EPISODE 10: The Helpful But Annoying

Sebastian was left frozen on his spot if his driver-bodyguard didn't pat his shoulder. He snapped and went back into the cold facade that he failed to put up since he had a nice evening stroll. 'Hope to do that again with her.' he thought.

Meanwhile, Veronica was feeling warm and happy as she was on the way back to her penthouse. But it didn't last long when somebody called her phone.

"LM speaking." Veronica went into her cold facade as she picked up the call from Yohan.

'Boss, Mrs. Everlyn Pendelton caught her husband cheating and she's slightly being beaten up. Good thing, her son was there to her rescue.'

Veronica smirked at the news. "I see. Who's the unlucky whore fooling around with her husband?" she wondered.

'Another girl from a wealthy family of Sakurai.'

"Oh, he was messing with the wrong family if he hurt the heir." She chuckled sinisterly. "Informed the Sakurai family who's Mr. Claudius Pendelton and tell them it's from their friend LM." She commanded.

'Understood, boss.'

Veronica hung up the call with the sinister smirk still visible on her lips. "He's moving again. I think I better accept Sebastian's offer before things reach him."

BUSY DAY. It never slipped away from the two CEOs of two different companies. But at the Ciel De Luna, Veronica was handling the usual issue that some departments were dealing with.

Yuna entered the office of her lady boss as soon as she knocked on the door. "My lady, here's the sales and stocks report at El Fregamo company, and here's the meeting request from the design department." She handed two files to her boss. "Their department manager is hoping for your approval or additional input if you had any before the assigned deadline."

"Alright, leave that here. I will call you if there's any additional for this matter." Veronica coldly responded while she was busy reading the sales and stock report from El Fregamo. "Anything else to add, Yuna?"

"Nothing as for now," Yuna responded.

Veronica nodded. "You may go. I'll call later." Yuna respectfully bowed and left the office.

As soon as Yuna left, Veronica's private phone began ringing till she picked it up. "Speaking."

'Boss, I found another transaction that connects to him and it was a small-time mafia in the western city. But I will clarify if their boss knew about what transaction that his men did with him.'

Veronica coldly commanded to Aya."Email me the details after getting everything, Aya." Then she hung up the call after hearing Aya's reply and went back to her company work.

As her morning went on, in the other part of the city at Salazar Empire, Sebastian went cold and imperious for some issue he received. He almost shouted to nobody when he received a call regarding it.

'I'm sorry, Sir. I just got a notice from our rival computer company about the same product.'

Sebastian was starting to get furious about the computer investors that they had a contract with. "Alright, send me the details now." Then he hung up the call. He took a deep breath since he had to control the anger on the top of his chest and not let it take over. "Glen, call for an emergency meeting in 15 minutes." He pressed an intercom before he got up from his seat.

'Yes, sir.'

At exactly 15 minutes, Sebastian arrived at the meeting room with his usual cold facade but his employees could feel the heated anger radiating around him. All of them respectfully bowed and sat only when he did.

"Care to tell me what just happened?" Sebastian asked as soon as he sat down on his seat. 

At first, nobody dared to give him some answers until one did. "Sir, we just learned that one of our computer investors also invested in our rival computer company and released it ahead of our release date." one of the marketing heads answered. 

"We can't control our investors since it was not indicated as well that they could not invest in the same product as the other company." one of the HR department added.

Sebastian listened to them carefully before speaking. "Then what are you planning to surpass the launching of our rival computer company?" he asked them and again nobody dared to speak yet.

"How about we sell it at a lower price?" one of the marketing suggested.

Sebastian sternly looked at them. "Are you saying that the quality of our first computer was that low to be sold at a lower price?" he didn't like that suggestion at all. "Anything else?" he asked the others.

"Sir, how about we add a package deal for the first hundred who'll buy it in our first release month?" another one from the marketing suggested.

Sebastian thought about it for a second before saying anything to them. "We can do some upgrades on the specs that our rival computer company didn't have which won't affect much of our quality price. We could also double it up once the customers availed the added package deal within the releasing month." He suggested an idea that everyone agreed on. "This meeting is adjourned and make sure to report the updates to me through Glen." he quickly gets up from his seat and leaves the meeting room.

After an emergency meeting, Sebastian decided to swamp himself with workload but could not focus. There was something suddenly bugging his mind. It was a person that he could not get rid of in his mind.

"Fuck this." Sebastian quickly got out of his office and informed Glen where he was going. "Glen, clear my commitment today. I need to go somewhere to relieve some stress."

