"This is my assistant Mr. Leonard Smith, Frost said.
"Please call me Mr. V," the host said. Leo handed over the file he had brought to Frost so that the meeting could commence. He didn't know how long he was going to last with all that tantalizing and mouth-watering scent drifting up his nose and he just hoped that this was going to be a very short meeting. "Mr.V, as we had talked over the phone, I am going after the Genex project and I need a partner for this cause it's a huge investment that cannot be handled by just one company". "As you know, the government requires that the company taking this project gives 80% capital upfront so that they can get the 20% from the government. "My company has 50% that it can invest and I'm hoping that we can collaborate on this project. This means that if you are willing then you can give the 30% remaining so we can start working as soon as possible." Mr.V listened quietly, nodding here and there as Frost explained the details of the project. He looked at the spreadsheet laid on the table and kept referring back to the documents to verify everything that was being said. For Mr. V to get to where he was, he had learned to be a quiet listener but a quick learner, picking important details and knowing the pros and cons within minutes of a business transaction. As they were busy negotiating, the footsteps of the receptionist's high heels were heard as she came off the lift. The men's heads rose only for Frost to go stiff releasing a very cold aura that shook Leo. Frost looked up, his eyes turning red with anger. He slowly rose, causing Leo to jump up from his seat, too, as he recognized who the receptionist was ushering in. Mr. V stood up and went towards the visitor with extended hands. "Mr. Pierce, it is so good of you to join us. Please, have a seat", he said as the two men shook hands in greetings. Mr. Tom Pierce turned and faced Frost, not sure of how Frost would react to his presence. "Son, how have you been?" he asked only to be met by a glare. Frost didn't answer a thing and just stood coldly with his arms stiffened by his sides. After taking in a deep breath to get his emotions in check, he asked "What the hell are you doing here?" Mr. V, not sure of what was going on stood in between them while Leo tried pulling his boss away, fearing an ugly confrontation that was bound to take place. Frost stood firmly on his spot wanting to throw a punch at anything, anyone. Mr. Pierce knew he had to cool down the situation somehow so he tried explaining to the young man. "Listen, son, Mr. V and I are old comrades and he owns this hotel. He is also an influential businessman as you know. When I heard that you were seeking an investor for your project, I approached him and requested that he helps you with this. I know it is not in my place to do so, but you are my son, and I want to help you" Frost tightened his knuckles together, wanting to hit the man in front of him. Leo, nudged him, giving him a warning for him to remember where and why they were there. Poor Mr. V had no idea what was going on and could only stare at the two men who seemed to be at odds with each other. He never, in his wildest dreams, imagined that his old-time friend had problems with his eldest son. Whenever they met up, his friend would always boast of his son's achievements and held him in high esteem. What was happening now was beyond his comprehension. Could it be that father and son were estranged and he didn't know of this? A slight smile twitched on his face. Here he was, always lamenting over his son's inability to do business yet his friend was in an even worse situation. Frost fiercely looked at his father and, in a terrifyingly low growl, said, "I AM NOT YOUR SON AND YOU WILL NEVER BE MY FATHER!!". With that, he walked out without sparing anyone a glance. Leo had to quickly collect the documents they came with and after giving a hurried apology, ran after his boss. Mr. Pierce, who was too shaken by what his son said, felt his knees give way. Luckily Mr. V reacted quickly and caught him before falling. He guided his friend to a seat and gave him a glass of water, hoping to cool down his anxiety. He then silently waited for Tom to explain. "I never thought that even after fifteen years, my son would still not want to see me. I am so sorry for any embarrassment that I have caused you today, my old friend", said Tom with a deep regretful sigh. Leo rushed up and caught up with Frost before reaching the elevator. He didn't say a word because he knew the extent of his boss's temper. All through to the car, Frost was enveloped by a heavy coldness that made Leo shiver. As soon as the driver saw them exit the building, he got out of the car and opened the door for Frost. Leo got in the front seat and immediately turned the AC on to dissipate the cold. Even the driver felt that something wasn't right. "Take me to the club", he ordered, and the silent journey began. Leo had no idea how Mr. Pierce came about the meeting and Mr. V didn't tell him anything about a third party when they were planning for the meeting. He just hoped that today's episode wouldn't fall on his head. Back in Frost's house, the doctor was trying to convince the young lady to take her medicine but she refused to indulge her. Shaking her head vigorously, she behaved like a small child despite the doctor's coaxing. Vexed, Doctor Weister