Chapter 1: Frustration

(International airport)

"I need a ticket, as soon as possible" 

Gregory had said to the hostess but she was lost in his handsomeness, in a few seconds she had scanned through him, from his physical appearance to his clothing you could sense that he was one of those elites, seeing the way she was drooling over him get him embarrassed

"Are you doing it or are you just going to stand all day staring?"

"Sorry sir, give me a minute to check"

He sighed in frustration while waiting patiently for her.

"I am sorry sir, all flights to country D had been cancelled due to the bad weather conditions Would you like to reschedule for tomorrow?” 

He gasped for air, he was weary, he had sat on a flight for almost 12 hours to Florida because of a business meeting, that contract was worth millions of dollars but it was canceled at the eleventh hour, he had lost the contract that was the first time some other aviation company has beat him to it. He tried to be calm he rubbed his temple and suddenly his phone rang, it was his PA and his cousin

“Hello!” He tries to talk normal

“Hey, boss!”

“Can you please not start with me?” 

“Sorry, boss slash cousin, Were you able to...”

“No! It was canceled but I got a piece of reliable information that the contract was awarded to another”

“Oh no! Where are you now?” 

“Don't worry; I am fine I will just get a cab to take me to my condominium at the clubhouse.” Saying that, he sighed deeply, he hated to go to the clubhouse, even though it is one of the many properties of Mega Multi Aviation Empire Intl, the company is a multiple companies that deals with almost everything that could fetch them money, no one can beat it's publicity or financial aspect

“Are you sure? Mom is worried for you and your betrothed is hellbound, just wait there, I will come with the private jet” 

The thought of going home to meet his betrothed was one heartburn 

“I will be fine, talk to you later”

“Alright be careful, we see tomorrow then” 

He ended the call, a cabman was looking at him. "What is it?" 

"Sir; are you the one who booked a cab?" 

"Is it not obvious, didn't your agency give you the contact info?" He nodded in fear, Gregory hated to oppress anyone with his wealth, and immediately he entered the cab. 

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Saying that, the cabman nodded, and he stared at him through the rearview mirror, from his looks, he knew that he would be wealthy he thought, how can someone be this wealthy and yet be humble? The drive hasn't gone far before the car stop

"What is it?" 

"Sir, it seems my battery has a little fault, don't worry, I will fix it before you know it." 

"This is unbelievable." He stepped down he was on a call, immediately after the cabman finished fixing the cab, some hooligans ran out of nowhere and pushed the cabman aside, got into the car, and zoomed off

"My cab!" He cried as they zoomed off, he was sitting on the floor in tears. 

"Shit!" Gregory's eyes widen, immediately he touches his pocket, he realizes his wallet is gone

“Sir, I am sorry, I didn't know that...”

“The damn picture is gone.” He looks at Gregory, and he thinks, here he is worried about his cab and that this man is worried about his important documents but here talking about a mere picture, is this man for real? 

His weariness increases to frustration, and his phone pings again. 

“Craig! I have just been robbed”

“What? I am close to the airport, where are you?”

“The first turn after the airport lane.' 

“Just stay put, we are right there.” Before he could say jack, there are flips of cars surrounding them, Craig has come in convoy, seeing the cars, the cabman's mouth aloof

“Boss!”

“Craig, are you nuts?”

“Sorry, it's the boss' lady...” Jane ran to him and kissed him. 

“Jane!”

“I was worried for you, did they do anything to you? Did those fools lay their dent hand on you?” 

“No! Let's go...” He turned and looked at the cabman. “Give my assistant your account so he transfer money for you.” The car opened and he entered, in a blink, the cabman received an alert his mobile phone was in his pocket when the car was stolen, his eyes widened before he could say thanks the cars zoomed off

“Craig, what madness is this?” 

“Boss!” 

“Can you stop annoying me?”

Craig is his cousin, he is a year older than him, he could do anything just for his cousin's happiness, he is more like a big brother, a year ago when Gregory was picked as the CEO of Mega Touch Aviation Empire Intl, he didn't think twice before picking him as his assistant

“Sorry! Cousin slash boss.” 

“Why are you apologizing to him? It's bad enough that on your first ride without security, you are almost killed.”

“Hey, stop being dramatic, I didn't almost get killed.” The car stopped at the clubhouse, they took the elevator in no time, they were in their condominium, which consisted of three rooms, a kitchen, and a living room, Craig just walked towards his room, while Gregory and Jane walked to theirs

“I will just go in and leave you two”

“We are flying back first thing tomorrow.”

“No, you have a meeting here, so no need for that.” He sighed in frustration

*****

Back somewhere in country B, a twenty-two years law student cried through her trip from country B to country C, immediately she got down from the tricycle tears rolled through her, she walked into the house looking like a mad woman, her eyes all swelled

“Babe! What is wrong with you? You look all messed up.” She hugged her and cried like mad.

“What did that bastard do to you?” 

She didn't say a word, she just cried after a long tears, Whitney finally broke the silence. 

“He broke up with me, and I saw him with another.”

“What? Did John break up with you?” She nodded and hugged Cathy, the both of them are friends but they act like sisters.

“Don't cry for that jerk, you should know that he is a no-good boy and that is while George didn't like him.” 

Whitney had traveled to country B to be with John, they both had dated for two years before he relocated to country C and she had decided to do her chamber attachment at country C so she could be close to him but it all turned bad because he was with another

“Whitney!” 

“Excuse me, I need to ease myself.” She walked into the bathroom and came back she caught the mirror, she was messed up.

“Oh no! I look all messed up, like some wet rat”

“I thought you never noticed let me get you what to eat.”

