Arianna’s POV
We sealed the deal with handshakes and a thousand signatures. But I wasn’t even stressed about them.
Each signature was a pat on my back that had done extremely well and Gabriele wouldn’t have a reason to sell me off.
Neither would Niko have bragging rights anymore.
My eyes went over to him as I signed the last document and I felt like pointing the middle finger at him but for the clients, I maintained my cool.
“Thank you so much ma’am,” he said bowing.
“You are welcome. We are open to doing deals like this with you anytime,” I assured them with a big smile.
“We will definitely come back,” Mr. Choi said and I smiled gratefully.
They all have one final bow of respect and they filed out of the conference room. Only one person stayed behind –the woman who I now knew as Jane Lee.
“Miss Arianna,” she said as she stepped out of their line to meet me.
“Yes,” I replied, trying to sound accommodating enough.
At the same time, I was already calculating my comeback to whatever comment she had to make.
“I am sorry I must have been rude at the start,” she began and my defenses took a step back but never too far –this might be a trap or a ‘keep your enemies close’ kind of thing.
It happened in every movie!
“I have dealt with Mr. Gabriele quite many times and he has always been sort of– negligent with his business. He refuses deals without even checking the level of awareness they will bring to him… I don’t know…”
“… when I saw you standing in for him, I just felt angry that he had once again decided to refuse the contract I brought him, and to avoid facing me he sent his assistant.”
My guards were lost somewhere behind the bubble of pride I felt at her words. She thought I was the assistant? –well in the real sense I was the assistant but not in the way she meant.
But the bottom line, I couldn’t wait for her to say the magic word again…
“Once again, I am truly sorry. If I were him, I would make you the Managing Director. You are exceptional,” she finished shaking my hands again.
I was squirming with excitement from the inside. But from the outside, they all thought I had it all under perfect control.
Not only did I get the magic word, but I also got a compliment from a woman who had considered me a plain assistant!
“Oh and I will bring in more clients now that we have a more serious person handling the business,” she added before stepping out of the room.
“We will be waiting!” I called after her as a large proud smile sat on my lips.
I turned to Niko and I saw him watching me with amusement and something like satisfaction in his eyes.
He was probably hiding his shame!
“Congratulations Miss!” Mike said and I smiled at him.
“Don’t be so uptight, give me a hug!” I said, wiggling my fingers.
He let out an innocent laugh and shook his head refusing to come to embrace me –like I was going to leave him.
People said when the mountain refused to move, you go to the damned mountain yourself!
“Come here!” I exclaimed, caging him in my arms.
His body went rigid at first but he soon loosened up and hugged me back.
“Can I join in?” The receptionist said and I smiled.
“Only if you tell me if you are the receptionist or the lifesaver around here?” I said with a smirk. “Girl you saved my ass today! Come here!” I gestured to her to step forward.
“I am only the secretary, Mila,” she said and joined in the hug.
Mike’s large arms cupped the two of us together and we giggled like school children.
For the first time since I was kidnapped, I felt free again. I had finally done one thing for myself.
I made every American woman in the world proud because now, someone would no longer say we were not smart.
As I thought about it, I broke away from the hug. It was time to take my crown as the winning Queen.
I walked closer to where he stood observing us and poked my finger into his chest.
“And you were saying what about American women again?” I asked raising my neck. “Huh?”
He folded his hands across his chest and smiled softly at me.
“What? Cat got your tongue now?” I fired back, enjoying the moment.
He had run his mouth so much, now he couldn’t even open them.
“Congratulations Arianna. I am glad you took my advice and made us proud,” he said tapping my shoulder.
I narrowed my eyes, surprised at his sudden gentle nature.
“I am sorry about earlier. I was only trying to bring out the fierceness in you. I knew you could do it. You just needed a little push,” he said and started walking away.
I was dumbstruck.
If he wasn’t trying to pull my legs, then what he did actually worked. I had been panicking inside already but the fact that he had challenged me made me confident enough to succeed.
He truly gave me a little push.
“Oh, and yes,” he said as he suddenly remembered something. He turned and smiled at me. “I am Mike. He is Niko,” he added and my mouth dropped.
Now I know why they said it was wrong to judge a book by its cover. I moved my eyes from Mike –Niko to Mike and then back again.
The one I thought was Mike was sweet. The one I thought was Niko was even calmer…
“Sorry,” The real Niko mouthed.
I felt bad for all the terrible things I thought of the real Mike when all he wanted to do was help me.
“You guys are so mean!” I cried out in shame. “Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked them.
“I didn’t want to add more stress to the work ahead of you,” Niko said with a small laugh.
“Yeah right,” I mumbled but deep down I knew he was right.
I would have started stressing over the names and then delivering my assignment would have become a nightmare.
“Come I want to make up for the trouble,” the grumpy one –Mike said.
I raised my brows in surprise. This guy was really just trying to help me earlier -except if he is leading me to a trap so he could laugh at me.
“Okay…” I trailed walking cautiously to where he led me.
We took a bend and there was a short staircase ahead of us. I could see the signs above and my guards dropped.
He was taking me to the green area on the roof!
I rushed up the stairs ahead of Niko and Mila. Mike threw the door open in front of me and my mouth dropped in shock.
“It’s so beautiful!” I cried out spreading my arms to the natural air.
When was the last time I breathed in the fresh air?
Maybe I did take in the fresh air every day in the house but it wasn’t fresh. Nothing could be fresh when Gabriele was always a meter away observing my every move.
I walked further into the space and admired the beautiful flowers and plants that lined the perimeter.
There were loveseats and –a swing!
“Oh, my God!” I cried out as I ran to the swing with my heels.
“Be careful!” Niko called out to me but I had thrown that word to the strong winds kissing my skin.
I sat on the swing and moved myself. “This is amazing! Why didn’t anyone bring me here sooner?”
They stared at each other and their faces were filled with smiles. Now that they were both smiling I could see the differences clearly.
The real Mike had dimples but because he rarely smiled, I didn’t see it until now.
Niko on the other hand had a sharper jawline and a nose that must have broken so many times that I was certain even he had lost count.
They didn’t look the same at all.
“How come no one is shooting at me here?” I asked just to stir up the ambiance and of course, get back at them for refusing to drop the window for me back in the car.
Mike stepped forward and said, “come.”
I made a funny face but still went with him. We walked to the edge where there was a low balcony one could comfortably sit on.
He tapped a device attached to his ear –when did he get this?
“Bravo group test shoot,” he ordered.
I blinked hard, staring at him wondering if he planned on killing me. I didn’t try running, did I?
Before I could speak, whoever he had spoken to fired at us and I flinched, taking a step back but the bullets never got to us.
“How?” I wondered about stepping out from behind Mike. The balcony was opened, what repelled the bullets?
“We are protected by an automated system,” he said, spreading his arms out to the balcony like a lover on a cruising ship. “We can reach out or shoot out,” he demonstrated with his hands. “But whoever is outside, can’t shoot at us. An automated detector springs up to protect the area.”