Chapter 3

Natalie treaded warily into her father’s office. She was ten minutes late and her father was a stickler to being on time. The wall of floor-to-ceiling windows let in the morning sun. The thick windows muted the traffic noise below. On one corner was a seating area with soft leather lounge sofas in pale brown, with a coffee table strewn with business magazines, newspapers, and books. Her father’s table sat in the far corner, lined by bookshelves packed to the seams with books. When she walked in, her father rose, his burly figure out of his chair, his hands firmly planted on the pale wooden desk. His Umber skin reddened by anger. Edson Lopes was a formidable opponent in the boardroom and this morning his intense stare focused on his daughter.

“Natalie Luisa Lopes, where have you been these past weeks that I had to call you in for a meeting?” His brown eyes glowered at her. Sometimes her dad made her feel like she was five years again instead of 36 years.

“Daddy, you know I was dumped by Aaden. I’m heartbroken. I couldn’t work and…”

“Nat, you are the chief operation officer of this company. You can’t just decide to not come to work for weeks, leaving your work to Nathan. No word of when you’ll come back. It’s irresponsible. I thought you were going to get serious about learning to run this company.”

“I am Daddy, I mean I have. It’s just… was hard. I thought I was going to marry him.”

“Pfft!” He waved his hand dismissively. “You knew that wasn’t going to go anywhere. He’s part of the royal family in Bahrain. He was always going to marry the woman his family picked for him.”

“No! That’s not true. We were together for three years. He told me he’d marry me. Be damned what his family thought.”

“Oh, my dear naïve child. You believed him? You are an intelligent woman, but when it comes to men, it always surprises me with the decisions you make. There are never wise, and they affect the work you do here.”

“But Daddy–”

“No. No, but daddy Nat. I’m seriously thinking of letting the board pick the next CEO when it’s time I retire. Lopes Corporation has always been run by a Lopes, but you’ve never shown that you can be responsible and a leader, instead you’ve always been led.”

“Wha­–”

He held up his hands to stop her. “I’ve heard all your excuses and I’m tired. I’m 65 years old. I need someone I can trust to run this company and I would have loved it to be my only child but unfortunately you haven’t risen to the occasion.”

“But I can, daddy. I’ve done all that you’ve asked me. Always. I went to the schools you wanted. Got a business degree and an MBA. Everything. So I missed a couple of weeks. I was heartbroken. I couldn’t work.”

“It’s not just these past weeks. When you were dating Aaden, you were never here. You were always traipsing the world with him. He’s a sheikh, and you had a company to manage with me. Instead, you let Nathan do the work. Should Nathan be the next CEO?”

Tears prickled under the surface of her eyes. She blinked, trying to hold her composure. I won’t cry, I won’t cry. She said the mantra to herself.

“Not only have you disregarded the company but your own safety. By continually losing or being extremely rude to the security detail, I’ve always gotten you.”

She pouted. “I don’t see the need for security. Never had. Nothing has ever happened to me. I don’t see the need for it.”

“You’ve never seen the need because I’ve always made sure you were protected. Natalie, you are the heir to a billion-dollar company. You need protection. Last night, nobody knew where you were.”

“I was out with friends.”

“And this morning? You won’t be in your apartment.”

“With a friend.” A blush reddened her brown skin.

“I’ve realised the security companies we’ve been using are not good enough. I’ve hired a new company and they come highly recommended. Owners of the company are former Navy Seals and so are the people working for them. I have a feeling someone with military training will handle you and your tactics.”

“Daddy!”

He held up one hand and gave her a disapproving stare. “Now. Back to business. I’m going to give you one chance to prove to me and the board that you can handle big negotiations and get us a lucrative deal. If you fail this assignment or leave it to Nathan, like you always leave your duties, then you are off as contender to the CEO position. You’ll get your shares to the company, but you won’t be the one leading it. It’ll be a tragedy that a Lopes won’t lead this company, but I’ll do it if it meant saving this company from your irresponsibility.”

She paled at her father’s words. Blood rushed down from her head and pooled at her feet. Her feet were like lead. Frozen to the woollen carpet. All her life, they had drilled it in her head that this was hers. And now, her father was telling her he was considering something different. Her heart rate picked up each second.

“You can’t mean that,” she said the words through a lump of rock lodged in her throat.

