Chapter 2

Darcel

My cell phone had been vibrating for the seventh time in a row, and I know who the caller is, but right now I am so furious that I don't have it in me to speak with her. I rubbed my forehead with a futile hope that it would even change the condition of my throbbing head.

Three years ago, when I approached my maternal grandfather, the chairman of the Karwitz corporations, with my proposal to expand our business into the perfume industries, the old man had laid out two conditions.

One was that, it shall be under the scrutiny of the same board of directors who run the Karwitz Hotels.

The second condition was that, it must become the topmost brand in the perfumes in the next five years.

If the above conditions aren't met the company will be merged with the Karwitz apparels, or in other words it will cease to exist. I knew my grandfather very well, he was the patriarch of the Karwitz family, and he understood business more than anything, he was impeccable, hence even though he is seventy, he commanded the boardroom in an unparalleled way. So, when Mr. Maximilian Karwitz said something he meant it word by word. Especially when it came to me, all his terms and conditions were the harshest.

He knows you are the best, hence he wants the best out of you.

I could almost feel my mother's words, she has always been telling me the same thing over and over. So that, even if she is maligned with her own darkness, she kept pushing me towards brighter side of life. Her efforts were relentless.

She was eighteen when she had me, a girl who was abandoned by the man she loved and trusted with her everything. My mother had her own war to fight with her father.

Priscilla Karwitz, the cherished daughter of Maximilian Karwitz; it wasn't easy for her to revolt against her father and the entire family, it wasn't easy for a beautiful and talented young woman to stay as a single mother. According to Maximillian Karwitz, she was no less than a scandal, a blemish to the image of the Karwitz family. Everyone wanted her to have a fresh start, but she chose to stay unmarried and live the rest of her life atoning her mistakes.

The mistakes?

First it was her passion towards perfumes which had pilled her to go abroad and study about them, my mother had dreamt of becoming a perfumer.

Her second mistake was to fall in love with a man she had just met abroad, who threw her away once he was satiated.

Her third mistake was ME.

My mother's decision to bring me to this world, an unwanted child out of wedlock, she could have aborted this life, but, she gave birth to me, loved me and taught me with her all. She taught me how to survive, when she was fighting her own battle with depression, and PTSD, at the end of that battle she withdrew. The woman who was said to have the gift of gab, lost her voice. Now she only expresses through sign languages.

The only person whom Maximilian Karwitz blamed for his daughter's predicament was again me.

I knew deep down he wanted me to fail, in order to show me my 'place', although I called myself a Karwitz I was really not one according to him.

Well, his second condition wasn't a problem at all because that's all I wanted to do. I wanted our perfumes to be unrivalled and my passion was entrenched far beyond mere business. The major problem was the board, it was headed by my grandfather and his closest associates, there were only a few people who were on my side, extremely few.

Today's board meeting was a catastrophe, this was the first time I had no concrete stuff to show or prove why I needed the funding for our new launch. And to add to my troubles someone from inside the company has let out the situation about our creator team.

Well, I can't deny it's absolutely screwed up, but with the tight deadline in hand I can't really work with half assed, airheads who don't have any creativity in perfumery.

It's a science blended in art.

That's what my mother always says...said, now she either writes or speaks in sign language.

I had fired most of our perfumers the previous month, but this news was not needed at the board room. Of course, I have taken a mental note to hunt down the whistle blower, it will be a lesson for others who think they can save their ass by licking up the boots of the higher management.

Not under my pay roll.

What they don't know is that, I have my best card to save up my sleeves, I have found her, she the best perfumer, my 'sobriquet'. But, today wasn't the right time to show my trump card. I still need to bag this prized possession.

So, the board meeting today was a pain not only in my ass but in every part of my body, especially my head, it might blow up anytime. Everyone in the room was gaping at me as if I am some sort of an alien who has landed directly in this chair from a space craft,  because the budget was slightly higher this time. My grandpa's loyal hounds, what do they even know about the cost of perfume production?

Thankfully, the old man wasn't here today, I can swear that all the men in the room were either breeds of foxes, hyenas or vultures disguised in human forms. But I knew better off to never be intimidated by them, because if they are predators then I am their royalty. I knew that their tongues were itching to bark, but nobody dared to speak against me, instead I was asked to review the plan and with that the meeting had ended.

Just like any other board meeting day we are now stuck with this man, my maternal uncle, Benjamin Karwitz, my mother's elder brother, the only man who loves me and supports me in the entire Karwitz family.

Uncle Ben and his wife Aunt Elena have been two angels in mother's and my life. They have always held us close to their heart, and as a result I have grown closer with me cousins Leonel and Carnelia, and I know they feel the same way. They are my family in the truest sense.

Right now both me and Leonel my cousin are getting lectured by his father, because if my experience was pathetic, his was atrocious.

"You can't just fire our entire creative team Dar. This isn't something one could expect from you. I wouldn't have been surprised if it would have been Leo.But you?No Dar, you are the level headed lad I have always known. You can definitely do better than this." My uncle clicked his tongue like he always does, to show his absolute disapproval.

I knew he meant the best for me, but I can't divulge any of my real plans to him at this moment. After all my plan won't sit well with his ethics. Using someone else's weakness for one's gain isn't something he would ever approve. Who would say he is the only son of Maximum Karwitz, the successor of Karwitz corporations.

