Chapter 5: Recognition

I released a long sigh and dropped my pen. Then I leaned back in my chair as I massaged my temple. 

My morning just started, but the stress I was feeling was already too much. So many contracts and business proposals to review. And now, I needed to handle the land that Arzhel wanted to get from me.

There were knocks on my door. I sat properly, and seconds later my secretary entered. She had the expression she always had every time we were in trouble.

“Ms. Analia, Architect Zerus and Engr. Lemuel are asking if you will still go through with the building of your new branch?”

I secretly cursed Arzhel in my mind.

“Tell them I’ll contact them tomorrow about it,” I calmly said.

Even if I was stressed, I never showed it to my employees. I wanted them to remember me as the CEO who was always composed and competent. 

That was the branding I was trying so hard to build in my career. But Arzhel’s existence always tested that.

My secretary nodded.

“Do you want to set an appointment with Mr. Lowell again, Ms. Analia?” she asked.

“No need. I already settled things with him yesterday. Set an appointment this afternoon with Mr. Arzhel Theron instead.”

She nodded and left.

***

“Ms. Analia, you’re not allowed to go inside yet,” Arzhel’s secretary tried to stop me. But the madness in my head ignored her.

I tried so hard to be calm. He knew we had a meeting, and it was supposed to start thirty minutes ago, but he kept telling his secretary to make me wait outside. 

Was this how he treated everyone these past few years? How did he become the most competent billionaire CEO with this attitude?

I kept walking until I reached Arzhel’s office. I pushed the door as hard as I could, the impact created a loud sound.

Arzhel looked away from the documents he was reading and glanced in my direction. He looked annoyed by the sound and the scene I made.

I laughed in disbelief. This was what he was doing the whole time I was outside waiting? I thought it was something really important.

He motioned for his secretary to go outside, which she obliged right away.

I looked straight into his eyes, showing him how mad I was.

“Are you really this unprofessional?” I snapped.

In front of other people, I tried to be calm, but not in front of him.

He went back to reading his documents.

“What do you mean? I’m busy signing millions worth of contracts.”

Was he boasting?

I didn’t answer him. After a few seconds of no reaction from me, he finally set aside the documents.

“So, what brought you-”

My phone buzzed.

Fine. You don’t respect my time. I won’t respect yours either, Arzhel. Let’s get even. I raised my hand to stop him from talking, then answered the call. It made his eyebrow furrow.

“Hello, Adrian?”

I saw his jaw clench, but I didn’t care. I turned around to keep talking.

“Hey, Lia. I’m sorry to bother you. I have an urgent meeting later. Can you also pick up Chris after school?” He sounded apologetic, at the same time cute.

I laughed.

“Is that all? Sure.”

I had no problem with that. After all, they were classmates in transitional kindergarten.

After the call ended, I faced Arzhel again.

He was leaning in his chair, holding his hands together and looking at me seriously.

I ignored his gaze. I walked to his chair and sat down.

“Let’s talk about the land you badly want to steal.”

He smirked and leaned forward.

“Steal? Such a big word, Lia.”

I slowly exhaled to calm myself.

“Just give me back my land, Arzhel,” I demanded.

He smirked.

“Why would I do that?” he innocently asked.

“Because I bought it first!”

“Then you should have offered to buy it at a higher price.”

That was not fair. He paid three times the amount I bought it for. If I matched what he paid, there would be no return on investment for me. And even if the land was big, it was still not worth millions of dollars.

“Is this how you play? Dirty?” I said irritably.

He laughed.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Lia. I want the land, so I offered to buy it at a higher price. A win win situation for me and the owner.”

Unbelievable. As if he didn’t threaten him.

“Then what about me? It’s not fair.”

“Not my problem, Lia. You already divorced me,” he said without emotion.

He was really unbelievable. A jerk.

“Thank you for reminding me I made the right choice,” I said sarcastically.

I saw his jaw clench for a second.

“Why don’t you ask your husband to buy you new land instead? He’s into real estate too, right”

Husband? Adrian? Did he assume I married Adrian?

“We’re not-”

“He’s really trying to be me,” he cut me off. “Is that how he stole you from me, by copying me?” he said sarcastically.

“No one is stealing me from you, Arzhel. I was never yours anyway!”

I tried to hide my clenched palms. I knew I was lying. He had my heart since the first time we met when we were still young, but he never noticed that. But who cared? We were already divorced, and I had already moved on. Slowly.

His knuckles and jaw clenched again.

He stood up from his chair and walked to his other table with wine and alcohol.

He took a glass, poured whiskey into it, and drank it right away.

“I have an offer,” he paused and walked toward me. “Work for me,” he confidently said.

I laughed. That was the second stupid offer I had heard from him so far. The first one was the time he offered me marriage before. It just gave me scars.

“I am the founder and CEO of my own empire, Arzhel. Do you really think I will lower myself just to work for you? I already lowered myself just to be your wife before. I am no longer that girl,” I said with a poker face.

He smirked.

“Try to think as a businesswoman, Lia.” He went back to his chair. “I’m not saying you fully work with me like an employee. It’s more of a partnership-”

“No,” I cut him off.

