Business world

"Art's a seductress, who seduces not the skilled hands, but the broken heart."

-Tigress Lionheart.

"Even If you are at the right track. You will get run over if you just sit there."

-Will Roger.

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

-Muhammed Ali.

This chapter is dedicated to Wattpad NellyPerry993 dammie201 Tejiri2002 asamaoh user43602709 Agathi_bw

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Cutest moment of my life.

Sighs!

It was my fifteenth birthday and no one remembered to wish me. Not dad, not mom, not Mrs Bailey, not nonna, not my best friends. Nobody.

I felt neglected, abandoned, used as an old dilapidated shoe. All through the day, I kept sulking. Dad even had the effrontery to wish a colleague happy birthday in my presence.

I was mad and filled with rage and resentment. I cried my eyes out throughout the day. I had accepted I was a nobody. At least, that was what I thought before and unknown number sent a happy birthday text and told me to step out of the house. I knew it was wrong for me to sneak out of the house, but I was happy someone finally acknowledged my birthday so I did.

I sneaked out and saw a brand new shining car with everyone screaming surprise and happy birthday. I cried because it was cute, but I was also grounded for two weeks for trying to elope with a stranger.

I was sitting by my window playing video games when a balloon flew through the window. I curiously got up and took a look at it. It had a little note beneath it and it read, I can't stand us not talking again please let forget the conflict. With surprise and elation, I moved towards my window and saw a familiar figure in the compound waving. I waved back and beckoned on her to come in.

She didn't look like her normal fashionista self. Instead, she looked like a mafia boss with her eyes red, her hair, a curly mess. Her dress torn, and her mouth puffing out smoke expertly. Who the hell swapped my best friend with a fictional character, because this isn't the regular slay queen Jessica Walker.

She presented a box to me. I eyed her warily and collected the box as I wondered what was inside.

"I found the iPhone you lost on Halloween night in Gabe's pocket. Turned out the screen was cracked so I fixed it for you." She shook her head and sniffled aggressively.

"So, I'm hoping we can fix us." She continued and threw the cigarette on the floor before stepping on it.

She looked strange, weird, and crazy.

"Take a seat." I patted the couch and she exhaled heavily. She stunk so badly.

"Why the hell does Griffin have my phone in the first place?"

"It Gabriel," she corrected.

"Oh well, whatever. Why does he have my phone?" My brows furrowed.

"That bastard is a pickpocket, a drug addict, a thief, a rapist, a-" she broke down in a sob and covered her face.

"What did he do to you?" I could feel sweaty forming on my forehead as I began worrying.

"That two-faced bastard is everything bad." Tears streamed down her face as she eyes narrowed in silt.

"He is a cheat. I caught him sleeping around. He is a gangster." She nodded he head furiously. "He does cocaine. He beats me up." My head jerked up in surprise as I took her crying from in my shoulder and patted her back.

"Shh! It's fine. Let not talk about it now." I whispered soothingly but she pushed me away and began pacing the room with her back facing me.

"I'm an idiot, a really, really, really sorry idiot who deserves everything coming to her." Her voice became tough. "You were right and I was wrong. Please forgive me. I miss us, I miss the crazy boys." She broke into another sob.

"You don't deserve anything bad, honey, you were just too good that you couldn't identify evil when you saw one. And you were stubborn to my warnings. He should rot in jail for his deeds. He is a hardened criminal." I pronounced and pulled her into another hug.

I don't know how long that hug lasted, but it was long enough for her to bear out her pains while I rubbed her head and back. It was long enough to make her feel better. To become stronger and to heal faster.

"Thank you so much, Anna, you're such an amazing person and I feel sorry for betraying our friendship. For letting you down. For turning my back when you needed me. I was selfish and stupid and I let fake love cloud my reasoning. If you are open to forgiving me, I will work to be a better person. A better friend." She assured me and blew her nose on her handkerchief.

"I had forgiven you long before you asked for it. I just need you to heal right now and be fine. Hell, you look exactly like sponge bob when he high on caffeine." She smiled and laughed.

"Thank you very much, Anna banana."

"Now I miss that title for months. Come on, have you eaten?" I took her cold trembling hands.

