Web Fic
Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Chapter 74
After snacking on some pastries, | thought Hayley and Dante would delay a little bit before heading out to dinner seeing as they wouldn't have been hungry already but | guess Dante didn’t want to be in the same space as me. After | wiped down the crumbs from the marble counter, Dante had already helped Hayley with her shoes and a jacket before | could even leave the kitchen.
It was a fast move on his side and | was a little unprepared for it but | wasn’t about to make a fuss about it. Hayley gave me a hug and a k*ss before she left through the doors with Dante and | didn’t quite feel to call it a day just yet. Since | had left the Office a little earlier than usual this afternoon, it was still bright outside.
| reached for my phone as | headed out side to enjoy the breeze and compose the email | had in mind. It was part of company tradition to hold an intimate introductory event for newly stakeholders. The reason for this was to get every one accustomed to each other and create a sense. of familiarity between fellow investors and myself and allowing a sense of involvement to senior contributors.NôvelDrama.Org owns all content.
the email had taken me a full hour to compose but it had been a rather extensive and inclusive email containing all that we need to be taken care of. | thought it better that the sooner the introductory event took place the better it would be since it would allow everyone to move forward. | compiled a list of all the guest that should be invited along with the dates set for this upcoming Friday evening. | picked a venue that was still pretty Central to the city but not nearly as large enough then was necessary.
as | concluded this email | realized just how much work would have to be done from booking a caterer to taking care of the decor to other small intricate details that could not go on unattended. despite the small worry that came with hosting such an event | also felt a sense of excitement as | once again realized what a boost this was celebrating.
as a rounded off the email then send it to Lucy so that she could begin taking care of a few things | wanted if Dante would even show up, it was’evident that he did not particularly like Scott. Vanderbilt and even if Adam had been correct in assuming that part of the reason was because Dante was uncomfortable with Scott around me | still couldn’t help but wonder if he would be petty enough i to show up. After all the entire event would be in honor of Scott himself and though that may not be clearly stated outright it was still the sole reason for it.
Perhaps he would surprise everyone and actually show up. Dante has been the company’s most vital investor for a good few years. not to mention that he also had a reputation to maintain to the public where it came to his business relationships and they couldn’t imagine that he would risk bad publicity over his male ego.
in any case | was sure that invites for the event would be sent out by tomorrow and Dante was sure to express his approval or lack thereof before that | shrugged, reminding myself that | didn’t care what he did over the he showed up or didn't. all | was worried about was the image of my company and the last impression that | want to give off was that the company overlooked it’s old investors once new and more attractive ones joined.
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by the time | had decided to wake up and head back into the house the sun had already dipped far beyond the horizon then | could see and the sky had grew darker.
| pulled out a few ingredients from the fridge to make myself a sandwich with every intention of devouring it while | watched whatever sitcom would tickle my fancy to serve as background noise. however just as | was heading towards the living room there was a knock on my door. | found and placed my sand which down onto the coffee table before glancing at the clock. it was still fairly early for Dante and Hayley to return back from dinner but | headed towards the front door to see who it was anyways.
| was surprised to see a uniform dressed delivery boy holding the largest arrangement of lilies and white roses all organized with the perfect balance of greenery, the wicker basket that it had been necessed into was even more prettier.
“Good even, ma’am. | have a delivery for you. The young man, who was definitely no older than twenty-three handed the basket to me which | had taken with a smile despite my utter confusion.
“Thank you.” | said before he handed a delivery form for me to sign which | did as | tried to carry the heavy arrangement in one hand and sign with the other.
I shut the door and carried the basket of fragrant, bloomed lilies mixed with the soft scent of the white roses to the side table against the wall of the foyer. | let out a huff as 1 stood back to properly inspect it when | saw the little envelope in the middle.
| reached for it and opened it before sliding the card out that read: These reminded me of you.. — Yours truly, 1. Vanderbilt.” | stared at the card before leaving it next to the basket it had arrive in as | tried to snap small time shock | was in. out if the
Was this one of his moves that he used in women he intended on inticing? | asked myself but then snorted at how big headed that sounded. | considered it a nice notion and one that was purely facilitating good work relations for the future.
| didn’t think much of it and headed back to eat my sandwich in peace.
The sitcom that | had been watching became a lull in the background until | had fallen asleep on the couch. It wasn’t a deep sleep but one where | was still able to be conscious of my surroundings so when | heard knocks on the front door grow more adamant, | jerked awake before sleepily getting to my feet and finding my way to open the door.
At this time, it could only have been Dante and Hayley returning back from dinner. | unlocked door and Hayley wrapped her hands around my legs in a quick hug before stepping back then shifting a little to the side to allow Dante to enter. | didn’t think he wouldn’t come in and thought
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he’d just drop her off and be on his way but he surprised me when he came in and shut the door behind him.
“How was your dinner?” | asked Hayley, running my hands through her soft hair.
She beamed and | could already tell that she had a good time. She rarely ever had a bad time when she went out with Dante.
