Chapter 5 – Lipstick stain

Samantha paled. She could not believe that her boss was chastising her because of Maeve, the woman who openly called him a scum, social climber, and gold digger.

Gabriel Scott was every woman’s dream and Samantha has had a crush on him from the moment she set eyes on him but all he ever cared about was Maeve.

When Maeve embarrassed him some weeks ago, Samantha thought he would have nothing to do with her but here he was, questioning her because of the same woman. No wonder Dylan said that Gabriel was blind.

“Mr. Scott, she doesn’t suit you and she has no right to be around you,” Samantha bit her lower lips after saying those words and Gabriel’s chiseled jaw clenched.

He was not happy about what Maeve did but to him but that was between them and he was not expecting his secretary to be disrespectful toward Maeve.

“And that is by whose judgment?” He asked in a chilly tone which made Samantha shiver. However, this was her chance to keep Maeve away from her boss.

“We all saw how she yelled at you and called you names,” she lowered her head and spoke stubbornly.

Gabriel breathed deeply and after exhaling, he issued a warning,

“Samantha, if you are going to begin disobeying me, then I think you should start looking for a new job.”

Samantha’s heart stung. He could not see her, Samantha, who was ready to give him everything. It was time to go by Dylan plan. Swallowing her pain, she apologized,

“No, Mr. Scott, I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”

Gabriel said no more and began to walk away when Samantha said,

“What about them? They are two hours early.”

She was eager to initiate Dylan’s plan since her handsome boss was not attracted to her equally attractive features.

“I gave them ten,” Gabriel said and closed the door. Samantha gazed at the two men apologetically but they nodded their heads, telling her that it was fine.

As soon as Gabriel sat in his chair, his door opened and Samantha walked in with his coffee.

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, just as Maeve requested,

“Gabriel, can I have coffee too please?”

She could have gone to get her own coffee but knowing that Samantha was Dylan’s ally, she meant to frustrate her a little, especially after what she did out there since she had no idea what had transpired after she came to wait in the office.

Her politeness froze Gabriel’s hands on the keyboard and he glanced at her. She was even smiling. Something she never did since Dylan came into her life during her second year in College. Gabriel wondered if she was the same Maeve who said mean things to him.

Meaning to test her, he pushed his hot cup of coffee towards her, “You can have mine.” Then he said to Samantha, “please get me another one.”

“Thank you,” Maeve said and sipped the coffee. Then she frowned, “too bitter.”

Gabriel did not understand what was going on. Maeve has never accepted anything from him for the past two years so he was dumbfounded.

“Sorry. Samantha, please give her coffee with sugar. I will just take this back.” He pulled the coffee back to himself. When he raised it to his lips, Samantha frowned and said,

“I can get you another one. There is lipstick stain on the cup.”

She was so upset at how Gabriel was treating Maeve after all she did to him. He did not even seem to care about the lipstick stain. Gabriel, the clean freak shrugged whiles he sipped,

“Why waste this one, it’s still hot.”

Samantha forced down her fury before going out and returning with two cups of coffee. She was bent on disposing of the coffee Maeve sipped before.

Placing the sweetened one before Maeve, she gave Gabriel the second one and her frown was deepened when she realized that he had even emptied the one she planned on disposing before.

Samantha gritted her teeth, wishing that she knew Gabriel’s wife. It would have been good to inform her about what her husband was doing in his office with Maeve. Since she could not get Gabriel, even helping Dylan out was not enough to wipe the agitation she felt.

If she could not have him, then Maeve should not have him either. Gabriel returned to work a few days after he faced embarrassment with Maeve, wearing a wedding ring. No one knew who his wife was.

“Your father said that you have a lot to learn but I know that you already know a lot,” Gabriel spoke softly to Maeve but she felt the indifference in his expression.

His voice did not carry the usual warmth from before she messed up their relationship and her heart ached, feeling that he was tolerating her because of her father.

But then again, those words he said before her death, was three years after she dragged him to the sewage and threw his ring in there so he must still love her but then, what about the ring? Maeve did not know how to ask about it.

“No. I want to learn, I really do,” she said seriously.

In her past life, she had told Gabriel after her father forced her that she did not need his help and was capable of managing everything on her own but now, she knew better.

Samantha scoffed in her heart before closing the door. Maeve was so shameless. She was even acting polite. Everyone knew how wayward and rude she was so no need to pretend to be a lady now.

“Alright, so this is what I have here,” Gabriel turned his laptop so she could see everything displayed on the screen. Maeve recalled the promise she made to her father before leaving the house. She never thought to have it difficult to see Gabriel again so she had forgotten all about it until now.

“Please, before going further, can you send Doctor Sanders to check on my dad?”

Gabriel choked on his coffee and coughed a few times. Maeve felt guilty once more. Gosh! This was bad. She had sent Doctor Sanders out of her father’s house before and called Doctor Flint, Dylan’s ally to check on him. From the written shock on Gabriel’s face, she added subtly,

“Dad said he’s the best.”

“Sure, I will get him to check on your father,” Gabriel agreed whiles looking confused.

He felt that Maeve’s sudden politeness and niceness to him was very scary. After making a call, he said to her,

“Doctor Sanders is on his way to see your dad.”

“Thank you,” Maeve smiled, so affectionately, he almost returned it.

“These are the request from Dylan and before I show them to you, I want you to understand that I have nothing against him. My obligation is to watch your father’s back because he is growing old but he also taught me everything I know,” Gabriel explained.

He felt that Maeve was going to disagree with him and think that he was trying to paint Liam black for which reason he thought of explaining things first to her.

“I get it,” Maeve spoke softly to his amazement.

“Your father approved these requests two weeks ago, that was before he fell ill. The money was approved and withdrawn, but the items remained unpurchased. I have the same request demanding for items meant to be in the warehouse by now.”

Gabriel showed her the two requests, one approved, and the other pending. He also showed her copies of the cheque and back transactions. Maeve frowned.

She already guessed it from her knowledge in the past but now, she understood that if she had been more open-minded in her dealings with Gabriel, she would have known this.

However, she was also sure she would have believed whatever excuse or explanation Dylan gave her concerning this fraudulent activity.

“So, you mean that the men onshore do not have these items?” She asked seriously and Gabriel shook his head,

“No.”

“Does my father know about this?” She asked calmly, Gabriel was triple amazed that she did not accuse him of forging everything to make Dylan look bad. Maeve had done that before. He paused for a while before he replied,

“Not yet.”

“So, what will you do? Are you going to approve the request?” Maeve asked, hoping that he would not. Gabriel gazed at her before returning his attention to his laptop. Something did not add up by how serious she was about the company now.

“Do you want me to approve it?” He asked tactically.

Maeve was confused, as she did not expect the question but if she showed that she no longer cared about Dylan, it would make things suspicious since no one could fall out of love except something had happened. In her case, she was the only one who knew what had happened to her.

“I trust you to do the right thing since my father entrusted everything to you.”

Gabriel released a breath he did not know he was holding. “Then I won’t.”

Maeve smiled before she asked again, “But where did the money go and how do we get it back?”

Before Gabriel could respond, the door pushed open without a knock and a very attractive woman walked in. Without warning, she went to throw her arms around Gabriels’s neck and since he was seated, she automatically sat on his lap.

Author’s Note:

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