Reluctantly His

As the long table behind him was filled with numerous conversations, discussions, and arguments, he remained his gaze fixated on the view below his skyscraper’s long glass window. The night was deep, yet the city’s life below still lived.

With a glass of whiskey on his hand, he tightened his grasped on to it upon hearing several talks that had been long unending. It was making him go ballistic. It was excruciating to deal with them any further.

“How are we able to convince the government that we aren’t supplying these terrorists and syndicates—when in fact we are?!” a shareholder bursted out in frustration.

“I warned you all that it was wrong to negotiate with them in the first place! We are already the government’s number one supplier for armed weapons, yet the corporation still accept orders from those terrorists on the south!”

“We are a joke! What if the government will no longer fund our research and development for mass destruction projects? Fifty-one percent of our inventions came from government funds!”

“This is the former chairman’s fault. If he hadn’t handed everything over to the heir apparent so soon after he took office, things wouldn’t have become such a mess. Now, the young master is forced to deal with all of it right after stepping into the role.” another spoke, as it stirred something inside of the heir apparent—now chairman—that they spoke of and had madly threw the whiskey glass he was holding onto the floor, shattering into pieces that made everything shivered in fear.

Everyone in the conference room was silent. No one dared to speak after.

“You all wouldn’t let me catch a break… wouldn’t you?” his voice was dauntingly icy, his jaw was undeniably clenching, and his eyes squeezing shur. People inside were threatened and remained quiet until the new chairman would calm down.

Until someone broke down the silence…

“Heir apparent—I-I mean chairman… This is a serious case. If the government gathers enough evidence and intel that we are accepting orders from terrorists and syndicates in the south, we would be in big trouble-“

“I thought you have brains, Mr. Belroño. But hearing you to be in a drastic manner, you have none. Why can’t you look for a solution yourself? After all…” he then turned around to meet their gaze, his eyes sharp, dark, and penetrating.

“You were the one who proposed and pushed my father about accepting orders from terrorists and syndicates. To accumulate more revenues. Now you’re trying to eat up the puke that you’ve vomited?”

“C-chairman! I did not-”

“Drag him out. Kill him. Chop his body and feed them to my leopard at home. Someone replace his position. Now.” he commanded as if the old man’s life was nothing to him.

“N-no! No! C-chairman! Please! L-let me stay! No! Chairman! No! Please! I beg of you! I-I still have a family at home! Please! Chairman!”

With one swift order, the Chairman’s personal guards dragged the man out of the conference room who was getting into his nerves and had someone replaced him immediately.

It was not new to him apparently. He had killed almost all of his father’s lackeys and people— taking over basically all of the businesses, corporation, and companies that his father inherited.

And now it was all his to inherit…

“I wonder if Mr. Belroño still isn’t enough to make my leopard Shiwon full at home… I might as well give him a few more bites of raw freshly slaughtered human flesh…” nakakatindig balahibo niyang saad na ikinamutla ng halos lahat ng shareholders niya.

As soon as he saw them all shivering in fear, a mirthful chuckle escaped his lips.

“This is not my mess. Therefore I won’t bother cleaning this up. I want you all to clean this.” iyon nalamang ang tanging sinabi niya bago umalis ng conference room at tumungo ng sariling opisina nito.

When he entered he told his personal assistant, Owell, and secretary, Argon, to leave him for moment as he needed some time to cool down from everything that has been happening.

Amid the chaos in his mind and the deliberate disaster he was going through, he took out something from inside the drawers under his desk to help him calm down and ease his mind.

It was a photo of the person whom he’d been long yearning for. The very person who’s the calm to his every storm, and yet the same calm that brought him his calamity.

“My Aiesha… where are you? I need you right now…” he whispered. It has been the same question he kept asking her photo—the photo he took of her back when they were still in junior and senior high.

It’s been ten years… yet you just left me without a single word.

Shion Ruis Chua may be the powerful yet infamous heir apparent of the SRC Weaponry Corp. and Conglomerates, but he was still someone’s Shiwon. Stuck at the thought of where could she be all these years and the feeling of missing her again, he lowered his head in defeat and covered his face with his palms.

Kahit ilang beses niya nang pinahanap yung dalaga ay wala padin siyang balita, walong taon na ang nakalipas.

Until…

“Chairman-“

“Not now Argon… leave-“

“Chairman. We found her.”

Biglang kumuyom ang kamao ni Shion. Ayan nanaman sa ‘nakita na daw nila siya’, ngunit ibang babae naman yung nahanap.

“I don’t want to know if that’s really her… I’m tired of you guys always finding the wrong her!” masakit niyang saad. He tired of always hoping for nothing. Napagod na siya kakaasa na baka nga, nahanap na nila.

But everytime there’s news of her being found, it was always wrong and false.

“Chairman. I swear and bet my life on this. If I’m wrong this time, feel free to dispose of me-“

“Fuck… fine, bring it here.” hindi din niya matiis saka inutusan yung sekretarya nito na dalhin yung profile nung babae. Hoping for the hundredth time that it could be finally her.

“Aiesha Alize Jimenez. Born in Sept. 18, 2004. Went to Sacred Light Academy from elementary to junior highschool. During her senior high school years, she transferred to Westminster School, London. She later pursued a degree in Accounting and Business at the University of Edinburgh. Following her undergraduate studies, she continued her academic journey by attending law school in Oxford. Chairman… this is the Aiesha that you have long been searching for.”

Nanlaki bigla ang kanyang mga mata. Shion felt his heart thumping as he opened the folder, holding the files of what could potentially be the Aiesha he’s looking for.

Nang madatnan ng kanyang mga mata ang marikit na dalaga, Shion’s eyes never left the photo. He caressed it gently with his fingers—a heartfelt deep longing once again risen at the sight of the woman he’d longed been missing.

“Send people to London. I’ll get her back.” Shion’s voice taunted Argon as he cleared his throat while fixing his tie.

“You’d be surprised to know where she is recently now, Chairman.”

Tumaas yung kilay ni Shion saka maigi na hinawakan yung folder.

“Where?”

Argon looked at him with deliberate and intentional eyes.

“Here. At SRC Corp.”