"You need to stay away from Ralph." She blurted out with all seriousness.

I mentally held a remote and tapped on pause and the world went still. She went still. Her brows scrunched up, her mouth partly opened, and her eyes, red and puffy with black designer bags underneath depicted all seriousness. Only, I didn't know if they were original Gucci or fake Versace, Then I pressed play.

"Are you kidding me?" I folded my arms to her chest and stared at her like she suddenly grew and extra pair of head.

"All the guys are players, scrum, trash. That is what they represent and this is what they do to our gender." She pointed at her appearance. Her heartbroken self.

"Now, I understand you are in the wrong frame of mind but I will like you to watch your tongue," I warned sternly.

"Shut up and listen to me, Anna." She hollered silencing me. Then she took little steps towards me and raised my chin to stare at her eyes. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"Where were you when I was actually hurt?" Anger overwhelmed me. "You were sitting comfortably in another person's arm. You saw me at school the day my photoshopped nudes went viral and you laughed in my face. And here you are preaching like a saint?"

"How dare you, just shut the hell up Anna, why-"

"And you back the hell down, I'm fed up with this nonsense. Just because a two-faced nuisance excuse for a guy did this to you doesn't mean every other guy is like him." My voice rose higher.

"You met two guys, you chose the wrong guy. And turned a blind eye to every other sign just because you wanted to convince yourself he was good for you. You made the wrong choices so why drag Ralph into this matter?"

Her face looked aghast like she had seen a real-life ghost. She probably needed air to digest it all.

My voice went softer. "This isn't the sweet little Jess anymore. You let bad company influence you. Look at yourself, you now smoke. Who introduced you to it, if not that bastard. Ralph has been supportive. So the earlier you flush out such thoughts from your mind, the better for you."

For a brief second, everything went blank and quiet. She stared at herself in the mirror. "I can't have my cake and eat it, can I?"

"Let get you cleaned up and I will let you have chocolate cake and eat it." She released a peal of low laughter, before breaking down in another sob again.

"I missed you, a great deal Anna banana."

"I missed you more, Jess." I grinned. "C'mon, let hurry up. Let go out and have fun. Girly moment."

If there was anything I learnt about friendship. I learnt today that we don't forgive people because they deserve it. We forgive them because they need it-- because we need it. The fact that she put so many thoughts and attempts in getting me-- getting us back just shows how she valued our friendship. Mistakes are inevitable. But I'm afraid people making mistakes is even foreordained.

A blast of wind hit us in the room. I shivered from cold and proceeded to lock the window. A small sigh of anxiety leaps out of my mouth. Tersely, my eyes flicker to the buildings trying to find the prying eyes but found nothing.

"Anything the problem?" Jess' voice poked my bubble of thoughts.

"Not at all," I answered with my lips frozen. I tried to shake off all imaginary thoughts as we prepared for our outing.

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♥Everett POV♥

My eyes, a wall of jet black ink, held a gaze more fearsome than a tiger as I scanned my sky scrapper office as I strolled in in the midst of my ever alert and active bodyguards.

I stepped into the elevator with shaky employees as they spared side glance at me and probably couldn't wait to leave this enclosed space with me. A space they dared not take a breath from.

To my family, I'm the most loving and caring father. The breadwinner who provided them with all basic necessities of life and materialistic things. To the business world, I'm the ruthless, fearsome arrogant boss. The most powerful man in the world and probably in the universe. I'm the man Forbes has declared as the world richest man--wealthiest billionaire in the past fifteen years. I control both the USA and Italy. Most people even thought I will probably contest for presidency someday because I can win it within the blink of an eye. I am Gray, Giovanni, Everett. The leader and owner of the most powerful empire in the nation.

The elevator tinged open. Nobody dares step out until I do. I took my first step out and watched how the rest scampered out, breathing heavily as they ran from my sight.

I stepped into the highest floor in the building. My private office, a huge room occupying a corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows staring back at me. The windows gave views in two directions, fifth avenue to the east, central park just a few block north. A water dispenser sat comfortably at a corner. My mahogany desk with Mac book pro, neatly stacked paperwork, pens in a tin, a photograph of my wife, and a vase of flower beckoned on me.