“It will benefit your business. Stop acting as if I want this too. This is no good for us emotionally, but for our business, it’s the best,” he said calmly, using his CEO tone.

It made me shift into my CEO mode.

“I’ll let you rent the land,” he continued.

I was about to say something when he raised his hand to stop me. I remained seated and rolled my eyes instead.

“I already bought the land, and the land title was already registered under my name.” He took a piece of document from his drawer and placed it in front of me.

I saw the land title registered under Arzhel’s name. It made me clench my palm.

“There’s really nothing you can do, Lia,” he continued. “Rent the land. I’ll let you rent it for thirty years. That’s more than enough for you to get your ROI. You know the location of that land is really ideal for your business,” he said.

Of course I knew that. That was exactly the reason why I really wanted that land.

I remained quiet. I was calculating the pros and cons of his offer.

“And I’ll let you open a branch in all of my malls,” he added.

I glared at him.

“Think like a businesswoman, Lia. I own eighty percent of all the malls here in Los Angeles. If you partner with me, you can open your branch in all of my malls, hotel spaces, and condominiums. Your clothing brand is currently the talk of the town, so it’s also good for my business. It’s a win win situation. You earn, I earn. Pure business, nothing else,” he said in a bored tone, as if talking to me made him sleepy already.

It was true that he owned almost all the malls here in L.A. That was why I never opened my branch in any of his malls, because I didn’t want connections with him. I was pretty sure he would just decline me. 

His offer was really good. It was tempting. But was it worth it? 

I really loved the peace I built for myself these past few years. I wasn’t going to let him ruin it.

My phone alarm rang. It meant it was time to pick up Arriana and Chris.

I stood up.

“I’ll think about your offer.”

I didn’t even wait for his reply. But I felt his presence behind me.

I ignored him, but I already reached the elevator and he was still following me.

I irritably faced him.

“You don’t need to send me off, okay?” I said irritably.

He smirked.

The elevator opened.

“Who said I’ll send you off? I’m on my way home,” he said as he went inside the elevator.

I felt the heat in my cheeks, but I tried to hide it and followed him.

When I arrived in the parking lot, my jaw dropped. Someone hit my car. The LED lights were broken, and the mirror too.

I looked at Arzhel, who happened to be behind me. His eyebrows frowned while looking at my car. At the same time, I saw amusement in his eyes, as if he wanted to laugh but was stopping himself.

“You think this is funny?” I snapped at him.

“Relax,” he innocently said.

He called one of his guards.

“Please find out who did this and take care of the car.”

The guard nodded and left.

“I’ll drop you home,” Arzhel offered.

I looked at him.

“No thanks. I’m not going home.”

I took my phone and was about to call my driver, but then I realized that it was his day off, so he was probably somewhere.

I checked the time. It was almost the kids’ dismissal.

I held my phone tightly while looking at Arzhel, who already started walking away.

I bit my lip before calling him.

“Wait.”

I told him where I was heading, and he drove me there.

When we arrived, some of the kids were already outside. It was their dismissal time.

I saw Arriana waiting on one of the benches.

She smiled when she saw me and ran to hug me.

She noticed Arzhel. She gave him a smile, and I didn’t know if I should be happy or not.

Arzhel just stared at her, with no emotion.

“Baby, where’s Chris?” I asked to get Arriana’s attention.

She pointed somewhere, and I saw Chris laughing with his classmates a few feet away.

“I’m sorry, can you look after her for a while?” I told Arzhel and moved Arriana closer to him.

Before he could answer, I already turned around because Chris was about to leave with his classmates.

When I came back, I saw Arzhel talking to an old married couple. I paused when I recognized them. They were one of his business partners before, who knew about our marriage and, of course, our divorce, and me being labeled a cheater.

I heard their conversation.

“Is that your daughter?” the old woman asked while admiring Arriana.

Her question made my heartbeat faster.

“No, she’s my business partner’s daughter.”

The woman looked shocked.

“Really? Sorry, my bad. But she really looks like you,” she said in amusement.

Their car arrived, and they said goodbye to Arzhel.

After they left, I saw Arzhel looking at Arriana. I gulped. He seemed to be scanning her face.

“Arriana,” Chris excitedly shouted when he saw her. He ran in her direction.

Arzhel looked at us. He seemed confused.

I walked toward them.

“Wait, you had twins?” His eyebrows frowned.

Did he just think that Chris was my child too?

“Let’s go, mama,” Chris said. 

He would stay in our house tonight until his father went home.

I wasn’t able to answer Arzhel’s question because I led the way to his car.

The ride home was quiet. Aside from Arriana and Chris’s voices as they played, Arzhel and I remained silent. 

Arzhel became more serious and quiet, as if something was bothering him. I didn’t dare ask him.

When we arrived home, I thanked Arzhel.

Chris did the same, while Arriana hugged Arzhel.

“Thank you, Uncle Arzhel,” Arriana said with a wide smile and gave Arzhel a little hug on his leg. Then she and Chris ran inside to play.

I was about to follow them when I felt Arzhel’s hand on my wrist.

“I’m just curious,” he started. I looked at him. He looked hesitant at first but still asked, “Are they the kids you insist are mine?”