“Oh yes, I do. I’m deadly serious. It’s already been discussed with the board. If you don’t get this contract for us, Nathan will be our next CEO.”

She knew that custom made suit wearing weasel would throw her under the Subway train if given the chance. Nathan couldn’t get the CEO job. It was her position. Her birth right. Nathan was not a Lopes, no matter how much he tried to integrate himself to the family.

“What’s the contract?” Her fingers drummed on the smooth oak table, starting a steady tap-tap rhythm.

“In two days, you’ll fly to Angola. As you know, our family’s wealth started with business ventures in Angola created by my father. My parents only moved to the US because the businesses here were creating more money than the ones in Angola. We had small shares in a diamond mine that was now available to be bought out. We want to own that mine. Feasible studies show that the mine has a 40-year lifespan. It means hundreds of millions of dollars each year for this company. The owners with the largest share want to play hardball, but we know they desperately need the money. I’ve been leading the negotiations, but I want you to go and close the deal. Everything has been discussed and agreed. All you need to do is get their signatures on the dotted line. You’ll be travelling with your security. And I need to remind you that you will be your best behaviour with them. If they say don’t do something, listen to them. Angola isn’t a place where you’d want to lose your protection detail. You understand me?”

She swallowed the retort she was going to say. Being followed and guided by security was something she’s always loathed. All her life she had to contend with bodyguards telling her what she can and cannot do. In order to have some shambles of a normal life, she had to learn how to ditch them.

“Yes. I understand.”

He leaned back in his black leather chair. “Good. The new security company is outside waiting for us. I’ll tell Catherine to let them in.”

He pressed a button next to his office phone. “Catherine, please let them in.”

Gigantic oak double doors opened, and Catherine’s petite body strolled in, followed by a broad-shouldered, dark-skinned man. He was wearing a tailored suit that showed every bump of pure muscle. How the suit didn’t tear with each movement was a scientific miracle. Behind him was a man equally muscular, but instead of a suit, he was wearing black jeans, a black t-shirt and a black jacket. The black clothes were a striking contrast to his dark blond hair and lightly tanned skin.

Her eyes widened when she recognised him. Palmer. The man who left her in his hotel room this morning. She had hoped to never see him again. He was supposed to be a one-night stand that she would think fondly. Now he stood before her and her father. His dark blue eyes–that looked violet in the brightly lit office– were the only thing that gave away that he was equally surprised to see her, but a naughty twinkle quickly replaced the shock as he took in her charcoal dress. She felt naked under his perusal, remembering the night they shared. How she bit into his shoulder when she came. Her face heated when the memory flashed in her mind.

“Good morning, Mr Lopes. My name is Isaiah Wilson, part-owner of Global Security, and this is Palmer Burris. He’ll be one of the bodyguards charged to protect your daughter.” Palmer gave a curt nod; his hands clasped behind him.

Hearing the news that Palmer–the man she had earth shattering sex with last night–was now her bodyguard, Natalie’s knees nearly buckled under her. She faltered to the nearest lounge sofa and plunked down. Her eyes finding refuge in the scene of high-rise buildings, their windows reflecting the morning sun.

Their conversation was white noise around her as she intently focused on the building in front of her.

“Nat! Natalie!” Her name being called pierced through her scrambled thoughts.

“Huh. Yes Daddy.”

“Really Nat. Were you not listening?” Her father took an exasperated breath. “Isaiah was telling us how your security will work. Palmer will be your main bodyguard; he’ll be assisted by another guard when he has to rest. When you travel to Angola, Palmer and another guard will travel with you. All arrangement of the trip will be shared with them. Everywhere you go, Palmer will be your shadow. Do you understand me?”

She was afraid her words will fail her, so she nodded. 

“Good,” her father said, sitting down, satisfied that the matter was done. Isaiah led Palmer out of the office, leaving them alone.

Rising from the sofa, Natalie stepped toward her father’s desk. Lightly trailing her finger on the cool oak desk.

“I understand that you are giving me this one chance. I won’t let you down, Daddy.”

Her father’s features soften as he gazed at his daughter. “I know you have it in you to be responsible. When you won’t with Aaden, your work was excellent. Let me see that side of you again.”

A slight smile crossed her face as she nodded. She turned and left her father’s office. Dreading the day that she’ll spend with Palmer. How she was going to get through these past weeks, she had no idea.