17 Emptiness

One by one all of his friends started to go, only he and Adam were left. Things were not going the way he desired. He was mostly drunk at night, like the wish to live was slowly decreasing in him.

Adam was very worried about his friend. He was ready to go to the depth of hell to bring Maria back if possible, but he knows it can't be done, and Leo has to learn.

The raw emotions he is carrying in his eyes behind his stoic face are like blades piercing in his heart. He had promised his mother that he would take care of him. But the task is much more difficult than he had thought.

Once sure that he was totally drunk he dropped him in his house, hoping tomorrow will be a new bright day.

******

In the office, the moment Leo came out from the lift, all the employees who were happily chatting turned silent so that even a rustle of papers could be heard.

Leo looked around at the scared faces of his employees, the way they were wishing him good morning by hanging their heads low. It's not like they were not afraid of him before.

But now they are scared like they will not only lose their job but also their soul would be lost in the pit of hell. Now Leo was like a walking demon God for them who is no less than Hades, with the red bloodshot eyes looking at them.

When he settled in his office, his secretary came to inform him about his schedule with his coffee, only she is the one who still has the courage to look into his eyes.

Maybe because she was working with his mother before joining him, she has seen him since he was a child.

Once everything was done, she said"I hope you remember that I am going to retire at the end of this month. but you have still not appointed a new secretary if you could do so in time. I will be able to teach her things properly sir."

"Why? I don't think it's necessary to retire. You are working just fine. " He said in a bored tone, working on his file. Not even glancing once at his secretary.

"I am aged sir, now I want to give time to my family." She said acting brave but the cower in her voice gave her away. Out of all, she is also afraid of him now.

Is he really that monster people think of him? Oh, who was he kidding he is! He is a monster hidden under this human clothing.

FAMILY this word brings an emptiness lurking in his heart. His whole body burned like hell. If only he had one! "Fine, as you wish. Go and inform HR about the new appointment" Once the secretary is gone, He opened his side drawer and took out the photo of his mother and the letter with it. 

He called his friend Adam "Can we meet in a restaurant for lunch?"

"Ok, see you there, then."

"Sir, the board meeting will start in five minutes" informed the secretary entering back. 

*******

In the board meeting.

"Sir this was all" At last the manager said bravely. He has been speaking from the past two hours and has already given the details about the plan with every single key point. Yet the boss does not react. Neither asked him to stop. He doesn't know what else he should say. He looked around his Colleagues and all have a terrified reaction on their faces, they all were looking at their boss with sweat on their faces"

"God the boss has become scarier now"

"He was Looking like he would kill any moment from now."

"Look at the pen he is holding, it' about to break"

"Didn't he break the glass in the last meeting, I won't be surprised anymore"

"Poor Alec, he has said all the points twice but still there is no reaction"

"What do you think, did he not like the presentation that much"

" Shhhh, he may be listening to our conversation. Look at the way he is looking to everyone"

"Sir, what do you think about the project?" At last, he can't bear the pressure anymore, he needs to know.

"It's an utter waste of my time." He said nonchalantly.

!!!?????!!!!!!

Everyone has the same reaction on their faces.

"Make this report again and submit it to me tomorrow," he said and was about to leave when a few senior members spoke due to the pleading eyes of other members.

"En, Leo why don't you guide your staff with your exceptional knowledge about their mistakes so that they can learn and work can also be done diligently."

"If I have to tell you about the key points then why am I paying them. It's better that I make the report myself and fire all of them."

!!!???!!!! Again they don't know how to respond to it. They want to know their mistakes but at the same time, they don't want to lose their jobs.

"Sigh. The place you chose near Cassinia river for the resort is not going to be approved by the government because that was the trade route of a nearby country, they still do business with gold ornaments and antiques which is a treasure of our country, so it would get rejected right away. 

The layout you made is just a copy of our last hotel, nothing new while a resort near the river should have some more open areas"

"Resort services are just like others there is nothing new for the clients but the rate is higher, customers are no fools"

" You have USP as our name. It will rather depreciate the Value of brand rather than appreciate it"

Do you want to know more?"

The members were thoroughly ashamed they thought since the last hotel plan was approved and got hit they could copy a bit but they never thought that their plan would be seen through.

"We will submit the new plan tomorrow morning sir, thank you."