CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT: AN EXPOSITORY OF THE PAST( PART 32); THE INCIDENT.

She then walked past the double doors that let her into the main floor of the building. With her work ID in hand, she placed it on the metal scanner and as the small metallic doors parted, she crossed it heading for the rows of elevators.

After some waiting, the elevator doors parted and exposed a roomy golden interior elevator. The back of the elevator, there was a logo of Max's Corporation pasted there in a golden colour. She joined the three people who had walked into the elevator and the doors automatically closed themselves. Rylee Athena pressed the buttons with the numbers seven and six written on it indicating the floor she was headed to. The others had already pressed theirs.  The same marble floors that lined the lobby were still the same that had lined the walls of the elevator.

The only indication of the speed was from the red LED floor indicators hoovering above the door. Once the trip was completed the silver, opaque doors parted once again and Rylee Athena moved out into the sixty three floor of the building.

After arriving at her destination, Rylee Athena headed to her department and prepared herself for the upcoming meeting.

......

The double, glass doors of the meeting room swung open and after a while, the shareholders who were waiting outside walked into the room one after another. They had been groomed in different sized and coloured suits. The occupied their seats and waited for Ali Maddox. Rylee Athena had already returned to the company. She walked in the meeting room and occupied her own seat as well. Because she was not part of the managerial staff, her seat was generally further from the interactive whiteboard than that of Ali Maddox.

Ryleigh Georgia and her best friend, Alissa, walked into the room while conversing. Ryleigh Georgia went ahead and walked to her seat, it was next to that of Rylee Athena. Rylee Athena immediately picked up the file on the table and pretended to be reading as she observed Ryleigh Georgia's movements.

The meeting was supposed to talk about the project and how it had been going. It also would have discussed whether some of the members of the board and the group would have visited the place to commence on the building of the architectural designs.

Rylee Athena did not want to have any kind of conversation with Ryleigh Georgia ever since that fateful day, she just wanted to avoid her completely. But Ryleigh Georgia did not feel the same way as she wanted to get close to Rylee Athena because the argument had damaged her personality in the whole company. From her peripheral vision, Rylee Athena watched as Ryleigh Georgia walked over and sat down next to her.

"Rylee Athena! You're here!" Ryleigh Georgia exclaimed in joy.

Seeing the way Ryleigh Georgia acted towards her, Rylee Athena clenched her hands into a fist and sneered before she looked away. She could not understand how a simple friend had changed completely because of a man. She decided to hold up Christopher Connor on Ali Maddox's birthday. Huh! What a disgusting slut! Rylee Athena had changed her opinion about her ever since that incident.

Ryleigh Georgia instead clicked her tongue and flipped her hair and then looked away from Rylee Athena.

Ali Maddox and Assistant Theo Kenji got into the room. Everyone present stood up and greeted the vice President of the company. Only after he sat down did everybody sit down.

After the speech by Ali Maddox, did the meeting officially commence.

"I know that we are all waiting for the progress but we need contractors to give us the necessary materials for the construction. Miss Ryleigh Georgia has given us important information regarding everything. We are thankful their company and although they could not attend so they sent their daughter. Thank you for that." Kinsley stood up,takled then sat down gracefully.

Ali Maddox stood up next, "Rylee Athena and Ryleigh Georgia. One of you choose who will meet to the contactor." He concluded and exited the room.

.........

[The Incident]

Two weeks ago:

Rylee Athena and Christopher Connor were in the Ali Maddox's office,  in company's second  highest  floor. This was because Rylee Athena  had  to ask him if he would have come home early to eat dinner. Christopher Connor was on his tablet while viewing the company's financial position while on the couch because  he wanted to aid his best friend to run the company . Rylee Athena was simply making herself cup of coffee. The both of them had been waiting for Ali Maddox to return from a meeting with his investors.

Rylee Athena pressed some buttons on the coffee machine and then afterwards, the coffee she had prepared poured out from the machine into her marble cup. The smell of coffee wafted into the room.

Rylee Athena looked at the view outside, picked up her cup of freshly brewed coffee and took a sip. The sweetness spread all round her mouth but her face did not show it. She then walked up to the couch and sat down on the other end of it. Rylee Athena had originally intended to chat with Christopher Connor over her tea break but since he was busy, she chose to keep her big mouth shut.

She instead took out her mobile phone, typed her password and when she wanted to turn around and play a game on her mobile phone but Christopher Connor suddenly said, "There are snacks in the cabinet on your left."

This made Rylee Athena's eyes light up like Christmas fairy lights. A smile slowly appeared on her face. She immediately opened the large cabinet and saw a large bag full of colourful snacks. "Wow! There are so many snacks hidden here. " She exclaimed in surprise and happiness.

She casually took out a bag of potato crisps and popped it open with a ' bang!' She then fished out a  large piece of potato crisps, stuffed it in her mouth and crunched it.  She said in surprise, " It's chilli flavour! I like chilli flavour!"

Christopher Connor saw her squeezing her eyes shut in bliss. She even stood up and jumped around in happiness. Christopher Connor could not understand why a bag of potato crisps made her that happy when Ali Maddox could comfortably afford such snacks.

Rylee Athena then opened a box of biscuits. "This is delicious, too." She said as she took a bite out of a biscuit.  After eating two pieces, she opened another box of beef jerky.  She then took a big bowl, mixed the snacks and ate them altogether.

He was so engrossed in his work that he did not notice the surroundings around him.

.........

As the two of them walked down the hallway to the row of elevators they met  a young lady dressed in a pink babydoll  dress , a pair of white ankle boots, a pair of white beaded earrings, a beaded necklace and a rhinestone embellished faux pearls chain cross body black tote bag walking out of the elevator.