June couldn’t rest after meeting with Liam Fernando.
She stared at the paper he scribbled while waiting for the news on his identity. She instructed Lucy to carry out thorough research and an hour later, Lucy texted she was on her way to the office.
“I think you need to see this yourself.” Lucy handed a file to June who eagerly took the paper, curious to know the man’s identity.
“They say he is the king of North City! That man is no ordinary human. Where did you meet him again?” She asked while June busied herself with the news on Liam Fernando.
Apparently, amongst over seven billion individuals on earth, she managed to offend a Multi-trillionaire with a conglomerate worth more than she could ever imagine. He had a net worth of eleven trillion dollars in assets only!
He owned various businesses, companies, industries and stores all over North City. He was the biggest exporter akin to an absolute monarch and monopolist of the city.
His influence dominated the political sector of North City, and he was also rumoured to be the king of the underworld. Everything he touched turned into gold, and he was named the king-maker of the City.
Even the president paid homage to him! June went through the series of reports and photos attached to the detailed research and wanted the ground to swallow her whole!
“That’s it.” She said. “I might as well write my will.”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed at her words. “Is there a problem, ma’am?” She asked, unable to understand the forlorn expression on June’s face.
When she concluded the research, she believed it would be good news for them as a company. She had ushered that man into their office for a consultation with her boss without knowing he was such a powerful man.
Surely the heavens were finally showering some much-needed good luck their way. Why was her boss so disturbed? June could see the multiple questions at the tip of Lucy’s lips.
She picked up her bag and said. “We can’t talk about this here. I need some drink.”
Lucy raised a brow, wordlessly reminding her of her earlier commitment to forfeiting drinking. June scratched her hair in frustration. “Who says I was going to have alcohol?! There are other fruit drinks I can have, besides, I can’t deal with an empty stomach. It’s almost lunch.”
“Of course. I’ll clear out the schedule and we can leave,” Lucy said, raising her hands in mock surrender before moving forward with things.
Soon enough, June and Lucy were seated at a restaurant and discussing the matter. “He wants me to travel to North City for the job.” She said, forlorn. “I don’t even want to be around him.”
Lucy couldn’t find the reason why her boss was hesitant. “Hundred million for one project.” She muttered, trying and failing to hide her bewilderment. “That’s crazy.”
“I know!” June sipped her juice. “I don’t want to travel to another country.”
“For three months.” Lucy suffixed.
“Doesn’t change a thing,” June said. “My life is here, my mother and my company. Everything I hold dear is in South City. I can’t risk that. April might have won the contract but I know she would stop at nothing until I and my mother are six feet under.”
“Maybe you can take Mother Evelyn with you,” Lucy suggested. “I can handle things over here and report to you daily. I reckon you could sign off important documents remotely and we can just video chat you for crucial meetings.”
“Besides, with all that’s happened, you deserve a good change of scenery.”
June exhaled in frustration. It seemed like Lucy had everything planned. She ran out of ways to convince Lucy against the idea. If she was honest, She was doing a poor job convincing herself.
She couldn’t even tell her of their embarrassing encounter at the club. She wanted to bury it forever. Never to see the light of day again. June struggled with the right words to speak.
“What if mother doesn’t want to travel?” She ended up saying. “I don’t want to drag her into this pattern of living. She is going through enough having to live in a hotel. I was thinking of getting her a home, something permanent. This would throw a wrench into those plans.”
Lucy sighed. “Then get her a house. He only gave three days for a response. He didn’t say he would take you out of the country in three days.” She reasoned but June was impossible.
“He might have as well said it,” June muttered and Lucy sighed.
“You don’t want to go.” She remarked in a soft tone. “Is there a reason?”
June felt like she was caught in her web. “I don’t know. I just… It’s been a lot these past few weeks and I am just not ready to begin the next phase of my life.”
That came as a surprise to Lucy but she handled it well.
“Well, we can always ask him to check the next door. I mean, there’s only a million other Construction companies in South and North City he could use.”
The women laughed at her words. June exhaled, happy to have this conversation with Lucy. “I think not,” June said at the end of their laughter.
“I just want to take things slow. Travelling is not my definition of slow but I also need that money.”
“Word. But you can’t have both.”
June smirked, “Who says I can’t?” She picked up her phone. “Who says I needed to be in North City to carry out the job?”
Meanwhile, April paced around her hotel room with anger written all over her face.
She was running out of patience and Beatrice had yet to call her. April left the hotel to seek out Rafael’s home but wasn’t allowed into the neighbourhood.
It was a slap to her face.
April instructed the cab driver to pass through Lontoc Constructions building on her way back and she felt a harsh loss at the sight of the building that was rightfully hers.
She couldn’t even show her face there again. Everything was headed downhill for her and she was desperate to climb to the top again. She was not made for the kind of life she was forced to live.
The twenty-five million she received for destroying June was spent getting prepared for the event that named LonToc Construction the winner of South City’s Resort Project.
Now she couldn’t be part of the project because Colton had fired her and ordered the security never to let her in. An offer they were all happy to oblige after the cruel treatments she meted out during her reign as CEO.
Indeed, what goes around, comes around.
The next few days were spent trying to get access to Rafael. April visited the Ambrose Corporation every day, hoping she would be lucky enough to run into the man in question and perform her threats to Beatrice who was yet to act upon her demands but no such luck.
Rafael seemed to have washed off the face of the earth.
She had received news of June living with her clueless mother in a hotel and even visited the hotel where she lived. One thing was certain, June’s standard of living was somehow better than hers and that thought brought a bitter taste to her mouth.
One of the days, April was returning from seeking out Rafael and she got into an accident. Due to her poor standard of living, she was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was admitted.
When April woke up and realised she was in the hospital, she panicked and removed the IV drip on her wrist. She didn’t have the money to pay for such a private hospital. She couldn’t stay any longer.
April tip-toed out of the room when she heard someone screaming at a doctor.
“I am pregnant for him! Don’t you get it?! I need to see Rafael Ambrose immediately! Take me to him! I know he woke up already so don’t play that joke with me!”
April’s ears tucked up upon hearing Rafael Ambrose’s name. She squinted to see the woman who had her back to her. One thing was certain, the woman seemed loaded. She could tell from the designer bags and shoes she wore.
A smile drew its way on her lips and she leaped towards the direction of the drama. She got closer in time to hear the doctor plead with the woman.
“Clarence, please. Calm down. Rafael is under strict observation at the moment. You can’t speak to him or say things like that.” The doctor sounded like he knew her on a personal level.
“You don’t seem to understand, do you, Carson?” Clarence said, “A child is growing within me and I need to tell its father. I will not shoulder this responsibility alone and I refuse to give birth to an illegitimate child.”
“My lawyers are drawing up a marriage agreement. Rafael must marry me! I carry his child! There is no other way.”