Chapter 8 *She is here*

    

A woman stood at the threshold of the Australia airport.

“Home sweet home.” She breathed in and removed her dark shades.

“Where is he?” She glanced at her wrist watch.

“Benita.” She turned her head to the voice and smiled.

“Peter.”

Peter stepped up to her and hugged her.

“Why are you just coming now?”

“Sorry. I was busy assigning a new secretary for Anthonio.” Peter took her luggages to the car.

“What happened to the old one?” She got in with him.

“Fired.”

Benita laughed. “What? The sweet old Anthonio who deeply cared about his employees fired his secretary?”

“Tell me about it.” Peter grumbled.

“That's an highlight.” Benita chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~

“Good day sir, my name is Miss Mars.” The newly assigned secretary introduced herself nervously.

Anthonio tapped on his phone screen acting oblivious to the timid woman in front of him.

She stood there for minutes before he looked up at her.

“On your desk are some important files I want you to look at. Go through it and summarize it before the end of today.”

“Okay sir.”she nodded.

“And you will also see the CNS information. Get in touch with the interviewer there right away, tell her we will update them about the get together location.”

“If I may ask sir, what get together is that?”

Anthonio clicked his tongue. “I hate being asked questions. Don't let it repeat itself.”

“Sorry sir.” Miss Mars stuttered nervously.

“Do what I have instructed you to do. Especially contacting the interviewer at CNS. And give me her feedback.”

“Okay sir.” She waited for further instructions but when she met Anthonio's cold eyes, she knew he wanted her gone.

She hurried out.

“Dumb.” Anthonio sighed and a notification popped up on his phone.

His eyes went to a darker shade of blue.

He opened his secret drawer and brought out his burner phone.

“What was that about, Bruno?”

“Boss she is here.”

“She is here?”

“Yes boss, our intern at the airport said she came in this morning.”

“Where is she now?”

“At Benson Hotel.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

Anthonio hunged up, his hand tightened on the phone.

Unwanted memories flooded in.

How dare she come back here?

~~~~~~~~~

What does he want?

Marley stared at her phone. She just got off from a call with Anthonio's secretary.

She wasn't Mrs Bling. The voice was different.

It looks like he has hired a new one.

She got up and went to summon her crew for a meeting.

A meeting she hated doing.

“Good morning everybody.”

They acknowledged her greetings.

“Yesterday I was summoned by the boss who informed me about Mr Kalvey's plan for us.”

A plan that sounded off for someone of his status.

“He wants to do a get together kind of thing for us, he said he is grateful for the success of the interview and wants to appreciate our efforts.”

Gushes and whispers came in as expected, especially from the ladies.

“The location isn't determined yet, I'll be updated soon as said by his secretary, so just be on standby.”

A hand came up.

“Yes John?” 

John cleared his throat before speaking. “But is there any need for a get together?”

Now someone who shares her own thoughts.

“Keep quiet boy. This is a meeting and not a gathering to asks stupid questions, I don't know why an Intern can even have a say here.” One of the ladies interjected with fire in her eyes.

“That's enough. Everyone has an equal say here and I won't tolerate intimidation and oppression in my team.” Marley cautioned, then turned her attention to John; whose head was down now.

“John we have no choice. The boss says we must go so we must go. I'll inform you guys about the location and date when I'm updated.” 

“Now that is it for Mr Kalvey. Let's discuss about our next interview.” Marley tapped on a keyboard and scrolled on her computer.

After the meeting, Marley called John aside.

“John don't feel bad about what happened today.”

“It's okay ma. Stuffs happens.” He smiled at her and Marley returned it.

John turned to leave but hesitated.

He turned back at her. “Miss Neils, I read your articles before coming to do my internship here, you are my role model.” With that he left her.

Marley smiled softly and went to the printer machine to print some documents but the machine was out of paper.

She went to the paper store and found the door already opened slightly.

That was weird.

She went towards it but stopped abruptly.

Her instincts sharpened and she stood at alert.

Voices. No. Moans.

Marley turned to leave, wanting to give the lovers privacy, but something; maybe curiousity, made her turn back and tiptoe to the door.

She should at least see who was inside and who has the audacity to moan so loudly in the paper store.

She came towards the door and peaked inside.

She saw a male head. A familiar male head.

It was Mick.

Her stomach twisted.

The scumbag was screwing a girl.

He has always been a cheater but she had been blinded by love.

Who was the girl?

It was as if the universe wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

Mick's head bent down to the girl's neck and her face revealed.

Sofia.

Marley gasped and Sofia’s eyes darted to her.

She smirked knowingly at Marley.

~~~~~~~~~

Anthonio's car halted in front of an hotel.

Benson Hotel.

He clenched the steering wheel and exhaled.

He didn't know why he was here.

But he found himself driving here before he could stop himself.

After that phone call with Bruno, he couldn't stop the memories.

Benita was here. In Australia.

She had come back here.

After all these years.

He got out of the car before he could stop himself and slammed the car door.

He knew which floor she was on.

He could go up there and question her.

About what happened five years ago.

Even if he had to scare the t

ruth out of her.

He started climbing the stairs to the entrance of the hotel but stopped.

Anthonio shook his head and turned back.

“Anthonio?”

Anthonio stopped in his tracks.

That voice.

“Anthonio.”