SARAYA’S POV.
Seated on a rocking chair in my room, I gawked at the window, my mind blank as much as I had a lot to think about. Perhaps, they weren’t worth thinking about.
The creaking sound of the chair rocking forth and back synced with the sound of my heart beat. Until the ring of my phone interrupted my silence staring, causing me to shift my gaze to the bed where it laid.
“Who could it be?” I rolled my eyes as I got out of the chair and walked to the bed. Grabbing the phone, I saw it was Peter, my secretary.
“Hello?” I said as I brought the phone closer to my ear and walked to the window to get a better view of the nothingness I had been staring at.
“Good morning, Ma’am. Have you heard the news?” His voice trembled as he spoke, and my heart skipped a beat. It was unusual for him to sound like that.
“What news is that?” My breath hitched in my throat as I fiddled with the hem of my blouse.
“Ian has called in an urgent board meeting,” He uttered as slowly and gently as he could, but that didn’t make it less of bad news that it was.
“What?” My jaw dropped. “What do you mean he called a board meeting? He has to right to do that, not behind my back.” I thumped my feet against the floor.
“I… He actually has the right to do that, Ma’am.”
“Why is that? How can that happen?” I snapped at him, my voice half raised.
“Over 70% of the board meeting agreed to the meeting, so it will hold, undoubtedly.”
“What?” I was dumbstruck as several thoughts ran through my mind.
What kind of games is he trying to play with me? How could he have gotten most of the board members on his side? Does he have to go this far?
To all my questions, I had no answer. But I know who does.
“When is the meeting holding?” I questioned, trying to keep my voice steady, though war was brewing inside of me.
“Today, Ma’am, at 2pm.” He responded swiftly.
“Wow! That’s just great, then. Keep updating me if anything comes up. I want to be the first to know.”
“Of course, Ma’am, I will.”
I ended the call, and paced the room for a while as I clutched my fist against my phone tightly.
How dare Ian try to test my patience this way?
Unable to take it anymore, I knew I had to confront him. I stormed out of my room, slamming the door behind me without caring so much as a little, and headed to Ian’s room.
Though I would have knocked before walking in but with the rage in me and seeing the door slightly ajar, I forced my way in.
Standing across the other end of the room was a half naked Ian, whom on a normal day, I would be ashamed and walked out of his room but not today.
“Oh, the mighty Saraya decided to come visit me out of the blues?” He whined with a scoffed while he continued buttoning his shirt.
“What do you think you’re doing, Ian?” I snapped at him, taking slow steps towards him.
“I see you’ve gotten the news,” He mumbled underneath his breath, paused while he was still buttoning up and stole a glance at me before continuing. “But you don’t look dressed, what could that mean?”
“How dare you try to hold a board meeting behind my back?” Tears almost clouded my voice, but I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction of seeing me break.
He pressed on the last button and looked at me, our eyes locked. And though I wanted to look away, it felt as though doing that meant weak.
“Try? No,” He shook his head with his lips pouted teasingly as he leaned closer to my ear and his voice dropped in a whisper. “I don’t try, sweetie, I do things. I take actions, unlike you, and that’s why the board meeting is holding.”
He straightened up and looking at him, I felt a strong urge to beat the hell out of him. But I know him, that would be another news for the board members to see how “unfit” I am as the CEO of Newsman’s Empire.
“Calling a board meeting doesn’t guarantee the results of the meeting, does it?” A sly grin cornered my lips and fear flashed through his face, before masking it under a smile.
“You think so? Then you have no idea who you are up against. The board meeting won’t even be needing you to be there because without your vote, you’ll be voted out of the company. If I were you, I would save myself the shame of being at the board meeting.” His voice was steady, and he looked so sure as though he head seen the future.
He was a complete contrast of me, he was everything I wasn’t, and I just couldn’t deny the fact anymore.
“You don’t have the final say, Ian and I don’t care if you bought the members over, I’m not leaving the company.” A crack crept into my voice.
“That isn’t your call to make, Saraya. Let those in charge decide your fate.” He smirked, taking pride in his taunts.
“Does grandmother know what her precious grandson is doing?” I uttered slow, staring into his eyes.
“Don’t you dare bring her into this,” His face was instantly marred with a frown, and he had a finger pointed at me.
“And why is that?” Confidence found its way back into my voice and I crossed my hands against my chest, giving him a faint smile.
“You will do no such thing as letting her know about the board meeting.” He warned and that was all I needed from him.
A crack in his facade.
“You don’t have the final say, Ian. Let those in charge decide your fate.” I let out a satisfied smile and turned to leave.
“You think telling grandmother about this would stop the meeting?”
I halted and slightly tilted my head towards him. “I’d say it’s definitely worth the try.”
“Grandmother will always support me, she will always see you as the grandchild she never wished for. What will you do then? Who will swoop in and save the day when you have nobody on your side? Not even your dad is here to save your ass.” He said swiftly and scared. Though, scared, I knew he was telling the truth. Grandmother would always take his side.
But what about I put them both in a situation where they can’t take each other’s sides? Where the public is looking up to them to make the right move and the slightest wrong move will send them crashing down? Of course, without tainting the company’s name.
“Life is like a chessboard, Ian, let the smartest player win.”
As I walked out of his room, I made up my mind to attend the meeting with my head up high, even if I have nobody by my side.
“We’ll see about that,” His echoed voice followed me out of his room.