Tempted by Temptations

Epi Twenty Three

Khadija POV

As I opened my eyes this morning, I felt a sense of eagerness to start my day. I got out of bed and walked towards the kitchen, where I was greeted by the aroma of something delicious cooking on the stove. As I peered over the kitchen counter, I saw Lenny standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot of something that smelled absolutely heavenly.

Before I could even say anything, Lenny noticed me in the reflection of the stainless steel stove cover and turned around to greet me with a smile. "Hey there, why are you up so early?" she asked. "Are you hungry?"

I nodded, realizing that I was famished and ready to eat. "Yeah, I think I'm pretty hungry. And I'm so excited to start my work today!" I replied, feeling a sense of anticipation building up inside me. As I let out a yawn, Lenny offered to make me something to eat, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for her kindness.

"Here's food for two servings, Khad!" Lenny said, putting the hot plates of food in front of me. "You can have a seat at the table, Khad. I'll just finish up the last bits for your meal!"

Lenny was so much nicer than Tanya. I could tell by the way she treated me and how she stepped in when Tanya was being rude to me last night.

After breakfast, I went to take a shower and picked out some clothes for the day. I had looked up some cool outfits to wear in Dubai last night, and luckily I found some great dresses that would be perfect for the warm weather here.

I picked out a cute nude dress with semi-long sleeves and paired it with some white wedge slippers. When I stepped out of my room, I could hear the other girls chattering outside.

Tanya checked me out and gave me a nod of approval, while Lenny came up to me and whispered, "Wow, you're into fashion, aren't you? You look great, Khad!" Feeling good about myself, I followed Lenny out of the condo and hopped into the car.

We took a ride that lasted about 10 minutes, and it was much earlier than my usual work schedule in Cebu. Lenny told me that the office hours in this area start at 7:30 in the morning and end at 3:30 in the afternoon.

When we arrived at our destination, I noticed that we were not in the Philippine Consulate building. I heard that we are assigned here every Monday to Wednesday because our agency company manages the workings here.

I also found out that we are under a big business tycoon, but I have no idea who it is yet. I plan on asking questions to get a better understanding of our operations and our involvement with this business tycoon.

Lenny interrupted my thoughts as he said, "By the way, Khad, you are about to report to the head and let him know that you are the exchanged staff for international!" I nodded my agreement and quickly settled at my own office table to prepare for it.

"Okay, thanks!" I replied with a hint of nervousness in my voice.

Tanya, noticing my anxiousness, chimed in, "You might think it's easy, but he's a terror. He's very strict and demanding. He'll expect you to be on top of everything from day one."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure, but Tanya continued, "Plus, he's always with our boss the owner in his office. They might laugh at you like they did to us!" Tanya's voice sounded spooky, and she seemed to be intentionally trying to frighten me. I knew it was her way of trying to prepare me for the worst-case scenario, but I couldn't help but feel a little unnerved. Nonetheless, I tried to push my worries aside and focus on the task at hand.

As I made my way to the office door, I paused for a moment to collect myself. I took a deep breath, knocked three times, and waited for a response. After a moment, I heard a voice from within the room, commanding me to enter.

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As I stepped inside, my eyes were drawn to the swivel chair by the window. There was only one person in the room, and he was sitting in the chair, exhaling smoke from his vape. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, as I had been worried about making a mistake or looking foolish in front of multiple people.

"Good morning, sir! I am the exchange staff from the agency in the-" I began to introduce myself, but I was interrupted by the person in the chair. He spun around to face me, his features obscured by the haze of smoke.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was Lucian Maximus Dedhari, our head! My heart raced as I tried to keep my composure in front of him.

He was staring at me like I had done something super wrong, and his eyes were just drilling into me. I felt frozen in place, like I couldn't even take a step. It was like he was looking right through me, searching for something that I couldn't even figure out. His stare was so intense that I felt like he was judging me, like I was on trial or something. I just stood there, feeling totally exposed and vulnerable.

"Lucian Max?" My voice was barely audible as I was still trying to process the coincidence of running into him.

He looked at me seriously and replied, "Yes?" His expression didn't give away any hint of surprise or recognition.

I was amazed at how calm he seemed, given the situation. Despite my shock, I tried to maintain my composure and not show any unusual reactions. It was just too surreal to have found someone I slightly knew in this unfamiliar place.

"Before we proceed, I want to remind you that this is not your territory," he spoke in a deep voice, with a tone that indicated he wanted to make something clear. It reminded me of a conversation we had the previous night when our last met.

I was curious about what he meant by the reminder and gave him an examined look. "Can you please explain on what you mean, Sir?" I asked, hoping to understand his intentions.

He sounded a bit irked and replied, "Analyze it, Miss." Despite his tone, I couldn't help but feel grateful especially when I remember him helping me get home safely at that night. It was also interesting to note that he was one of my son's clients in my country.

"Absolutely, sir, I understand," I replied.

"As part of your job, you will need to ensure that every file is thoroughly checked and that the expiry dates are monitored regularly," he explained, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and attention to detail. He also mentioned that this was a crucial aspect of the job, as it could have potential legal implications if not done correctly.

"Got it, sir. I'll make sure to double-check everything."

"Lastly, you will be responsible for communicating with an arab prince  and following up on their contracts to ensure that everything is running smoothly," he continued.

I nervously responded  request with a stutter when he mentioned the 'PRINCE'. "Ye-yes sir!"  I could feel his eyes piercing through me as he gave me an intense and serious look, almost resembling that of a hawk.

As I was standing in front of Max's table, a pretty girl wearing a hijab and a long dress entered the room. Her dress had a touch of nude color and she had her books in her hand. She appeared to be an Arabic girl with deep eyes and a pointy nose. She asked Max, "Are you done, Max?" in a polite tone.

Max replied in a bored tone, "Yeah!" without even looking at the girl. The girl then approached Max and stroked his arms gently, asking him if he wanted to have some coffee.

To my surprise, Max didn't even acknowledge her request, let alone respond to her. The girl then looked at me from head to toe and arched her brows slightly, showing her disapproval.

Before the girl could say anything, Max immediately interrupted, saying, "We're done for today!" and got up from his chair. He didn't even wait for or gesture to the Arabic girl. The girl immediately took her way too to follow Lucian Max.

I made my way down to the ground floor to visit my colleagues. As I was walking down the hallway, I noticed Lucian Max walking out of this building with the Arab girl by his side.

The girl appeared to be holding onto his arm, and Lucian Max seemed a bit annoyed by her clinginess. It was clear that the girl had a romantic interest in him, but Lucian Max didn't seem to reciprocate those feelings.

As I watched them walk by, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. At that moment, I couldn't help but compare Lucian Max to Ahmed, who was always a true gentleman and treated me with kindness and respect.