CHAPTER TWO

Once I walked out of the meeting, I immediately made my way to my private elevator with Joseph on one side and Robert on the other. Joseph pressed the ground floor button and the elevator started to descend. I glanced down to my watch on my left hand and find that it's approximately eleven am in the morning. 

When I came in for the meeting earlier not many people were here because my business hours started at nine am for all employees. Only the essential people started earlier than usual. Now I knew it would be full of workers. 

Once the elevator door opened, I walked out my heels clicking the smooth marble floor capturing the attention of my employees. Robert walked a step behind me to my right and Jason was my left next to me. I noticed the whispers starting in Italian as people began to notice me. 

"Oh my, It's Miss Kingston!". 

"That's Miss Kingston?! She's so young?".

"What is she doing at headquarters?". 

"She's beautiful". 

I paid no attention to their comments, as the whispering got louder and people peered at me in disbelief that I was actually here. However from the corner of my eye, I noticed a man that appeared to be in his late thirties pushing a boy who seemed fairly younger. The older man was shouting at him in Italian. I stopped in my tracks and observed them. 

"How dare you? Did you think I hired you just to waste my time?! Huh! You can't even do one single task correctly! I asked you to make me a coffee with one sugar, not two!", He screeched as he began to raise his hand. 

I quickly walked over to him and held his hand from behind. 

The older man started to shake in anger. "Who fucking DARE stop me?" He swirled on the balls of his feet and made eye contact with me. The boy behind him also looked at me as his eyes widened in concern and he started to shake his head telling me not to get involved. 

I glance back at the older man. "Who the fuck are you?" he asked his eyes narrowed in English - a heavy Italian accent coming through. 

"What is your name sir?" I asked calmly as I removed my hand from his. The whole ground floor had gone quiet - it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.  

"You don't know who I am? I work directly with Miss Kingston you brat. My name is Enzo Cosimo", He proudly announced before continuing, "Now how dare you interrupt my conversation with my assistant here. Besides who let sleazes like you into the building?", gasps could be heard from behind us at his comment. 

He reached for my hand and gripped it tightly. Before he even had the chance to drag me, my whole security team surrounded us in a semi-circular formation, as two more removed his hands from mine and held them firmly behind his back. 

"Let me go this instant!", he started thrashing in their arms, demanding at me. What an ignorant fool. 

"Mr Cosimo, you state that you work directly with me, but how is it that I do not recognise you?"

"What? I don't work for yo- Oh my God", his face turned into one of horror as he stopped moving around as realisation struck him. "You're Miss Kingston" he stated looking at my bodyguards and then back to me. 

I nodded once. 

"M-Miss Ki-Kingston, there must be a mistake. I was just asking him to do something for me. I did nothing wrong", Enzo stumbled upon his words stuttering. I could see droplets of sweat accumulating on his forehead. 

"That wasn't what it looked like to me. It seemed as if you were about to hit that gentleman?" I tilted my head to the right and saw the poor boy who was watching me in disbelief. 

"No Ma'am, you can even ask him! I did no such thing. I am being accused of something I didn't do!"

"Do you take me a fool Mr Cosimo? Did you really think that I would not know Italian?" I inquired with a cold tone using his own mother tongue. His eyes widened further if that were possible. 

"Uh-ahh-I", I held up a hand and he froze. 

"I do not tolerate people who do not treat others with respect. Today not only you did not show respect to one of your colleagues, you also raised your hand to hit him. If I hadn't stepped in, what would have happened? Hmm?" I looked to his eyes in question. He stared as if he were about to wet himself. I carried on. 

"I pay everyone that works for me at least five percentage above the normal average for an employee. Looking at your attire, I should believe that you are at least a manager in my company, yes?" He nodded. 

"You have people that look up to you Mr Cosimo. If you do not treat them with respect how will they treat you with respect?. I can not have people like you tarnishing my business. I am not regretful to inform this but you are fired Mr Enzo Cosimo. You may leave immediately". He started crying. 

"No Miss Kingston, this job I need it. I will try harder- please don't fire me!", Enzo shouted in despair. 

"Leave". I repeated my voice icy cold. My bodyguards let his hands go as he started his walk towards the front entrance his head held down. 

