Clashing with the ceo, p.23
Clashing with the CEO, page 23
“Thank you, Amelia,” she said, her voice filled with genuine appreciation. “I didn’t expect to run into you, but I’m glad I did.”
“I wasn’t expecting you, either.”
She studied me. “You know who I am, don’t you?”
“Yes. Neil told me… well, only because I worked it out on my own.”
I noticed her eyes flit to Neil’s shirt lying on my bed, and I blushed, knowing what she was thinking.
“You must be getting along well with him,” she said, a smile returning to her lips.
“That’s, uh, it’s not like that, I swear. It’s a long story.”
“Don’t worry. I believe you. Neil is a good man. Whatever happens, I just want him to be happy.”
The fact that Veronica and Neil used to be engaged sprang to the forefront of my mind, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. I could never measure up to Veronica’s level of success, wealth, and beauty. If those were the standards required to attract Neil’s attention, I felt foolish for my silly little crush on him. But despite my insecurities, I felt no animosity towards Veronica. She was too lovely.
“He told me you used to be a couple,” I said, testing the waters, wondering how much information I could glean about their relationship.
“Yes.” She had a wistful look in her eyes. “That was ages ago.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you break up? Sorry, I know that’s a personal question. You don’t have to answer.”
“My brother didn’t like the idea of us getting married, for one thing, but that’s not the main reason. We weren’t compatible. It’s as simple as that.”
I looked at her baby bump, then at her hand, which was bereft of a wedding or engagement ring. “Did you meet someone else?”
She smiled, patting her stomach. “Yes. But that’s not public knowledge. Nor is my pregnancy. I’m very private about all that.”
“I understand. It must be tough for a woman in your position.”
She nodded. “I keep business and my personal life separate, and that’s the way I intend to keep it.”
She finished her last sip of water. I retrieved the empty glass from her. “Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. I don’t know what that pain was, but it’s gone now. Thank you so much for allowing me into your room.”
“You’re welcome. Sorry you didn’t get to see Neil.”
“I should have known he would be busy. Never mind.”
“You could come back later, but I’m not sure if he’ll be up to much when he gets back. He was very sick this morning.”
“Oh dear. Promise you’ll look after him for me.”
Her playful remark renewed the sting of embarrassment on my cheeks. “I will.”
Veronica struggled to get out of the seat. I came to her aid, lending her my arm.
“Thank you,” she said.
I showed her the way to the door.
“Goodbye, Amelia. I’m glad I got to meet you.”
“Me too.”
She offered one last angelic smile as we parted. I found it hard to believe she was related to a snake like Daniel Ling.
Our meeting had been so engaging that I had forgotten all about my food order until the next knock on the door. This time, I didn’t neglect to check the peephole.
With Neil’s folded shirt in my hands, I mustered the courage to walk to his hotel room. The shirt was a pretext. My true intention was to check in on him and see how he was doing now he had returned.
Standing outside Neil’s door, I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was okay for me to drop by unannounced like this. My brain taunted me with memories of sharing a bed with him, whipping up a frenzy of butterflies in my stomach and giving me second thoughts. With a deep breath, I dismissed my doubts and readied my fist to knock, but before my knuckles reached the door, it swung open to reveal Neil standing before me, looking half surprised, half amused. “Amelia, what are you doing here?”
He was still dressed in business attire, but without the jacket, and with his collar undone and his sleeves rolled up. I was so captivated by his presence that I forgot to answer his question.
“Is that my shirt?”
I snapped to my senses and held the shirt out to him. “Yes. You left it in my room.”
“Ah. Thank you.” He took it from me, his fingers brushing against mine, making my skin prickle.
I gathered myself, focusing on the purpose of my visit. “How are you feeling?”
“Yes, much better, though I think an early night is in order.”
“I’m sure that’s for the best. Were you about to go somewhere?”
“Just to grab something to eat.” Neil scrutinised me, his arms folded. “Is there something you want to discuss?”
His prompt reminded me of the other reason I came. I had to tell him about Veronica. “Yes. There is. It’s about—” I stopped myself. I looked up and down the corridor, making sure we were alone. “I had a visitor this afternoon. Did you know?”
Neil jolted in response, then his demeanour turned serious. “Let’s talk inside.”
His room was just like mine but with a slightly different layout, and he was less tidy with his belongings than I was, his work spread out on his desk, and his suitcase lying open on his bed. He closed the door, put the shirt aside, and without inviting me to sit down, he got straight to the point. “Who came to your room? Don’t tell me Daniel sent someone after you.”
I shook my head. “Nothing like that. Actually, it was Ruby.”
Neil’s face twisted into an expression which betrayed an even deeper shock. “What?”
“She was looking for you.”
“That’s strange. I haven’t heard anything from her. Are you sure it was her?”
“Yes. Though she looked a bit different to the last time I saw her. She was pregnant. I recognised her dimples—they’re quite distinctive.”
“What did she say?”
“She asked if you were at the hotel. I told her you were still working, then she suddenly got a stomach cramp. She looked uncomfortable, so I invited her inside to sit for a minute. I was worried about her.”
