Quiet zone

His hope shattered as the place - no, one of the places he had wished he did not reach, turned out to be the first place he got to.

Sitting on the couch as he had refused to take the seat behind the table, Chairman Conrad, though, he hadn't said a word since they got to this side of the floor, had all the stakeholders, AG Tim and Director Roland, standing to hem into him.

His head rested on the backrest as he closed his eyes under his palm, right knee crossed upon the other. He had been in that position for more than thirty minutes and everyone present, stood not complaining, a bit irritated but still not complaining.

It could last forever, them standing and watching him relax - if not sleeping. Fred had to gulp down the smile that was threatening to erupt from his throat. His uncle hadn't even moved a finger but he could see them squirming in their places.

He glanced at Director Roland to find him busy at a corner, making calls. His face straightened with a frown but he was quick to fill it up again with a smile.

Now, it was slowly turning to eternity. No one knew his next move or word. They couldn't even sit because he had not asked them to. Fred could see their patience level deflating and anger, elevating but he smirked. No matter what they felt, they could not utter a word.

Director Roland had joined the standing parade. Anger, disbelief, confusion, anxiety, and fear danced in his eyes.

Too intimidating and annoyingly rude. Everyone knew he was the boss, they even trembled when his name was called but does that mean he have to be too egoistic, full of himself, regarding the fact that most of the people in the office at the moment were older than him, old enough to his father and he did not even feel it proper to have them seated. Was he thinking that his company has been standing on one foot all these years, his foot?.

The fear he had earlier possessed slowly and distressingly turned into distaste. He was presently on the edge that would break into anger. His jaw clenched and his fists tightened. Pressing his lips together, he swallowed the words that were now on his tongue. Forcing himself to act mature and rational. If only - if only he knew that two people in the room could read others' thoughts, he wouldn't have thought in the first place.

Fred had to turn his face and let his eyes wander into the office they were now. Compelling his face to remain natural, zipping his lips from spewing the laughter that was now etching its way up to his throat. In the end, he let out a croak and got everyone looking at him.

As they faced Fred who had made the animalistic sound, they missed the devilish smirk that had appeared on Chairman Conrad's face.

' What? Have I uttered a word that has gained me your eyes?. Hey, turn the other way!. Am not performing a show here! '. Not that they didn't know, they did and somehow anticipated it. Fred, their boss' nephew who he often paraded as his son, was nothing less than a grunt, who did not care who was who his words reach as long as he has spoken his mind.

They rolled their eyes, more at his words than him. It was almost as though they were in a circular tent where all they had to do was to look. Look and not speak. Look and not move, because their showman was a predator than an entertainer.

' The cooling system in here is very commendable. Cold, airy, and of a fresh scent. Good job, Director Roland '. They all looked ahead to see that their boss had finally pulled himself out of his quiet zone.