Chapter 3

Dashiel's Pov

"That is my cabin. So shut up." I said and closed the door on her face.

I counted the designs and indeed there was one missing.

I came back outside. "There is one design missing." I said.

"See I knew it. Tell me you bastard where are my designs?" She asked grabbing hold of my suit lapels

"Stop creating a scene." I hissed looking down at her and holding her wrist to pull her away from my suit.

"I will show you what a scene is." She said removing her hands from me and removing a pen knife she took a hold of my lapel and cut it. The sound of the fabric being torn could be heard in the silence of the office. The lapel was now in her hand.

"Hey!" Anderson said holding her away from me.

"Are you mad?" He asked her.

"He should be glad that I didn't pierce it in his chest. I want the culprit within 24 hours or your boss will go behind the bars." She said and walked away.

"Are you okay? You didn't say anything to her?" Anderson said looking at me.

"A woman scorned is not something I need to entangled myself in. Cctv footages of the 3 days I was not here." I said and Anderson nodded his head.

We viewed the footages and there was no one then I ordered the footages of the week where Anderson was not there it was almost 12 at night.

"You should go home. I will figure this out." I said.

"No, it was our negligence so we both should make an effort to find the culprit." He said.

"You can make the effort tomorrow morning. I don't want Sandra to be upset with you because of me." I said.

"She won't. She understands that it's work and sometimes we have to work late." He said.

"Go or I will suspend you for 3 days." I said.

"Huh, you won't." He said and he continued looking at the footages.

"Try me." I said and then he looked up. I raised my eyebrows challenging him.

"Fine only because you are saying." He said and I smiled. We all know that he was going not because I told him to go but because I threatened him to go. Major difference but since he was going who am I to point out the difference and delay him.

"Why are you looking for the culprit personally? You could have just assigned the work to someone." He said confused.

"Because I know what it is like to lose something which belongs to you and I don't even want my enemy to have the feeling. Though she is close to an enemy but she is not actually an enemy and if i assigned everything to everyone else our company wouldnt have been where it is." I said.

"True that. Let me know if you find the culprit." He said.

"Sure thing. Say hi to Sandra for me." I said.

"Will do." He said and walked out.

It was three in the night when I found the culprit.

I clicked his photo and forwarded it to my private investigator.

I laid on the couch and slept. I was too tired to go to mom's house or my house for that matter.

"Mom." I said with my eyes closed. "How do you know it's me?" She asked.

"You are my mom, ofcourse I know it's you." I said and took the hand which was caressing my hair and kissed her knuckles.

"What time is it?" I asked covering my mouth as a silent yawn escaped.

"It's 8. You didn't come home last night?" She asked.

"Yes I had to work late and I got tired." I said fixing things in my desk.

"Look at me " she said and I stopped what I was doing and looked at her.

"Is it a project?" She asked.

"Sort of." I said.

"You are hiding something better tell it now before I find it from elsewhere." She said sternly.

"Okay you don't need to go don mom on me. So...." I began my explanation, all the while mom patiently listened her eyes grew slightly when I said the coffee throwing part but I had to, I am nothing if not honest.

"So now I have got the whereabouts about the guy and I am going to deal with him in my own way." I said.

"You don't feel that you should inform her that you know about the culprit. Involve her in the process." She added and I frowned.

"Involve her? Why? For all I know she will blow up another fuse or worse. It's better she stays in the unknown." I said.

"As you wish but if that man harms a hair on your head." she said grabbing my shoulders and looking at me with a fierce look. Yeah, the mumma bear was out, nobody messes with her son.

"Yeah you kill them, make them regret the day they were born, anything else you want to add?" I asked with a grin.

"Keep smiling, son. Your smile is everything I want." She said and I grabbed her normal hand and the prosthetic one and kissed their knuckles.

"Keep prospering. Now I have brought you yesterday's dinner with a little bit of breakfast so eat it without a fuss otherwise I will not let anyone enter Anderson included." She said.

"Mom you can't hijack everything." I said my jaw dropping. She pushed my shoulders down so I sat on the chair and she grabbed a plate and started stuffing my plate.

"Mom it's too much I will puke." I said making a puppy dog expression hoping she would have mercy on me but no such luck.

