1 The Accident
Eric Crown walked towards the elevator on the top floor, hearing the echoes of both his footsteps and that of his assistant Andrew. The whole floor was empty, not surprising because its almost midnight and everyone had gone home.
Naturally, Eric has always been a workaholic. The last one to leave the office. His assistant didn't have any choice but to leave late because of him.
"Good night Mr Crown", one of the night security guards greeted Eric Crown as he reached the ground floor.
Eric waved to him, wishing him a good night too. Eric always takes the relationship with his employees seriously, even with the janitors.
When they got outside, Eric got into his car noticing the weather looked as if it was about to rain. It has been a long and hectic day, meetings after meeting that exhausted him.
One of the meetings was for a company takeover, and it didn't go down well. There were disagreements and arguments, and no one likes arguments during meetings, they just prolong decisions.
His staff had already made all the arrangements for the company takeover, only for one family member to suddenly have a change of heart. The others got angry and a family showdown started.
You can imagine what happens when a family has a showdown during a meeting to close the deal of the sales of their company ...very messy.
There had to be a renegotiation of the business terms. Eric refused to give up though but was close to losing it.
Eric wasn't interested in their family's dirty secrets but allowed them to argue so the issue could be resolved and they all move forward.
Of course, the family member wanted more money, and that's normally the reason; The money!
The family who was dissatisfied said after the sharing of the money paid for the company, the share that comes to him will be too small. So Eric Crown and his team had to pay a bit more, what the family selling their business didn't know was that it was all within Eric Crown's business budget.
The family was desperate, and they needed someone to take the company off them, they couldn't afford to run it again. This is what I and my team do best buy run-down companies and refurbish them to be more productive and effective.
As Eric sat at the back of his car, smiling like a cat that got the cream over the deal he and his team just closed, he felt his day ended well.
It was a hectic day but we got the best deal, and the wait was worth it.
Yes, the buy was a good one. His team was surprised at the price they got the company, but it all come down to the power of negotiation.
Eric wasn't even surprised that they asked for more, he expected it. When you're in his kind of business you'll expect anything. Until the contract is signed, anything can happen.
By the time the company is restored and restructured, we'll make the money we brought it for in the first two years.
Eric closed his eyes intending to rest a bit before he get home hoping my mother had slept. Not ready for her questions today, his body is feeling tired. It's been a long time since he felt this way and knows it's not just his body but mind too.
Really tire of going home to an empty house although he refused to admit it for a long time. Eric just covers it up with work, he works and works. One person that sees through him, is his mother. That's why she has refused to go back to her own house saying she wants to keep him company, meanwhile plotting how to marry him off to one of those boring societal heiresses.
She can be a pain but I love her, smiling as he thought of his mothe .
She said ,"she wants to find me a wife". Eric laughed but not finding it funny remembering that conversation they had. Can you imagine your mother looking for a wife for you? Yeah I know...not funny. "_".
Eric has gone on almost 50-something dates, all set up by her with her friend's daughters,and business partners' daughters but none have met his taste.
Eric Crown was beginning to wonder what exactly are his preferences in a woman. Most are wealthy daughters who were brought up to marry a billionaire like him but something seems lacking in them. What is it he wandered?
Okay, don't ask me because I don't know too. But Eric will know when he meets the "HER" he will know.
Eric can get any woman he wants but he just doesn't want any woman, it's a lifetime relationship, and he is not in a hurry.
Suddenly, Eric heard a loud noise as if the car hit something. As the driver applied his brakes he was pushed forward and backed again forcefully but because he was wearing a seatbelt, he was okay.
The car stopped abruptly his driver Kelvin said, sir, it's like we hit something.
Go out and check, Eric instructed. There was a knock on the driver's side of the window. His bodyguards were already assessing the situation to be sure it was safe for his car to be opened.
Eric"s driver rolled down his side of the window, and one of the bodyguards informed him, we hit a woman and it's very serious.
Eric immediately opened his door to come out but was stopped. His bodyguard Mick blocked the door, " no sir it's not safe" he said.
Eric pushed him aside and walked quickly to where four of his other bodyguards were. One was on the phone calling an ambulance, and the other three spread themselves around and were alert in case of any security issues.
Eric bent down to check the woman who was hit, when he turned her to her side and noticed the huge stomach with blood everywhere he panicked.
How far is the ambulance Eric asked his bodyguard Mick worriedly?
About 10 minutes away sir...
We don't have that much time Eric said. He carried the woman and started running towards his car.
Sir, Sir, his bodyguards ran after him in shock.
Eric put her in the back of his car and entered behind her. The woman's head is on him and the other part of her body is placed on the car sit.
" Drive to our hospital Eric instructed his driver Kelvin, who didn't respond immediately as if in shock too.
" If you don't move now I will push you out and drive this car myself Eric shouted at the driver impatiently.
The car started moving immediately and Eric checked the injured woman again to make sure she was still alive.
" Andrew, call Dr. Robert to let him know we're on our way to the hospital"...Eric instructed.
She cannot die, she cannot, not on my watch Eric kept saying to himself.
Eric looked at her, her hair jet black and long, a part of it was caked with blood. She has a head injury, and that's not good Eric thought.
Half of her face was covered in blood, from the other half you can see that she is very pretty. Eric just kept staring at her not because he was admiring her but because he just felt a connection.
" Sir, you cannot be seen to be connected to this matter". Andrew Eric's assistant suddenly spoke up. He had been quiet all this while, probably assessing the situation and already doing damage control.
"Let's take her to the hospital, you don't have to come down, we can handle this". Andrew suggested from the front passenger seat turning to his boss Eric Crown.
Eric just gave him a hard stare that shut him up. Of course, it's his job to remind Eric of the implications of his actions.
Sir, the press will have a field day with this Andrew pressed on reminding Eric.
Sort it out, I'm not leaving her. Eric replied.
Andrew was like, "what's happening here he asked himself".
"You don't have to go to the hospital with us, let's call for another car to come pick you up. I'll be with her and give you feedback", Andrew tried to convince his boss.
Eric said with finality, " Not leaving her" and don't let me repeat myself.
Andrew was right, the news media will have a field day if this goes out but honestly, Eric didn't care about that right now. He wasn't leaving an injured woman, not with her condition.
They got to the hospital and Eric immediately came down, bending to pick the injured woman up from the car. Andrew wanted to take her from him, but Eric refused.. telling him not to touch her.
Andrew stepped back allowing Eric to move towards the entrance.
As he walked behind his boss, Andrew knew he has to make sure the press doesn't get a hint of this incident, if not the incident will become a terrible scandal.
Eric rushed into the hospital with the woman in his arms knowing she has to be attended to immediately, time was of the essence.
