Roman’s pov***
“Victoria,” I screamed upon reaching my office, my frustration evident. She was the 5th assistant in 3 years.
“Sir Roman,” she came in like a mouse about to be squashed by a cat.
“Where is the Wellingtons folder?” I asked her in annoyance.
“Sir, I didn’t...”
“You didn’t do what? for goodness' sake, Victoria, nobody forgets to do their job,” I replied, feeling utterly helpless.
“Get out,” I yelled at her, and she ran off.
Since Zee, everything had been a mess; they couldn’t just fit in, either they scrambled in fear or they fled at the sight of the overwhelming workload.
It's been 3 years since Zara disappeared after betraying me. I searched for her for a year before deciding to cut my losses, she could stay lost for eternity for all I cared. Women were really never my thing; Zara was only… the door opened.
“I asked you to leave!” I thundered at the door without looking up.
“Wo… wo… calm down,” it was Levi.
“My assistant keeps making mistakes, you should fire her immediately, I need a new one,” I said to him. he had been in charge of stuff that was personal to me, but this time, there was no success.
“You can't fire her, everyone is scared to work for you, at least she stayed,” Levi countered and it was true, no one wanted to work directly for the ruthless billionaire, except Tania course, but I wasn’t ready to give her such chance, she had been promoted to the position of the head of the HR and that was as good as she was going to get.
“Then make her learn,” I told him, like it was his job too.
“I came in to remind you of the meeting at your dad's today,” Levi stated, completely ignoring what I told him.
“Get me a new assistant,” I responded, also ignoring what he had said.
“I have a court case now, I'll be back in time to pick you up for the meeting,” he replied, once again, ignoring what I said, and he left.
I watched Victoria from my office, she now occupied the office that Zara once had. Zara, the woman who thought she could bring me to my downfall, but I proved her wrong. I have yet to find the person who delivered those documents about her involvement.
Or maybe I didn’t want to know since I had uncovered her plot, and she was out of my life for good.
Unknown's pov***
I watched as Levi left the office of Roman. I had just completed my report on everything that had happened yesterday at the company. Everything was quite the same. For the past three years, Roman had gotten worse, more irritated and withdrawn. My phone rang, breaking my train of thought.
“Hello, I just received the report,” the voice on the other end said as I picked up the call.
“Yes, everything is pretty much the same here,” I replied.
“Good, keep an eye out, just as you have been doing,” the voice instructed sternly.
“I will,” I assured, even though I didn’t like that I was being reminded of my job.
“Never expose your cover,” the voice added, the tone dripping with caution.
“I know alright, you do not tell me what to do” I replied, irritated, and hung up.
I had never met the person on the other end, everything happened anonymously, but the pay was good, generous enough not to ask questions, and just do the job. I switched off the phone and continued my work.
Romans pov***
I had just put on my tailored suit when Levi entered, his voice cutting through the silence.
“Let's go,” he said from the doorway in a somewhat impatient manner.
“Hold on a sec, I have to remind the useless assistant you gave me to update my schedule for the next day,” I smirked at him. Levi chuckled, shaking his head slightly.
“Take all the time you need, but you can't escape this one. I won't be the scapegoat for you again,” he said, now standing outside.
There was no meeting with my dad; Levi and I both knew that. He wanted to know when I was planning on again, and I had no answer for him, not at this moment anyway; if there was any goodness in me, it had died alongside Zara.
“Victoria,” I called out, my voice echoing through the corridor, and she came running.
“Send my schedule for tomorrow via my private email, I want it as soon as possible.” She only nodded and left. Maybe I was harsh on her, but I didn’t particularly mind. After all, the people in this world seemed primarily motivated by financial gain, much like Zara had been, my mind drifted.
“Let's move, I said, stepping out of the office. We walked down to the reception, and I could feel every eye on us, me especially. the floor was as quiet as it could be aside from a group of people that stood at the left side of the reception hall.
“What are those?” I inquired from Levi, casting him a sideways glance.
“That group? We are hiring a new PR company. They sent their reps today for the interview,” Levi replied a little absent-mindedly.
“Hmmm,” I said and walked on.
“What happened to the last one?” I asked him as we walked
“You fired them, remember?" he replied with what seemed like a hint of irritation. "for incompetence,” Levi added.
As we got into the car, my phone pinged; it was the schedule I requested from Victoria.
“That was fast,” I noted, glancing at the document.
“Looks like she is catching up,” Levi remarked.
I studied the document, wondering what was wrong with Levi as we continued in silence.
Zara’s pov***
I watched from a distance as Roman and Levi left the company building, their presence unmistakable. I knew exactly where they were headed. For 3 years, I wept, and I learned, and I grew. Thanks to Sylvia, I lived each day, one at a time, longing for the perfect revenge, the one I had drafted in my head.
For a moment, I remembered what had brought me back to this very building. The pain of walking, walking away like a rejected bull. My lips formed a sly curve as I thought about my plans for Vale’s company.
We had gone over the plan several times more than I could count, and it was etched onto my palm as if ingrained into my very being.
I would make them all pay, and it was time. This was my moment, and I could almost taste the sweet success that awaited me.