"No you won't, son. You are my child I know how much you eat. You want to eat less because you are stressed and I don't want you to get weak so finish it up I will also have something." She said and sat down infront of me.

"No one can win from you." I said shaking my head.

"Because I am your mother and you listen to me." She said in a singsong voice and we chuckled.

"What's with the commotion?" My mom asked.

"Ignorance is bliss." I said taking the last bite.

"It's your office. You can't ignore something when it belongs to you." My mom admonished.

"Fine, if I have to take a guess it's my nemesis, the designer." I said making faces.

"Your? And doesn't the girl have a name?" She asked with a teasing smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Mom, come on stop marking the little things. Fine the enemy I hate her but I don't mix personal issues with business so I am tolerating her. Her name is Seraphinia." I huffed.

"Go and see what the matter is about." Mom said patting my shoulder.

"Okay but first take whatever is left of my coat before she decides to ruin it even more." I said and there was a loud banging on the door.

I opened it and her hand stopped mid air. Her eyes went down to my chest. She gulped and her eyes glazed I smirked. My hand was still on the doorknob. I smirked. I crossed my arms so that my muscles buldged. I cleared my throat.

"See something you like?" I asked.

"Only in your dreams." She said regaining her composure which she has evidently lost on seeing me.

"You would only be there in my nightmares which thankfully I don't get." I said.

"Did you find the culprit. I want my remaining designs by hook or by crook." She said coming near my face.

I took a step back "keep your distance." I said.

"I won't keep what will you do?" She said again taking a step forward.

"I will push you." I said grabbing her arms and pushing her not too hard.

"Then I will come again and I will come till the time I don't get my designs." she said looking up at me. She was so small, her attitude was taller than her height. I matched  her gaze and glared at her.

"I want my popcorn if you two are going to kiss." My mom said from the couch. Her legs stretched before her.

"Really mom? Like really. I think you both should leave. I want my cabin to myself." I said looking at both of them.

"Your son has no manners and he irritates the shit out of me." She said and my mouth fell open at the accusation and before mom could reply. I replied "you don't exactly cool my eyes."

"Oh that's funny because if you had eyes we would never have been in this situation in the first place." She yelled.

"Don't yell. I have found the culprit." I said.

"Wow and when were you going to enlighten me with this information when you lost him or when he loses my designs." She said.

"Can't you think of anything positive?" I asked.

"Unfortunately when it comes to you, no." She said.

"Children." Mom said and we both snapped our eyes in her direction.

"As much as I am enjoying your banter we need to get your designs back and that too quickly so how about you two work together." She asked.

"With him please no I would rather die." She said.

"Good because I would very much like to keep all my other jackets intact." I said going back to my table.

"You deserved it." She said pressing her palms on the table and leaning forward.

"No I did not. Now start working on the other designs." I said.

"No after I get my designs I am leaving this company." She said.

"No you can't you have to work with us for 3 months and it's only been 3 weeks and also if you go I will take this as my win and your defeat. Come on admit it you are scared of me." I said in a soft voice with a smirk. Her eyes narrowed and she balled her fists. I tried hard to hide my grin by pursing my lips.

"Scared and that too from you, my foot!" She said and I started typing on the laptop.

"Then I am sure your foot wouldn't mind working with me for more 2 months." I said.

"I am only working because I want to prove to you that I am not scared. I am Seraphinia Calloway and I never lose." She said flipping her hair back. I shook my head, that swag isn't going to get her anywhere if she doesn't make the new designs and that too quickly.

"You have the name, address anything of the thief?" She asked.

"No. I will get it soon. You will have your designs by evening I give you my word." I said and she scoffed "Don't I believe all your words." She said and walked out of the cabin.

In the Evening

My knuckles were bruised it had taken a lot of his bones to crack to get him to talk about his real boss but I got the name. It was an established company and they didn't like that I was entering into the clothing line hence the stealing. My lip had been busted. At the end of the day I had handed him over to the police.

"What happened to you?" Anderson said as I kept her designs on his desk.

"Nothing. Her designs give it to her." I said and he got up.

I sat on the computer and started writing a letter. When Anderson knocked "Seraphinia fainted should we call the doctor?" He asked.

I nodded and got up. I went inside her cabin. She was lying awake.

