Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 173: Suspicion

Chapter 173: Suspicion

The day before, if anyone had asked Derek about his plans for the weekend. He would have said that they involved a whole lot of sleeping and nothing else.

He had been looking forward to spending some quality time in his bed. And with Emily by his side. He knew for a fact, that it would have been a very pleasurable experience. But it was not meant to be. At least he’d had a full night’s rest the night before. That was all that Derek could console himself with as he walked through the manor grounds with his mother. "There it is," His mother said after they had walked for a few minutes more.

She pointed at a tree in the distance, and Derek turned in that direction. Picking up their pace, they made their way over and then stopped once they reached it. Looking at it, his mother reached out and touched a single leaf. "I had this shipped all the way from South Africa. It is supposed to bloom within the year," She said.

"The oranges that it produces are said to be very good. Not only are they rich in vitamin C, they make the best tasting orange juice ever," She told him, and Derek nodded along, pretending as though he was interested.

To be honest, if he had to choose between spending the day looking at a random orange tree and being back at his penthouse fast asleep. He would pick being fast asleep at his penthouse. What use did he have for a tree that would bloom in a few months time? Call him when there was fruit to pick, and he would gladly come. But for him to drive all the way to the manor just to see a tree, it was rather depressing. And if she were not his mother, Derek would have told her so. But since she was his mother, and he was a dutiful son. Derek bit his tongue and nodded along. Feigning interest when he would rather be anywhere else. And so for a few minutes he walked around the tree with his mother, the two of them inspecting it. Then once his mother’d had her fill of the tree, Derek let himself be led away.

The two of them heading over to one of the terraces where the table for brunch had already been set up. He pulled out a chair for his mother, and once she was seated he went over and pulled out one for himself. Despite all of the food arranged in front of them, Derek did not feel particularly hungry. So rather than grabbing a plate, and just piling food onto it, he simply took a glass and poured himself some guava juice.

On her part, his mother was eating away at her food and was well on her way to making a sizeable difference. After taking a sip from his drink. Derek finally decided to cut to the chase. He’d had enough of all of this time wasting.

His mother had not called him so early on a Saturday morning just so he could come and look at a tree. There had to be something else. Something that he was missing. Since it did not seem as though he was about to figure it out any time soon, he might as well come out with it and ask.

"As much as I love looking at orange trees with you early in the morning, mother," He stressed the ’love’ bit so that she knew just how much Derek did not appreciate it at all.

"Is there any other particular reason that you called me all the way over here? Or am I just to assume that you have suddenly developed a very unhealthy love for orange trees?" He asked.

After wiping the corners of her mouth delicately. His mother put her napkin aside and stared at him. "Derek, I’m hurt. Can a mother not just miss her son enough to call him? Is spending quality time with me really such a chore? I just wanted to see you. Is that so wrong?" Derek suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Great. His mom was being extra dramatic. That meant that there really was something going on.

"Mother, please, whatever it is that you have to say, just come out with it. The longer you delay, the harder it will be for you to just say it," She sighed, then she just shrugged off all of the fake hurt like it was a second skin, and when she looked at him, her eyes were sharper than Derek was used to.

He was suddenly on edge.

Could she know something? Did she suspect that Derek had a lady friend of some kind? His mom could be a bit overprotective when it came to that. She was often very interested in thoroughly vetting whoever it was that Derek happened to be dating. It would not matter if he told her that he and Emily were not dating.

His mother would still be wanting to grill Emily as though she were a wanted criminal. But how could she have found out so soon? Deciding to put the questions aside for later, Derek straightened, readying himself for battle. Whatever it was that his mother would have to say about Emily, he would defend his PA with everything he had. His mother had to know that Emily was off limits. He would not take any slight against her lying down. He very rarely stood up to his mother, but if it was something that he deeply believed in, then he would do it. And Emily was one of the people that Derek believed in.

He would not let his mother crush her. So when she opened her mouth, Derek was already ready with ten other arguments that would shut down whatever negativity that his mother would try to spew about Emily.

But that turned out to be unnecessary because the words out of his mother’s mouth had absolutely nothing to do with Emily. "I am going to the Seychelles for a few days, two at the most," She said. And Derek had to stop himself from visibly sighing in relief.

Good.

His mother would not be going after Emily. It was difficult to go after somebody when you did not know about them at all. Hiding the relief from his voice, Derek addressed his mother.

"And you are telling me this why? A two day trip hardly needs to be mentioned mother,"

She gave him a hard look and Derek quieted. Clearly this was important.

"I have reason to believe that Haven Group might just be able to make a killing there if we can get our hands into the conservation programs," He nodded, sitting up straighter, and his mother continued.

"We might be able to grow our reach when it comes to the marine world," Now Derek was really interested.

The Seychelles was pretty good business, especially when it came to the tourism industry. If they aligned themselves there by starting off at the conservation side of things. Helping to save marine animals. It would make them well endeared enough that when they moved into the territory they would have a lot of support.

"Do you think they would buy it? That they would think that we are just coming to help save the creatures of the sea," His mother shrugged.

"Whether they buy it or not, will not matter. What matters is that we will make a promise and we will keep it. If at some point in time we decide to do business there, they will feed indebted to us no matter what," She said. And Derek nodded.

It was a good idea. With his mother spearheading it, no doubt it would work out. They finished the rest of their meal in silence. And while his mother was no doubt thinking about the potential business to come, Derek could not seem to get his mind to focus. Every few seconds, he still caught himself thinking of Emily’s fresh spring-like scent, and he could still feel the phantom touch of her body against his. Unable to stop himself, a smile would flash across his face every once in a while, so deep in thought he did not notice, when his mother happened to catch one of those smiles. Her eyes narrowing at the sight of it.