Chapter 7

Three Years Later

No one spoke in the boardroom as they patiently waited for the CFO to arrive. Executives sat around the long tables waiting like their lives depended on it.

Soon, soft heels could be heard clicking against the marble floor and Sephora Cole walked in.

Her hair was tied neatly behind her head, Her suit was simple and her eyes scanned the room. Calm and sharp.

Gone was the timid woman who had arrived at Lucian’s mansion years ago. Now, she carried herself like she owned the room.

Lucian sat at the head of the table. He said nothing but his eyes never left hers, a glint of pride shone in them.

“Mrs Cole, this is the quarterly report from the finance team” A senior executive stood to present the quarterly report.

Sephora leaned forward. She flipped through the documents.

Her finger traced the numbers carefully.

“Your revenue projection is wrong,” she said.

The man froze.

“Mrs. Cole?”

“You based it on last year’s figures,” she said.

Her tone was calm, almost casual.

“But you ignored the new supplier contract from March.”

She tapped the page.

“You underestimated the loss by three million.”

The room was deathly silent as she spoke. No one ever dared to interrupt her when she spoke.

Another executive swallowed nervously.

She continued.

“The marketing budget is too high. You’re investing in the wrong region. Focus on the west. Profit margins are higher there.”

“Yes, Mrs. Cole,” he said, bowing his head slightly.

Executives exchanged nervous glances.

Some even whispered under their breath.

“She’s almost as sharp as the president himself Lucian.”

“You had better shut up before she hears you. It seems like you are dying to loose your job. Mrs Cole does not show mercy for gossip.”

Lucien quietly watched her handle the meeting from beginning to the end. She gave pointers on how to revise the financial reports and instructed the chief executive to have the revised version on her table before 8am the next morning.

Lucian chuckled at her brutality. This little Mrs Cole was getting more iron fisted day by day.

When the meeting ended everyone scrambled to get out like they were being pursued but Sephora stayed back while her assistant Vanessa helped her pack some stacks of paper.

Lucian stood up still smiling.

“I’ll come by your office later today and then we can go home together, Ethan and Lily will be coming over to discuss wedding preparations, is that okay?”

“Yes please” she answered rather sweetly.

Later that afternoon while Sephora was studying a contract the door to her office opened quietly.

Lucian stepped into the office and Venessa who was seated on the couch immediately stood up. Even after working for Sephora for almost three years and often coming in contact with Lucian, she was very scared of him.

“I…I should take my leave now. Good day President Cole” she managed to stammer as she left the office immediately.

Sephora looked up.

“You finished your meetings early, you were meant to meet with the investor from city Z how did it go” he said.

“Yes, the meeting ended quickly. I denied the offer he made,” she replied, not looking up from the documents.

Lucian walked closer raising an eyebrow.

“Why is that? Was he offering lower than you expected?”

“No” Sephora muttered.

“I rejected him because his biggest partnership is with Dominic’s company. I need to make sure my identity is safe and nothing brings Dominic and I into close contact”

Lucian nodded “oh”

He leaned slightly against his seat across her table as his eyes scanned the office.

Then he noticed the picture on her desk. It was a picture of him, Zoey and Sephora on Zoey’s second birthday.

Lucian’s expression softened for a moment.

Then he returned to his usual calm.

“You skipped lunch again,” he said quietly.

“I was busy,” she answered.

“But I told you you should always find time to have lunch Steph,” he replied.

She looked at him. Slightly embarrassed.

“Alright. I’ll eat,” she said softly.

Lucian waited for two more hours until Sephora was done with the work she had to do and they decided to go home.

As they stepped outside the hallway, employees greeted them respectfully as they passed.

“Good evening, Mr. Cole.”

“Good evening, Mrs. Cole.”

Some lowered their heads slightly.

The day Sephora was introduced to the company as Mrs. Cole and the new CFO most people could not hide their shock.

“Mrs Cole??? New CFO???”

