Chapter 3: Dirty Negotiations

I was walking down the hallway and CEO Malcolm Lincoln grabbed my elbow. As we entered his office, he nearly threw me on the floor. Before I feigned to trip over my ankles, I was able to keep my face from colliding with the corner of his table. 

 "What's wrong with you?" I asked, shouting.

 "You signed with them?!" Malcolm ranged, yet he maintained his posture—was uptight without a single crack in it.

 I got up and fixed myself. "They agreed with the hundred million contract offer, and I have no choice! It's a lot of money!"

 "Oh, so you care about the money now? We are the ones who scouted and trained you before, when you knew nothing. And now that you've got your fame and success, you're going to leave us?" he reasoned it out, making me feel like I have a debt to their company to pay. I mean, come on, Mr. Lincoln, I have debts to pay too. I have debts for living here as if I am a human being.

 I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "It's business, you got it? That's the first thing you told me before."

 He walked away towards the window glass, which showed views of the whole city from a variety of angles. He positioned his hands in a meditative position at his waist and glanced up, probably thinking. "Fine!"

 My eyes tracked his movements until he halted back in front of me. "I'll double what they've offered you. A hundred thousand? I'll make that two hundred. I'll let our company's lawyer deal with theirs as long as you have not yet received your signing bonus with them yet," he retorted. "Have you?"

 I shook my head. 

 "Good, now come with me. Let's discuss the offer and sign the contract."

 I smirked. I know he can't lose a talented artist slash model like me. 

While we were inside an office that was literally situated within the office, all of a sudden, Caroline, Malcolm's secretary, walked into the office and purposefully spilled the hot coffee over my skirt, causing me to leap off of my seat in surprise. She got to her feet and ran to his table for a tissue.

 "I am so sorry, Ms. Strauss! I didn't mean it! I am so clumsy!"

 "Oh, come on, surely you aren't!"

I grabbed a tissue from the side table and wiped myself up while Caroline just walked out as if nothing happened. I rolled my eyes and tried to be as kind as possible. I couldn't imagine revealing my real identity in no time!

"Thanks for waiting." Minutes have passed and the CEO finally arrives with the company lawyer. I was astounded to know that the board of directors weren't here. As they sat on the opposite sides of the table, my eyes kept on running back and forth at them. 

"Are the board of directors supposedly here with us?" I asked, wondering. 

The CEO shook his head. "There's no need for that. Feel free to ask any questions before you sign it." 

After I finished reading the contract, there's one thing that raised my eyebrow. There is a section that states about being the CEO's personal female security personnel which left me off guard. "What's the meaning of this?" I asked, looking at them with confusion. 

The CEO chuckled. "Doubling your signing bonus means doubling your work. It's business," he reasoned out and it felt like my words to him were completely going against me. 

"That doesn't seem fair!"

CEO Malcolm and the company lawyer looked at one another. CEO Malcolm signaled him to show some stuff inside his suitcase. The lawyer piled up a couple of documents including photographs of illegal things I am doing, including the recent incident of killing an innocent citizen. 

I quickly looked through those documents with my eyes widened in surprise. How did he know about this and where does all of this stuff come from?! I am not only concerned for my safety in this human world, but also the possibility of the CEO finding out that I am a werewolf!

"Where did you get all of these?" 

"You are discriminating against who I am, Rosaline," CEO Malcolm smirked. "I knew what you have been doing lately especially during your break time, after work, or even in the middle of your project," he emphasized, especially the last few words which caught me off guard. 

I dropped my shoulders and looked away, scratching my hair and thinking what I have done. CEO Malcolm was still smirking at me with his killer smile. "So, what do you want now?" I asked, sounding irritated. 

"It's simple." The CEO stood up and walked towards the two-way mirror where the city's landscape could be seen. "You sign the contract, and we're done."

"And what if I don't?" 

He turned around to face me and walked back slowly towards us. "Then we will report you to the FBI. You don't want that, don't you?" 

The legal representative for the corporation gave me the look of someone who is waiting for me to make a prudent decision. I couldn't help but wonder why the CEO would make such an amendment and what their true motivation was. It doesn't make sense! He is the equivalent of covering up a convicted felon or becoming his personal bodyguard, etc.

In the end, I was left with no alternative but to sign the contract and live a double job—or more jobs going forward, given that I still need to continue on my goal. I had no choice but to do so. Years have passed since I was dispatched to this place, and despite the passage of time, I still have not obtained any evidence that can lead me to the alpha.

 I got out of the building with a forced smile of victory. Paparazzi began to gather outside and rushed towards me, asking a lot of dumb questions. Here we go again. The constant flashing of lights almost had my eyes blinded, and the tickling sounds of cameras imploded my eardrums. With these high-heeled sandals I wore, they can surely kill a person's stomach anytime I wish to do so.

Suddenly, I caught Sheena landing on the side mirror of my car. For sure, my mom bought me another instruction again. They gave me possible coordinates for the alpha's location. Guess what? It's time to get back home and prepare for the next stage of my mission. 

-

I took a really long look at the photograph of Alpha Antonio that I carry in my pocket at all times; it is in black and white. The effects of time have left his face with a distorted appearance, but just seeing his bodily presence is enough to get a sense of his might, and it's not hard to tell that he's an alpha. 

"Why is it hard to find you…" I whispered. I was in the private security office, sitting in front of my personal table, of the building, which was designated for those employees who worked directly for the CEO.

 "Hey! You're finally with the same department as me!" When my closest friend Corrine Campbelle hugged me from behind, I nearly startled out of my seat. She was a member of the chief executive officer's security staff.

"Tsk, this is just one department that I am working at. I am still a model. So know your boundaries," I emphasized then raised an index finger upwards. 

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

"The CEO is calling you," she added.