"I am fine. Thank you everyone. I will just have something I will be good." She said and I shook my head at her casualness.

Everybody went away after giving her wishes for speedy recovery.

"Should I print you a personal invitation?" She asked.

"That would be nice while you are at it, print an eating timetable for yourself." I said and she huffed.

"Please it was an accident." She said crossing her arms.

"Today it was an accident tomorrow it will become a habit then what will you do? The doctor will come in sometime, get the check up done without putting up a fuss." I said.

"I don't put up a fuss you make me want to put up a fuss seriously doesn't anything break your 'I am so cool' facade." She said air quoting and I turned away to open the door.

"This doctor thing is especially for me or you do it for everyone." She asked and I turned my head to look at her.

"Unlike you I am very much concerned about the health of my employees." I said and went out but I was closing the door. She stood up and came to me.

"Wait a minute." She said grabbing my wrist and pulled me inside her cabin. I snatched my wrist back and gave her a what the hell look.

"Who changed the make up of your face?" She asked.

"You got your designs?" I asked.

"Yeah." She asked not getting the point.

"Then that's all that matters." I said and walked two steps when she again grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

I gave her an annoyed look. "no need to be a martyr. You could have just handed him over to the police." She huffed and I rolled my eyes.

"Done or is there more?" I asked.

"Yes, there is more you care about your employees but not about yourself where is the logic in that. You should take care of yourself..." I tuned her out after that thinking if I just walked away what are the chances that I would make it to my cabin in one piece. One piece as in she wouldn't grab me by my wrist or block my way. She was going on talking about how she didn't need my help she was Seraphinia Calloway and that's when I snapped. I have had enough of this nonsense just because I am listening doesn't mean she goes on talking.

I cupped her mouth with my hand and pushed her to the wall with her elbow in my other hand.

"I have had enough with your Calloway attitude. If you speak one more word I will break a vase on your head, consequences be damned." I said angrily and her eyes moved rapidly assessing me.

"Oh sorry." Anderson said and walked out. I left her elbow and removed my hand from her mouth. I immediately walked to the door. I saw the doctor sitting by the reception.

"Send him in." I said and walked to my cabin.

"She is refusing to have the doctor check her." Anderson said and I looked up heavenwards what did I do wrong today.

"What did I say about making a fuss?" I asked entering her cabin without knocking.

"You think I give two flying fucks about what you said and if you try to shut me up like the way you did earlier I will bite you so hard that the pain from the dog bite would seem less." She said and I rolled my eyes.

"Why aren't you getting yourself checked? Any health issues risk exposing? Doctor is there any disease due to which a patient speaks a lot if there is I think she has it." I said and her jaw dropped open.

"Doctor tell me which part of the head is best to make someone unconscious?" She replied back.

"Why because you want to have your own sweet time to admire my hotness?" I asked.

"You wish. Admiring and you. I would rather mix poison in your coffee." She said.

"Tch... Tch... That wasn't the look which I saw this afternoon when you were openly oggling me." I said.

"Oggling and you please. I have better standards." she said looking away from me "and those are...." I trailed off with a teasing smile I was so enjoying irritating her I could continue this all day.

"None of your concern." She said and Anderson coughed.

"The doctor is waiting." He reminded us of the issue at hand.

"I have conditions before I get myself checked." She said and I raised my eyebrows.

"Enlighten me why do you think your conditions will be fulfilled?" I asked.

"Because I am your employee. You care for your employees as you yourself say and most importantly if you don't meet my condition I would not get the test done." She said.

"We do a blood test after any of the employees falls sick in the premises. It is mandatory and was written in your contract which you clearly failed to read." I said.

"It's a small condition and I did read my contract. It's just I hate blood tests because of the needles it's painful so if I am going to undergo a blood test there should be something I am getting." She said and I huffed "I don't have time for this." I said looking at Anderson he shrugged helpless.

"Fine what are the conditions?" I asked.

"First I want you to get treated first the lip cut and whatever other bruises are there." She said averting her gaze not letting me see her eyes. Eyes can tell a lot about a person.

"Second?" I asked.

"I want icecream a tub full of chocolate chip on the company's account." She added the last part.

