Chapter 3.1

Vee had never really paid attention to other business industries as she was growing up, chasing her own dreams. She had spent so much time traveling for her modeling gigs and the only world she had ever paid attention to was the world of fashion. Now that she practically didn't have a choice but to enter the business industry which her father and her older brother had expertly navigated through, it took her by surprise that she may be facing similar worlds - business is business regardless of the industry choice. Businessmen seemed to have a smaller world than she had imagined.

Now I know why everyone's noses are following me.

On the day she had decided to take her first step to solving her father's puzzle, she only had to tell her driver, Max, where she wanted to go and he already knew how long it would take for the trip.

"You may still nap a bit, señorita," Max had told Vee.

She found herself asking if Max ever happened to know the Gallaghers.

"Funny you should ask, señorita," Max chuckled. "I was personally trained by Señor Alister Gallagher. Driving, martial arts... He was the reason why your father trusted me enough to look after you."

Feeling a little guilty that she never cared to ask about Max in the past, Vee tried to hide her blushing cheeks by looking out the window. Now that she thought about it, she realized that she got so used to having everything done for her by either her father or her brother that she never really paid attention to who worked for her and where they had come from if it didn't concern her fashion business. She truly only considered background research when she had to deal with people from the fashion industry.

Realizing that she will likely get lost in the world of business outside of fashion, Vee mentally reminded herself to start waking her curious self and researching the inevitable. She suddenly had an idea that her father might have considered that hurdle in advance and to keep her on track, he had chosen to have her marry someone he found as trustworthy - like Conan Gallagher.

Max announced their arrival in front of the tall building which says Gallagher Industries and Vee stepped out of her sedan and looked around. The skyscrapers standing alongside each other made her feel that she was really in the middle of a bustling business district. She had never really paid attention in the past how the surroundings of her fashion show locations looked - another proof of her being too absorbed in her own world.

Although her family's hotels were located in the same vicinity and she had visited multiple times in the past, she still wondered how she could miss all the beauty of high-rise buildings around the area. She made a mental note of how the nearby buildings looked so she would not get lost if her mobile compass and map ever stopped working if she were traveling to work.

Vee looked back at Max who pointed at the building belonging to the Gallaghers. It was neat and sleek, a serious ambiance compared to the lively and feel-at-home atmosphere of the Rustik - Yates Hotels. She estimated it to probably have fifty-five floors. What caught her attention was the logo at the topmost railing of the building where the letters of the name were molded to look like a pistol, with "G" as the trigger.

"The Gallaghers' business is centered on making specialized cars and they have a security agency," Max whispered as he ushered Vee to the lobby where a beautiful receptionist was waiting.

Vee observed that Max seemed to be very familiar with the building premises. She recalled how he pushed a well-hidden button on the wall earlier before they entered the building and halted the rotating doors to enable the automatic sliding doors at the right corner instead.

"Please usher Miss Venera Yates to the Office of the President." Vee heard Max tell the receptionist and the guards in a proud manner.

Vee didn't like the way she was regarded by the receptionist who made it obvious that she was displeased with the request that was just announced. Her sunglasses were covering her puffy eyes, and she fought the urge to snap as she watched the lady's eyes travel from her head down to her chest. It made her feel like questioning her fashion choice for the day which she knew may have been a bit loud - she was wearing a suit in magenta, with nothing underneath her coat.

I didn't feel like wearing black today, so? She mentally presented her argument with the receptionist.

As Vee discreetly looked around, she noticed that even the guards were obviously unhappy that someone like her came unannounced and demanded to see their president - and they were very careful to show every disdainful expression on their faces. She tried to comfort herself, thinking that Max's thick accent might have garbled the sound of her last name and it might not have registered in everyone's ears. She kind of felt irritated about what made her father think that her last name would have significance at the Gallagher territory. It also didn't help that it was just the first time she ever set foot in the building. She suddenly thought of how her father would have reacted if he were in the same situation.

Instinctively adjusting her posture like she always would whenever she was displeased, Vee approached the receptionist and leaned over the counter.

"Rebecca," she said after glancing at the lady's name tag, "I have to inform you that you will start seeing my face every day from now on." She smiled threateningly. "So if you please, call Conan Gallagher and tell him that I am seeing him in his office in 5 minutes." She looked at her watch dramatically. "Now, which floor is his office?"

Vee had to admit, she was impressed that Rebecca didn't look swayed at all by her menacing approach. On the contrary, the receptionist looked calm and collected as she smiled back.

"Can I have your name, miss?" Was all Rebecca said, as she picked up her phone, seemingly preparing to dial for the president's office.

"Venera Rustik Yates."