Chapter Twenty-Seven

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, she rushed to hug him but was mindful of not getting any of her makeup on his suit jacket. He gently patted her on the back. Despite her weird dressing styles, she was his little sister.

"When will this phase end?"

He asked, praying good riddance to his mother's patience.

Pulling away from him, she giggled.

"Who said it was a phase?"

Absently nodding, Nick dropped the matter because he knew nothing he said would change Riana's mind.

"Please don't make Mom agitated."

He warned.

"Yes, yes, bye, Nicky."

She said, not taking heed of such a warning.

Waving him goodbye, she was planning to retreat. However, it was foiled when his mother's shriek bounced off the walls.

"OH, MY GOD! RIANA ROSS?! DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD HARDER THAN YESTERDAY?! GO CHANGE FROM THAT HORRISH DRESSING RIGHT NOW!"

Gasping, Riana planned her escape when their mother appeared from another hallway. She had sighted. However, there was no time to linger. All she did, was give Nick a heated glare as if he was the reason she had suddenly appeared and turned on her heel.

"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK OF ESCAPING! TODAY, YOU ARE NOT LEAVING MY HOUSE DRESSED LIKE THIS! I AM PUTTING MY FOOT DOWN! DO YOU HEAR ME, RIANA ROSS?!"

Shouting with a hand on her chest, Evelyn felt faint.

Nick quickly rushed to her, but she swiped his hands from touching her by muttering she would be fine, and of course, she was.

She was only in shock.

Kissing her on the forehead, he bade his farewell, and she quickly smiled before marching in the direction Riana had run off to.

"RIANA ROSS, GET BACK HERE!"

Hearing her loud shout, Nick shook his head.

His mother and Riana were always in a drama about what to wear and what not to. He was surprised his brother Cline was nowhere in sight to quell the unfolding drama but knowledgeable of his laidback personality, he too would experience his very own.

Glancing at the time to see that he had forty-five minutes until the meeting began, he walked out of the house and towards the garage.

Choosing another vehicle, a Bugatti, apart from his favorite BMW, he drove out of the parking lot with his necessary entourage toward his destination with determination.

When Nick reached the large building, he was twenty minutes early. The traffic not being as bothersome on other days.

Stepping out of his vehicle that had captured the gawking and watching bystanders' attention, he grabbed his briefcase from the backseat.

His properly trained and muscular bodyguards quickly rushed to his side. Dressed all in black, they scouted the area for any danger toward his person.

He closed the door with a soft bang and looked ahead at the tall building. The words in bold capitalized letters-- N&R--on the side of the building captured his attention.

It brought a smile to his lips because this was the first in many businesses he had raised from the ashes. However, it was his greatest achievement.

Removing the sunglasses from his eyes, he caught the eyes of many people walking by. Gasps from different people, women in general, surrounded him. Their most prevalent words were about his handsome face.

He sighed.

Having the attention of the media was already draining his energy. Random people whispering and gossiping about him made him uncomfortable.

Heading towards the building with his men surrounding him, he abruptly paused, for a large crowd of paparazzi that had appeared from nowhere intercepted his destination.

It seemed they had gotten a tip of his arrival, most likely from their disguised counterparts posing as ordinary people around the area.

In a matter of seconds, they had flooded the parking lot.

They also pushed innocent bystanders to the side so that they could get a closer snap of his exceedingly handsome and mouth-watering appearance and physic.

Everyone in close range was soon curious about the buzz.

The flashing cameras added more flames to the fire of excitement.

At the same time, the paparazzi' spoke as if he could understand their gibberish and jabber.

The bodyguards quickly intercepted the large crowd of eager paparazzi', and the security from inside the building rushed out to assist them further.

All their life paparazzi' devoted themselves to capturing famous people's personal life and everyday activity. It was like food for them, and they were involved in having the best news out of the other. Their annoying questioning and greediness for private information always got on his nerves.

Though this occurrence was everyday life as the third richest man in the world, Nick could never get over the fact people would go the extra mile to receive crumbs of someone's personal life.

It was bothering and frustrating.

Not wanting to waste more time, Nick speed-walked with two bodyguards flagging his sides into the building. The moment the sliding doors closed behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the stares were not over.

Everyone in the lobby glanced in his direction, their eyes widening like saucers because they had not anticipated his arrival. He frowned, for he had informed his COO about arriving sooner than later.

It seems she had only told the people included in the meeting. Again.

Stopping a small distance from the door, he fished his phone from the pocket of his suit jacket and dialed his PA number.

"Hello."

"Yes, hello, Mr. Thomas. Are you busy?"

Courteously, he asked while the task he had assigned his PA in mind. He had sent him to supervise in his place at another business across the globe.

"No, I am not, sir. I just sent a reviewed information to your email about the progress of the said company."

"Good. I will check it out later."