I dismissed my bodyguards. The moment they stepped out, my personal assistant came in with my usual cup of coffee and dropped it on my table with trembling hands.

"Why is this coffee cold?" My voice came out colder than I expected and she shivered.

"I actually just made the coffee but I decided to let it cool a bit before serving you." She blurted out, staring at the floor like my image was there.

"No employee of mine shall look down while talking to me." I banged my table and she looked up frightened.

She couldn't breathe, she looked like she was choked. Her chest heaved up and down like her heart was racing and she wanted to do was curl into a ball and wait for someone to save her. But no one would because no one except me was here with her.

"Get this black shit off my desk, go and make me another coffee. I like it hot and steamy. And you should know better." My brows furrowed as I watched her run from my sight.

I'm tired of everyone not doing the right thing. I have a business deal to close this afternoon. I have invested a lot and I'm not ready to watch my hard work crumble like cookies.

My secretary came in again with another cup of coffee. This time around it was so hot that it scalded my tongue.

"Why can't you simply do anything right, Rose?" I said irritatedly as I massaged my forehead in anger.

"You told me you like it hot and steamy. So I made it exactly the way you described." She hollered with balls of sweat on her forehead and anger in her eyes.

"None of my employees shall shout at me." I banged my table. "Now get this nonsense out of my table if you don't want to get fired."

"But sir, I can make you another cof-" her eyes pleaded.

"I'm not interested. Get it out of my sight and go get the meeting room ready for today's conference. And get me my schedule for today." I dismissed her and watched her retreating figure. Before focusing on my laptop again.

I got a call from Rose that an old acquaintance wanted to see me. I assumed it was my best friend and business partner and told her to let him in but later regretted why I never asked for the name when I perceived the familiar cologne.

I let my eyes roll up to the woman that had entered. Her heels clicked like they were damaging my tiled floor and I had the urge to tell her to take them off. She was a redhead in an item of seductive clothing.

Her silhouette was so seductive. Her form and frame stood elegantly and confidently as the sun-kissed her body. She lighted up like a flame. Her flowing red hair danced seductively in the breeze.

The way her clothes clung to her, she was a tease. She knows how to get to me. How to mess with me, how to destroy me as she has always done since I was a teenager. She knows how to get the no, stuck in my mouth and the yes, out in seconds with lust filled eyes and watered mouth. Samantha. Samantha is her name.

My jaw went rigid as I tried to get her image out of my head. "What do you want Sam?"

She took little steps till she reached my seat with her bright smile and red filled lips curved in a smirk. A knowing smirk.

"Dear love, could you please undo the zip of my dress?" She asked innocently with a voice as faint as an angel.

"No."

"No? You are not allowed to say anything but yes. So just give me that side-swept smile of yours and zip down my dress immediately." She commanded, battling her eyelashes.

"Stop trying to seduce me, Sam, it won't work. My anniversary was last week." I turned my face from hers and stared at anything that didn't begin with S.

Her long index finger trailed my face as she dragged my jaw up and tilted it to face her. "I don't seduce, never! I just reduce to ashes." She spat.

"Get out sam." I stood up abruptly, pointing at the door.

She chuckled darkly staring at me in amusement. "Are you seriously resisting me? That's interesting."

"Out of my premises, Sam or I will unleash my guards on you." I threatened and picked up my telephone.

"No! It's fine, I will leave." She raised her hands in defence with a smile. "But I will definitely leave with something you cherish."

I rolled my eyes at her empty threats. "Just leave already." My voice rose.

"You will definitely call begging I promise you." She walked towards the door and sent a kiss my way.

I called Rose. "Don't ever let that witch into my office again."

I slammed the telephone down and stared at my wife's photograph. The last thing I will do is cheat on my wife.

Notifications popped up on my screen and I instantly got back to work and clicked on the text.

"Hi dear, didn't see you there. Prepare a sum of $20,000,000 to safeguard her life.

You stand the 100% chance of getting her back. You and your family are under close scrutiny as well as the authority. Don't try to grow the brain, Everett. And don't think killing your daughter will be difficult. Don't underestimate us Everett, use that good Italian common sense of yours. The ball is in your court."

-anonymous.

S.B.G.L

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