"You are a designer you can't afford a tub of icecream for yourself." I said.

"I am a starting designer and plus icecream is a wasteful expense in my budget so I am putting it on the company's." She said and I narrowed my eyes shaking my head. This girl, I wondered now I think that I am working with a school girl, icecream really?

"You can't have icecream until after the blood test." The doctor said and she nodded.

"Third I want cake too death by chocolate from the bakery across the street big cake." She said and I mumbled to Anderson "if today's day has to have a name it would be death by her." We both smirked

"What's wrong?" She asked frowning not getting the joke.

"Nothing I was just telling him that if you demand so much my company will go bankrupt." I said.

"Naah I demand the small pleasures of life." She said with a dreamy smile.

"Yeah in big sizes." I said and her smile vanished. She stood up "You, you have a problem with everything I do." She said poking a finger in my chest.

"Hey don't touch me. If you do good work I won't have a problem with you like you getting checked without putting up your conditions. Is there a fourth one or is it done?" I asked.

"No and I do good work I have been doing it for three weeks straight. Ofcourse an asshole like you won't notice it." She said and my eyes widened. I grabbed both her elbows and she struggled in my hold. I walked her backward and pushed her down by the shoulders to make her sit on the couch.

"Well this asshole brought your designs back. You are welcome." I said.

"These are just bruises you do her blood tests I will just apply some cream." I said to the doctor he nodded his head.

"No I want you to do the dressing for him I don't trust his healing methods."  She said.

"Trust well nobody asked you for your so called trust. I am better off without it. Now give your blood." I said.

"Yeah that's the closest thing to life you can ask." She said and I grabbed the paperweight from her desk and was about to throw it in her direction when Anderson came infront of me and held my arm.

"Relax, relax she is an employee. We don't want a harassment suit our way." He murmerred the last part.

"You have a short fuse." She said.

"No thanks to you." I said.

"That needle is so big, isn't there a short needle?" She asked.

"This is the smallest needle. I have to be somewhere else also so let me take the blood test quickly." The doctor said and I smiled it was good to know that someone other than me was as irritated by her as I was.

"Stop smiling." She said and I made a face.

She closed her eyes and looked the other way.

"Thank you doctor and sorry for your time being wasted. If you want we can pay you extra for the time that was gone." I said and the doctor shook his head before he would speak ms. Talkative decided to take over.

"What money? He was just sitting here. You are just paying money for a man to sit. If you have that much free cash lying around give it to me." She said and I narrowed my eyes.

"Shut up before I do something with that that mouth of yours. Again I apologise doctor if she wasn't so good at her work I would be the first one to kick her out." I said and I noticed her jaw dropped from the corner of my eye. The doctor nodded his head in understanding.

"My condition is left." She said.

"The cake and the icecream will come." I said.

"No I want him to put the first aid on you." She said.

"No, I don't need it." I said.

She held my wrist and kept it infront of the doctor.

"Heal him or tomorrow I will file a case of patient negligence myself." She threatened.

"Don't listen to her. She herself has 3 deadlines to meet she won't have the time to file a case and I am not a kid stop treating me like that." I said snatching my wrist back but she held it back again. I raised my eyebrows getting pissed.

"Doctor the time you have spent staring at our faces and listening to our arguments in that time you would have finished his first aid." She said the docror sighed and applied the cream.

"These are the creams you should apply thrice a day on your lip as well as your knuckles." He said and she left my wrist.

"Thank you doctor. Write good things about me in the report." She said with a big 32 teeth which vanished after 2 seconds as she walked back to her desk.

"It's a blood report not a magazine report where he would write your praises. What is there will actually be there." I said and she made faces.

"Whatever." She sighed. She started working with her scale and art book. After we walked outside I instructed the peon to get all her demands and send it in her cabin. It's not because I have started liking her or something it's just because it was a condition she fulfilled her part. It was time I fulfilled mine and plus if she was happy she would do good work which would results in profits for my company. So you see, end of the day I only benefit.

Next day

"Good morning Dashiel." Sandra's voice came. "Hey." I said surprised.

"Good morning." I added and behind her Anderson walked. I noticed a cake in her hand.

"Happy Birthday." Both she and Anderson wished. I thanked them and Anderson hugged me while I nodded at Sandra.