Appreciative of his hard work, Nick walked in the direction of one of the nervous female receptionists.

"Is there anything on my schedule after this meeting?"

He always liked to keep tabs on his every routine.

It kept him balanced and focused.

"Yes. The shareholding ceremony regarding the Peace and Hope Hospital. Your attendance is critical. It is taking place in the late afternoon. And I have already informed the secretaries to hand you the necessary details of the contract."

Humming, he tapped his fingers on the counter while watching but not staring at the fidgeting receptionist. He had wanted to back out of the deal with the Doccharles because of the incident four days ago.

However, his father had convinced him that it was not Doccharles' fault. He had reasoned with him a personal affair never affected a business deal.

"So I am free throughout the hours between that? What about my morning?"

"Yes. As for your morning, sir, since the shareholding will last an hour and a half, it will also be free, except for attending a charity event at 6:00 p.m."

Satisfied with the schedule since he had plenty of time to review, sign and re-organize different documents from his other businesses Nick murmured.

"Good."

With his questions answered, he ended the call and finally gave his undivided attention to the receptionist.

"Inform the conference room of my arrival."

"Y-yes, sir."

Almost in a squeaky voice, she dialed the conference room number on the company phone.

Not waiting to hear the one-sided conversation, he turned and walked towards the elevator with his bodyguards following close behind. Entering through the steel silver doors, he dismissed their presence. They quickly took their position on either side of the elevator to await his return.

Pressing the eighteenth button on the elevator keypad, he patiently waited, the phone still in his hands. Five minutes later, he had reached the floor, and breathing in and out, he marched towards the conference room but stopped dead in his tracks. That was because, after bending a corner, a familiar woman's back came into sight.

She was five steps away from the conference double doors and in her little world. She was unaware of his stare and his presence. His footsteps were loud, but she paid no mind to her surroundings.

She was muttering to herself and lightly banging her head on the wall.

Her British accent was thick, the time of hearing the woman's remarks in the washroom a month ago coming to mind. She sounded too familiar. He raised an eyebrow, and a frown graced his lips.

Unbeknownst to him, his palms were sweaty.

Slightly moving her head, the side of her face came into view, and his breath hitched.

For the past six days, that beautiful face flashed in his mind, the reality of his feelings shocking. He almost stuttered, for meeting Sharlene in his company was unexpected. He opened his mouth, but feeling his mouth dry, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Miss. Cunning-ham?"

"Yes?!"

Sharlene answered in a squeak as she heard her surname. It was as if someone caught her pushing her hands into a chocolate jar.

Pushing herself away from the wall as if it burned her, her heart raced.

In her mind, she thought it was her boss who had returned, but turning around with a sheepish smile, she bristled. Her breath caught, and her cheeks turned red.

The hand holding onto the files shook, and she accidentally dropped it.

The person standing in front of her was not her boss.

Instead, standing tall and looking so very handsome the last time she saw him was Nicholas Ross. He looked taken aback as if he had least expected to meet her here, which expression mirrored on her face.

Her future husband and newly discovered boss' boss stood looking at her without blinking.

Tongue-tied, the blush on her cheeks turned redder.

After five seconds of recalling what he said, she spoke barely over a whisper.

"Um...Hello?"

It was an awkward and unexpected interaction.

After another five seconds, Nick rapidly blinked as if he was in a trance. He probably was, for Sharlene was looking exceptionally beautiful today.

Passing a hand through his hair, he murmured.

"Do you work here?"

Nick figuratively kicked himself in the shin because the question was obvious.

"Yes. I am..."

Feeling her voice cracking, she cleared her throat and shyly continued.

"I am the secretary of Madam Sinclair."

"Ah. I see. No wonder."

Murmuring, he suddenly smiled, and Sharlene felt her heart spike in speed.

"So, you work for my COO?"

Again, Nick silently questioned his IQ at this moment.

Sharlene hastily nodded.

"Yes."

"That is surprising. And here I thought I would only meet you again tomorrow."

Lightly chuckling as she recalled his call days ago, she placed a strand of her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah."

As an awkward silence erupted between them, she suddenly remembered her boss's words and the file now on the floor.

Following her stare, he assisted by lifting the folder from the ground and stretched it towards her, but she quickly shook her head.

"This is actually for you. She wanted me to give this to you."

A frown graced his lips as he pulled it back to his person. He flipped it open and skimmed through the pages. His expression became indifferent and unreadable every time he did. Nodding, he closed it with a soft snap.

Satisfied with the content, he tucked it underneath his arm and inquisitively inquired.

"Was this the reason you were standing outside?"

"Yes. She told me to give it to you when you walked in my line of sight."

Wringing her hands in her lap, Sharlene was unsure if Nick found the matter reasonable.

He inclined his head in the door direction.

"Shall we head inside?"

Rapidly nodding, Sharlene was eager to escape the awkward situation.