They soon started the meeting. Harry made his proposal while speaking charismatically. Ciara listened attentively, jotting down some points. After laying out his points, Ciara raised her hand to speak.
“Go on” the CEO urged.
She stood up from her seat and smiled. “The budget you are proposing isn’t enough to carry out the publicity project for that period of time.” she countered eloquently.
Harry stared at her in surprise before asking “And why is that so?”
“You intend to cover a wide area using different methods. The budget can only cover half the area if you want to use different methods of publicity or the full area with limited means of publicity.” she pointed out subjectively. Her speech was fluid and she had a poised stance.
Harry was visibly impressed by her speech. He gave her an appreciative nod as he returned to stare at the documents in front of him. Her beauty had blown him off one feet, and now her intelligent speech was drawing him in.
“Take a survey and make an estimated cost for the project. When you’re done. Send an email. I’ll be working directly with you.” She stared at him in surprise. Why would he want to want directly when she wasn’t the most senior staff there? She wanted to protest but when she saw that the CEO was indifferent about it, she decided to let it slide.
The meeting soon ended and She packed her documents and left, Harry still clouding a major part of her thoughts.
Jack drove hastily through the busy road untill he got to his parent’s house. He had marked the day out on his calendar to spend it with his parents. The time period the doctor had given his father to live was slowly elapsing and even though his father looked better than he was some months ago, he knew that he was going to kick the bucket sooner than expected. He was yet to inform his mother about what the doctor had told him. He couldn’t bring himself to be the one to break the news to her. It was better she find out herself than to endager her health before the danger came.
He parked his car in the garage and took in breaths to calm his nervous self before stepping out of the car. He knocked on the large iron door and few minutes later, it was opened by a domestic staff, different from the one he had met the last time he had come. His mother had informed him that since she needed to take care of his dad, she needed another hand to take care of the house.
“Welcome, Sir.” the domestic staff greeted. She looked to be quite advanced in age. Maybe I’m her late forties or early fifties.
“Thank you.” he responded curtly, walking past her into the house. The house was quiet and almost empty so he turned to her again. “Where is your boss?”
“Oh, she is upstairs. Your dad hasn’t been feeling too well so she’s with him.” She replied and his heart dropped to his stomach. He quickly rushed up the stairs in panic, opening the door to his dad’s room.
He met his father sleeping peacefully on the bed, a small towel on his forehead. His mother was seated by the side if the bed, holding his hand I’m her’s. She turned to the door when she heard it open and smiled warmly on seeing him at the door.
“Mom, what happened?” he spoke first. He knew what his mother wanted to say, and it was better she didn’t say it. At this point, he knew better.
“He just came down with a little fever. I’ve given him his drugs and dapped his forehead with cood water and he’s doing fine now.” She replied and he stared at the old man on the bed. He looked really sick and physically tired. His mother noticed his prolonged stare on his dad so she added. “It’s not really something to bother about. He’s fine.”
“No mom, he’s not. ” he interjected. “we need to get him to the hospital.
The doctor had given him a health calender for his father. When he had to take his drugs, when he had to rest and when he had to visit the hospital for check up was clearly spelt there and so far, he had followed it religiously. This case of sudden illness wasn’t stated so it made him worry.
His mother didn’t argue. She got up from the chair and he helped his sleeping father up, assisting him out of the bed.
“Jack! You’re here.” His father woke up mid way out of the bed. His startled tone, making Jack’s grip slacken.
“Yes sir, and we are taking you to the hospital.” He responded. His father gave a little laugh, patting his shoulder.
“That’s not necessary. I’m fine.”
“No sir, I make the decisions now.” his reply was simple and commanding. His father soon stopped arguing and they got down the flight of stairs. His mother reappeared at the sitting room with a duffel bag containing some medications and clothes in her hands.
“We are going to the hospital now. Lock up when you’re done.” she instructed the servant who nodded.
The drive to the hospital was short and lively. His father had spent most of the journey making funny jokes which they all laughed to. By the time they arrived, he was strong enough to enter inside without human support.
Karen sat in her study room thinking. Her laptop and few documents were scattered on the table in front of her, but her mind wasn’t on them. Her mind still lingered on Damian and his surprising return. The fact that he had left her at one of her lowest points in life with just a note behind hurt her, and when she was growing away from the memory, he decided to return. She scoffed angrily. Did he think that she was faithfully waiting for him. Did he think that he was going to rekindle the lost romance they had?
They once had a life together and had even planned out their future, but all that crashed about four years ago when he left. She had no feelings for him again and had already moved on.
“I need to tell him that I’m not interested in anything romantic with him again.” she thought to herself aloud. She took out his card from het bag and stared at it.
“Damian Wood”
That was the name that was engraved boldly on the card. The name that once made her heart skip. Four years later, it still made her heart skip, but negatively. She quickly typed his name into the search engine. She realized that she knew basically nothing about him. He looked quite rich when they met, but still, she needed to find out some times for herself. The search brought out few results that weren’t useful to her quest. She could rarely find out anything about him from the internet so he knew she’d have to ask him the next time they met.
Her mind slipped to Jack. She had decided to give Jack access to the child due to what she had faced in her childhood. Her father had been separated from her so she wouldn’t want to be the one to separate her child from it’s father. She clearly remembered his beautiful smile when she announced that. She has really missed seeing his smile. She sighed deeply, returning to her work. She didn’t plan on getting back together with him. Atleast not soon. Everything she was doing was for her unborn child.
***
“You need to have enough rest and take your medications seriously. You look okay now, but I don’t – ” the doctor was saying but noticed Jack’s hard eyes on him so he decided to pause. He realized Jack was yet to inform them about the health challenge. “Just take your medications and everything would be okay. Atleast for now.” he added the last part lowly, but enough for Jack who was standing beside him to hear. His mother’s attention was focused on her husband so he didn’t hear whatever he said.
“I need to speak with the doctor in his office right now, watch over dad. Right doctor?” Jack gritted his teeth at the doctor. He was pushing him to a tight corner. They had nothing to discuss prior to that, but from the look on Jack’s eyes, he accepted.
“Sure.” The doctor led the way out of the room, followed by Jack behind him.
“Mr Antonio, I realize that you haven’t told your family yet. Have you?” the doctor questioned. They were now seated in his office, both of them bearing very serious looks. He didn’t need Jack’s reply. From his body language back in the room, he knew he was right.
“I understand that you’re having a hard time telling your family this, but it against my code of ethics. If you cannot tell them, then I’m afraid I will have to do it myself.” the doctor continued with a strict and professional tone.
“How am I to tell my mother that her husband is going to die soon, that he has few weeks left, huh?” his voice was low, but the pains in it couldn’t be missed even from a distance.
A sound from the door made them turn slowly to it. Their mouths hanged open at the person who had probably heard enough at their conversation. It was someone Jack was planning on hiding things from. Now, his secrets were out in the open.