I had finally made up my mind about the entire ordeal and there we were on our way to Varline Inc.-Star City. Yes, we had a branch in Star City too, though not a very popular one. Henry opened for me to come out while Stephen helped himself out and soon this guy came running towards us; I didn't really care much about his name.
"You are most welcome, Miss Varline to this branch of your hard work." I nodded to which he greeted the others, "greetings to you." They answered too and soon we were on our way to my office as this guy filled me in on the updates of their branch.
"Miss Varline, I am happy to inform you that the company just secured a partnership with Lenten Industries and…" "Cancel it," I interjected to which he stopped short in bedazzlement.
"What…But…Ma'am, I…" "What did you say your name is?" I had to ask. "Laurent Steele, Ma'am." "So, Laurent or whatever, are you in opposition with me?"
"No, Miss Varline. It's just that Lenten is a big opportunity for us here in Star City and I thought I…" I only raised a hand in question for silence and Henry and Stephen who were walking behind us paused with the former holding back the latter, so Laurent and I could walk ahead having understood.
"If you really want this partnership with Lenten, keep it." "Ma'am, I didn't mean to object you. I will begin working on cancelling it." "I really hate having to say the same thing over and again. You are keeping the contract like you wanted to, shouldn't you be happy?" he nodded to which I continued, "you will only keep it on one condition though. You will also partner with a new company and all the money from Lenten will go to this new company. Do you get me?" he stuttered a yes. I smiled, signaling for Henry and friend to join us inside my office.
Once inside the glass room, I pressed my finger print to the control causing the surrounding to go opaque white. I sat in my chair while they fell into the caesium couches just in front of my work table.
"Henry?!" I called to give him a go ahead. Getting the point, he stood and there, began to introduce the idea to the rest.
"We are opening up a new company and together we are going to grow it. Miss Varline decided though that it is best not to name it Varline Inc. since it is going to be a real estate company. We then came to a conclusion to revive one to its former glory and even better since we have the original and the Miss in the room. We want to revive Detta Corp." he came to a stop, letting the air thick in suspense blanket the room. My eyes darted over to Stephen who also looked at me; paled. It was as though he had seen a ghost. There, he held my gaze with every question in his eyes.
"The question that stands now is; are you, Mr. Vendetta willing to join us in this journey?" Henry finally concluded and sat down while Stephen only stared deeper into my eyes with confusion, surprise, curiosity and above all, another sense of familiarity I could not fathom. After what felt like forever, he shook his head in reply. "I cannot do this, Anne. I am sorry." With that, he stood to make for it. How dare he think of walking out on me? "Leave us!" I ordered pressing the remote control for the door to open. When they were well away, I closed the door and the glass wall was back to opaque.
"Mr. Vendetta, why would you desist from such an opportunity?" I had my full attention back to him.
"Anne, there is just so much about that company that I do not want to go back to," he tried to plead with me, I was going to have my way by hook or crook.
"I do not know what issue it is you have with the company or even your history with it, but I know that you want the best there could be for your children. What do you think?" He heaved a sigh as he held my gaze; hesitant. "Anne, I just can't. I'm sorry." Stephen was going through a lot; perhaps memories he had to confront or relapses like my own but why need I care? I could only look on – unconcerned – as he held his head in his shaky hands.
"I guess I'll be taking 'no' for answer then." He lifted his head midway, then replaced it in his hands. Okay, this must have been serious for him. I walked towards him as I continued to speak softly with a kind of concern I was putting a lot of effort in feigning.
"Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"You barely hold conversation, Anne, and I am sure it wouldn't matter to you," he replied while a familiar mischief settled in his eyes plunging me back in to the room; the thick curtains. Flashes of that mischievous grin tore through my memory feeding greedily on my sense of composure. Soon enough, I was out, out of the room, out of the entire thing. I was not going to lose a business deal like this. I had to come back to reality. I thought I was past this. Something I can touch. Couch. My mind fought for me while I dug my claws into the couch. Something I can see. Stephen. Yes, I was following what I'd learnt in therapy all those years back. I took a seat momentarily stunned at the striking resemblance between the man in my night mares and him, despite the fact that I couldn't see past the blur of the face in my mind. Lastly, something I can feel. The cool breeze. I finally regained control over my mind and a new topic of conversation had sparked in my mind, but that was going to be for later.
"Are you okay?" he asked as soon as my orbs met his soft gaze. "That does not matter to you, does it?" I snapped. "I am sorry," he muttered, "and about the Detta Corp. revival, I really don't know. Anne, it is my past now, and it has been for long. Honestly, I do not want to be the person Detta Corp. had turned me into." I wish I could sympathize with him, but I needed this even at the expense of his sanity.
