Chapter 2

He always went straight to the point, one of the things I respected him for. A quality that didn't stop him from being cunning and intimidating.

   "What are you going to do to me?

Kill me?" I asked making sure my face wasn't betraying any emotion. To him, emotions are signs of weakness and it riles him to see any of his"tools" show signs of weakness.

       

"Now what do you mean by that?

I'm sure you know you're one of the most valuable assets we have here and your little distress can't change that.  I'm sure with time, you'll be better." 

He spread his hands keeping a small smile on his face like we were discussing the weather and not my mental breakdown. I wasn't surprised since he treated everyone like the asset he talks about.

    

     "Just tell me your decision and stop beating about the bush." I slammed my hands on the desk just to annoy him, he hated when anyone showed any hint of violence towards him but to my surprise, he merely smiled and picked up a file on his table, and extended it to me.

    What the hell? Why was he going soft all of a sudden? I thought he would have ordered to have me beaten up. I took the file from him and opened it going through the contents, I looked up at him after some minutes, fear written all over my face and he winked.

    The bastard had given me the worst punishment ever and I realized that was the reason he didn't punish me.

He'd given me a new mission and that mission was to babysit a man till further notice. The job wasn't the problem, it was who the man was.

He was my punishment.

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                     Jake

The alarm clock signaled 5:30 in the morning, I rose from the bed and went about my daily routine. A gym session for an hour in the state of the art gym in my mansion which I use for an hour and afterward I take my bath and go to work. This has been my routine now for twenty years.

    I walked into my office's main headquarter in Manhattan, I had two other headquarters - although not as the Manhattan headquarters in Paris and Italy - that I added to the company amongst other buildings after my parents passed away. 

My father had started the company with the New York headquarter and that was one of the reasons why I preferred working from there.

     I had pushed myself to work harder to gain more power not because I craved it but because I had to find her. 

It was my parent's last wish and I have pulled as many strings as my influence would allow in finding her. A move that earned me both foes and friends. Not that I cared anyway because the only mission I have had for the past twenty years was to find her by all means.

        

   Immediately I walked into my office and sat, Celina, walked in. She had worked for my father as his secretary before he passed and now works for me.  I trust her with my life and treat her like a mother and that says a lot. It's very hard to gain my trust.

I had once tried to promote her to a higher position but she refused and smacked me on my head like a little child which my best friend, Mike - someone else I trusted - had found entertaining.

              

" Good morning Celina. How was your night? Miss me much?" 

She rolled her eyes at that and dropped a file on my desk smiling a little.

        

      " One day you're going to realize that you get nowhere with flatter Jake. And stop trying to act cheerful around me. 

Damn it! If Rick hadn't been  stupid enough to use his ass to save yours, God knows you would be hospitalized the same way he is now." 

         I thought I could get away with her scolding me but I guessed wrong and I knew she was worried more than she was letting on. 

     My bodyguard had almost lost his life amongst other bodyguards who were with me while trying to protect me when we were on our way back from one of the locations where I thought I could find a clue to where she was. 

At least the mission hadn't been fruitless, I now know that I'd found something tangible for those people to have come after me that way. They could try all they want but he wouldn't stop till he found her or else he would die trying.

        "I'm sorry. I would take proper care next time which was why I told you to find me a skilled bodyguard since mine's not available at the moment." 

She sighed and shook her head slightly.

      "You are never one to listen anyways and God knows I try. I brought the file for the new candidate. Since you rejected the last three, maybe you'll finally make a decision this time." 

She said and gestured for me to look through the file.

I didn't even bother to tell her to sit since she would just ask me how many other employees I tell that and she's angry with me at the moment.

I picked up the file and laughed after looking through it and quickly stopped when I caught the glare she threw my way.

      "I've gotta ask, was it because I rejected the three last candidates who happened to be men that made you find a woman instead?" 

        "That being one of the reasons, the other which is because she's more skilled and has more potential than the rest as stated in the file which you would have known if you looked at anything else other than her picture."

     

      "Fine. Let's agree that she's everything stated here, how can you be sure she can be trusted?" I asked after going through the file thoroughly this time. She sighed at my question.

          

      "I don't know what's wrong with you today but I will just remind you that this is the reason we conduct interviews, Jake." I sighed this time. Maybe I was out of my element that morning.

      "Fine. Do whatever you want and get back to me on it.  Please."

         

          " Your wish is my command sir." She rolled her eyes and sauntered out of the office. 

God, I loved that woman. I smiled for the first time that day and got to work.