15 First Meeting

Ten o'clock

Maria stretched in a seat while Mark was playing darts in a corner

"Finally done" Maria said

"I never knew you were so good at this"

"I worked a lot of jobs all through highschool" she said "I was a working maniac just so I could make ends meet. This was just one of the things I picked up along the way"

"And Helen?"

"Helen was..." Maria's voice trailed off as she instantly sat up "Oh my God. I almost forgot to help Helen"

"Help?" Mark asked as he stopped his game "With what?"

"She told me to act like her spy for today and walk around the company" Maria explained as she dressed her clothes properly and grabbed her phone and money "I need to analyze the situation with the fashion department"

"Sure, go ahead" Mark said

"Thanks" Maria said and just like that, she was off and Mark walked over to his coffee machine. He brewed himself a cup of coffee and sat in his chair before drinking away

"I really hope she doesn't get lost" Mark murmured

******

Maria had decided to start from the hundred and ninety third floor which belonged to the transport department. There were lots of workers in overalls, moving around with boxes and packages that had the company's logo.

"You there" someone shouted and as soon as Maria turned, she saw a man in a blue suit walking towards her.

He was average looking with short curly brown hair and hazel eyes. He had an average build and was tall in stature which made him tower over Maria when he stood in front of her. There was a name tag pinned to his suit

[Director of Transport]

[Chu Cheng]

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here" he said and Maria lifted up the access pass around her neck

"I'm just taking a walk around the building" Maria said and Cheng had to read her access pass

[Name: Maria McKinley]

[Access: Unlimited]

[Permission Granted By: Mark Page]

Cheng looked at Maria again in surprise before clearing his throat

"Feel free to look as you please" he said

"Can I also ask you some questions?"

"Sure" he said as he took her around the floor. While walking around, he compared her to Mark 'They really do look alike. It might have been a rumor but, I wouldn't be surprised if they're siblings'

While taking the tour, Maria saw members of the other departments coming to pick up packages while the fashion department was shunned at the door.

"Why is there so much discrimination?" Maria asked

"When everyone in the company found out what the directors of the fashion and finance department were involved in, people lost trust in those two departments" Cheng explained "Nobody is sure if the department members were in on it, or not"

"If I'm right, money and resources distributed to those two departments were cut short. Right?"

"Right"

"If there was a deal that required the departments to use the resources they currently have, to gain more money than usual without the help of the CEO or CFO.....would you agree to it?" Maria asked and Cheng looked at her

"Are you possibly..."

"I'm not. I'm just looking around and asking questions" Maria said with a smile

"I see" Cheng said before looking away from her "Well, it's impossible. They won't be able to survive as such, it's an impossible task that all the directors will agree to"

"It's not impossible under the right leadership" Maria said as they stopped in front of a door. When she looked up, she saw floor hundred and seventy three while next to it were two elevator doors.

"There are stairs in each department that allows members of that department to move as they please along their floors" Cheng explained "Plus, there are four elevators at every corner of the building"

"I see. Thanks for accompanying me" Maria said as she pushed the first elevator button

"Have a good day" Cheng said before watching her enter the elevator and leave. "I just can't get the feeling that she and Mr Page are really siblings, off my back" he murmured before turning around and heading back the way he came.

******

Twelve o'clock

Lunch Break

Maria was once again in the elevator and heading to one of the floors belonging to the food and nutrition department. Apparently, food and nutrition department were in charge of catering to everyone in the company's stomach. They were like a large scale eatery or cafeteria for the workers and took up eight floors.

She had already finished talking to all of the available directors in the building and taken a look at how the fashion department was faring with everything that was happening to them.

"I've learnt a lot about the fashion department's condition. Now I have some news to tell Helen" Maria murmured before reaching inside her heels and pulling out a five hundred dollar bill "Good thing I took some money from my bag" she said as the elevator door opened on the ninth floor.

As soon as she walked through the elevator doors, all eyes were on her. She ignored them even though there were a couple of murmurs about her, as she approached the counter with a female worker there.

"Hello, I'd like a cappuccino" Maria said and the worker took a long look at her

"Ye-Yes ma'am" the female worker said nervously as she rushed to prepare a cup for her. Maria set her phone down on the counter and rested her head on one hand as she waited.

She continued to observe everyone in the cafeteria until the elevator doors once again opened. Turning her head towards the elevator, she noticed Gabriel walking out with Janet two steps behind him. The whole cafeteria began to quiet down.

'That man is has quite the presence and is huge' Maria thought as she stared at Gabriel

He was tall and muscular so, it wasn't really much to think of him as huge. Not to mention, Gabriel was also a very handsome man. However, the dangerous and imposing aura that filled the room after he walked in, was what made Maria mark him as one of the aristocrats to avoid messing with.

