A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 82: SOFIA

Chapter 82: SOFIA

There was something about the cruel CEO that always arrested the eyes. His bearing was such that in every room he stepped into, he became the center of attraction.

Perhaps it was his smart top notch suits, or the gait in his stride, or that smirk that was annoying as hell, but alluring.

I watched him step out of the elevator, looking every inch the CEO he was in a grey suit fashioned to his fitting. A man followed, carrying a leather briefcase. The man was dark and advanced in age, probably into his late fifties, but his posture and his dressing showed he was still agile. I didn’t need to be told that he had to be his driver, but if I’m being honest, I never pictured Richard Wellington as the type who would hire a man within such an age bracket.

He didn’t even look at me as he walked past and I didn’t blame him, pride has always been one of the thesaurus in defining Richard Wellington.

As courtesy demanded, I greeted the elderly man,

"Good afternoon Sir"

The man paused in his stride and smiled at me before answering,

"Good afternoon, my dear"

The man had a weird accent, and I guessed he had ties in Africa. I’ve actually met a man with the same accent, he had been a cab driver. A very nice man who had engaged me in a scintillating conversation about his country and culture.

According to what I remember, I think the man was from Nigeria and he had been homesick. He spoke of his country and fatherland with a tone burdened with nostalgia.

Before I could ask the man if he had any African ties, Richard snapped,

"Lanke, what are you doing there?"

Waving at me, the man called,

"Nice to meet you, Olori omoge"

I had no idea what he meant, and he had already disappeared into the office before I could ask.

But whatever it was, Vera had an idea, the way she glared at me.

The man came out a few seconds later, he approached me and introduced himself when Richard called for me.

Ignoring him, I shook the man’s hand,

"Sofia Blake" I said.

The man smiled at me, showing a set of milky teeth.

His grip was firm and warm, with a light squeeze, he answered,

"Lanke Oyelede"

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir"

"Likewise. Now go on" he replied.

Vera was at us already, no doubt sent by Richard to come get me.

"Wait," I called after him, "what’s the meaning of what you called me earlier?"

Still smiling, and in that same funny accent,

"Oh that, Olori omoge means ’beautiful

queen’ and mere looking at you, I can tell"

I felt my cheeks heat up and I returned the smile. Whoever that man was married to, had to be one lucky woman. Lanke was the type of man who knew how to treat a woman, I knew he wasn’t flirting with me, that compliment had been most genuine.

"Thank you, Sir!" I yelled, as Vera dragged me towards Richard’s office.

With a smile, Lanke boarded the elevator.

"He’s a very nice man," I said to Vera.

"For your information, he thinks I’m beautiful too," her jealous ass said.

"Oh that was never in doubt, you are a very beautiful lady"

"Yeah, yeah, don’t patronize me"

She pulled me harder.

"But it’s true," I offered.

"Believe me, I know" was all she said, before shoving into Richard’s office.

She closed the door, leaving me alone with Richard.

"Why do you keep testing me, Sofia?" He asked, his hands steepled on the glass desk.

"I wasn’t testing you, I merely decided to greet a kind man" I answered, heading for a seat.

As I sat before him, the glass desk separating us, he noted,

"There, exactly what I’m talking about. Who asked you to sit down?"

"I actually find it absurd that a mere courtesy such as sitting down should have to be asked for or permitted before indulgence. Besides, I have every right to sit down because I have been standing and waiting for you, for close to an hour now."

He leaned back, crossed his legs and supplied, his tone scornful,

"If you are waiting for an apology because I was attending to my duties, then you might have to wait forever."

"Oh believe me, I know you are incapable of uttering those words, who knows perhaps you’ve never even said them once in your entire existence" I returned.

As much as he was annoyingly handsome and had a way of drawing attention, there was also something about him that vexed me beyond words.

It was like being with him brought out the worst in me, and I hated that. I was here to plead for a man’s job and yet, here I was also vexing him.

"Let me be clear, I do apologize, but to those who deserve it and when I’m sure that I’m on the wrong" he declared.

"I doubt that, but I’m not here to dwell on that. I came to brief you on my meeting with Anna"

"I see you learnt nothing from yesterday, but by all means, go on"

I told him of Anna’s terms, and also reminded him that the reason why

Bogue was yet to write about the soon to be launched collection was mostly his fault.

His gaze was fixed on his laptop as I recalled the morning events. And after I was done, he didn’t say anything for

minutes.

I was beginning to wonder if he really heard any word I said, or was he being a douche?

I looked at the clock on the far side of his office, it was almost twenty minutes before 4pm.

My feet began tapping as I raged within. With every second that went by, my disdain for him grew, it was just too vexing, the silence did things to my mind.

Lest I go nuts, I voiced out my concern,

"I really have to start going, all I need from you is the assurance that Harry’s job is safe, I think you can handle Bogue by yourself"

He slapped his laptop shut, leaned back and twirled his chair and said,

"I was beginning to think that you’ve acquired a grip on your impatience, how predictable of you to prove me wrong"

I murmured a curse so vulgar that if he heard it, I wouldn’t spend another second before him.

"What was that? Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly developed fear of speaking plainly?"

Relieved he didn’t hear, I scoffed,

"Far from it, I was merely contemplating how it is that men like you exist, and why people like me always have to be entangled in the webs of your cruelty"

Leaning forward, he purred,

"Oh dear Sofia, thinking about the ways of the world will only give you migraine, all you can do is accept the natural way of things"

He was right to some extent, but as much as the ways of the world were cruel, it wasn’t rigid. One could bend the ways to suit him or in my case... her.

Waving off his statement because I had to start going, I said,

"Just tell me if Harry’s job is safe, I need to be back at home by 4pm, perhaps if you want to discuss Anna’s terms since I have a major role to play in it, you could tell me when next to come or you could handle it your way"

I had told him that Anna required me to write the article about the upcoming collection, but I didn’t tell him of our arrangement to keep siphoning information if I’m offered a job.

"What are you, a teenager that you are grounded in or what?" He asked.

"I just have something that I need to do, that’s all you need to know, so what is it going to be?"

He feigned deliberation, before saying,

"I’m yet to hear anything about the job I offered you, or are you suddenly less desperate?"

I knew he would point that out and I’m grateful that he did, at least now I wouldn’t sound like a desperate hag begging for alms.

"I still need the job, but I’m yet to decide whether it’s worth accepting if it’s to the detriment of another"

Indifferent, he asked,

"Are you talking about Cole?"

Then without waiting for me to answer, he said, "Of course you are, with your little romance or whatever you have going. I must say I never took him for your type, unless..."

He allowed the statement trail unfinished, but I knew what he was implying and that he wasn’t far from the truth irked me more.

"Unless what?" I asked, "are you trying to imply that I’m playing with his emotions like you do with all the girls you’ve been with? Well, I will have you know that I’m not a monster like you"

For a moment, hurt flashed in those dark pools and with a quick blink, it was gone. Hard opaque mirrors remained as he dismissed,

"Whatever you have or wish to do is none of my business, just like what you think of me. I hope by noon tomorrow you’d have made a choice. Good day, young lady"

His focus returned to his laptop and I knew better than to inquire further, standing to leave. I couldn’t help but wonder why he still agreed to meet after what I said, or was he planning to make me pay come noon tomorrow?

Well, I wouldn’t put it past him.