decided to call Leo to report the latest development. She knew that if the patient refused to take her medication on time, then it would mess with her mental system, and they still needed to figure out who she was and what had happened to her. Leo picked up the phone as soon as it vibrated, not wanting to disturb Frost who had his eyes tightly shut. After hearing the situation at hand, he told the doctor that he would be there in twenty minutes.The Ball was well underway, and everyone was enjoying themselves except for Damont, who sat gloomily with a glass of champagne in hand. The host took the microphone and cleared his throat to get people's attention."Ladies and gentlemen, the auction is about to begin. The hostesses will pass around the bidder cards to all who wish to participate, which I hope is all of you," he said with a boisterous laugh."Please feel free to bid as high as you can for it is all for a good cause. The items to be auctioned are all on the brochure on your tables".After everything was set in place, the auctioneer took over. The first item to be auctioned was a 17th-century gold coin which would be good for a collectors board.Bidding started at 100,000 dollars and it was mainly the old folks who participated. Frost's father had a whole collection of old coins which were kept, polished in a glass display case.Taking his time, he waited for people to outbid themselves till it got to 3 million dollars a
Vinca knew that this time would come and she thought she had fully prepared herself for an encounter with the two people she considered worse than sewer rats.Giving them a questioning look, she held Frost's hand."Am sorry, but who are you?" she asked innocently, giving them a vague look.That question shook Damont to the core. Was Vinca pretending not to know them? He was her fiancé just until about a few months ago. How could she not know him? Or maybe she had lost her memory after that incident? That would explain why she got engaged to some other man so quickly."Darling, this is Damont. He is the owner of VilaBeau, a company in West and I presume that this is his wife." "I told you about us having a corporation with them," he said hoping that she would be able to withstand the turmoil he knew was going on in her heart. He even felt sorry for putting her through this but it was the first step towards getting back VilaBeau for her.She nodded her head and then turned to them,
Shanice, flustered by her mistake and wrong assumption, took a sip of the champagne to stabilize her pounding heart. It was only now that she realized that Vinca was wearing the gown that Frost had ordered. She also had on the jewellery that she had picked out at Azaeit, so she was sure she also had the shoes too. "I am so stupid. I should have known when the dress didn't get delivered to my place" she thought to herself. She just had to brave the night. Leo got up to go back to his date not wanting to be involved in his boss's drama because he could smell it coming on. "Frost, I'm so sorry. I just assumed that I would be your usual date for the Ball." She said, giving Vinca a meaningful look. "How dare she try to take my place, this flat-faced bed climber" she clenched her fist in anger. Vince completely understood the jab thrown at her and could just hold it in. Shanice was right anyway, she was the third wheel in this equation. She decided to remain oblivious to this and jus
A reporter stepped away from the mayhem to take a call. He didn't believe what his director just said. He had just been fired for gross misconduct and ordered to take the first plane back to West. As he wondered what was going on, several other reporters received calls from their superiors that left them perplexed. They had just lost their jobs without warning and were ordered back to their stations. Only one of them realized with shock that this was the consequence of rattling the lce King. "Are you feeling better?" Frost asked her, giving her a tender hug while rubbing her back. He wanted to rip off the tongues of those rogue reporters who spouted nonsense to his lady but he knew that their hell was upon them. "Frost, who's the lady who followed me to the washroom just now?" Frost beckoned to the bodyguards to come forward. "They are your bodyguards Storm and Carly." He saw the question coming. "I recruited them and they have been by your side ever since we came back from Nice"
The night was lit!! Glamour held hands with elegance, grandeur spoke with gentility, fineness and magnificence defined prominence. It wasn't just about colour and pomp. Money clashed with power to produce an explosive panorama. From the powerful machines that dropped off the glamorous guests to the designer clothes and limited edition accessories, one could feel the power that money held. A luxurious black Rolls Royce pulled up and all cameras focused on it. The customized number plate announced the arrival of Fortlink Enterprise Corporation's CEO. The uniformed chauffeur alighted to open the door for his boss and cameras started clicking. Shiny black shoes followed by long legs stepped down. Frost alighted and straightened his dinner jacket. He was in a midnight blue tuxedo with black satin lapels and a light blue and white pocket square. Touching his bow tie, he opened the back passenger door and extended his hand. Everyone gasped when they saw the lady alighting from the car.