President Cole had seldom ever been seen with a woman outside his Mother or business partners so when and how did he get married? Most people who weren’t at the office that day thought it was a lie until Sephora started handling office affairs.

She was excellent at her job and her office was all the way at the other end of the building fair away from Lucian’s but somehow he always ended up in her office when he didn’t have work.

“President Cole is such a wife slave. He comes her almost everyday and they leave the office together. I love seeing them together it makes me so happy” Jenice in Hr said to her colleague one day.

The ride home was quick and as soon as they got to the front of the door, the help came to get Sephora’s things while Lucian went into his study.

“Welcome home, Madam,” she greeted

Sephora smiled gently. “How was everyone’s day?”

“Very good, Madam,” she replied.

Sephora walked toward the kitchen. “Thank you for dinner preparations,” she said.

The chef beamed. “You’re welcome, Madam.”

Then a small voice ran down the hallway.

“Mommy!”

Three year old Chloe came running at full speed to hug her mummy.

Sephora dropped her briefcase and knelt. Chloe ran into her arms.

“Did you miss me?” Sephora asked softly.

“Yes!” Chloe replied. Sephora hugged her tightly.

After having lunch, Sephora was helping Chloe with her assignments when the front door opened again.

Ethan entered, with Lily beside him.

Sephora saw them first and whispered to Chloe

“Guess who is here…. Uncle fat rabbit”

Chloe’s eyes lit up instantly. She dreaded uncle fat rabbit. He was always teasing her and he ate too much of mummy’s food like he was a fat rabbit hence the nickname.

Ethan ran up and licked Chloe turning her around in his arms while she screamed.

“Ethan! Put baby Chloe down now!” Lily blurted.

Sephora laughed and took Chloe from his arms.

“You stay away from my child you hear me?”

Ethan gasped feigning hurt.

Sephora went over to hug Lily and asked how she was, the latter replied that she was fine but tired from all the wedding preparations.

“We wanted it to be a small affair but mum is insisting on inviting every high class woman in city A….we need help with sitting arrangements” Lily groaned.

Sephora raised an eyebrow. “Alright alright I’ll help you lot”

They gathered around the table. Sephora studied the list carefully.

“This guest sits near the business partners. This one near the family friends.”

Ethan groaned.

“This is too complicated!”

Chloe played nearby, tossing toys on the floor.

Sephora smiled.

“Ethan, it’s about balance. You want harmony at the wedding.”

He pouted, but Lily laughed.

The planning went smoothly. Lucian remained upstairs, focused on work even though he knew his brother was around.

Ethan grumbled loudly.

“Does he ever leave that office? He couldn’t even come say hi to his only brother. That demon.”

Sephora laughed softly.

“Give your brother a break. He’s handling business so he can sponsor your wedding.”

Ethan’s eyes widened. “He’s not sponsoring my wedding!”

Lily burst out laughing to him

Later that evening after Lily and Ethan had left and Sephora had successfully put Chloe to sleep, she carried tea to Lucian in the study.

The knock came softly and he glanced up.

“How did the wedding planning go?”

“Ethan was frustrated”, she explained.

“Besides, why didn’t you come down to say hi to your brother.”

Lucian rolled his eye at this.

“It’s his business, I owe the crackhead no courtesy”

Sephora chuckled and shook her head.

“Ethan talks too much, he makes me feel overstimulated. I can’t have two Chloes at the same time” he said.

Sephora laughed at this remark.

Then suddenly she turned to face Lucian

“sometimes I think about where I was three years ago.”

“Back then I had nothing.”

“Now I have Chloe… this family… this life.” it’s all thanks to you…what can I ever do to repay you?”

Lucian paused in his tracks, his eyes softening as he looked at her for a moment like he was trying to dig into her soul but just as quick as he felt the emotion, was he quick to hide it again. She shouldn’t know. He wouldn’t let her know…

“It’s okay Sephora. I did all of this mainly for Chloe and I would do it all over again if it meant having her as my daughter”

Sephora smiled and nodded slowly