Finally, I was here, Zara Amani was back!!!.
Unknown's POV***Since planting the device in Sir Roman's office, my job had quieted into a routine of waiting and pretending. The buzz was gone. No more adrenaline, no more close calls. My employer’s grip on me hadn’t loosened, though, if anything, the silence made it worse. The threat still hung over my head like a dagger suspended by a thread.I’d long abandoned the idea of blackmail. That fantasy died the moment her warning came through. I wasn’t a mastermind, I was a pawn. A card in her dangerous, shadowy deck. And pawns didn’t win; they were sacrificed.I tried to console myself with the money. She had paid me more than my annual salary in a single transfer. Still, money couldn’t hold back fear. Not when every unknown number made my stomach twist into knots.My phone rang.Not a text. A call.My pulse quickened as I answered. "Hello?"A cold, electronically-masked voice replied. “I haven’t heard from you.”I swallowed. "There’s not much to report. You’ve got a listening ear
Zara's POV***I sat at the head of the oval table in my office, surrounded by my team and Selene, our heads bent over the proposal sheet like it held the secrets of the universe. The discussion was around the three-month PR campaign the company had planned to boost its global image that was halted in the past. The air was thick with anticipation."We stand a better chance of getting a proper video coverage now," Sam muttered, tapping his pen against his notepad."Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, though I already knew what he meant. Still, I wanted to hear him say it. To make it real.The room went quiet, eyes darting, throats clearing. No one dared to speak.Selene, of course, had no such hesitation. She leaned back in her chair and smirked. "Well, because now you own the key to our boss’s heart."I shot her a look, unimpressed. She raised her hands in mock innocence.At that moment, Chloe peeked into the room. "Ma’am, you have a message from Sir Roman," she said, and the murmurs b
Tania's POV***The rumors were as loud as a flock of birds squawking in the morning light, each chirp pecking at my nerves, stripping away my last shreds of composure.I had rushed home after that stunt Selene pulled, deliberately pouring coffee on me like some petty schoolgirl. My cream, colored dress, once a perfect blend of class and confidence, was now stained and sour-smelling. I barely glanced in the mirror before changing into something dark, something that mirrored the heaviness in my chest. By the time I returned to the office, the gossip had reached fever pitch.They said Roman kissed Sera. In public. In front of everyone.I locked myself in my office and cried harder than I had in years. The kind of crying that left you gasping for air, curling into yourself as if shrinking small enough would shield you from the world. I didn’t even try to pretend I was okay. What was the point? My mascara ran in black streaks down my cheeks, and my head throbbed from holding in scream
Zara’s pov***The drive to Roman’s reserved venue was a hushed affair. The sound of tires on asphalt seemed to blend into the quiet hum of my own thoughts as I stole glances at him, lost in his silence.The city skyline loomed ahead, glittering like diamonds against the twilight sky, but I felt a flutter of unease in my stomach.Suddenly, curiosity surged within me, breaking through the stillness.“You called her Selene. How did you know her name?” I dared to ask, unsure how he would respond.“Well, it is my company; nothing goes on without me knowing,” he said, his tone casual yet commanding. “I’m curious, though. It says in her file that she’s an IT guru. Why have her under the problem team?” He questioned, causing me to worry.I didn’t want to reveal too much, trust was a luxury I couldn’t afford just yet.He raised an eyebrow, and I could sense him waiting for my words. “Because sometimes you need someone with specific skills to navigate the dark corners of the internet. We need
Zara’s POV***Placing a gentle peck on my cheek, Roman strolled away, leaving me standing there and momentarily spellbound.A wave of disbelief washed over me, as if time itself had paused. Everyone who cared had witnessed the exchange; I could practically sense Ms. Sylvia's eagerness to place a call across to me.“I choose you,” he had declared; those words lingered in the air like an uninvited guest, heavy with implication.Their significance was profound, yet I found myself grappling to comprehend what Roman truly meant. Had he finally succumbed to his father’s expectations and chosen me? Or was this merely his way of establishing dominance, favoring me over his friendship with Levi?The notion that he might possessively claim me unsettled me more than I cared to admit.As I stood there, surrounded by the bustling noise of the office, my mind seemed to conjure vivid images, scenarios playing out as I contemplated the meaning of his words.“Snap out of it, girl!” Selene called out,
Tania's POV***The new girl slapped me back hard, her palm leaving a stinging imprint on my cheek.I stumbled for a moment, a wave of shock crashing over me, almost sending me to the ground.The sharp pain radiated through my face, and I instinctively clutched it, trying to process what had just happened. “Who the hell are you?” I managed to ask, my voice shaky but defiant. I glanced at Sera, who stood frozen, her eyes wide in disbelief.“Who the hell are you?” The new girl shot back, her voice dripping with attitude.“Answer me! Who do you think you are, barging into someone’s house and hitting them like that?” I snapped, my annoyance bubbling over.I could feel adrenaline coursing through me, a fire igniting in my chest as I looked back at Sera for support.“You’ve been nothing but trouble since you stepped into this place. It’s like you thrive on chaos. Why can't you just let things be the way they were before you showed up?” I demanded, frustration spilling out.I had seen the vi