Sandra lighted the candles.

"There was no need for the cake and especially not the candles." I said.

"Ssshhh it's your birthday and we are glad that you were born so we are celebrating now don't complain and blow the candles. Make a wish before blowing them." She said and they sand the whole happy birthday song.

I fed Anderson first and then Sandra. As I was feeding Sandra guess who came, none other than the miss. Takeover.

She looked at the cake and then Sandra feeding me. She averted her gaze. I chewed the cake.

"Now what?" I asked.

"The cream." She kept the cream on the table and had walked till the door only to turn around and come back.

"Happy Birthday." She said and took the knife cut a piece. I thought she was about to eat the piece herself but then she forwarded it to me. I looked at the piece of cake and then towards her.

"Come on fast before I have it myself." She said and I sighed now that's the version of hers I am well aware of. I was about to take a small but when she stuffed the entire piece in my mouth.

I swallowed it while she cut a piece for herself.

"Congratulations on the engagement. I didn't know you were engaged." She said taking small bites of the piece, savoring the taste.

"Excuse me." Sandra said.

"You have a ring on your finger and you were feeding him cake. So...." She shrugged her shoulders to indicate that it was obvious.

"Yes, thank you. Now if you have eaten the cake here is the phone make yourself useful." I said handing her my phone.

"Nice phone." She said after a few clicks. I was standing in the middle of Anderson and Sandra. My arms around both of them.

"Thanks." I said.

"Maybe you could gift it to me for my birthday." She said and I interrupted her.

"Not happening." I said.

"Well I could always try." She said and walked out of the door.

"You know you lied to her." Anderson said.

"Yeah so what she takes over the entire conversation not hearing the right or left of the story let her be with that knowledge she deserves it." I said and she came back.

"My phone? Who deserves what?" She asked.

"Nothing anything else you forgot here or just the phone?" I asked.

"Can't you talk to me normally?" She asked.

"Can't you come only when invited?" I asked in the same tone.

"I was worried for you." She said looking here and there and I frowned.

"Worried? For me? My ears are really deceiving me." I said.

"Shut up! Not everything is fun and games." She said raising her voice. Her eyes collided with mine and their honesty made me straighten up.

"Why do you care? You got your designs. Your work is the only thing you should care about." I said sombrely digging a hand in my suit pocket.

She pushed her hair behind her ears and looked away from my face " I apologise for not having a stone instead of a heart and a conscience and I feel bad as you were hurt because of me you took on a fight which was not yours because of me." She said and then looked into my eyes.

I gave her a bored look "am I the only one finding this dramatic?" I asked to the other two spectators in the room. They both looked at each other and then at me.

"Why do you always feel that I am talking rubbish or I am being dramatic. I am serious. You should have never gotten into that fight. If I would have known I would have sent the police to that location. There is a way of doing things without getting hurt and...." She was about to say more when I raised my hand indicating her to stop.

"First, yes I feel it because yes you always have some stupid childish deamsn or as you put it conditions and you are like fire not the hot good looking fire but the I will burn this place down fire. Second, I didn't get into the fight because of you I got into that fight because of my company. You always seem to forget that you are not working alone you are working with the company and for the company. Third, good you didn't know the location otherwise I would have been robbed of the opportunity to know the name of the company behind this theft. Fourth, there is no way of doing great things without getting your hands dirty." I completed and then sat down on my desk and had water.

"I have already spoken a lot so if you have got your necessary explanations you can leave." I said.

"Are you really engaged?" She asked.

"After all that I said you care about this. Unbelievable. Why are you asking?" I asked powering on my computer.

"Because no fiance in their right mind would put up with your I won't talk attitude." She said.

"It's not an attitude it's a choice. I speak when it is necessary for example now." I said.

"That's because...." She was about to say when I interrupted her.

"If that sentence has the words Seraphinia Calloway in it I don't want to hear them." I said.

"Good luck with putting up with him. If I was in your place I would have dropped him to the curb long back." She said to Sandra and I glared at her.

"Get lost!" I roared and she immediately speed walked to the door.

"Well I guess one day she will definitely be in my place of your fiancee." Sandra said and I directed my glare towards her. She raised her hands in surrender "touchy." She said.