking my wristwatch occasionally. Joyce had yet to return since she left to get my coffee.Had she found a new recipe, or was she caught up with something?I couldn't tell.At that moment, I decided to leave to look for her if she wasn't back in two minutes. It was 9:25 a.m. already, and we had yet to go for the meeting.The door was suddenly flung open, and Joyce appeared with a tray in her arms, looking agitated.I frowned. "What took you so long?""I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Daniel stopped me to invite me to the celebratory party on Friday. He said I had to come in your place," She replied, breathing heavily.She had been running."It's fine. You're granted permission to attend, but first, we must deal with this meeting," I stated, standing up hurriedly from my seat. I approached her, grabbed the coffee from the tray, and sipped. It was quite better than the last one I had."Get every material needed for the meeting. We're leaving now," I
Gabriel's POVNatalia really did it this time. She didn't stop at making me believe she would delete the video after making those calls; she had to go as far as putting me under surveillance for the next two weeks. I couldn't even bring myself to express my frustration to Ivan, who stood before me."Sir... Mr. Moreno?" His worried voice snapped me back to reality. "Boss, were you listening to what I've been saying?"I massaged my throbbing head. "What were you saying again?"He stared at me with a weird expression. "You asked if I had any updates for you today?""And?" I inquired with a feeling of apprehension."I said the deal we had with the Smith company is moving forward, and the marketing team has finalized the campaign for the new product launch.""Smith company?" I asked, trying to remember where I had heard the name from. The pressure on me had been too much lately."Boss, are you sure you're okay?" Ivan questioned."Just answer the damn question," I half yelled, irritated by
Natalia's POVAs I drove down the highway, an amusing picture of Gabriel's silly facial expression when I had stated my conditions suddenly popped into my head. I couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a warmth spread across my face.At least I was starting to get what I wanted. Gabriel was under my close watch, which meant he wasn't going to plan anything stupid behind my back.The only thing left was to find Joyce. Madrileno was giving me a hard time, and I had not called or spoken to him since my argument with his sister. Going back there would be dangerous, but I was going to try.But first, I needed to waste the money I had forcefully taken from Gabriel. I had the intention of emptying a whole clothing store for myself.I drove into the gate of my favorite clothing store. They always had what I wanted.I ignored the security man's greeting and strutted into the building to be startled by a clerk, whom I recognized immediately."Welcome, Mrs. Moreno. It's so lovely to see you again. Wh
Adrian's POVThe Gerrovial Infrastructure team filed out of the conference room, their faces reflecting anxiety and hope. It took a lot of promises to convince them that they weren't going to lose their jobs."I'm sorry for the interrogations," Javier, who sat on my left, profusely apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed.I waved my hands dismissively. "It's expected. Waking up to the news that the only company responsible for their source of income is about to go bankrupt and was purchased by another CEO is enough to make them doubtful.""Well, now that we have settled things. Don't you think it's time to select the acting CEO?" Miguel chipped in. He was seated on the right next to Joyce."Yes, it is time," I replied, understanding the situation.Navigating my duties between Santoria Industries and Gerrovial Infrastructure was only possible with a representative.I fixed my gaze on Javier. "Javier, can I leave the welfare of this company in your hands?""Huh... Me?" He inquired, loo
Natalia's POVLigia must have noticed the little interaction between Luis and me. Her frown said it all."Er... Luis," she called cutely, prying our hands apart. We still have a lot of guests to attend to. Let's all discuss this after the party.""Alright, babe," Luis replied, pulling Ligia by the waist, capturing her lips with his, and kissing her roughly."Get a room, you two," I snorted, disgusted by the sight. They looked like two shameless slobbering teenagers. The man really had no shame in doing that in public. Even the guests who saw them were taken aback."Bye, Nat, " Rose waved, winking at me.A waiter passed before me with a glass of champagne on a tray. I quickly grabbed one and walked to one of the tables. I spotted a few familiar people and approached them."Hi, Antonia," I greeted the lady with the blonde hair. She didn't seem pleased to see me, but she smiled regardless."Hello, Natalia. We haven't seen each other in a while," she stated, an underlying meaning in her