“It was fun. We went to the arcade before we ate. | love bowling, mama. | think it’s my new favourite game. She expressed herself for her new found interest confidently.
“You were so good at it. | couldn’t catch up to your score.” Dante praised her and | knew that he had lost for her benefit. “She hit all pins down a few times.” He said to me, his gaze touching mine ever so briefly before we both looked away.
My I*ps sorted to tell Hayley how good this was when she inhaled sharp enough to hurt my cars. | winced and saw Dante do the same but we both recovered as we looked at her but some thing else had caught her attention.
“These were not here before we left.” | followed her gaze to white and green arrangement of flowers. “They look beautiful Hayley moved closer to them to inspect it and even stood on her tip toes to get a sniff of the bloomed lilies.
“|- They got here just after you left.” | said to her and saw Dante clench his jaw from the comer of my eye. “Who sent them?” She inquired inquisitively as she brushed her fingers gingerly against a petal.
“Anew work friend. It’s like a little gift for us beginning to work together.” | explained to Hayley carefully but Dante had already been eyeing the card that was set atop of the side table next to the basket holding in all the flowers.
The writing was my no means small and could easily be read from a few steps away and he did read it. | saw his eyes move across the inscripted words against the small card and his nostrils flared.
“That’s nice. Can | take a rose? | was to try and dry it between my books.” She asked as she toyed with the stem of the one that she liked.
“Of course.” | said to her but my voice had come out all weird and tensed. Hayley wiggled the rose out gently then proceed to head down the hall way with it to find a book, | assumed.
A few moments of silence had fallen over us and the air was beginning to grow uncomfortable and tensed until it had become unbearable.
| cleared my throat cutting through the thick silence. “Would you like some thing to drink or are you heading out soon?” | queried trying to distract him from the flowers but he was looking at it like it was a bomb disguised as an innocent gift.
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“Not a very business appropriate card for a work related gift.” His words were like sharp knives escaping his I*ps. | waved my hand in dismissal. “It’s nothing, really.
“You think so but perhaps you're not aware of Scott Vanderbilt and his notoriety. His eyes were flaming balls of fury when he looked at me. He spoke to me as if | was stupid and unaware of the way of men when he forgot that | had dealt with the likes of him.
“lam not naive, Dante, neither am | a child that needs a warning. | know exactly the type of man that he is.” | asserted, squaring my shoulders and not allowing myself to be talked down to
“Ah, so you know exactly what he is.” He tilted his head to the side but his expression was bitter. “Is Scott Vanderbilt more than just a business related issue, then? I'm sure the company’s stakeholders. would frown upon such a thing” He berated me and | nearly laughed at his double standard.
“The stakeholders were never a concern when you were involved.” | reminded him mockingly and his face tightened. “And secondly, whatever it is that | do in my personal life is none of your concern.” | reinstated the fact which he seemed to have forgotten,
“Be that as it may but you are the mother of my child. The men you frolick about with will impact her.” | rolled my eyes at how rediculous that notion was.
“Oh, now you’re concerned about Hayley when it comes to people we’re seeing. It didn’t seem to trouble you at all when-” | was about to mention Pheobe but the thought of her limp, very dead b*dy flashed in my mind and | shook my head to get the image out.
| exhaled slowly. “All I’m saying is that you do not have a say in what ever happens he it between Scott and | or any other man.” | warned him even though there was nothing between Vanderbilt and | and there never ever would be. |
| was not gullible enough to even believe a word Scoff said out of a boardroom. He was a charmer and what ever he tried, even these flowers that arrived tonight, was probably a trick that he had used several times to weave interest for himself in to the heart and mind and his newest target.
Dante didn’t say any thing and silence had befallen us once again. Aside from the sound of our heaving, angry breaths, it was silent. Dante and | stood there just glaring at each other for as long as we could but slowly | began to see the emotion in his eyes change from fury to helpless remorse and pain.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
“What reason do you have to be so indifferent to me out of now where? | know you went through some thing traumatic and | tried my best to rescue you. | thought after that we’d-” He paused, hist eyes searching mine before he shook his head.
His voice was thick and rough/and it grated against me until | felt a small bit of guilt bite at me. “Rescue me from the situation | was in because of you in the first place, Dante.” | whispered trying Dreame
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His eyes tightened before locking with mine and he looked helpless like he didn’t know what to do or say.
“In every turn and point of life, every difficult or humiliating situation I’ve ever been in has been because of you and | was too blinded by my emotions that | kept putting myself at your feet only to get shown why | shouldn’t any more.” | swallowed the pained lump that had formed in my throat out of no where.
“That isn’t true. None of it was intentional. | didn’t mean to-”
“Hurt me? Make me an option and never the choice? Throw me out of your life just to seek me out when you realised you messed up? What is it?” My own pain with all of it had come to the surface and in that moment we were just two regretful individuals fighting for different things.
| was fighting for my future and Dante was fighting for what had sI*pped right through his fingers. SEND GIFT
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