Chapter 12: First task

.Nadia's POV.

"Package number one, two, three, and four…"

I counted the boxes of new cosmetics out loud as the driver loaded them into the truck.

"Ma’am, there are fifty packs fully packed," he acknowledged, and I nodded, brushing the dust off my dress.

Why dust on my dress?

Because I was a freaking intern, reduced to doing deliveries.

Was this all a mistake?

Working at Deluca Empire, being this close to my enemies?

I couldn't think straight, but one thing is painfully clear—Silas Deluca was trying to break me.

"Okay then, can we leave?"

I asked, pulling open the truck’s door.

"Wait... one more thing before you leave," a voice interrupted and I turned to see who it was.

Argh, it was Ms Mandy, the woman who mighty CEO Silas made me an intern under.

"Your task isn't only delivering the products," she continued and my brows furrowed.

"What... what else am I meant to do?"

I asked, throwing questioning glances at the driver.

"Convince them, convince the client why he should buy the products."

I scoffed, "You gotta be kidding me," I mumbled under my breath.

"You made me an intern, right?

Isn't it your job and the job of the rest of the marketing department to do that?"

My hands landed on my waist as my words displayed my annoyance.

"You're an intern, so you should take this task as a simple training."

I scoffed again.

Simple training, my foot.

"Well, Ms Mandy, convincing the clients to buy those cosmetics is not in my job description as an intern."

I clicked my tongue.

"Go ask the company's marketing strategists and board of directors to do that."

I refuted and turned to walk into the car.

"It's an order." She sneered and I stopped.

"Take the products to the clients and convince them into buying or lose your job."

I turned to her, my lips curved with disbelief.

"The choice is yours, Nadia.

Prove you deserve a position in the Deluca empire or you might as well quit your job and go find where you belong."

She added and I swear I could hear Silas speak through her.

And at that moment, it dawned on me.

Making me an intern.

Making me go do deliveries and now giving me an ultimatum...

It was all him.

He wanted me gone, so badly?

It was crystal clear he didn't want me in the company, but why?

Clocking his intentions stirred something inside of me.

Something that made my eyes flicker with determination and the need to win.

It was now a battle, a challenge between me and Mr Albert Deluca's first son.

He wanted me out so badly and now, I had never started to counter someone so badly.

"You don't have all day."

Ms Mandy added and walked away, leaving me nibbling my lips as my mind ran with thoughts.

I stood still, almost frozen, as I watched men arrange the boxes of cosmetics in front of people who sat like judges.

Two elderly men and one young blonde.

I guessed they were the clients I was supposed to convince to buy the product.

"All done, shall we begin?" the blonde said, motioning to me to come forward, and I took a heavy breath.

I had no idea about the cosmetics which were about to be sold.

Fuck, I didn't even know what it looked like.

How was I supposed to convince them to buy?

"Um, you can go ahead," one of the men said, shifting on his seat.

"Um..." I stuttered, trying to collect my words.

"I'm Nadia Smith, an intern in the marketing department of Deuka Cosmetics."

"So, Nadia... What do you have for us?

Tell us about your new cosmetics," the blonde said, and I felt the air around me tighten.

I knew nothing about the cosmetic products.

Shit, I just got the job.

"Okay..." I said, walking to the table filled with boxes of the products.

Maybe if I took a look, I would know what to say.

My eyes trailed through the boxes until it landed on the box that read 'samples.'

"Oh great," I mumbled to myself as I tried to open the box, and one of the men who had arranged them on the table ran to me with a pen knife.

I opened it carefully and brought out a tiny box of cosmetics. Opening it, I realized it was a foundation and blush, arranged in a fancy little container.

A few more containers of moisturizers were still in the already opened box.

Okay, Nadia, you can do this.

I just had to tell them literally anything. Anything that would sell the damn products.

I had got this.

As I was about to leave, my eyes caught a piece of paper... Scratch that, a booklet actually.

Realizing what the little book was, I walked back to where I initially stood, holding the tiny container of foundation and blush in my hand.

Opening the booklet, I began to speak. "Deluca cosmetic luxury soft creme foundation is the fifteenth edition of our prestigious company's line of foundations," I read through but stopped to catch my breath.

"It's a soft, milky, tender touch of..." I suddenly stopped as one of the gentlemen cleared his throat, dragging my attention from the booklet I was reading.

"Pardon my interruption, but are you going to keep reading from the booklet?" he asked, and I pushed a shrug off my shoulders.

"Unbelievable."

"This is unbelievably pathetic," he bellowed. "You came all the way from Deluka cosmetics to read a pamphlet to us? Is that how you plan to convince us to buy these products? You do know they are worth thousands of dollars, right?" he questioned, and I felt a lump land on my throat.

"I, um... I'm not really, um," I began to stutter as I could hear the frustration in their groans.

"Enough! We have had enough. We aren't pleased by your little reading. We have no intention or interest in buying any of the products, therefore there will be no transactions between us and your company," he barked, his stern voice raising and fueling the already suffocating air.

"You can take them back to the company, leave now!" another said as they all stood up from their seats, and I felt panic drop into my stomach.

No, no, no, no, no.

"Please give me another chance, please, wait... Please listen to me," I pleaded, but they turned deaf ears as they all walked out of the room, leaving me with the men who wore pity on their faces.

This couldn't be happening. I wasn't going to lose to Silas or that rude Ms Mandy.

If I couldn't convince them to buy these cosmetics, I would lose my job.

I didn't want to lose my job. I was a step closer to making Mr. Albert pay, and now his arrogant and quite stupid son was in the way to ruin my plans.

What was I going to do? What the heck? How was I supposed to even convince them to buy the products in the first place? I knew nothing about the products.

Hell no, I didn't know I was going to convince them to buy it, until Mandy spilled when the truck was already loaded.

Now I stood there feeling stupid and defeated.

No, I wasn't going to be defeated.

I wasn't going to let Silas defeat me even before the battle began.