Chapter seven

Zack’s POV

I got into my office and settled down when I received a call from an important client that wants to invest in my company.

"Hi Mr. Jones, when do you wish to come?" I asked eagerly.

"Yeah Zack, I called concerning that. I don’t think that would be possible again. Or if it will be eventually possible, we need to move it forward," he said solemnly.

"But why?" I inquired, feeling a knot of frustration forming in my stomach.

"It’s because of the scandal few minutes ago, it’s all over the internet. We don’t need that kind of negative publicity before the collaboration," he explained apologetically.

"Alright, no problem," I said, trying to keep my tone even despite the irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

"I’m not questioning your sexuality or judging you," he added hastily, sensing my unease.

"Mr. Jones, I have a meeting now. Can we talk some other time?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.

"No problem Mr. Samuels," he replied, the line going silent as I hung up.

As I pondered over the abrupt turn of events, a surge of anger coursed through me. Who was this woman to interfere in my business dealings? And was Nora, my ex-girlfriend, somehow involved in orchestrating this chaos? Despite the fury bubbling within me, I couldn't afford to let my emotions dictate my actions, especially not when the success of my company hung in the balance.

Mr. Jones, the potential investor, was crucial to the expansion of my tech empire. His interest in collaborating with my company was a golden opportunity, one that I couldn't afford to lose. Yet, the tarnish of scandal threatened to overshadow our partnership, courtesy of this mysterious woman's actions.

As I contemplated over my options, a steely determination took root within me. I couldn't allow her interference to derail my progress. Instead, I resolved to channel my frustration into fuel for retaliation. She needed to understand the consequences of crossing paths with me, and I was determined to ensure she regretted her actions.

First, I needed to halt the spread of the fake news. I made a call to my media team, just like I did during Nora’s allegations. I instructed them to cease the news from circulating.

Then, I called Jane, my receptionist to let her in.

When she arrived, I carefully reviewed her resume portfolio, and I must say, everything in there was quite impressive.

After a few discussions, I offered her the job as an accountant. I made it clear that she was to start promptly at 9 a.m.

She expressed her gratitude and left, though not before I vented some frustration with her. She must pay for what happened at the airport today.

A thought suddenly came to my mind: why don’t I make her my second personal assistant? There, I’ll have her very close and be able to control her every move.

Nice idea, I gave myself a pat on the head, literally.

I decided to call my best friend, Aaron, to meet up. He was supposed to leave New York the next day, so we needed to catch up before he left for a week or so.

He is the only one who is very close to me, aside from my grandfather. In fact, I tell him things that I can’t tell my grandfather. He is family to me.

His father and mine were also best friends before his father died. We took him and his sister in. His sister, Janelle, and I used to be very close before she decided to relocate to Paris to pursue fashion.

She visits once in a while. The other day, Aaron mentioned to me that she was relocating back to New York, but he doesn’t know when.

We started from scratch. We did not rely on our fathers’ properties. We worked for every single penny. Aaron is doing very well in his hotel business, and I’m also succeeding in my tech business.

Look at us now, we are taking over. Aaron is not the social media type and tries to stay away from it. You’ll hardly find anything about him online. I’m sure he has no idea that I’m trending right now.

I decided that we should meet up at one of his hotels. For someone who doesn’t like paparazzi or social media, his hotels are always a safe bet.

We met up, and I recounted all that had happened. He couldn’t help but laugh at me.

“I’m sure the lady meant no harm. It was just a misunderstanding, and I’m sure the way you spoke to her didn’t help matters,” Aaron said, still chuckling.

“Oh, so you think I’m overreacting now? She'll pay for this, I promise,” I replied, my tone firm.

“Come on, man, it’s not that big of a deal,” he said, trying to convince me to lighten up.

“Okay, I know what to do. So, when are you coming back?” I asked, swiftly changing the subject.

“To be honest, man, I have no idea. It’ll probably take up to two weeks,” he replied.

“Alright, I’m famished. Tell the chef to bring chicken salad and orange juice,” I instructed.

“Okay, let me quickly make a call to her,” he said, reaching for his phone.

We moved on to brighter topics and chatted about random things. I also asked about Janelle. Aaron mentioned that she’d be relocating back next month. I made a mental note to give her a call.

After eating, we soon called it a night. My driver came to pick me up, while Aaron had other business in the other room. Did I mention that my best friend is the biggest playboy in New York? He should be thankful that the internet doesn’t have its sights set on him yet.

I entered my penthouse and was greeted by my workers. I acknowledged them with a nod.

“Should I set the table, sir?” Stephanie, my chef, asked.

“There’s no need, I won’t be eating tonight,” I replied.

I retired to my bedroom and pondered over everything that had happened today. I didn't even realize when I drifted off to sleep.

The rest of the week flew by swiftly. I was enjoying myself immensely by frustrating Sara. Assigning her to print unimportant documents, making my coffee repeatedly, sending her on unnecessary errands, and various other tasks. And she was falling for it every time.

Today was Friday, and I continued my routine of getting under her skin. But to my surprise, Sara finally stood up to me. She challenged me to give her actual work since she was hired as my personal assistant, not my servant—her exact words.

In response, I decided to take her to a party my grandfather was hosting. If she wanted to work so badly, she could accompany me. I arranged for my driver to pick her up, and much to my satisfaction, she agreed.

I had every intention of continuing to frustrate her at the party, just as I had all week.

We arrived at the party, and I couldn't help but notice how stunning Sara looked tonight. Her dress accentuated her curves perfectly—how had I not noticed them before? I wondered briefly.

But I quickly pushed aside any distracting thoughts. I couldn't afford to be distracted. After all, I could have any woman I desired, and many of them would be even more beautiful and curvaceous than Sara.

While engaged in conversation with my grandfather, Nora, my ex-girlfriend, made her entrance. She exchanged pleasantries with my grandfather and then approached me, also acknowledging Sara's presence. Irritation simmered within me, and I wished both Nora and Sara would disappear from my sight.

In a thinly veiled attempt to dismiss Sara, I instructed her to fetch herself a drink. It was clear what I meant, and she understood, promptly excusing herself from our conversation.

After Sara left, Nora made her exit as well, citing urgent matters requiring her attention. I couldn't fathom why she had shown up in the first place.

Shortly afterward, my grandfather broached the topic of marriage, inquiring when I intended to propose to Nora. I swiftly deflected, informing him that such plans were off the table, as I had found someone else. I chose not to divulge the details of Nora's indiscretions or accusations—I didn't want to burden my grandfather unnecessarily. I resolved to disclose everything to him in due time, when the timing felt right.

Curious, my grandfather pressed for the identity of this newfound someone. Just then, Sara approached us, and it seemed like a stroke of luck. seizing the opportunity, I introduced Sara as the one.

Grandfather bought my story. He seemed to like her. I gave her the look to play along, and she understood the assignment.

She was still talking to grandfather when I noticed something different about her. She looked stunning. The way she spoke was incredibly captivating.

One of grandfather’s workers came to inform us about the meeting, and we left.

"Grandfather, I’ll meet you there. I need to make a quick phone call," I informed him.

"Okay Zack, don’t take too long," he replied.

With that, he left.

I picked up my phone from my pocket and called my private investigator.

He answered on the second ring.

"Alex, I need all the details on Sara Miles," I instructed, skipping any pleasantries.

"Okay, boss," he replied.

"I need everything by noon tomorrow. Figure it out," I said sternly.

"Consider it done, boss," he assured me. I hung up and headed to meet my grandfather.

A few minutes later, I received a text from an unknown number.

It was Sara, informing me that she was leaving.

As if I care, I thought to myself, and didn't bother to reply.