71 About to lose their minds

At the conference hall two, the directors are busy talking when Ashton finally enters the room and sat down making them all sit back to their places.

It was only then that Ashton notice the empty seat at the right lane.

"The empty seat, who does it belong to?" Ashton asked and Assistant Albert wonders who could be so bold to be late at the meeting then he started to scan his tablet. His eyes immediately went wide and walk directly to Ashton.

"Boss, its Mr. Croft! I send the files to you last night. Did you forget?" Assistant Albert said and Ashton's mind went blank. He was practically busy last night and then suddenly he stood up in his seat and left the hall in a rush.

The presenter that is about to start the meeting went speechless, even the directors were curious why did the CEO suddenly left without saying anything.

One of the directors asked, "Assistant Albert, did something happen?"

Before assistant Albert left he said and followed suit, "No, everything is fine. Let's just wait for a moment"

Meanwhile, Christian arrive at the top floor and his Assistant guide him to Conference Hall One which they always used to hold meetings. The moment he enter the room, that was the exact time Ashton left Conference Hall Two.

The moment he saw him enter the room, his heart started thumping wildly and immediately walk fast and open the door with a loud bang.

The people inside the room went silent when they saw a familiar person enter the room.

"Mr. Croft, pardon me but I think you're in the wrong room" It was Assistant Lorraine who step up.

It was then that Christian realized there were only five people inside the room and looking at the presentation in the screen, he can roughly guessed that it was a building for a restaurant.

"Sorry for barging, we usually hold the meeting here in Conference Hall One" It was Christian's assistant who answers, it was then that they heard the door open loudly.

All of them turn their heads and found Ashton with a slightly agitated and nervous expression.

Ashton slowly scanned his eyes inside the room and found no sign of Callista, which give him a little relief and compose his self.

Ashton went back to his expressionless face and said, "Christian, the meeting is about to start. Why are you here? The meeting is in Conference Hall Two"

Christian's Assistant abruptly said when he realized his sudden mistake when he scan the contents of their meeting today "Ohh, boss our meeting today is really in Conference Hall two!"

Christian's eye squinted for a while and said while trying to pry why was he suddenly here."Sorry for the disturbance, but Ashton the meeting should be starting so why are you here?"

Ashton just keep his emotion in check and said "I just went out for a while and saw you enter the wrong room that's why I followed you here"

Christian look at him indecisively before replying him in a loftily way, "Alright, we should just head to the meeting now. It will look bad making the directors wait" Christian left the room with a complicated feeling that something doesn't feel right with his friend right now.

After Christian left with his assistant, Albert arrive at the room with a heavy heart, he prayed many times that something mustn't happen. Looking at the situation and him meeting Mr. Croft outside, it looks like his prayer has been answered.

Ashton looks at Assistant Lorraine with a questioning gaze.

Assistant Lorraine immediately get what her boss is trying to know and she replied, "The Young Lady excuse herself due to a sudden phone call." and with that Ashton left the room to head back to the delay meeting.

Meanwhile, before everything happened. Callista got a call from Carla her best friend to remind her about the party later. It was then that she remembers her birthday party tonight. She was just outside the room talking in the phone.

Suddenly, she felt the call of nature and head back to Ashton's office and it was that precise moment she left that Christian arrives.

Callista was oblivious to what just happen earlier, she just went back to the Conference Hall to continue their talk on the development of her restaurant.

At Conference Hall Two, throughout the meeting, Ashton may look calm at the surface but inside him, a storm is brewing. As long as the three of them are in the same building, he won't be at ease. Even the directors can sense that his out of concentration.

When the presenter is asking a question or wanted to know some specifics if he got anything room, he would just receive a "Hmm." as a replied making him losing his mind.

He silently thank the other boss, which is Christian who answered all his question and point out the things that needed development for their projects and other things he needed to revise.

While Ashton keep on tapping the table with his fingers making them all agitated and nervous to what might be his thinking.

Even Christian on the side can sense his uneasiness and this is his first time seeing his friend like this, wondering what could make him be so out of emotion today.

Few moments later, Ashton phone's beep three times signaling he got a text from his wife. He set it up like this to let him know she contacted him.

Ashton immediately took his phone out to see her message, the content was "Hubby! I'll leave first and I left your lunch at your office, remember to eat it. I need to go first to buy a gift for Carla. She's throwing a birthday party later and I forgot to buy her gift. Toodles! (with a lot of kissing emojis) Don't come looking for me, I'll be with my friends today!"

Seeing the content of her message, Ashton deeply sigh and slightly smile and he replied " Alright, take care and have fun. Contact me if you're ready to go home. Enjoy your day"

The people inside the room felt like drowning. Looking at their boss complicated expression made them feel like losing their minds! In an instant he would look scary and later on he would be smiling making him look very scary from their point of view. It must be that the world is coming to an end!

Christian just slightly shook his head, he remember that his friend already got a wife that they still haven't met.