“I want to go to the club.” Cathy looked at her, and she was all surprised, she knew Whitney was not the club type, whenever she and her friend went clubbing Whitney always stayed at home, Cathy could be a party freak but she is a decent girl

“I want make-up as well.” 

“Are you sure you want...”

“Are you doing it?” She doesn't want to argue with Whitney, she knows how to do makeup but she hardly wears makeup, she decides to make Whitney up with the intent of stopping her but immediately she is done Whitney grabs her bag

“Wait! Do you want to go?” 

“Yes and don't try to stop me.”

“Fine wait, I will get Grace to go with you.”

“Is she in town?”

'Yes, just give me a few minutes.” She placed the call to Grace and she said he should meet her up at their junction.

“Careful dear.” She didn't say a word she just left, Cathy's anger was much she picked up her phone and called John. 

John is Whitney's boyfriend before, but not anymore. 

“Pick your damn call”

“Hello, Cathy! How are you?” 

“Stop with the pleasantly, I thought you wouldn't pick.” “Why wouldn't I? How are you?”

“I didn't call you for that, you should be very careful because the next time you hurt my baby again, I will not think twice than to tell George, you should know George doesn't play with his princess if you don't mend your ways, I will be forced to tell George.” 

John hates to be threatened as much as he hates it, he knows that George which is Cathy's elder brother could spit fire and George never liked him, he doesn't want to get into George's bad book

“You should know that George is not one to be joked with.”

“It hasn't gotten to...”

“I don't care what you think but just make sure that her tears stop, tell your slut to stay off my Whitney, rubbish.” 

She ended the call, and he was furious.

“How dare she threaten me with her brother? Do I blame her?” He was mad but what could he do, one punch from George, he could get his jaw falling he didn't want that. 

“Gregory, let's go to the club, this place is boring”

“Are you kidding me? You should know that I don't do clubs.” She was wearing a very revealing dress but Gregory thought was far from her, on a norm he would have complained but he didn't, Craig was looking at him but he was absent-minded.

“If you want to go you can leave.”

“Suit yourself.” She walked away in anger, and Gregory picked himself.

“Where are you going to?” He didn't reply, he darted outside, Craig darted after him, they were in the private elevator, and in no time they were right at the rooftop. “What is it? I have blocked all your cards and I have called the factory to destroy the laptop and...”

“The picture is gone.” He said almost in tears. “I lost her last memories.” The picture carries the face of his college love, he had that picture for more than seven years

“What? Did you forget it in Florida?” He shook his head, on one trip to Spain he had forgotten it, they had to fly back to get it but this time it was different, he might have lost it for good.

“Don't worry, it...”

“What is going on over at the clubhouse?”

“I think...” He didn't complete his words before Gregory saw a boy trying to force himself on a girl. 

“Let me go, please! I beg you”

“Keep quiet take it off...”

“Let go of her.” His voice echoed and sent some goosebumps to the man, it was soft but commanding, and he ran leaving the girl. “Place a call to security, I think there is chaos”

“Whitney! Whitney!” Someone screamed down and hearing that name, he darted to the elevator, Craig darted behind him but he wasn't fast enough before the elevator closed, so he used the stairs, Gregory was right in front of the clubhouse, and he touched a girl. 

"Hi!" 

"Oh! Sorry, I thought it was someone else.” Saying that, Grace ran her hand on her face, he was like a mini-god, he was handsome, his American accent sent some shiver into her, and his eyes and well-arranged chest in the dark had made her dumbstruck, he turned to leave but Grace quickly grabs his hand.

“What is...”

“I am Grace, nice to...”

“Hey, love! I didn't know you were here.” Jane said running her hand on his shoulder, indirectly telling Grace to back off. “Who is she?”

“Oh! I am Grace and you...” “His betrothed,” Jane said sounding like an overprotective wife, Grace faked a smile and walked away in shame, seeing that he looked rich, she had planned to seduce him but that was not working.

“Love, why are you here?”

“I was worried for you when I heard the chaos at the clubhouse.” Jane smiled but Craig who just arrived knew that was a lie, it was the name he heard that moved him to come down. 

“Grace, where have you been?” 

“Let's just go, I told you to stay right here with me, I don't want Cathy's trouble.” 

“Come on love, let's go inside.”

“Sure! I am tired.” They walked back into the condominium, Craig had made arrangements for food and a lot of desserts, Jane was busy eating, and Gregory's voicemail came up, it was from his mom.

“I have been trying to reach you but you are not picking up, hope nothing happened to you. Your sister missed you, please call me.” 

“What does she want...” his phone rings.

“Hello Mom, I am fine.” 

“I know you don't want to talk to me but your sister is dying to talk to you, she said she wants a face call.” 

“Fine, give it to her.”

“Hello, big brother!” Gregory smiles, Eve is an eight-year-old child although his mom had picked her up on one storming night outside their mansion the little girl has a way of making him happy. “My love, how are you?” 

“I am fine, I missed you.” 

“I missed you too, Mom said you want a face call, so give her the phone and go to your room, so I call you.” 

“Don't call me...”

“You don't want it anymore?” “Not that, just call me tomorrow, when I am not on my nightie.” Gregory laughed.

“Are you shy?”

“Of course not but I want it tomorrow.”

“Fine! Good night.”

“Wait! Is uncle there?” He looks at Craig who is smiling as well.

“He is here do you want to talk to him?”

“No, just tell him I love him.” “Yes, ma.” She ends the call, and Gregory looks at Craig. “You should tell me, what you gave my princess.”

“I wouldn't know, I will just go to my room.”

“Don't call her, go to bed, it's late.” Craig chuckled and Walk away, he couldn't sleep through the night, he had lost her last memories