Chapter 5

The next day…

As usual, Roselle was awakened by the tune of her mobile phone. She thought it was her alarm but when her eyes snapped wide open, she noticed that it was actually a call. She failed to answer it and a message notification followed after the ringing stopped. She tried to sit up and leaned on the headrest while opening it. The contents were…

'Miss Ventura, this is Mrs. Larson's assistant. I called to notify you that my boss won't be needing your service starting today. Thank you.'

She frowned.

Another message came into her notifications bar.

'Roselle, this is Anna. I was ordered to tell you that Madame Alice won't be needing you to come starting today. I will miss you, bitch! Please call me some other time for a hang-out.'

Her frown deepened even more.

Roselle sighed deeply, feeling rather confused. What's going on? Why are they pulling away from her just this sudden? As far as she recalled, nagawa naman niya ng maayos ang kanyang sessions with them and they weren't complaining about it. She felt strange but instead of dwelling too much about it, she pushed them aside and stood up from her bed. Nagpunta siya sa banyo for her morning routine then went out freshly bathed wrapped in a bath towel.

Her phone echoed once more. She received another message.

She snatched it from her bed and read the contents. The message was from an unknown number.

'Bitch! You're fired! Stay away from my man or I will slap the hell out of you if you appear in my sight. The PIXIE COFFEE shop won't be needing your slutty ass starting today! Go to hell!'

"What the hell? What the fuck is wrong with these people?" She groaned in frustration.

Roselle really yearns for someone to complain about the strange vibe she was having right at the moment but she has no one by her side. Her best friend went to her home the previous night and now she was all alone. It was too early to nag at Andrea either through the phone and she had nothing to do for the rest of the day because everyone was distancing away from her and she doesn't know why. She felt a little sad about it but she wasn't in her right position to demand any explanation from them. She has no choice but to accept their judgement about her and move on.

She slumped down on her bed lazily and thought of something to do when her mind went back to the memories from yesterday. Specifically the one at OLYMPUS. The job offer she declined and now she was having second thoughts to accept it as her schedule was cleared all of a sudden. She carefully weighed the situation while staring at her phone for almost one and half an hour and finally she made up her mind to give it a try. 

'Baka pwede ako mag set ng few conditions for myself'. She thought as she dialed Emman Velasco's phone number and waited to be answered.

***

Meanwhile at Oliver's office…

Emman was summoned early to the office by his boss. He was confused about his sudden call but then Oliver didn't explain to him the reason and just left him hanging with a loud beeping on the line. Now he was facing him with a cup of coffee trying to get rid of his sleepiness.

"Dude, did you even take a nap, huh?" He noticed his friend's dark circles and he wanted to make fun of him.

Oliver took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. "This coffee tastes so terrible." He reluctantly swallowed the bitter liquid and leaned on his swivel chair. "You stay here and wait for her call. I wanted to know if my trick is effective." He grinned evilly.

"Mukhang sigurado ka ah…" Emman arched his brows while looking at him doubtfully. He dropped his mobile phone on the table and waited for Oliver's expectations to shatter.

"80%. According to her background, she has no one in life and that alone would make her determined to grab every opportunity that comes knocking on her door." Oliver sounds confident with his schemes.

One and half an hour later…

Emman's mobile phone started to ring, displaying Roselle's caller ID on his wide screen.

The two men's eyes meet and lock.

"Take it." Oliver demanded while smirking, aiming his eyes at the ringing phone.

Emman pressed the answer mode and turned on the speaker mode.

"Good morning, Miss Ventura." He deliberately let his voice sound like a gentleman.

"Good morning, Mr. Velasco. I just want to know if you have found someone to fill in for the job?" Roselle's voice sounds melodiously professional in their ears.

Oliver gestured his hand urging him to pretend to ask questions.

"We're still looking for someone suitable for the job. Baka may kilala ka na pwede mo i-recommend sa'min." Emman suggested.

"Unfortunately, I can't. How about I take it?" She blurted out.

Oliver touched the tip of his nose while listening to their conversation. He had a victorious smile plastered on his face.