"Stephen," I looked into his eyes; something Henry had taught me to the previous night, "like I said, I do not know what you are going through, but for this company, we will be in it together. It is just that I want you to manage it for me because you know it best. You will be the face of this company and perhaps get a chance to defeat your demons." I pursed my lips and maintained my gaze straight into his eyes waiting for my effect on him to do its work. Henry had spent the whole of last night teaching me to flirt, look seductive and to subject any man to my request. I can't believe I actually agreed to it. Actually, he said that it was high time I learnt to use my femininity in case all had failed. Now was the time. Stephen ran a hand through his hair then looked away, sighing repeatedly probably contemplating on my words.
"Let's do it," he said with a smile I couldn't help but reciprocate. I eyed the contract which he took in his hands. He read through, reading out loud the parts he found necessary, like the company name, the part where its real estate, the one where he is the managing director and I am the CEO even when it is in his name. after everything, he signed it and the feeling of victory, fueled by my evil intentions overwhelmed me. Standing up, I unlocked the door, sending the walls transparent and as I shook his hand at the new partnership, "Anne, can I ask you about something?" I maintained his gaze as a go ahead and yeah, he is a fast learner.
"Your memory relapses…" he paused, forcing me to think of what his question could possibly be. What did he want to know about my memory relapses? "…what are they usually about?" My breath hitched and my gaze steeled. I willed myself not to think of my issues, but why did it matter to him anyway? Soon enough, I was hyperventilating. "I doubt that is a part of your business, Mr. Vendetta." Yes, I had gotten defensive about it, but it wasn't like I could help it. I mean, these memory relapses were the only weakness I had left since Mr. Wolfe took me in. "Is it?" I added after a while in which the threat had had its impact. "I am sorry, Miss Varline. It is not my business." Keep it that way." I moved out.
STEPHEN
Day one. Day two. Week three. Days had soon been flying by so fast that I had lost count sooner than later. Days since I signed the contract. Days since I stopped working at Sky High and days since I became the managing director of Detta Corp.; a company I had formerly held. I pulled up in the parking lot and soon alighted from the pitch black SUV. There I was on my way to my office. "Good morning, Lena," I greeted the receptionist and as usual, she leaned forward on her desk letting her boobs peep from the long-sleeved white button-up shirt she'd worn to two buttons open. She was really trying so hard. She responded with a smile that could warm the room but not for me though. I had long lost interest in the warmth of it when I got to know the beauty in the cold side of it. I continued to my office and onto my work desk. Slowly perusing through the files sent from Varline Inc.-Star City and yes, it was another deposit from them. This had been going on for the past six months for which Detta Corp. had been working and now I felt like it was pointless. Detta Corp. could now survive on its own. Just like had been agreed, Anne had me as the face of the company. Speaking of Anne, it had been long since we talked. The distance between us, though initially big, was getting bigger and I had nothing to do but to wish she was mine to keep.
"Mine to keep," the words resounded in my mind reminding me of the same thing I had told myself about Leila. Slowly, I opened the next envelope, deep in thought and looked through the content absent-mindedly; my mind was clouded with thoughts of Anne and Leila – two personalities my mind had learned to merge as one. So I did, till the name 'Leila' caught my sight. I turned to the back of the envelope and there was no address of the sender.
Running through the contents quickly, I rushed out to Lena. "Where was this from?" "I do not know sir, but if you need me to…" I was already back into the elevator on the way to my office. The sender claimed to know about Leila and even probable whereabouts and that I was to meet him or even her at Leila's favorite spot. At this point, I was willing to do anything for Leila and even more for her forgiveness even when I did not deserve to even think of it.
The elevator dinged again and soon Anne strode into my office bouncing me out of my trance and onto my feet. "Welcome back, Anne. It's been long. How many months again?" there, I heard that idiot Jeremy through myself because needless to say, I was getting desperate. Our morning times had been cut off allowing her to slide back comfortably into her shell. Actually, Anne had gone back to Cordonia two months after Detta Corp. commenced and hadn't been to Star City ever since. The only times I had seen her had been the virtual meetings she held at the end of the month and honestly, I missed her. I missed the times we had had together. She glared at me probably displeased by the greeting and so I continued, stashing the letter away under one of the files for the day.
"I have been meaning to talk to you about something; the contract with Varline Inc. I think Detta Corp can now stand on its own and so they should reinvest the profits from Lenten Industries and send them no more." She took a deep breath and picked the top most file from my desk which spoke of the latest deposit. "Okay, this will be the last from them," she spoke in her business voice, the one that I had for long tried to but failed to get used to. That was not what I wanted. As soon as I thought of it, so many pictures flashed through my mind of what I could…what was happening to me? "Thank you, Anne. If I may, I would like to speak to you about something out of business." She paused probably in contemplation before rounding the table and onto my seat with a 'go ahead'.