Leon yawned, I could bet half of my fortune on, his eyes being red behind those dark aviator glasses, I can also vouch on the fact that he has slept throughout the meeting. My cousin Leonel Karwitz was a peculiar case of tug of war.

Being the first born male among the grandchildren of Maximilian Karwitz, he was labelled as the Golden Child right from the beginning.

To affirm to that, he had been the sharpest, the smartest of all the grand children in the family. My grandpa always wanted to turn Leon into his replica, because he couldn't do that with his own son.  So, while Leon continued going out of hand, grandpa overlooked his misdemeanors, as long as he was acing his scores, winning every medal. His parents who were grounded and upright, gave up on him, because the head of the family never allowed them to discipline their son, and in that process their relationship became estranged. The only family Leon had been close with, was me.

Over the years, he had turned into a predator. If Leonel Karwitz wants something he had it. Not that I am any better, but when it comes to means I am a saint in comparison to him. He was just lethal.

Sometimes I feel whether he acts the way he does simply because he never wanted to be a replica of anybody. But, I wanted him to find peace, I wanted him to comeback to his real self. Though I have no idea who could ever help him with this impossible task!

"May be he just needed to be laid, Dad. Look at him he's twenty eight, he doesn't date, he hasn't slept with anyone for the past two years. He just works to the point of breaking his bones. Which man does that?"

Leon laughed as he spoke, brazen as always, he totally gave a fuck about most of the things, but I knew in two weeks he is going to come up with the best results, that how it has been with him.

"Will you please shut up! Some of us have to work our way, not all of us are golden children in your grandpa's eyes." His father snapped at him ,as he pressed the bridge of his nose.

Uncle shouldn't have said that, it always runs Leon the wrong way, it's not that he wanted to be the golden child. Just like I never wanted to be the unwanted child of the family.

Leon shrugged, "I am telling you the truth, he needs a good fuck. Hey bro! I know some really nice girls..."

"Cut the crap! Leonel" Uncle roared, "I am not your grandpa, this doesn't work in my office space. But then there's no point talking with you about this..." He sighed in an effort to calm himself down.

"I am telling the both of you, it's high time to up your game. Father won't sit back for long..." His cell phone vibrated, I knew it's  aunt Elena calling, a reminder for my mom's birthday dinner. I had already ignored many of her calls, so now she's calling her husband. Of course, I won't miss it for the world, but aunt was an extreme case of over enthusiasm.

As if on cue I received my secretary Sebastian's email, it had an attachment, title 'Sorbiquet,' I smiled, celebrating in my head. Immediately a text message arrived from him.

She is best friends with Miss Vivian Amber.

My gaze swiftly drifted to Leon, this was news to me, but if my goddess of fortune had such a special linkage, then I must cultivate it.

Leon raised an inquiring brow as he cocked his head, "What?  Why are you looking at me like that? I am straight, remember? And even though you have an irresistible bod of a hunk, I don't do incest."

I couldn't help but laugh, "fuck off" I mouthed, but he smiled shamelessly.

"You need something from me, don't you? Spill it."

I smiled, he knows me so well, "Treat Vivian well at dinner tonight, and ask her about life, about studies, about her best friend..."

He had an unreadable expression, as his mouth opened and closed slightly before he recovered from whatever shock I gave him. He smiled and shook his head.

"Best friend? You mean that sassy, unhinged Reux girl? God! she has the beauty of a goddess, but I am telling you she has one lethal mouth." Leon dove straight to my point of interest, the wolf that he is!

Now he was shaking his head out of disapproval, out of all sorts of reactions girls get from him this is fresh.

But unhinged? Lethal?

I can't relate, not the girl I saw years back, not the girl whom I saw recently mourning her father's death. Was it all pretense?

"Why are you looking for her Dar? Don't tell me she's your type."

He seemed genuinely curious.

"That's what you are saying,not me."

Instead  I rebutted him with another question, "Why do you speak like you had a terrible experience with her? What have you done to her?"

I find myself surprised at this strange edge in my voice, suddenly my whole body feels tensed.

'She is your target Dar, that's what makes you unsettled.'

"Experience? I don't want anything from her. That woman literally burns a hole and stabs me with daggers at the same time whenever I am around Vivian. And God! Her sarcasm gets under my skin."

"That's because you are an ass hole when it comes to Vivian. If you hate her that much, set her free, there are many men who are dying to get her." I shrugged.

"You mean there are men who are trying to get under the skirt of a nineteen year old, granny in full-sleeved clothes." He chuckled.

"Fact check Leonel Karwitz, she will be twenty soon. She might appear that way to you,but, I have seen many eligible bachelors regretting that she is engaged to you."

"I didn't know you were so interested in my fiancée" he chuckled. But I ignored his comment, I had no interest in Vivian, or any woman, my life was too arid for such emotions to bloom. Instead I fixed him with a gaze,

"Not me. But perhaps you didn't notice, but she turns down many dance requests at parties. Of course that's because you hardly stay with her.So why don't you let her go?"

His boots hit the floor a bit louder than they should have, as he stood up. Was that jealousy? But he doesn't even like her.

"Not you at least Dar. Out of all people at least you know, I can't. I have no choice. She is grandpa's only condition."

"So will you set her free when you can?"

He doesn't respond to that, but instead turned on his heels, "I know I am a scumbag.But, I have issues with letting go of things that are mine" Leon stomped across and left the room.

I quickly opened the email attachment which will get me closer to my golden ticket, Eriantha Reux.