Chapter 7

The next morning, Dukia woke up at 7:45 AM.

She had barely slept last night. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the deep blue gaze of Alex’s eyes. She kept replaying their conversation over the phone over and over again in her mind.

She needed to get a hold of herself. She was here for revenge, not to be loosing her head over a man she barely knew. She was not going to go down that route anymore, see where it had gotten her the first time.

So no matter how attractive the fire was, she wasn’t going to go close enough to get burnt.

And speaking of revenge, it was time to set up stage one of her plan.

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The penthouse was silent except for the soft hum of the washer in the kitchen.

Dukia sat at her desk, her laptop open and her fingers hovering over the keyboard. On the screen was a list of companies. The list of Liam Young’s suppliers, his clients and his investors.

She had been gathering every detail she could about the Young’s businesses. Every connection, every weakness, all their shady business.

Now it was time to strike.

Picking up her phone, she made a call.

“Mr. Hale,” she said when the call was answered. “I need you to make a purchase for me.”

“Of course Ms. Goven. What are we buying?”

“Vangaurd Manufacturing. They are Young Industries’ main supplier. I want the purchase finalized by the end of the week.”

There was a pause at Mr. Hale’s end. “That is a significant acquisition. Are you sure about this Ma’am?”

“Very certain. I want this purchase to be untraceable. Use the shell companies we earlier set up. Once the acquisition is complete, change the terms of supply to cash on delivery.”

“Cash on delivery? The Young Industries won’t be able to afford their supplies upfront.”

“That’s the point.”

Silence

“Consider it done, Ms Goven.”

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Three days later, Dukia sat in her office watching the news on her tablet.

“Breaking News: Young Industries, one of the city’s lead firms, is facing a major crises after their major supplier, Vangaurd Manufacturing, was acquired by an unknown company. The new owners have changed the payment terms to cash on delivery, leaving Young Industries unable to secure the materials they need to meet up with their contracts.”

Dukia smiled.

On the screen, Liam was being interviewed outside his office. He looked tired and sleep deprived with his suit disheveled.

“We are doing everything we can to resolve the situation,” he said.

“Negotiations are already ongoing with the new buyers and a resolution will soon be reached. There’s no cause for alarm or panic. Everything is under control.”

Dukia knew that wasn’t true. She had already given instructions to reject every offer the Young’s made.

“This is only just the beginning Liam, She whispered. I will do everything in my power to make sure I bring your entire family down.

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Meanwhile, the Donovan-Goven project was already underway.

Dukia had gained the respect and admiration of some of the workers at the branch office, following the closing of the deal.

The branch office gradually began to have a sense of order. Worker’s were punctual to work. Tasks were completed as at when due. Exactly what had performed the miracle was not quite clear. Whether it was the fear of loosing their jobs or respect for her, she wasn’t quite sure. All in all, she was thankful for the progress.

There were still a few loyal to Mr. Cox, but obviously scared of loosing their jobs. They were punctual to work and performed their tasks, but made sure they complained loudly.

Mr. Cox had taken a sick leave these past few days. She was not fooled. She knew men like Mr. Cox did not accept defeat gracefully. He was planning his comeback. But whatever he was scheming she was going to make sure she stayed 3 steps ahead of him. He was going to find out the hard way that she wasn’t just some girl whom he could push over. She was stronger than he imagined.

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Later that day, Ceci knocked on her door.

“Ma’am there is a delivery for you.”

Dukia looked up from her laptop. “A delivery?”

“Yes Ma’am. From… Donovan Enterprise.”

Her heart skipped. She masked her emotions with a neutral expression.

“Alright, bring it in.”

Ceci entered carrying a medium sized white box tied with a silk ribbon. She placed it on Dukia’s desk with open curiosity.

“Should I open it up for you?”

“No, thank you. I will handle it myself.” Dukia responded.

Ceci nodded and left, clearly dying of curiosity.

Once she was sure Ceci was gone, she reached for the box and untied the silk ribbon.

Inside the box was a single tulip and a note beside it.

Picking up the note, she unfolded it.

“You’ve been on my mind. Looking forward to seeing you again.”

-A.

Without her consent, the corners of her lips turned up.

Catching herself, she realized with daunting clarity that Alex was dangerous.

He was making her feel things she had sworn she would never feel again.

She could not let another man sweep her off her feet with promises they never intended to keep.

She was going to set very clear boundaries, their relationship was a business relationship alone and that was all it would ever…

The sound of her phone ringing jolted her out of her thoughts.

The Caller ID read Alex Donovan.

Willing her heart to be still, she picked the call.

“Ms. Chen, Did you like the flower? I did not know what type of flowers you liked. I decided to take a gamble and went for a tulip.”

“Mr. Donovan, I liked the flower, thank you very much. Tulips are actually one of my favourite flowers.”

“Good. I would like to take you out to dinner.”

Dukia was taken aback. “That was very direct.”

“You would find out that I am a very direct man, Ms. Chen. I know exactly what I want and I go for it.”

“Um… Mr. Donovan…”

“Call me Alex.”

“Alex, I do not think that will be a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“We currently have an ongoing business relationship, tongues will wag if they see us together outside of work.”

“I have never been one to care what people think. If I did, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

“You, Mr. Donovan wouldn’t bear the brunt of the gossip, I will.”