Maria looked away from him "Not that I'm the type to mess with dangerous people" she murmured as she went back to waiting for her cappuccino

"That's the boss" the female worker said as she came back with Maria's cappuccino "Many don't dare to talk in front of him"

"I guess I'll have to warn my friend not to mess with him. She likes trouble" Maria said as she took the cappuccino "I don't cause trouble unless forced to"

"Well..."

"How much is it? The cappuccino I asked for" Maria said while taking a sip

"It's two hundred and fifty dollars" the worker said and Maria almost choked "It's made with quality beans"

'Yet it isn't as tasty as the ones made at Là Cafe' Maria thought as she gave the five hundred dollar bill to the worker. The worker took it and placed in the register before taking out Maria's change.

Before the worker could even give Maria the change, her body froze and Maria who noticed this, became worried.

"Is something wrong?" Maria asked

"G-Good m-m-mor...ning Sir" the worker said

"Huh?" Maria let out before her left hand was forcefully grabbed

"Who are you?" a cold voice said behind Maria "I've never seen anyone with your hair color in this company before" as soon as the person said that, Maria's hand was yanked but due to her small statue, her whole body was pulled in the same direction as her left hand.

Her right hand which held the cappuccino, slammed into the person's body and coffee was spilled on them both. The hot coffee on Maria's skin made her to shut her eyes and winch.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt like she was pulled into an abyss. One that gave her goosebumps and pulled her attention the more she looked. Until she realized the person who had caused this reaction, was none other than Gabriel.

For Gabriel, looking into Maria's eyes was distracting. Those sea blue eyes of hers were great attention grabbers. And he felt like he was being bewitched.

"The coffee burns...can you please let go of me?" Maria asked and the whole cafeteria went silent as Gabriel's grip on her wrist increased "You're hurting me" she said

"Who do you think you're talking to in such a manner?" Gabriel asked and Janet had to intervene

"S-sir...she has a pass" Janet said "Look at the pass first. Mr Mark personally told me to authorize it"

"Mark did?" Gabriel repeated as he stared at the access pass that was hanging around Maria's neck; just above her bosom

"Please let go. You're hurting me" Maria said as Gabriel's eyes widened after reading the pass

"You're Maria?" Gabriel asked as he looked at her "Mark actually brought you here and didn't tell me about it?"

"How do you even know me?" Maria asked as she finally got her hand free 'Forget that' she thought as she looked at her wrist. Those that were nearby could see a bit of redness around her wrist for a second but soon enough, her sleeves covered it. "You beast"

"First time someone actually has the guts to call me that to my face" Gabriel said and Maria's breathing hitched but just then, her phone buzzed

Ignoring Gabriel's remark, she picked up her phone and answered the call

"Maria, where are you?" the person asked over the phone

"Mark, I want to go back to my house" Maria said

"Did something happen?" Mark asked worriedly

"No, nothing happened" she said as she rushed passed Gabriel and went straight to the elevator "I just...don't want to stay anymore. I ruined my dress with coffee"

"Wait for me at the reception" Mark said before cutting the call

The elevator doors opened and she walked right in. She took a glance at Gabriel who hadn't moved in a while but before the doors shut, he glanced at her and the goosebumps she once had, returned.

"Janet, for what just happened...You'll be working during the weekends for a month" Gabriel said as he loosened his tie and walked towards the other elevator

"Yes sir" Janet said while tailing him

"Also, tell someone to send a new suit to my office" Gabriel said as the elevator doors opened and they walked in and just when the doors shut, "Where's Mark?"

"In his office...he was there when we left" she said

"Good" Gabriel said "Because, I need an explanation for all this"

******

Meanwhile

Maria who was waiting at the reception, couldn't stop her shaking hands but she hid it so well that nobody thought anything was wrong. Mark spotted her as soon as he came out from the elevator with her handbag. He could tell instantly that something was wrong but she was trying to believe there was nothing so he played along.

"Let's go. I told you this place destroys the mind and soul" Mark said but she forced a smile

"I needed to get out of my shell a bit" Maria said as they both left the building "I dislike places that are dominated by men"

"What? Does that mean you don't like me?" Mark asked jokingly

"You act like a kid yet you're my boss. I won't say I dislike you" Maria said 'Although, that was the first time in years that I trembled because of the gaze of a man. Though, this one and the one of the past are two different things' she thought as she remembered how Gabriel looked at her.

...

Boy, I had fun writing this one. Almost like a movie