The road leading to Spateg Towers was lit with thousands of tiny fairy lights that were hung on trees, buildings, poles, and anything that was tall enough.Everything was colourful; strands of red ribbons were flapping, and banners with different emblems representing the numerous companies present were flying proudly in the cool of the night.Beautiful flower arrangements from different species were lined by the roadside, and flowers not in season were imported from abroad. The event organizers did not spare on decorations.The red carpet was already laid out, waiting for the distinguished guests to arrive. A band was in place, waiting to start playing once they received the cue from the host. Reporters from major media houses were also braving the cold for scoops that would make major news in a few hours. Bloggers and social media influencers were not to be left behind. This was the main make-or-break event of the year and everyone came prepared.The charity event was being held in
Vinca fidgeted in her seat. She didn't want to attend the Ball but the reaction on Frost's face disturbed her. He had already done so much for her and she owed him her life. As she was lost in thoughts, Frost came back with a package in his hands."Vinca, I have a suggestion that might be profitable for you", he had done some thinking on his way to get the package."I have been thinking of how you can get back your company and going with me to the Ball is the first step." He looked at her hopefully. "Explain please", her ears pricked. VilaBeau was her life. Even though Damont violently took it away from her, she vowed that she would one day have her revenge. But why was Frost willing to help her?"Your ex needs to see that you have moved on and are not interested in the company".This caused Vinca's face to flash up in anger. Why should she sacrifice her life's worth to some scumbag? If giving up her company is what Frost expected of her then he might as well forget it!!"No no no
"Man, you look tensed. What's up with you?" Leo was driving when he perceived Frost's uneasiness which was very unusual. His boss happened to be a very composed person, but right now, he just looked perturbed.Frost fixed his gaze on the landscape leading up to his house. The houses in that area were sparingly placed leaving patches of land in between mansions.Most people chose to turn those patches into beautiful tree gardens with benches under them that provided resting places for people taking leisurely walks. The trees lining the street were now covered in canopies of snow. It was like driving down wonderland, especially in the evening when streetlights illuminated the whole boulevard."I want Vinca to be my date for the Winter Ball", he said."Mmhh so, what's the problem with that?" Leo didn't understand what his dilemma was. Getting a date for the Ball shouldn't be an arduous task for Frost.Frost absent-mindedly scratched his head. He still hadn't made his feelings for Vinca
"No, please, I will, I will", he nodded and shook his head vigorously.Leo, knowing the norm of his boss, took his phone and called the company lawyer. His boss was meticulous and kept records of every single deal concerning money.A contract was quickly drafted and handed to Young. Because he was still so agitated, there was a twitch on his fingers as he signed the document, which he didn't waste time reading. It was better to lose money that he could work hard to recover than to lose his head.Three copies were quickly made. One was handed over to him, Leo kept one, and Shanice, the other one. She was still dazed over the events; to think money would be flowing into her account monthly without her breaking a sweat. Her man was more than awesome, she thought.Young exited the building. His father was going to kill him, but it was better to pacify the lce King than become one of his targets. He crumpled the contract in his hand but didn't throw it away. He was going to keep it as a re