"I was thinking of somethings till you popped up us a topic in my head and I know this sounds crazy, but…" Her grip on the work desk tightened while she stared into the empty space; frozen. "Anne, Anne…are you…" I rushed to her side just to notice the letter I had carelessly stashed away, lying in front of her. Why did it affect her like it did? Did it mean that she was…?
"Who is Leila?" she called out from my embrace to which I stiffened. Why did it matter to her?
"You don't need to know," I answered barely above a whisper to which her eyes sought my own; perhaps for the emotion in them. "I am sorry," Anne finally said to my befuddlement. Had she just apologized to me? As though she read my mind, "I didn't men to encroach. I just thought that because it triggered…I could maybe…" Was she fumbling for words? Why did I notice her actions so much anyways? I guess I just like it when she goes out of her way for me…. or not exactly, just for basic stuff.
She moved to pull out of my embrace to which my grip tightened in reflex holding her in place in front of me. Her formerly calm gaze steeled as she stared into my eyes. At that moment, my heart toppled over itself while my body refused to cooperate. There, I pulled her tighter into my embrace; all I could see was Leila. The hands of the clock ticked in the serene calm accompanied by the warm breeze that filled the room and the calm ruffling of the documents on the desk. I would stay like this forever if I could. "I must find you, Leila," I said to myself just as I let her go, not before whispering an apology into her ear. Momentarily stunned, she stood, and for a second there, I thought I'd lost her. She straightened her clothes, ran a hand through her hair, brushing it into place and then sauntered out of the room. Was that a threat?
Hours later, I stood in the parking lot back at the Brovard Hotel; alone. The sun was resigning for the day, as the lot dried up too. I waited. Till the sun was down. Till the parking lot was rid of people or at least anyone to mind about me. Slowly, I made my way to the gardens, headed for the maze. Not again. I soon began to maneuver the place, but with every step I took, I felt like turning back. Images of all sorts flashed before my mind: Leila's smile, her pregnant form retreating to the house in the middle of the night, the first time I saw her in this same place and then her scrawny form pleading in my bed as I… I visibly shook my head to get out of that thought as anger built up in my system. I could barely recognize this person in my memory. What had I become?
At the center of it all, I found him; Seth Little. "You finally made it. It's been long, hasn't it?" He asked with a smile. I did not respond but rather took a seat and scanned the place then back to him; a black sleek coat I feel he had never gotten out of since he began working for Varline Inc., the black shoes that beamed in the moonlight with well-gelled combed back hair. Seeing my reaction, he pulled out of the grin, sighed then replaced it with another as though trying to beat a record or something.
"You know what! I was actually surprised you asked to talk to me about Leila and for that, I want to know…why do you want to know anything about her?" I had not even asked him about her. "Did I?" I asked with an attitude I learnt from Anne.
"Oh, yes. You did. Do you not remember the time when you asked me if I could meet up for lunch?" The park, the car, Seth Little, Anne…I was back to the day when Harper and I had gone with the kids to the park…turns out I had actually texted him asking if we could meet up. "That was months back." "I know…just had to talk to someone on my level." This was going to be a long evening. I sighed heavily as I let the sting of his words subside. He grinned.
"I guess I agree that it has actually been long. How have you been, Stephen?" No response.
"You know, just when I thought you inspired me; doing anything for your children, juggling three jobs, doing all the dirty work, you changed course. I must say it's a little disappointing how you are now depending on a woman. One younger than you. One who is more achieved than you will ever be," Seth taunted me and for a moment, I wondered why I was here.
"Cut to the point, Seth." I know you're thinking I was not going to pay attention to any of his words lest I piss him of and miss my chance, but this guy was a snob and just not what I needed this evening.
"Oh sorry! It is just so hard to give my time to less important people. Leila…" he sighed audibly, "after what you did to her, she is strong. When was it again?...the day you lost her for good…" "20th December…Keira and Kayden's birthday…"
"Yap, good memory. She successfully escaped after all the failed attempts and took the first route that came to her mind. Sometimes I sit back and wonder if you are human. Fresh from birth pains and limping with stained clothes, she avoided any public transport means and walked all the way to the outskirts of Star City," he paused as though to give me time to ingest that or perhaps prepare me for what was next.
"She crossed to Lesknov in the middle of the night illegally. That's literally all I know about her," he grinned. What was I supposed to do with that information? I had already begun an ongoing mind wrangle when he tapped me. "That's where she was picked up by a mafia group; Venom." My blood ran cold.