Emman rolled his eyes at him while speaking. "Sigurado ka ba?"

"Yes, Mr. Velasco but can I set a few conditions concerning my privacy?" She suggested.

Oliver gives him a nod and a thumbs up indicating his approval.

"Alright, Miss Ventura. Please come to…" Emman wasn't able to finish his words because Oliver gestured to him to give his villa's address and he obliged. He instructed the lady to come to the specific location he had given to her over the phone.

Pumayag naman si Roselle. She told him that she's coming in half an hour to meet him before she drops the call.

Oliver then stood up from his seat and took his car keys from his drawer.

Emman also stood up and was about to follow but he shot him a sharp glare. "Where do you think you are going?" He asked.

"I'm coming with you." Emman replied curtly.

"You stay here and wait till I get back. I'll be the one to tell her everything about her job." He exclaimed before he turned around and left without waiting for the latter's response.

Emman shook his head and went to his office to resume his work left the previous night.

***

Oliver arrived faster than Roselle. He informed the guards to let her in before he went to his mother's room to check on her and found her sitting on the balcony bathing with the sunrise. He sighed and marched towards her. "Mom, are you okay?" He asked softly.

She shook her head and pouted. "I feel so sad." She replied shortly.

"Let's go downstairs. I have a surprise for you ." He whispered as he scooped her in his arms. He carried her towards downstairs and put her on the couch while waiting for Roselle's arrival.

"Ollie, can we play?" His mother smiled at him like a child asking for his attention eagerly.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I can't play with you but I…"He wasn't able to finish his words when a knock caught his attention. "My surprise must have arrived. Please wait for me." He said as he stood up and opened the door.

Roselle's eyes widened in astonishment seeing Oliver's handsome face pop out from the inside. She felt weird but she shook it off and quickly gathered herself together. "Good morning, Mr. Mitchell." She greeted him with a professional smile.

Oliver was caught off guard by her feminine scent. It hit his nostrils making him gradually speed up his breathing. The smell enticed him as he inhaled deeply trying to calm himself. "Good morning, Miss Ventura. Please come in." He urged opening the door wider.

"Thank you." She curtly responded and immediately slithered herself inside walking past him.

Nakaramdam ang binata ng kakaiba ng dumaan ito sa harap niya. Her smell was giving him an odd feeling and he found it annoying yet relaxing. He followed her and said, "Maupo ka, Miss Ventura."

"Sure."

"Ollie, sino siya?" Mrs. Mitchell chimes in with a huge grin. Her eyes were sparkling like water as she eyed the lady sitting elegantly across her. 

"Please introduce yourself to my mother, Miss Ventura." He suggested.

Roselle nodded and faced her new client with a friendly smile. "Hello Mrs. Mitchell. I am Roselle Ventura and I will be taking care of you from now on…" She softly stated.

"You're beautiful. Are you a princess?" The older woman blurted out quizzically while giggling. 

"Mom, do you like her to accompany you while I'm gone?" Oliver questioned his mother. 

He cast a glance at the lady and found her smiling back at his mother. Suddenly he felt light. It was like the huge weight was lifted up from his shoulder. He couldn't explain but he knows why. It was because he witnessed that Roselle's presence had brought an unexpected smile to his mother's face. She was happy and it brought him a sense of ease.

"Yes! Yes! I like her." His mother squealed excitedly while clapping her hands.

Oliver nodded and darted his gaze back to the lady. "It seems that she really likes you, Miss Ventura. Can you tell me about your conditions? I will try to consider it. I promise." He politely suggested.

Roselle then laid her concerns right there and then and he agreed to it without hesitation. She thanked him for being considerate.

"You can start now, Miss Ventura. You're hired."

"Ah, uhm... I wasn't able to bring my basic necessities right now, Mr. Mitchell. I need to pack my things and I promise to be back later." Roselle grumbled in embarrassment.

"Alright. It's hard to find a taxi here perhaps I can just go with you to make it fast. Let's go." Having said that, tumayo na ang binata at naglakad papunta sa pinto leaving her with no choice but to follow.