He left for Amsterdam? Why do I feel betrayed by this?
I pressed down on my steering wheel before screaming out loudly. To be honest, I was pained. At the moment that I thought he was starting to have feelings for me, he just disappeared. Moreover, it would have been fun to mock him for losing the CEO seat to me, but it just felt as if he never truly cared about it. Or did he?
It felt as if I celebrated victory too early, it didn't even seem like I was in a struggle against him in the first place. If anything, he won in the most annoying way possible. Completely flawless.
Not quite long, I arrived at the company. I pulled over outside Berkscorp, stepping out casually. My mind felt heavy, my face weighed down by confusion, and my eyes sunk in deeply. I heaved a sigh, trying to fix my expression before walking slowly towards the front door.
"Good morning, Joseph," I greeted the guard at the gate.
"Morning miss Reyes," he replied as I walked past him. "It's Jonathan. At least there's a J in it this time," I heard him mutter to himself.
I smiled softly, knowing how often I forgot his name. I pushed open the front door, my handbag I my arm as made my way to the elevator. It was nearly filled by people when I got there but I managed to get a space in-between two junior staffs. The chubby male had a box of donuts, and the girl on my other side was with three cups of coffee. The door slowly shut, and the elevator started advancing upwards.
"Miss Reyes, do you care for a donut?" The chubby one asked me.
I glanced at the box in his hand and couldn't resist the urge to have a good donut early in the morning, so I reached my hand into the box and took one.
"Thank you, Bob."
I couldn't help but perceive the shock on his face through the corner of my eyes like I had uttered something he wasn't expecting. I leaned forward to look at his face, then I asked;
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No... No, I didn't know you knew my name," his tongue betrayed him as excitement washed over his face.
I smiled softly. "Of course I knew your name. Most of you actually."
The elevator cart reached a stop. Three staffs along with Bob and the girl beside me stepped out of the cart. As the door was about to slide shut when the girl with the coffee stopped it to hand me one of the cups with her. I was stunned by their sudden kindness. Perhaps this was how much they had always loved me, but why didn't I see until now? She smiled at me as the door shut again and the cart slowly continued to advance upward.
When I eventually got off on the last floor, I held the coffee in the same hand that I held my bag as I tried to unlock the door. Right down the hall, Mr. Barney suddenly came out with his secretary, walking down the aisle with so much confidence. His calm composure made it hard for me to ignore his presence. He seemed to be whispering something into his secretary's ears as they slowly approached. My eyes fixated on them gleamed with curiosity, and by the time they got to me, Mr. Barney spoke faster than I could speak.
"Isla, it is really good to see you."
"Mr. Barney. It is nice to see you too."
He smirked. "You should drop by my office later today, I have a job for you," he added as they walked past me.
"No problem," I replied as I pushed open my office door, then the thought to ask him about Asher crossed my mind. I turned back immediately. "Huh... I was actually about to come see you."
"Is it urgent?" He asked, stroking his head.
"Far too important to be ignored."
"Come with me then," he replied, with the flicking of his fingers over his shoulders.
I followed behind him closely as he led me to his office where he usually spend his day. There were two doors leading to his actual office, the first led to a small room where visitors sit to wait for him, deeper into that one was the second one. His secretary settled in her mini cabin at the right corner of the visitors' room while he led me straight into his office. He told me to sit, to which I respectfully oblige to since I wasn't planning on staying long. He took about a minute to clip his curtains, before settling in his chair behind the large desk. His faint cold eyes stared at me with the disgust he tried to hide, I wasn't expecting such from him after I served him for so long, but at that point, there was nothing he could do that would amaze me any longer since he betrayed me once.
"So, I was going to ask if you knew Asher left the country," I began.
He seemed equally as surprised as I was when I found out which hinted that he hadn't spoken to his son since the incident. "I don't think where he goes should be my concern. After all, he's an adult," he replied, voice cold like he didn't care, but deep within his response, a sudden unease thrived.
"You're right, he's a grown man."
He took his gaze off me, reaching for the folders on his desk as he began to flip through the pages. "If that's all you have to say, you might as well be on your way."
I hesitated for a bit, but it was quite obvious that he didn't want me there so I turned to leave his office, but then I halted again, knowing there was so much questions I needed answers to.
"Actually, there's more," I said as I turned to face him.
He raised his head briefly before taking his gaze off me almost immediately. "Go ahead," his voice dropped.
"When were you going to tell me Berkscorp is about to file for bankruptcy?" I asked as I paced towards him, a step at a time.
He was stunned, completely fascinated by what I had just said that he adjusted in his chair, looking at me in confusion, but he tried to conceal his anxiety. "Where did you hear that?"
"Asher had these files, showing the company has been battling with legal charges for decades now. Why did you leave that part out?"
"I don't remember giving you the power to worry over the future of this company," his voice dropped as if to dismiss me.
"I am the CEO. It is pretty much my duty to worry."
"That you became against the will of the board. I hereby relieve you of any duty pertaining to safeguarding the future of this corporation," he replied rudely, not even looking at my face like he didn't care whether I was there or not.
I stood still, fear struck my bones. Was this how much he hated me? After everything I had done for him.
"Sorry, I overstepped," I heard myself say before I could hold it back. I didn't say anything else to him, I just walked towards the door, seriously pissed off.
"Isla," he called my name.
I looked back.
"If I was you, I'll stay away from unofficial matters," he advised, his words like a warning to watch my back and I caught on almost instantly.
I shook my head, pulling the door open as I stepped out of the room, still angry. He knew the company was drowning and there was nothing to do to save it, that must have been why he made Asher CEO. If he couldn't leave a lasting legacy for his son, he might as well let him taste from his before it got ruined. It was a brilliant strategy... A mesmerizing one.
I walked up straight to my office. Robin was inside already, in his seat, using his computer. I greeted him casually, walking over to my computer, trying to find a solution to this problem. I didn't know what Asher was planning, but whatever reason it was that he left this position for me, it can't be good.