A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 24: RICHARD

Chapter 24: RICHARD

"Unbelievable! To think there was ever a time when I considered you a mentor. God! I’m such an idiot!" she stormed like the mad girl I knew she was, pushing past Vera.

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

"It’s alright Vera, you can leave. I will attend to her" I said, certain that this girl before me in her pissed state would give even Gerald and Tony a really tough time, not to talk of her.

But wait, did she just say, she once considered me a mentor?

Tossing those words aside and whatever implication it meant,

"Scream all you want, but you have no right to barge in here uninvited" I said

as soon as Vera left.

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

By God, she was really getting on my nerves, but I wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction of thinking that she was getting under my skin.

"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" I replied with cultivated restraint, flashing her a grin.

I watched her face turn redder with rage, exactly what I was aiming for, get under her skin before she does mine.

"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" she scoffed.

Zipping my fly and donning my suit again, for if I was going to intimidate Sofia I’ll need every tool at my arsenal including my professionality, I said while buttoning my suit, "At least, you admit that I’m charming, finally some honesty"

A smile stretched my lips as my words took effect, her rage rising with each word, only for my smile to disappear as I beheard her next words.

"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_" I found myself saying before she cut me off.

"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!"

My fingers curled to fists and the image of her bloodied lips after I must have used them flashed before my mind, tempting. Again, I wasn’t going to give her that power, so with strained effort, I crossed my legs, and challenged,

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

Not giving her the chance to offer a retort, I 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" she exasperated.

"And you vex me more than you could possibly imagine, right from the moment you shoved your way into the elevator" I returned, meaning every damn word.

"Oh yeah, then why did you allow me to stay?" she challenged.

Because you are a fool and I planned to make a fool off you.

Those were the words I had wanted to say, before I settled for, "I seem to recall a certain someone who wasn’t keen with following orders, so I figured, why stress myself?"

"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?" she asked, glowering.

I realized that the bitch sorta looked cute when she was pissed. I hadn’t gotten a good look at her in the elevator.

She had a petite curvy build I estimate to be around 5"6. Caramel long curls that I remember smelled like honey. Light brown eyes almost amber in the morning light. Succulent scarlet lips that would have been very kissable if not for the nonsense it had been vomiting ever since they parted. Her face was heart shaped and currently cherry with rage.

Smacking my lips, and tilting my head to the side as if I pondered her words, I finally said, my voice heavy with the hatred I felt for her,

"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."

Of all the effects I imagined those words having, stuttering was not one of them.

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

And to be honest, awakening her desperation wasn’t, either. I expected her to hurl back a retort worthy of my words and hate, not shrink into her desperation.

"You must really be desperate if that’s the only thing you got from my statement" I noted, hoping to bring back the girl who I had been battering with.

"But yes," I continued, steepling my fingers on my desk when she yet again offered no response, "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," she said, all too eager.

"Suit yourself, not that you ever deserved my courtesy" I tried again to bring that viciousness back.

I watched her lips part as if to offer a retort, then closed back as she decided against it.

"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" I tempted, one more time.

Her hands which she had slacked by her sides rose to point at me as she made to speak, before deciding to keep silent. Midway from my sigh of disappointment, she spoke.

"And that right there," she said pointing at me, " 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"

I was almost about to make a very big mistake by yelling at her that life was anything, but fair to me, when she continued, saving me. Her voice, not masking the coldness of her words.

"And believe me, 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"

Happy to have agitated her into releasing just a fraction of that beast in her, I went straight for the kill,

"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?"

This was the plan, humiliate her with questions even Harry didn’t talk about and revel in her failure.

My heart sank as she flashed me an irritating smile, coming to stand behind the chairs she had rejected, she answered,

"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."

Without prior demand, my smile disappeared as the shock of her rightness registered.

I wasn’t just shocked, I was a tad impressed, but she can’t know that.

Kissing off her answer like I expected it, I threw another query,

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

With calm impudence, much to my annoyance, she answered, her eyes locked on mine.

"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"

"Maybe I had been lenient with her" I thought, as she answered correctly... yet again.

"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?" I hurled.

Finally I had her. Her facial expression says it all, "I have no clue".

"Just admit it and save us both the time, you don’t know the answer" I offered, grinning in obvious triumph.

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

"And what purpose are you implying?" I intoned, genuinely interested.

"To allow you think you’ve won," she replied coolly.

"So you think this is a game?"

"A chessic one in fact" was her response.

I was good at chess. So good that I no longer play for I fear those 16 board pieces aren’t enough anymore. At least not for the moves I want to make.

"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"I scoffed.

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

Of course, I remember that article about our company struggling to shine and adapt in Italian shores. But she can’t really know about that article. I had made sure it was banned. The article was an insult to the company’s face and I just can’t tolerate insults.

"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!" I stormed, slamming my desk with enough force that the glass walls of my office rattled. Finally, she had managed to get under my skin.

She shouldn’t know that answer, she simply shouldn’t. How was it even possible? In Wellington, we rarely talk about our expansion in Milan. Italy, as the birthplace of so many iconic fashion brands like Gucci, Frada, Emporio Armani etc. We found it hard to best these brands in their own environment and so even after 5 years of establishment, we still struggle to navigate the Italian waters of fashion.

"Who are you exactly and how do you know so much?" I asked, after regaining my composure though still pissed at myself for losing my cool.

"I’m just a girl who has always been inspired by the Wellington Fashion Empire" she replied, sparing not a second to answer.

"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" I asked, staring at this enigma before me.

Everyone knows how Anna Wintour could get. For months now, I have been trying to get her to write an article about our upcoming collection and I quote,

"In Bogue, we write when and what we deem fit, not the other way round"

Those were her words every time I approached her. Yet, she had written a letter of recommendation for Sofia. Something I never thought she could do.

"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," Sofia said, her brown eyes glinting as she reminisced on her aspirations.

Leaning back, I watched her and how in a way, she had managed to pull off such a ridiculous outfit. And to be honest, with just this little time spent with her, my mind was already reeling towards making her happy whereas all I want is to see her pay.

"What had she done to me?" I echoed in my mind. Shaking that feeling away and its absurdity, I prepared to carry out my initial plans. Sofia Blake must pay... dearly in fact.