Chapter 25: The Office Ambush
Liam was deep into a feasibility study for a new refinery when his intercom buzzed. "Sir, Miss Sandra Adenuga is here to see you. She says it's urgent and personal." Liam didn't even look up from his screen. "Tell her I'm in a meeting." A moment later, the heavy oak doors of his office swung open. Sandra didn't wait for an invitation. She walked in, her heels clicking rhythmically on the marble floor, looking humbler than he had ever seen her. Gone was the screeching girl from the mall; in her place was a woman dressed in a modest, elegant navy suit, her expression one of soft contrition.
"Five minutes, Liam," she said, her voice steady. "That's all I ask. No bodyguards, no fathers, no contracts." Liam leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. He was curious to see what card she was playing now. "You have four minutes, Sandra. Start talking."
She sat across from him, her hands folded in her lap. "I acted like a fool at the mall. I was stressed, my phone had all my work on it, and I took it out on your man. And at dinner... I was so nervous about seeing you again after all these years that I let my pride get the better of me." She looked him directly in the eye, a masterful imitation of sincerity. "I don't care about the merger, Liam. But I care about my reputation. I want to prove to you that I'm not the person you saw. Let me take you to dinner. An apology dinner. Just us. If you still hate me by the end of it, I'll tell our fathers myself that the match is impossible and I'll never bother you again."
Liam studied her. He didn't believe a word of her "change of heart," but he saw a strategic advantage. If Sandra officially called off the match, his father would stop hounding him for at least a few months. It was a clean exit strategy. "Fine," Liam said, checking his watch. "Friday night. 8:00 PM. Somewhere quiet. If you spend one minute talking about your father's logistics firm, I'm walking out." Sandra's heart leaped. She had her foot back in the door. "It's a date," she smiled, a chill running down her spine that had nothing to do with the air conditioning. She was back in the game.