Chapter 5-Meeting

The car with the RR emblem stopped in front of the lobby. A valet hurried over and opened the back door. The first thing that caught the eye was a pair of polished black loafers, followed by a tall, handsome man stepping out with effortless confidence.

He fastened the buttons on his jacket, then began walking, trailed by the man who always followed behind him. Every step he took made people in the building bow their heads in respect.

"Why are they crowding around the elevator?" he asked when he saw the employees waiting in line. Moments later, the elevator doors opened, letting a few people in while the rest stayed behind.

"The other elevator’s still under repair, so they have to wait their turn," his assistant explained.

"Can’t they fix it any faster? It’s annoying."

"It’s according to SOP."

The two men reached the elevator. The man standing behind him pressed the button to open it, and they both stepped inside.

"Today’s meeting is at nine," Naufal said.

"When are we flying for the survey?"

"This Friday."

Azael turned his head slightly, hands still tucked into his pockets.

"How many days?"

"We’ll be back Saturday night, if you’d like."

"Do you still want to meet Miss Shreya?" Naufal asked again.

Azael paused for a moment, thinking. "We’ll see."

"It’s not like you to play around with women."

The elevator doors opened, revealing the CEO’s floor. Now that Emir had stepped down, his secretary, Gracellyn, had become Azael’s. She would handle office affairs, while Naufal took care of everything else.

Azael didn’t actually need Gracellyn, but since she’d worked with his father for years, he decided to keep her on.

"Good morning, Mr. Azael," she greeted, standing from her desk.

"Good morning, Grace," Naufal replied for him, since Azael rarely did.

Azael walked straight into his office and sat down in his swivel chair.

"Where are the files for this morning’s meeting?" he asked.

Naufal handed him the documents he had prepared. Azael skimmed through them quickly. It never took him long to understand a report.

A knock sounded at the door. When Azael gave permission, the door opened, and Grace stepped in carrying two cups of tea and a plate of cake.

"Tea for you, sir," she said as she set them on his desk.

Azael glanced at the cake. "Cake?"

Grace nodded. "For your breakfast, sir."

He didn’t respond, but Naufal filled the silence. "Thanks, Grace."

She smiled politely and left the room.

"Can’t you be a little nicer to women?" Naufal said.

Azael shot him a sharp look.

"That cake looks good," Naufal said, eyeing the slices on the table.

"You’re always thinking about food," Azael said flatly.

Naufal took a bite, his eyes lighting up.

"I swear, this is the best cake I’ve ever had. It just melts in your mouth," he said, already finishing his slice.

Azael watched him. At first, he ignored it, but Naufal’s taste was rarely wrong.

He picked up his own fork, tried a bite, and yes, Naufal was right. The cake melted the second it touched his tongue.

Naufal noticed. Even though Azael said nothing, he could tell the man liked it.

"Want me to find out where it’s from?" Naufal teased.

"No. Get back to work," Azael replied, pretending not to care.

Time passed, and soon it was time for the meeting.

The meeting room was already filled with department heads. When the two men entered, everyone stood.

"Good morning, Mr. Azael."

"Morning," he replied shortly.

Once Azael sat down, everyone else followed.

He opened the meeting, discussing the new AMZ Resort construction, his first major project as CEO.

Even though Emir no longer ran the company, he still monitored things from a distance. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his son; he just wanted to see how well Azael would perform.

"Have you decided who’s joining the site survey?" Azael asked Elliza.

"Yes, sir. I’ve selected the best person from our team to assess the location directly."

"Give his profile to Naufal. I’ll review it later."

"Yes, sir."

"I want everything done quickly, precisely, and accurately after the survey. Construction must run smoothly and stay on schedule. I expect full cooperation. No mistakes."

"Yes, sir!"

Azael’s gaze fell on the plate of cake on the table. Was this kind of food always served at meetings?

"Who prepared all this?" he asked, scanning the room.

Without hesitation, Elliza raised her hand. "I did."

"You bake?" Azael asked, curious.

"Oh, no. One of our team members owns a cake shop, and I usually order from her for meetings. Do you like it, Mr. Azael?"

Azael nodded without hesitation, a rare show of approval.

Naufal smiled knowingly. Just as he thought, Azael was curious about the cake.

Elliza looked pleased to hear it.

"Alright, that’s all for today. Thank you," Azael said, standing and leaving the room.

Everyone else followed.

"He said he wasn’t curious, but then he asked about it," Naufal teased as they walked back to Azael’s office.

"You talk too much, Fal. You sound like a woman."

"If you want, I’ll buy you another one."

Azael shot him a cold look.

"Where are the design team profiles?" he asked.

Naufal handed him the folder Elliza had given him earlier.

Azael opened it and flipped through the profiles.

He paused at one page, frowning as he studied the attached photo.

He’d seen this woman before, but where?

He tried to remember. Then his eyes widened as it came back to him.

"Arabella Zayana," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"Shreya Vallery," he continued quietly.

"Well, isn’t that interesting," he growled when the realization hit him. Shreya was the woman in the photo, but why was her name listed as Arabella Zayana?

Naufal flinched. "What the hell, man? You scared me!"

Azael’s eyes burned with anger. "Find out everything about Shreya Vallery and Arabella Zayana from the design team," he ordered.

Naufal frowned.

"I want full information on both of them and their connection," Azael added sharply.

Without another word, Naufal got to work, following his boss’s orders.