Chapter5

#Chapter5

It’s been four days since the meeting with Mrs. Williams and her office has been set up and the day was the first day she would be joining them and would be introduced to everyone. Shane as always was in his office, the door was pushed open and his mother barged in, /"she is here,/" she announced.

/"So?/" He answered without looking up at her.

/"Come on son, we have talked about this, I need you to get close to her,/" Margaret explained.

Shane chuckled, /"you know mom, I don’t really understand you, you were the one that wanted me to stay away from here and now the same you want me to get close to her,/" he looked at her, /"which exactly do you want me to do? Make up your mind./"

Margaret sighed, /"son, I sure as well don’t want you to be even a meter close to her but now, she has something of ours, she holds our shares…/"

/"Which her late husband acquired fair and square,/" he interrupted.

/"Why are you defending her?/"

/"I am not defending her, the last thing I will ever do in this life is defend her./"

Margaret looked at him in surprise, /"oh, I have never had you speak of her in such tone, it’s almost like you hate her./"

/"Not almost, I hate her, so please, don’t force me to be close to her./"

/"But son…/"

/"We will find another way, I can’t stand the sight of her so if you don’t want to fail, don’t push me to the front./"

Margaret sighed, /"fine, I hope you change your mind soon but for now, you need to be around in her welcoming, the stupid Davis is even talking about introducing her officially at the gala night,/" she rolled her eyes.

/"Whatever. You go ahead, I will join you soon./"

/"Sure,/" she turned and walked away while Shane looked at the door, his hatred only increased knowing she was now in the same building as him.

He finally got himself to leave his office minutes later and he met them on the hall, looked like he had missed the so called introduction, /"oh, right here is the CEO, Mr. Shane Lockwood, you have already met him, I’m sure,/" he head his mother’s assistant said with a flattery smile, of course his mother won’t be the one to show her around, he wasn’t surprised.

She was dressed in black pant and black turtleneck top, the sleeves were lace and he could see her skin shinning through, her hair was down, bouncing up and down softly like a waterfall with each step she took. Her face was beautiful with just her lips standing out because of the red lipstick she was wearing. She flashed him a smile when their eyes met and he hated the feeling it gave him in his heart, he has to stop noticing every single detail about her if he really wants to hate her.

/"Mr. Lockwood, I almost thought you were not around because I didn’t see you at the reception,/" she smiled, slowing her steps to stand in front of him.

/"I was busy and I figured it could be carried out without my presence, and looking at it now, it seems I was right,/" he returned the smile, /"it’s good of you to finally join us Mrs. Williams, I am really looking forward to working with you./"

/"And I you Mr. Lockwood,/" she turned to the girl, /"Sheila right?/"

/"Yes ma’am,/" she nodded with a smile.

/"I think you have tried for me, I’m pretty sure Mr. Lockwood will like to walk me to my office, isn’t that so?/" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Shane looked at Sheila and at the man he could recall had come with her during the meeting, he had wanted to say no but at the end he said, /"yes,/" why not? He can’t be avoiding her in his own company.

Lilly smiled and Sheila bowed and walked away, she turned to him, /"so, I believe Mr. Lockwood is to show me my office?/"

/"Of course Mrs. Williams, right this way,/" they fell into steps together, each lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t a long walk since his mother prepared the office that shares the same floor with his, she was really determined to get them together. He paused when he pushed opened the door to reveal a nice desk, with an intercom on it, it looked exquisite. There was nothing different from his office and it since it was the twin of his office and had not been used since his father stopped working, /"this is your secretary’s desk. We have followed your request and didn’t get you a secretary./"

/"That’s okay, Philip here can you fill in the space, he is with me everywhere I go,/" he nodded at her assistant who bowed softly to Shane. He nodded and progressed to the door right behind the desk.

He pushed it open, /"this is your own office, it’s one of the best in the building,/" the space was humongous just as his, it has a desk with a leather chair, a personal sit out which has a coffee table, two couches and a flower vase on top. There were also a works on the walls, /"I hope you like arts,/" he regretted the question the minute he said it, of course she like arts, how could he have forgotten. He looked at her and their eyes met but she looked away almost immediately.

/"Yes I love arts, it is never missing in my private space,/" she walked to the center of the room and looked around, /"I lost a painting once, it is very dear to me but I know I will never get it back./"

/"What was the painting?/" He bit his tongue immediately he asked the question but he really wants to know.

Lillian looked at him and smiled softly, for a brief moment her eyes revealed longing, /"it is a painting of a bird,/" she paused and Shane felt his heartbeat increased and he willed it to stop, /"someone…gave it to me. I lost it and…/" she gulped, /"that’s a beautiful piece,/" she walked up to a painting on the wall, it was painting of a mother breastfeeding her child, /"it shows off the affection, the love and joy of motherhood,/" she stared at the painting mesmerized.

/"Is Mrs. Williams another then?/" He asked, his tone might sound calm but the thought that she must have given birth to Robert’s children or child have been messing with his mind and the way she looked at the picture, it brought out an emotion in her, an emotion he had not seen in the two times they were meeting.

Lillian looked away from the painting, /"not really, but it’s something every woman would want to experience./"

Shane was surprised at the relief he felt, he had to remind himself again that he doesn’t have to be relieved, there is never going to be anything between them again, besides he hates her. He hates her more than he could ever hate a woman.

/"Is Mr. Lockwood married or have a child?/" She asked out of the blue.

Shane smiled, /"is Mrs. Williams interested in my private life?/" He raised an eyebrow, a soft smile playing on his lips as he held her gaze.

Lillian looked away when she couldn’t hold his gaze anymore, /"not really, I just want to know. It won’t be a surprise if a man your age is married and have children, but it would be strange if you aren’t./"

/"Not everyone is you Mrs. Williams, who rushes into a marriage just for the sake of it. I on the other hand, I will like to study my spouse and be sure she is right for me and also not an old cargo who just wants me to be a widower for her,/" he smiled. His words hurt her and he could see it, but it only made him smile more, /"I believe I should let you settle into your new environment. If you need anything, just call for Sheila, I’m sure she has the time to take Philip around and show him things which you will be needing./"

He turned to leave when he heard, /"Shane./"

He turned again to look at her, /"anything else Mrs. Williams?/"

Lilly sighed and shut her eyes, opening them, she smiled and shook her head, she seemed to have gotten a hold of her emotion, /"thank you./"

/"Anytime Mrs. Williams, anytime,/" he left the office, shutting the door gently after him.

Philip rushed to her side immediately, /"ma’am…/"

/"This Sheila girl, I don’t trust her, mind the things you say to her./"

/"You don’t need to tell me twice ma’am. I know they are watching us but, what of Mr. Lockwood?/"

/"Like I said, leave him to me,/" she stared at the door he had just walked out from, /"leave him to me,/" she whispered.