A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 23: SOFIA

Chapter 23: SOFIA

"Unbelievable! To think there was ever a time when I considered you a mentor. God! I’m such an idiot!"

"I’m so sorry Sir, I tried to stop her," Vera said.

"It’s alright Vera, you can leave. I will attend to her"

Focusing on me as the door closed behind Vera, he said,

"Scream all you want, but you have no right to barge in here uninvited" his voice, an air of nonchalant.

"And what, you expect me to just sit there while you mess around with a girl whom you were supposed to be interviewing?!" I spat.

"Hey watch your mouth, what I do and whom I do it with is none of your concern... unless you wish to be the who"

How could he even be so cool about this? It’s maddening. I felt like punching that stupid grin off his face.

"In your dreams. I will have you know that not everyone worships the ground you walk on or falls head over heels for those basic looks you call charm" I retorted, pissed as hell.

"At least, you admit that I’m charming, finally some honesty" he said, buttoning his navy suit, his muscles flexing with the motion.

"If that’s what you think is honesty, then it’s no wonder why you are as despicable as you are"

"Hey, that’s it. You better watch your mouth_"

"Or what? You call your security hounds on me, why don’t I stick around and tell them how their boss was just receiving a blowjob from an applicant!" I spat again, cutting him off.

Crossing his legs, he challenged,

"Oh I love to see you try. Who do you think they’ll believe, me or you? Lunatic!"

Before I could even offer a retort, he added with measured coldness.

"Besides, you are a fool if you think they’ll bat an eye if they see their boss having a nice time. And for someone who claims to know me, it’s either you are dumb or a liar if you think I would hire men I can’t trust"

"You are unbelievable" I exasperated.

"And you vex me more than you could possibly imagine, right from the moment you shoved your way into the elevator" he returned.

"Oh yeah, then why did you allow me to stay?" I threw.

"I seem to recall a certain someone who wasn’t keen on following orders, so I figured, why stress myself?"

He was smiling, a stretch of thin pink lips that I regret to say made him irritatingly handsome.

For someone so douchetastic, he was as fine as hell, with dark messy chic hair, obsidian eyes framed by thick dark lashes, lips like thin lines of faded pink, a strong jawline - all accentuating a face that seemed chiseled from stone. He had an athletic build, lean with well-developed muscles.

"Let me guess, your plan was to keep me waiting until I grew tired and decided to leave, or were you planning to call me in here after your... little dalliance and humiliate me?"

Smacking his lips, and tilting his head to the side as if he pondered my words, he finally said,

"Yeah I think that pretty much sums it, but you were wrong about one thing, I didn’t just plan to humiliate you. I wanted to call you in here, give you a shot like all the other applicants and then teach you a lesson you will never forget in the entirety of your miserable existence."

Momentarily shocked by the level of hatred in his voice and the startling honest behind his words, I stuttered,

"Wait... you mean... are you trying to say that I still have a shot at getting the job?"

"You must really be desperate if that’s the only thing you got from my statement" he said in that privileged tone, I couldn’t stand.

"But yes," he continued, steepling his fingers on the mahogany desk, "as much as you don’t deserve it, I fancy myself a man of integrity and a firm believer of equality, so yeah, you can sit your ass down and we can proceed."

"Actually I prefer to remain standing," I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray me with its eagerness.

"Suit yourself, not that you ever deserved my courtesy"

I made to offer a retort, but decided against it as I was more concerned with proving myself for this job than battering on with him.

"Oh no, you’ve been nothing but outspoken since you got here, don’t hold back now, especially not on account of something as inconsequential as the position of a clerk" he tempted.

I had decided not to say or do anything that might ruin my already slight chance of getting this job, but I couldn’t keep silent to that.

"And that right there," I said, " is why I can’t stand people like you. Just because life played fair with you doesn’t mean you should flaunt that privilege like a whip. This position may be ’inconsequential’ as you say, but to me, it’s so much more. It’s a step towards making my dreams come true"

"And believe me," I continued, "if I decide to hold back, it’s not and will never be on account of anything. I do it for me and myself alone" I replied, mirroring his coolness.