I turned back to face the poor kid. He eyes were grateful as he watched at me in awe. "I apologise that you had to go through something like that. I did not know that we had hired such undignified people. I will compensate you on this. What is your name sir?", I held out my hand for him to shake.

"Luca Valentino", he took my hand in his and shook it gently. I tilted my head to my left slightly and Joseph understood my instruction. 

Joseph handed out his tablet for me as I studied Luca Valentino's profile. He was fairly young at only twenty- one years old. His credentials were incredible and had graduated from a prestigious university, I wondered why he was only an assistant and so I asked him. 

"Miss Kingston, I need to make money and so I applied to any job available. My mom is in hospital and my younger sister is in High school. They both need me as our father left us for someone else. We've barely got a roof on our head.", he quietly whispered looking down at the floor. My heart broke for him. 

I looked to Joseph, "Pay his bills for the hospital and his sisters school fees. Buy them a nice house in this area. I also want you to transfer him $100,000 to his account- get this done by the end of the day". Joseph nodded as he got on with the tasks. 

Luca lifted his head up at me with wide eyes and shook his hands. "Miss Kingston, I can't possibly have you do this for me. It's too much!"

"Luca, please it's the least I can do after all you've had to deal with. Besides think of the money as compensation for Mr Cosimo's behaviour. You have commendable credentials and it would be a waste to stop you here. I can see from your application that it is your dream to work with my design team.", he gazed at me with hope shining. 

"Well, congratulations Luca you are officially on the design team. I will have Joseph contact you later today with the details about what team you will be working with and your new pay rise. But for the rest of the week, take a holiday and you can come back to work on Monday. Spend some time with your family." I said softly. 

"Thank you", Luca breathed out a whisper. 

"You're very welcome". 

                                                                       _____

"AV!", my younger brother Levi shouted at me as soon as I entered the Platinum suite at the hotel we were currently staying at. He was running with his little legs as fast as he could while Dave, one of my bodyguards that I assigned for him, chasing from behind. 

I took a few steps before kneeling down and opening my arms wide open, just in time to catch his tiny frame. I let out a genuine laugh as I crushed him into me, hugging tightly. He was the only person that I smiled around now. After what happened four years ago, I blocked off everyone apart from Robert. 

For the first month, I wouldn't speak to anyone about what had happened and just buried myself in work. I couldn't believe that I would never see them again - and every time I looked at Levi I would be reminded of my mother's last words before she left us, "Take care of Leviathan Roy Kingston, please baby". 

I was a terrible sister at first, I wanted to grieve but the business was the only thing that was left of them and so I paid more attention to that. I had ignored Levi soon after he was born, because he looked so much like the both of them, it hurt me to even look at him. But Robert was there for him, taking care of him as my father and mother would me. I finally realised what I was doing after a month, when I looked at a month old Levi. It was that day as a thirteen year old, that I had promised to myself I would do anything to make him happy. I was his older sister, I would protect him. 

"Av", Levi's small hands cupped my face grabbing my attention. 

"Yes baby?" 

"I'm not a baby Av", Levi whined. I laughed and kissed his forehead and lifted him up in my arms, walking to the kitchen. It was one pm and by the looks of Dave, it seemed like this little guy hadn't eaten. 

I saw the bodyguards standing up straighter as I made my way towards the kitchen with Levi in my arms who was currently rambling about his day and how he played hide and seek with Dave. 

"Have you eaten Levi?"

"I wanna eat with you, so I waited", he said adorably mispronouncing some of the words.

I sat him down on the kitchen counter and looked at him sternly. "You have to eat on time Levi, I might be late from work sometimes and you can't always wait for me- okay?", I said in a soft but stern voice. 

"I'm sorry", he face bent down as he pouted. 

Awww. I held his chin with my thumb and index finger and lifted his head to meet mine so I could look into his gorgeous hazel eyes that he inherited from our mother. 

"It's okay baby, I'm not mad at you". I smiled softly.

"Hmph. I'm not a baby!", Levi crossed his arms as he looked away. 

I chuckled and Robert laughed at us when he entered the kitchen. "Whatever you say chipmunk", I ruffled his hair. 

"Hey!"