CHAPTER 5: JESSICA ROME

At the welcome party on the 69th floor…

The party to welcome the returning CEO and founder of Imperium Technologies, Davies Lake, had been on going on for the last three hours, as he was continuously welcomed back by various employees and even a few other big bosses from other affiliates and other companies either came or sent their regards… with gifts.

Davies had been continually toasted and greeted for hours and was now a bit tired of it, and also quite annoyed that even though the protagonist should have been one of the employees of Imperium Technologies… somehow, he hadn't been at the welcome party for the returning CEO, Davies himself.

'Is he one of the more mobile workers or one of the affiliate companies' workers who just happened to be around when I arrived…'

'...Or he simply didn't come?' Davies wondered as he downed another glass of wine.

'... Tch… If he's not gonna end up coming, then this is a bit of an annoying situation.' Davies thought as he put down his wine glass and decided to go and seat in one of the private rooms on this floor, as it was modeled after a club… for leisure activities.

Davies excused himself from the company of people and began walking towards the biggest private room that was reserved for him in the first place.

Davies walks along towards the room when Miya suddenly said,

[I just detected the aura of the protagonist]

"... Finally… Where?" Davies quickly responded as he had been waiting for this statement all day.

[Go left and head down that corridor] Miya gave directions to Davies who quickly followed them, changing his destination and heading down the corridor after the aura of the protagonist that Miya had sensed.

Davies followed Miya's instructions and even ended up going to another floor but ended up at a restroom without finding the protagonist.

'I know I've been drinking continuously for the last three hours, but I didn't ask for GPS navigation to a restroom, Miya.' Davies says with a bit of irritation now beginning to show up in his tone after being led on a wild goose chase.

[... I'm sorry… I thought I sensed him coming here…] Miya apologized in a low tone.

"... If you want to know why I call you useless very often… well here's an example…" Davies stated and he went ahead to wash his hands and his face.

[... And if you want to know why I call you hateful, that's why…hmph.] Miya replied annoyed.

"Hahahaha." Davies laughed at her annoyed reaction as he came out of the restroom, distracted by their conversation until…

"Umph…"

Davies collided with someone just outside the door of the restroom, bringing him out of his thoughts as he caught the purse he saw falling down.

The black-haired woman that had just collided with Davies unexpectedly looked to the ground to pick up her purse before facing whoever she just collided with and giving them a piece of her mind.

"...Here," She heard a man's voice say as she looked towards the ground, searching for her purse.

She looked up at who was calling for her attention and the moment she saw his face, the flurry of words she had planned to unleash, disappeared from the back of her throat.

"Sorry… Sir," she apologized meekly as she saw Davies looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"...Your purse…" Davies said as he held up her purse to her, snapping her mind into action as she quickly collected the purse.

"Thank you," she said still looking at his face.

"... You're one of the shortlisted people for the chief operations officer position, right?" Davies asked as he remembered her face.

"Yes sir."

"Can I get your name…?" Davies asked again as he thought,

'she's here as well… Oy, Miya don't tell me it was her aura we followed here.'

[Of course not, I'm not that dumb…] Miya replied indignantly.

'... but you are dumb…' Davies stated with a slight smile, ignoring her obvious angry reaction.

"It's Jessica… Jessica Rome, Mr. Lake" Jessica hesitantly.

"Oho… from the Rome family… quite interesting you choosing to work at a company headed by someone from the Lake family," Davies commented with a raised eyebrow.

'Now I see why she's probably one of the protagonist future's companions… Let me guess,

'… I, #fated villain gets into a battle between the two families and then the protagonist comes in and eats all the cake, right Miya…?' Davies asked in his mind.

[I already said I don't know the future, but yes... I think so as well.] Miya answered.

'... then it's best if I bring her along and use her to draw out that lurker.' Davies concluded as Jessica opened her mouth to explain why she was working in his company, but she quickly found a finger on her lips, shushing her.

"Shhhhh… It would be quite an interesting story, but it is really no concern of mine… goodbye," Davies said as he withdrew his finger from her lips and made to walk away, but his path was immediately blocked by Jessica.

"... What do you want…?" Davies asks as he looks down at her face.

"... Will you allow me to pour you a drink… Mr. Lake." Jessica managed to say.

"Hmmm…? Quite bold of you…" Davies's right eyebrow rose again as he looked down at Jessica's face, as she was literally shivering under his gaze,

"...I like your boldness… and your face, let's go." Davies finally said as he began to walk past her.

'He likes my face?' Jessica thought with a pink blush slowly beginning to appear on her cheeks.

"Come on, let's go." Davies turned and said to her as after walking forward a bit, he noticed she wasn't following him.

"Yes, Sir!" Jessica hurriedly responded as she ran after him.

"... Do try to not be so slow in the future… I hate it," Davies chided without looking towards her when she finally caught up to him.

"... Yes…" she responded meekly.

Davies walked back towards the elevator with Jessica walking closely behind him. They got on the elevator and went back to the 69th floor. The elevator doors opened and brought the sound of loud music coming from the party.

After getting off the elevator, Davies made his way towards the private room reserved for him, with Jessica in tow. On the way towards the room, he was continuously being toasted and some of the women there tried to get a bit frisky with him, but Davies waved them off… for now.

They finally reached the private room, and Davies pushed the door and went in, Jessica following him inside. Just as the door was closing by itself, Daniel appeared out of nowhere and held the doors, stopping them from making noise by slamming shut and instead shut the door quietly before standing guard outside the room, preventing anyone from entering.

Davies went to sit on the main chair and then looked at Jessica, who stood awkwardly, unsure what to do. His face must have scrunched up a bit as he looked at her, as Jessica quickly became aware of herself and moved to the bar to pour him a drink.

She then brought the drink to Davies who looked at the glass, swirled the cup a bit, and then downed the drink in one gulp. He then put brought the cup away and looked her in the face with a not-so-amused look,

"… You're too boring…"

"If you're pouring someone a drink, you've got to make conversation or find a way to keep their interest in you, high…" He went on with a bemused look.

"... sorry…" Jessica replied, barely in a whisper.

"... You know what…? Let me start…"

"What do you enjoy doing when you're not working for me?" Davies asked with a smile as he stood and went to the bar to pour himself another drink.

He poured whiskey into two glasses and then went back to where she was and handed one of the cups to her while he started slowly sipping from his glass.

Jessica took the glass and then poured it all down her throat in one gulp, shocking Davies who looked at her, wide-eyed,

"... Wow… are you just copying me or do you normally drink a lot." He asked with interest written all over his face.

Jessica, now emboldened by her drink replied, "I used to go partying with my girlfriends while we were in university… It was a way to get rid of some of the stress of university, I also learned to make drinks and cocktails and all the sort."

"Now you got me interested in one of those drinks… Come on, we got a bar, you can whip something up," Davies urged her.

"... Okay…" Jessica gives in and goes towards the bar again, picks a couple of bottles and some glasses, and started mixing and stirring with practiced ease, when she finally finished preparing the drinks, she was about to take them to Davies when his hand came from just right behind her and picked up the glass, startling her a bit as she didn't know he was just behind her.

Davies picked one of the glasses and took a sip, "… wild…" He said with a refreshed sigh.

"What I want to know is…" He started as he started moving even closer, his eyes glowing emerald in the dim lighting,

"... Are you as wild elsewhere..." Davies continued as he blocked her way and pressed up against her at the bar, his face continually inching towards hers, which was blushing heavily.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"You have important visitors, Mr. Lake," Daniel's voice rang out from behind the door.

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