As if he didn’t hear me, he said, "Right, let’s proceed. Tell me what major milestone cemented the company’s legacy as one of the leading fashion houses of the 21st century?"

I could tell he expected me to fail. Cole had told me of the questions he asked others and this one wasn’t included. But the young Billionaire was about to find out that I came prepared and that my kakorrhaphiophobia was real.

Flashing him a smile aimed solely at irritating him, I answered, striding to stand behind the chairs he had once offered out of courtesy.

"The launch of the iconic ’W’ collection in 1920 after decades of running just a textile mill focusing on high quality materials and innovative designs. The collection revolutionizing haute couture with its bold Art Deco-inspired designs not only cemented the company’s legacy as one of the leading fashion houses, but set a pace that even till date, most houses are yet to cover."

I watched his smile disappear as the

rarely impressed billionaire sat shocked,

totally unable to believe his ears.

I could tell he was not only impressed, but surprised. But the brute would rather eat his tongue than admit it.

Kissing off my answer, he threw another question,

"What brands and subsidiaries fall under the Wellington Fashion umbrella making up the Empire?"

With calm impudence, my eyes locked on his dark pools, I answered,

"The Wellington Empire encompasses several brands like the Wellington Couture, WF Luxury accessories sub Wellington Exotique, Wellington Home and your very own brand Wellington Edition"

Clearly exasperated beyond measure, he hurled,

"Okay smarty pants, I see you fancy yourself a Wellington encyclopedia, so tell me, which year and collaboration helped in expanding the Empire to Italian shores and which city exactly?"

Intentionally, I stalled. His question was a hard one, but not one I couldn’t answer. I allowed him think I had no clue of the answer, to momentarily rejoice in what he thought was victory.

To be honest, I shouldn’t know the answer to that question. It wasn’t really public knowledge, but it was included in an archive I had sourced from the city’s library during a research I conducted for a Bogue writer during my internship days.

"Just admit it and save us both the time, you don’t know the answer" he grinned.

"On the contrary, I do know the answer. I just stalled for exactly this purpose"

"And what purpose are you implying?" He asked, leaning forward.

"To allow you think you’ve won" I replied with the poise of a cobra circling a trapped prey.

"So you think this is a game?"

"A chessic one in fact" I replied coolly.

"Oh you really don’t want to go there, I doubt you would be able to move two pieces before checkmate. I’m a chess master, always ten moves ahead, so my dear, you just don’t stand a chase. Just be out with the answer already as you claim to know it and stop stalling for time, some chess player you are" he scoffed.

"There was an article published by Bogue, August last year, "An English brand treading the waters of Italian Fashion", do you remember it?"

His raised eyebrows were enough answer.

"Well, I helped write that article and in conducting the research for it, I came across the answer to your question. It was the year 2015. The year of the Wellington-Valentino collaboration which brought about the expansion of the English brand to Italian shores, in Milan to be exact."

"Impossible!" he stormed, slamming his desk with enough force to rattle the glass walls of his office.

"Who are you exactly and how do you know so much?" he asked, when it seemed he had regained his composure.

"I’m just a girl who has always been inspired by the Wellington Fashion Empire" I rejoined, meaning every word.

"So tell me, why is someone like you with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and letters of recommendations from various Bogue writers, even one from the one and only Anna Wintour, Bogue Editor-in-Chief looking for a job and worse, the position of a clerk" he asked, staring at me with something that came close to wonder.

"I actually want to be a designer in this Empire, but with the position of a clerk as the only available job opportunity, I plan to work my way to actualizing that dream... that’s if I get the job" I answered as sincerely as I could manage.

He reclined in his black leather chair, watching me, those dark pools scrutinizing and analyzing me.

This was it, the deciding moment. The next words those lips would form could either make me breathe again or...