CHAPTER 38: GIFTS
Savage greeted Miss Conner as she passed by her side the next morning, holding a well-made bag. She walked hastily until she got to the workers’ arena, her eyes searching for one particular person and she found her. She quickly approached her.
“Evelyn, you have a delivery.” She announced and raised the customized bag high for her to see and maybe everyone else that was around. Evelyn was amazed and she collected the bag from her, muttering a ‘thank you before checking it. She wondered who it could be from.
“Oh, my, who is crushing on our dear Evelyn?” Rob teased her as he appeared from behind to take a peek at the things. There were chocolates and heart-sent messages. The store from which it was brought was a well-known place to be an abode of romance items either to be used for proposal or any other thing.
Evelyn blushed and hid the bag as she took steps away from Rob with a smile.
“Oh my, she is blushing. There must be a secret we don’t know, spill it, Evelyn.” Rita wiggled her eyebrows as she said her words. Everyone looked at Evelyn with either smiles or stern expressions but either way, they were currently watching the show. Evelyn’s lips parted slightly but she wasn’t able to come up with a definite answer that could serve as a lie.
“How do you expect me to know? It’s anonymous.” She finally found her tongue and brain to help.
“What is going on here?” Raphael’s voice thundered behind Evelyn and everyone scattered around to find their seats. Evelyn turned around only to hook eyes with him.
Raphael’s eyes moved to the bag she was holding and he raised an eyebrow questioningly at her before looking away.
“It seems you all have free time to mismanage, right? That’s no problem. Let there be any fault resulting from your lackadaisical attitude, you will be out of this place in no time, trust me. [Glanced at Evelyn with a firm look] Miss Evelyn, come with me.” He instructed her and walked away.
Evelyn looked at everyone and whispered loudly enough to hear with a dejected face.
“Thanks for the implication, everyone.”
“How is that our fault? You are the one who received a bag from the love shop, not us.” Savage said.
Evelyn dropped the bag and walked away while the others chuckled softly before continuing their work.
She arrived in front of the door and knocked before entering. Immediately she did, the door was locked from behind her and Raphael blocked her view suddenly and that made her take a step back in fright…well until Raphael was able to cage her in between his arms and her back resting against the door.
His seductive eyes landed on hers and he winked at her.
“Do you like the gift?” He whispered slowly. Evelyn’s lips curled up.
“You sent them?”
“Hmm.”
“What gives you the assurance that I would accept such in the first place? It’s so cheesy and I am not a teenager.” Evelyn mumbled and pouted her lips. Raphael chuckled effortlessly.
“Really? But you didn’t bring it along with you when you were coming. That’s enough assurance so…”
He moved his head closer to her face and her breath paused as she gasped when his hot breath met her neck. He trailed his nose starting from the side of her face to her eyes which were closed and he gently placed wet kisses on them before moving to her nose. He retracted his head from her face a bit and smirked while she opened her eyes.
“Do you like them?” He asked. Evelyn nodded.
“Nope, I wanna hear it from your mouth.” He rejected her gesticulation.
“Y…yes,” Evelyn responded with a quivering voice.
“That’s my girl,” Raphael said and moved finally away from her to his seat while Evelyn inhaled and exhaled to reduce the built tension within and around her. She followed Raphael.
“But are you not afraid of being caught, moreover I have not accepted to be your girl so don’t call me one.” She said, Raphael, sat on his chair and placed his legs over each other.
“We have both accepted each other way before anything. You are mine and I am yours, it’s closed.” He replied confidently. Evelyn scoffed and folded her arms.
“You are so full of yourself. I will never agree to be yours.”
Raphael nodded and picked up a thick paper that had a few instructional writings on it, he gave the paper to Evelyn. She glanced at the words written on it.
“Joke and relationship aside, this consists of some important materials for a particular project. The construction engineers informed me about how important it is that they get them so I need you to accompany those who will go to the selling company to get them. This list will help you know and identify the materials then the quantity as well. Jeremy has already paid the money needed so you are free.” Raphael instructed her and she nodded.
