A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 137: RICHARD

Chapter 137: RICHARD

Memories of the time, Sofia shoved her way into the elevator drifted through my mind as I approached the elevator.

I almost expected her to shove her way in just as the elevator was closing. But that didn’t happen. The elevator closed and my ascent began. The other elevator rose almost immediately.

As I rose higher and higher, I wondered if the bitch Sofia was already here or would she be waiting until it was 8am before she would start coming.

For her sake, she better be here already. As it is now, any mislap from her end adds to my thirst for revenge. And her sins were already surmountably drying up my parched throat of vendetta.

For the first time I found myself wondering what would have happened if she didn’t shove her way into my elevator, of course I wouldn’t have known her, as I do now. Because clearly I would have treated her like every other applicant, there wouldn’t be any extra tests, no quest to make her pay, no anger to work with.

And without all these things, I wouldn’t have known her reading ability, or taste her defiance. Though I doubt she wouldn’t display her restiveness even on the course of an ordinary interview.

She would have been let go like all the others. I would have hired Cole and sort of a way to deal with my selection problem.

Thinking about all these made it seem like meeting her the way I did had its perks, but they came with baggage. Loads that I wonder if it was worth it all. Or would my life be simpler if she hadn’t shoved her way into my ride?

The elevator dinged open before I could weigh that possibility. Picking up my case, I exited. Normally, Lanke would have been the one to bring it up, but I was aiming to beat Sofia at the time I gave her. So, I had left the car with my case.

The hallway was empty, not even Vera had come. And that means Sofia wasn’t here yet. Cause if she were, she would be waiting for me just outside my office, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Good morning" someone greeted, as I reached for the biometric scan to open my door. Not just someone, I would recognize that voice even in my dreams, it was Sofia pissing Blake.

Startled, I lost hold of my case.

"For fuck’s sake!" I exasperated, before I could help myself.

"I didn’t mean to startle you, I just wanted to surprise you that was why I snuck up on you" the bitch offered, beating me to my case.

"Stupid bitch" I had meant to say, before I realized myself and the goal I had. Get her to sign the contract first, even if I had to endure her trifling ass to do that. Cooling my expression, I smiled and said,

"Thank you" taking my case from her.

"Excuse me?" she blurted.

"What?" I knowingly asked, still smiling.

I had surprised her to the point that she didn’t bother thinking before spitting words. All was going according to plan, perhaps better than how I envisioned it.

"I never thought I would hear those words from you, that’s all" she answered, unknowingly taking a step back.

My smile stretched, and this time I wasn’t faking it. I was enjoying every second.

"I’m just in a good mood, that’s all. Shall we?" I said, opening the door.

Disbelief still evident on her face, she hesitatingly followed.

The blinds. Normally, Vera handled it. She always followed me in and took care of it, but she was nowhere to be seen. I walked to my desk, and pressed a button on the telephone panel and the blinds began lifting. Slowly until they disappeared at the top of the glass walls.

"You seem odd, what is it?" I asked her as she stood watching the morning sun from the glass walls.

"Excuse me?"

"That’s the second time you are saying that today, like I said odd" I replied taking my seat.

"Odd?" she iterated, "you are one to ask that when you are the one being odd, weird even and for your information, I don’t buy the whole being in a good mood crap. It’s bull."

"How?" I asked, tilting my head sideways to get a better view of her.

She looked like an old secretary, but I dared not say.

"What do you mean by how?" she returned.

"I mean how am I being weird?" I answered, crossing my legs.

"That right there" she spat, pointing at me, "the Richard I know will never answer my question that meekly, nor would he be found dead with a ’thank you’ note talk more of voicing the actual words. He wouldn’t let what I did last night slide and don’t even get me started on the smiles"

Leaning forward, I asked,

"So you agree that what you did was wrong?"

"I... um, well not necessarily, but that’s not the point. The point is that this act of yours, I’m not buying it"

"Admitting a wrong shouldn’t be so hard, but people make it seem like a herculean task" I said, as she glowered.

"And how many times have you admitted a wrong?" she snapped.

"Is that what we are going to talk about or are you going to finish what you couldn’t yesterday?" I asked, fetching the slips from under the stack of books on my desk.

I could tell she didn’t know how to respond to that. And she was very pissed now, so pissed that she would sign the contract without wasting a second.

"Well?" I intoned, when she just stood there glaring at me.

"What’s the purpose of an NDA when everyone would soon know that I’m your personal assistant?" she asked, even though we’ve been through this.

"And she calls me odd" I muttered to myself, but it was audible enough for her to hear.

"Forget it" she announced, coming to take a seat.

"No, let me indulge you" I said, aiming to aggravate her the more "who knows you might have forgotten. This", he pointed at the slips, "has nothing to do with your position as my PA, but more to do with your involvement with the selection process, hope you understand now or better still reread the contract"

My objective was fulfilled, her glare directed at me became more intense. She gruffly snatched the slips and signed the contract without rereading. And pushed it back to me in the same rough manner.

I didn’t care. She had signed it. I had snared her. I smiled as I collected the document. The smile of victory.

Someone knocked.

"Good morning Sir, sorry I’m late. I didn’t think you’d come in today" Vera said, as she let herself in.

"How nice of you to show up. I’m sure you remember Sofia, she’s to be my personal assistant, you will help her set up her desk over there, just by the door"

"But Sir, I thought I covered that position and of all persons, why her?" Vera whined, tugging at her coat as Sofia’s eyes rested on her.

I didn’t blame her, she still hadn’t gotten over Sofia’s read.

"You cover what exactly when you show up to work ten minutes late?" I asked, "That it is Saturday and not a work day doesn’t even count for an excuse. Now, when was the last time you picked up my laundry, followed me to meetings, or even stood by my side for the duration of the meeting? It’s clear you don’t understand both jobs, perhaps with Sofia here, that will be clarified. Now, Sofia, where were we?"

Vera scowled, glaring at Sofia and grumbling as she left.

They weren’t going to be work buddies, that’s for sure.

"You can’t possibly mean that I will be working in the same room as you?" Sofia asked, as the door closed behind Vera.

"Well, I will be needing you close to me, wouldn’t I as my personal assistant, and besides don’t all personal assistants stay close to their bosses? Most don’t even get a desk, they just stand and flank their boss while doing all they are asked and might I add, without objections. Just be lucky you get a desk, if not the idea of you flanking me doesn’t sound so bad"

"But..." she tried to say.

"Uh uh, no objections" I interrupted.

For a second I thought she would just be silent about it. That she was learning her lessons already, but then she proved me wrong by as she said,

"And what if I tell you that I prefer taking Vera’s desk, she can stay in here with you"

"Not a chance, besides you are bound to me now. You are legally obligated to do as I say if you want your brand, or don’t you want that anymore or have you forgotten Article 4, subsection 3?"

Not giving her a chance to answer, I said, taking the slips from the desk,

"I think you’ve forgotten, so here’s a reminder," I cleared my throat, which wasn’t necessary, but simply to spite her, I read,

"The Employer agrees to fully compensate the Employee with her demand of starting up her brand so long as she meets his demands to the latter. To the latter," I repeated for emphasis, "I do hope you know what that means?"

"Of course, I do," she replied immediately.

I smiled. Of course she gets it. For her brand, she would do anything and that was what I was counting on, too bad she won’t be getting it in the end. How unfortunate!