Neil digested all of this. “Hmm… Did she say anything else while she was with you?”
“We just got talking. Chitchat. Nothing deep.”
“Can you be more specific? What exactly did you talk about?”
I shuffled my feet. “Well, uh… you, mainly.” My voice faltered. “She saw your shirt in my room, and I think she got the wrong idea.”
If my face wasn’t red before, it was now.
Neil let out a long, audible sigh and said nothing.
“She recovered from her pain, and she left. Do you think it wasn’t her?”
“No, it sounds like her, and it will be easy enough for me to verify. I wonder what she’s playing at.” Neil rubbed his temples.
“Is it strange she came to see you without any notice?”
“Yes, but I don’t believe that’s what happened. I think she came to see you.”
I gaped. “You mean she tricked me?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I think.”
I flashed back to Veronica clutching her stomach and the strain on her face. Had that been an act? Did she just want me to invite her inside so she could speak with me? Surely not…
“But why would she want to see me? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“She must have wanted to check you out for some reason. I will be questioning her about this, mark my words. I told her I didn’t want you dragged into this any more than you already have been, and she turns up here in broad daylight, without an ounce of consideration for your safety. What was she thinking?” Neil clenched his fists, a deep scowl marring his already stern face.
I tried to placate him. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”
He grunted in response, a sound I felt deep in my bones.
I changed the subject, feeling like the thick tension in the room might break me if I didn’t. “I better leave you to get your dinner. It’s getting late.”
Neil glanced at his watch. “So it is. What about you? Have you eaten?”
“Yes. I had an early dinner.”
“What did you have?”
“Noodles from room service. I didn’t want to leave the hotel after what you said.”
Neil grimaced. “Perhaps my warning was excessive. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Better safe than sorry, I guess.”
Silence descended between us. It looked like Neil was trying to gather words to say something, but in the meantime, my heart was thrumming so hard I was certain he could hear it. I needed to leave before it gave me away. “I’ll just… get going then.”
“Milly.”
There it was again—my nickname. He used it more frequently these days, but I still noticed whenever he did.
I faced him front on. “Yes?”
“I didn’t get to thank you properly. For today. For your input at the meeting. You were…” He swallowed. “Very classy.”
Classy? He thinks I’m classy?
I couldn’t hold back the smile bursting onto my face. “That means a lot coming from you.”
Neil’s composure wavered, his eyes flitting away before meeting mine once more. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” His formality did little to mask something boiling under the surface.
I nodded. “Good night, Neil.”
“Good night.”
I left him with one final, lingering gaze, trying to analyse if he felt the same things I felt, but I couldn’t get a read on him.
Chapter Forty
“Stay by my side today,” Neil said as we prepared to embark on our second day of business at Zelthia headquarters.
I knew the reason for his request was to protect me from Daniel Ling, but in any case, I was all too happy to oblige. Any excuse to bask in the proximity of Neil’s presence.
We attended back-to-back meetings throughout the day, executing our plan to stick together without a hiccup. Complacency was beginning to set in when the boardroom door swung open, and a young man barged in with a grave expression etched on his face. The atmosphere grew tense, all heads turned towards the intruder.
“Excuse me, Mr. Kingston.” The man’s voice quivered. “You’re needed in an urgent meeting. A critical situation has come up.”
Neil maintained his outward calmness. “What’s the situation?”
“I don’t know the details, just that it’s an urgent matter, demanding your immediate attention.”
“Hmm.” Neil didn’t seem convinced, but he got to his feet, regardless. “Very well. Amelia?”
“She can’t come,” the messenger interjected. “It’s a top-level staff meeting only. I hope you understand. It’s very sensitive information being discussed.”
Neil glanced at me with a flicker of concern. I could tell he was torn about leaving me behind. The sentiment was touching, but I didn’t want him to disobey his orders for my sake. Murmurs had broken out in the room, and from what my ears picked up, Neil’s hesitancy was already inviting suspicion. He couldn’t afford to delay his response another second.
“It’s okay,” I said. “You go ahead and handle this. We’ll catch up later.”
Neil searched my face with a tinge of worry in his eyes. I put on a self-assured front so he wouldn’t feel guilty. At last, he gave a reluctant nod, then followed the messenger out the door in a hurry.
Not long after Neil left, the rest of the gathering dispersed. I headed back to my assigned office room on a quiet floor of the building with a plan to work on Luxmore business until Neil returned. As I approached the room, one glance through the internal window told me everything remained as Neil and I had left it. Satisfied that I’d be able to get on with my work in peace, I reached for the doorknob, fingers grazing the cool metal. I turned my wrist, but met with resistance. The door was locked. I racked my brain. Had Neil locked the door when we left? I couldn’t recall him doing so, but maybe he had. We had left valuable belongings in the room, after all. I jiggled the doorknob a few times, to no avail. It was definitely locked.
Now what do I do?