“Do I leave now?” She asked.
“Of course, the sooner the better.”
“Alright.” She turned around to leave the office.
“Be careful, Evie. Call me if anything goes wrong or you need my help, okay?” He said softly.
“Yes.”
“Lastly, I am not afraid of being caught with the woman I like.” He added briefly but she gave no reply before exiting the office.
Evelyn patted her chest that was sounding as if they were being drummed on.
A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door and he permitted the person to enter.
“Boss?”
“Hmm?” He replied without looking up.
“The Chairman wishes to see you in his office now,” Savage informed him.
“Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” The door was shut.
Raphael looked around and wondered why he was being called. He then sealed it in his mind that if it was going to be about the last topic then he was going to blatantly reject it. He stood up and picked up his jacket before leaving the office. The journey to the Chairman’s office was short, maybe because he took the shortest route.
While walking over to the place, many of the young ladies couldn’t help gushing over his handsomeness. He rarely came over to this part of the company, unlike Vegas whom they used to see every day. And Raphael seemed to be getting more handsome than before. Despite his unapproachable characteristics by some ladies, they still preferred to stay far away and admired him.
Raphael was non-concerned about what was going on in his surroundings. When he got to the office, he knocked on the door.
KNOCK…KNOCK.
“Come in,” Michael ordered and Raphael opened the door, he entered and shut it.
His father’s office was really worthy of the title of CHAIRMAN. Was it the innumerable distinctions and awards placed on the shelves? Or the endorsements and deals that showed how influential he was? He admired his father for this and when he was young, he would always wish to work on his father’s path with the hope that it would make him [ his father ] proud but no, it was the opposite.
“You called for me, Chairman.” He said. Micheal nodded and pointed to a chair for him to sit on.
“Have your seat.”
Raphael blinked a few times before doing so. Micheal pushed an invitation card to him, it had an inscription of a name written in the form of an identified logo for the masses.
“There will be an auction event coming up soon and it’s a form of helping the charity. It only takes three to four days I hope but unfortunately, I can’t make it this year so I need you to go on my behalf.”
“Why can’t Vegas go? He is the perfect son for all these after all while I am just the slave.” Raphael replied with indifference. Michael glared at his son.
“Raphael, can’t you for once be satisfied and appreciate the common things I do for you as your father, huh? Must you complain and showcase the jealousy you have of your brother? This is a way of growing the company and giving it a very good and bright future for our family but you are behaving as if you aren’t a part of the family, you spend out of the money this company makes so you shouldn’t go against me.” Micheal scolded Raphael.
The latter bent his head with a bitter smile and then gave a small nod several times before looking at his father.
“Of course, how silly of me to get this.” He replied sarcastically.
Michael only rolled his eyes, disregarding his words, and proceeded in explaining the precept of the whole auction.
“I heard that there will be a big sale but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a hold of what it will be, it’s a huge item that is worth billions of dollars so whatever the worth is, don’t relent even if it’s a hundred billion dollars, you should buy it.”
“Of course.”
“It’s a plus-one invite so you can take along anyone with you and that’s where Erica comes in. She can accompany you to the place since it’s a party and just an auction, you two can use this moment to bond and get to know each other in the meantime…”
“I think it’s preferable if I go with my assistant, I don’t want to be distracted by unnecessary causes, Chairman Micheal. If there is nothing more to discuss, I will be on my way to the office to prepare for the event. Excuse me.” Raphael stood up, bowed, and then left the place.
Micheal heaved and relaxed on the chair’s head. Was Raphael someone allergic to women or what? He was certain that idea was wrong because he was in a relationship three years ago until the sudden change but that was just a woman, there are lots more that he could meet and Erica was the perfect and suitable woman for him.
Well, as usual, whenever a discussion popped up between him and Raphael, things didn’t always go smoothly but no matter what it took, he was going to make Raphael see reason with his words. He was after all his son and should therefore obey him.
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What do you have to say about Raphael’s father’s behavior? Is he annoying? Tell me your thoughts in the comment section, please. Thank you for reading.