"Understood, Sir." Glen respectfully bowed and watched his boss retreat and rush to the elevator. "Seems like he found his heart again and could not hold still," he told himself while shaking his head.

Veronica just finished her meeting with some designers of El Fregamo and heading her way to her office. Yuna was grinning from ear to ear as soon as she reached her floor. She looked puzzled over her secretary's grinning smile.

"Are you high?" Veronica wondered making Yuna shake her head. "I don't believe you."

"I am not high, my lady but your suitor is waiting inside," Yuna informed her boss. Veronica was confused since she didn't have any suitor until she recalled Sebastian's offer.

Veronica didn't say anything and just entered her office. She sighed since Sebastian was grinning upon seeing her annoyed face while he sat again on her chair.

"I love your grumpiness upon seeing me here again." Sebastian teased.

Veronica just sighed as she rolled her eyes and took the file on her desk to read them. "What made you come here? Miss me already?" she asked as she sat on the couch.

Sebastian smiled. "Would you believe that I do?" Veronica gave him a look. "I can't get you out of my mind and seeing you I felt relief." He honestly admitted making Veronica sigh.

"I'm not your stress reliever." She told him as she focused on the file that she was reading. "Don't start on annoying me. I'm busy, not like you." She added making Sebastian chuckle.

"I am busy but I ditch them just to see you." Sebastian was being honest but Veronica was not taking it seriously.

"Right. Don't annoy me. We have piled up issues that need my attention, so please, be quiet." Veronica sternly told him.

Sebastian got curious and went to her side. "I can help, may I see it?" Veronica sighed and showed him what she was reading.

"Hm, same what happened to us earlier," Sebastian commented. "What do you want to do with it?"

Veronica sighed. "I already had a meeting with everyone but we can't change the design in a rush. It will ruin the quality of our product and the deadline is nearing," she told him and she sounded like she was already out of options.

"When is the deadline?" he wondered.

"In two months." She answered. "We have time but the mass production with this kind of design will affect the release date and we can't delay it again." She sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Alright, my suggestion is still to go with this design but make it a limited edition and make a promotional add-up package deal with the new design for this product." Sebastian shared his suggestion professionally. "In short, you're going to release two designs in one product." he smiled assuringly at her.

Veronica considered it and went to her desk to check the details of their mass production. "If we go to the limited edition we could meet the marked deadline and if we made the simple design, I have to divide the production crew assigned to this project." She thought carefully and started grinning. "Thanks for not annoying me and helping with this issue."

Sebastian smiled. "I told you that I'll be here whenever you need my help." Veronica just smiled back at him and Sebastian felt something around his chest when he saw it. He loves to see that smile again.

Veronica pressed the intercom. "Yuna, call the project head manager now." She told her secretary.

Veronica prepared the renewed idea and had a meeting with the project manager that she assigned to the project. She briefly explained the idea and the project manager understood the renewed idea and that it would meet their deadlines. 

As that was settled, Veronica dismissed the assigned project manager before doing her job again. But dealing with paperwork without a stop was very tiring. Sebastian noticed and went behind her to relieve some building stress on her shoulders. She wanted to complain but it was giving her a soothing vibe making her release a soft moan.

Sebastian smirked. "It's obvious that you need some rest."

"I know but I can't." Veronica sighed while Sebastian still massaged her shoulders.

"I'm here." He reminded her.

She sighed. "Don't, Seb." she doesn't want him to get involved too much with her.

Sebastian grinned. "I want to. Plus, you're going to be my wife." he was confident that Veronica would agree to his proposal.

"You're starting to annoy me again." Veronica rolled her eyes and waved her hand to make him stop massaging her shoulders.

"I will keep doing that till you say yes." He confidently said making Veronica shake her head.

"Then be my slave and make me some coffee," Veronica commanded making Sebastian lost in his thoughts. "What? Don't tell me you can't do that?"

Sebastian had an idea. "I can but tonight let me treat you for a simple but fancy dinner." Veronica was caught off guard by his sudden offer. "So, do you have any allergies?" he asked.

"Sounded like I can't decline." Veronica sighed and Sebastian nodded. "Crab and shrimp." 

"Then I'll pick you up after your working hours." his smile held excitement. "Don't ghost on me, I already know your full schedule."

"Fine." She just waved her hand and shooed him away from her office. "you always got your way."

Sebastian chuckled. "It's a date." then stole a kiss from Veronica's cheek. "See you later, my enchantress."