I had no idea how long Neil was going to take, and I didn’t know who to approach about unlocking the door. Calling Neil during his important meeting seemed like a bad idea as well. I could find somewhere else in the building to work, but my laptop was locked inside the room, and I wouldn’t be able to get much done without it. Besides, Neil wouldn’t like me wandering around the building on my own in case I bumped into someone he didn’t want me to.
I was still floundering about what to do when footsteps drew near. I perked up, hoping whoever it was could help me. A man turned the corner. He was tall and beefy, wearing all black apart from the gold glint of a security badge. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Had he been on duty in the lobby when I arrived? Regardless, he looked like someone who could assist me, so I didn’t hesitate to grab his attention. “Excuse me.”
The security guard came up to me. “How can I help you?”
“I’m locked out of my office. Is there someone who can unlock it for me?”
“Certainly. I can sort that out if you follow me.”
He had a friendly and sympathetic demeanour, and I just about went along with him without thinking. Then my senses kicked in. “Can I just wait here?”
He pointed to the visitor card on the lanyard hanging around my neck. “I’m going to need to scan that and verify your identity.”
“Here.” I removed the lanyard and tried to hand it over to him, but he wouldn’t take it.
“You should keep that on. You need it to go anywhere in the building.”
“I’ll wait right here.”
He shook his head. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to come back straight away if I get caught up with other business. It’s best you come with me, or I won’t be able to help you.”
I hesitated.
“It’s up to you,” he said.
I took another glance through the internal window. It occurred to me that my laptop wasn’t the only significant item I had left in the room. My hotel key card was stashed in the pocket of my laptop bag. I winced, feeling my resistance slip away. “Okay. I’ll go.”
It didn’t take long for me to realise I had made a terrible decision.
When the lift door closed on us, and we lurched upwards, I realised I had seen this view before. I peered up at the man beside me, and recognition finally triggered. He was one of Daniel Ling’s henchmen who had escorted me and Neil up in the lift to Daniel’s office on the night we arrived.
My breath caught in my chest, the walls of the lift closing in on me. We weren’t on our way to get a key. He was delivering me to Daniel Ling, just like last time. Escape was futile. The man would easily overpower me if I dared try.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he led me through winding corridors.
His stony silence was confirmation of what I already knew to be true.
We stopped outside the entrance to Daniel’s office. The man pushed open the door, granting me passage into the lion’s den. Daniel sat behind his desk at the end of the long room, watching me with calculating eyes, his fingers interlaced. Daniel’s henchman closed the door behind us, and this time, I heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking. I girded my loins.
“Miss Cross, we meet again.” Daniel rose from his desk, beckoning me closer.
I reluctantly approached, my insides churning. “Good afternoon, Mr. Ling. Sorry, but I’m a bit confused. Why have I been brought here?”
Daniel smirked. “You are, are you? I thought you were an intelligent woman.”
He was mocking me. Clearly, the wide-eyed and innocent act wasn’t going to work on him.
“What can I do for you?” I asked, serious now.
“Why don’t we sit down? Please.” Daniel motioned to the seating around the table.
I shakily lowered myself into a chair. Daniel sat opposite me. My heart galloped.
“You gave a remarkable performance at the shareholder meeting yesterday.” An undercurrent of malice mingled with the appreciation in his voice. “I must admit, I underestimated you.”
“The situation called for me to step up.”
“Oh, indeed. Neil must have been pleased.”
I had a sense that Daniel was about to spring something on me, but I didn’t know what.
“You and Neil…” He traced an invisible pattern onto the table’s surface with his finger. “You have a special relationship. Am I wrong?”
My confusion was genuine this time. “Special? What do you mean?”
Daniel gave a hollow laugh. “Come now. Neil Kingston is a wealthy man, a powerful man, exceedingly intelligent, influential. He can open doors for you in ways you can’t even fathom. Women have fallen into his arms for far less.”
I gawked at him. “You think we’re—we’re—”
“Fucking? There’s no need to be coy, dear. You’re young, attractive, and inexperienced. Why else would Neil hire you?” He leered at me. “You’re his type too.”
I crossed my arms, partly in defiance, partly to shield myself from Daniel’s repulsive gaze. “We’re not—”
“So you’re going to deny it, then? Suit yourself.”
I could protest all I wanted, but I knew he wouldn’t believe me.
Daniel leaned in across the table, close enough I could smell his stale breath. “Let me tell you something, Amelia Cross. Neil is nothing compared to me. I can offer you so much more. Join forces with me, and anything you desire could be yours.”
I shuddered. What exactly was he proposing? And what consequences would I face if I turned him down?
“Well?” he prompted.
“I don’t know you,” I spluttered. “I don’t want anything from you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “How can you be so sure? You haven’t even heard me out yet.”
The last thing I wanted to do was anger him. I’d have to play along for now. “What do you want me to do?”
Daniel sat back in his chair. “A simple arrangement. Keep an eye on Neil for me, report what he’s up to, including his liaisons with you and with anyone else. In return, I’ll pay you handsomely. Just name your price. What do you say?”
