Chapter 9

Diane's POV

This won't be the end, Diane.

I can't count how many times these words have resounded in my mind since last night.

This is the message I received from the unknown sender last night, and no matter how hard I struggle to wrap my head around where and who the message came from, I can't.

All my years of living, I've never had any fight or bad encounter with someone, so I can't tell exactly where the message is coming from and what it means.

This is a mystery I can't solve, and the harder I try to comprehend it all, the further I'm lost for answers.

Headache. I might be down with a headache at the rate I'm thinking.

I sigh. Whoever sent the message must have made a silly mistake and sent it to the wrong person; me, because trust me, I'm convinced within myself that the message doesn't belong to me. I smooth down my dress before turning around on my heels.

However, just as I'm about to leave the house, my phone beeps in my purse. Pulling it out, I see a message notification pop up.

It's from Conrad.

Going through the email, I find out it's the details of the event he said he'd send me this morning, but something more catches my attention.

Haven's Lounge; 7pm, tonight.

My brows squint as I stare at the location and time of the event over and over again.

The event is tonight. That too at a hotel.

He never mentioned the event being this close. He only told me there was an event coming up, but never...

I harden my jaw, glance briefly at the time, then nod. I still have time, so instead of going to the office, I'll drop by the station to visit my brother and let him know I'm still with him.

With that thought, I bolt out of the room, wave down a cab and leave for the station.

As the cab drives past trees and tall buildings, I recline against the headrest, shutting my eyes briefly as I recall everything that has happened to me.

I had lived a perfect life... Or maybe I thought I did? After losing my parents some years back, I thought I had bounced back when I got a job at Conrad's company, but that excitement was robbed in an eye blink. I went back to nothing. I became a stripper just to survive, and my brother? He was struggling too. We had no one to lean on and vent our anger and frustration to.

When I thought I was close to survival, Conrad walked his ass right back into my life. I became his secretary, forced to smile at his face and dance to his tunes, and my brother? Yet again, locked behind bars for what he has no idea of.

Things are getting messy for me and my brother, and the fact that Conrad is the only person I can rely on feels more awful than it already is.

"Miss, your phone has been ringing for quite a time now." The cab driver's voice jolts me out of my thoughts.

I glance at him, force a smile, then pull my phone out of my purse.

Speaking of the devil, he's the one calling.

I hesitate before picking up the call, and the moment I do, a single sentence, a single order, echoes off the speaker.

"To the office, now."

Before I can even say a word, the call beeps right in my ear and that's it, he hangs up.

A scoff seeps from my throat as I stare at the phone.

To the office now? Seriously? I lean in to the driver. "Please sir, can you take a turn? I need to be at the office now." I tell him softly.

He smiles at me through the rearview mirror, then turns the cab slowly before driving off toward the company.

***

My eyes widen as I stare around the meeting room, wondering why everywhere is already filled up.

The stakeholders, board members and Conrad himself are already seated, and I can feel my skin freeze as Conrad keeps glaring at me.

Earlier when he sent me a message regarding the event, he didn't sound urgent or give a tip that something happened in the company, so seeing everyone gathered in the meeting room and some trembling leaves me wondering what exactly happened.

I manage to rush forward, then pull a seat and sit beside Conrad.

"Sir..." I open my mouth to speak, but a single stare from Conrad has me swallowing whatever word I wanted to say.

I grab the hem of my dress tight, palms turning sweaty.

"Reney's company already exposed the design of their latest product, and it turns out they plagiarized our design. Exposing ours next makes us the culprit. Society would think..." Conrad's hands wave in the air, cutting one of the board members off.

I gulp, now understanding why he requested that I come to the office immediately.

Reney's company. I know it's a rival company to ours, but what I didn't know was that they had already stepped up to the extent of copying our products and even going as far as copying the designs.

Silence wraps around the room as everyone waits for Conrad's words.

He tilts his head slowly. "When were we supposed to expose the design of the new product?" Conrad's voice finally bounces off the walls of the room.

"15th July, sir." I sharply reply. I remember going through everything yesterday, and I have enough information at the back of my palms.

"Any suggestions on what to do next?" Conrad's gaze sweeps across the faces of everyone as he asks.

"We could change the date of the exposition? Maybe something closer?" A member suggests.

"And the designs?" Conrad retorts.

The member bites the corner of his lips without saying another word.

"I think changing the design is best."

"And today is 30th June, I don't think we'll make it." I quickly interject.

All the members turn to me at once. "Changing the designs of the product will take at least one month. We can't achieve that within 14 days, and shifting the date of exposure is off the table already. It'll raise suspicion and..."

"She's right." Conrad intervenes, saving me from the explanations and everything.

I heave briefly, then shut my eyes. This is...

"We will proceed as planned." Conrad mutters, his voice sharp and firm, earning gasps from everyone.

"Wh... What?"