The Billionaire's Dilemma

Chapter 8: Morgan

Chapter 8: Morgan

I licked my lips in anticipation and shifted a bit on the wooden seat. Checking the time again on my phone, I concluded that the person from Qubaisi Securities was late. Irritated as well as nervous at the lack of punctuality, I used my hand to comb my hair back yet again. Fixing them in place with my fingers, I took a sip of the water in front of me.

Sitting there in an almost empty restaurant, I thought about how out of the blue the call I received from Qubaisi Securities was. Aldric, who had applied with me, had gotten the position he was aiming for, a part time security driver and had gotten his letter of employment just today. His interviews were all done by the HR team of the company which made my case stand out so much. Just yesterday, I had gotten a call from the head of the company, asking me to meet at the Luxor Restaurant, one of the most exclusive in the city.

My white shirt and black pants looked thrifty in such a rich environment. I had glanced at the menu briefly and after looking at the price of simple beverages they served here, I decided it was better to just have the complimentary water in front of me. Wanting something to do as I was feeling restless, I went through my simple one page resume I had kept in a black folder on the table.

"Mr. Park?" A voice came from behind me, making me turn. I locked eyes with a rather young-looking man, and I controlled the frown on my face. Research had told me that the head of the Qubaisi Securities was a person in his late sixties, so this was quite a surprise. Maybe this guy was his assistant? But looking at his tailored suit, I had my doubts.

"Yes, and you are...?" I asked politely, standing up and raising my hand for a handshake.

"Elijah James." He shook my hand, his grip firm, confident. "I am sorry to keep you waiting, the meeting ran a bit longer than expected. Please take a seat."

"That's alright. I am sure there is a lot of work at Qubaisi Securities." I smiled as we both sat down at the same time.

I watched as Elijah blinked. "Qubaisi...? Oh, okay. I think Walter didn't tell you that I will be meeting you instead. I am from Oria Industries."

It was a good thing the waitress with the menus came when she did, for just a second, I lost my mind to panic. Oria Industries? That is the company which Stella will take over soon. Controlling my emotions was tougher than I thought, and I looked down at the table mat to avoid Elijah's stare.

I waited quite impatiently as Elijah ordered a couple of appetizers for both of us before focusing back on me. "Where was I?" He asked as he scrunched up his face.

"You told me you were from Oria Industries."

"Ah, yes! Well, Morgan, can I call you Morgan? You know, we received more than a hundred applications during our hiring drive, from ex-Marines, ex-Navy but your submission stood out from the rest. You have had prior experience of being an assistant in a firm, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is correct, during my senior year in high school, I worked as an assistant to a manager in a technical firm, but I applied for the position of a security personnel." I gently reminded him, not sure where the conversation was going.

"I am getting to that. Do you know how to create pivot tables in excel? How about making copies of something? Organizing meetings?"

"I can do all that."

"Good, good. You have police training as well."

"Yes, I graduated from the police academy when I was twenty-four."

"And then you were fired."

The abrupt statement gave me pause. Feeling embarrassed and humiliated, I clenched my hands under the table. Since that information was not there on the resume, the only logical thought was that he had me investigated. Knowing that he was waiting for an answer, I nodded. "Yes, I was." I didn't offer any excuses or explanations. What good would they do anyways.

I looked at him as he hummed under his breath and squinted a bit at me. The server served us both tea and then left. I watched Elijah take a sip and then sigh.

"I called up the Captain of your station. He told me you were fired because of insubordination and failure to listen to orders." He took another sip of the hot beverage, apparently waiting for me to defend myself in some way but I stayed quiet. "But he praised you for your skills. He told me I would never have a better security personnel than you. Needless to say, it was a very confusing conversation. It seemed like he was sad to see you go."

I digested that piece of information, ignoring the small feeling of warmth in my heart. Maybe I had misunderstood the Captain. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

"Now my question is, will you come to work for Oria Industries?"

"You still haven't told me my designation, Sir. The conversation mainly addressed the skills required for an assistant."

Elijah sighed. "Well, you will be one. But you will be a bodyguard as well."

"I am sorry, I do not understand." I frowned.

"How to explain...okay. The person you will be hired to protect will not know you are a security personnel. They do not like bodyguards. So, for them, you will just be their assistant."

"But...doing two jobs at once will not be ideal." I shook my head at the absurdity. My god, this is why capitalism is winning. Expecting one person to do the task of two people is insane. Not to mention, both the professions are so grueling.

"You will just be an assistant until the need comes to protect her. I will be hiring extra protection as well, but I will be more at peace knowing there is someone else around her during office hours. I am also willing to pay you ten times the amount stated in the hiring advertisement in a month."

I stopped breathing before I burst out laughing in absolute shock. "There is no way you are giving me a quarter of a million dollars a month."

My eyes grew wide at the amount written on the cheque which Elijah produced from his jacket pocket.

"You can keep the first payment as an advance if you want and I promise you," his eyes held a mischievous glint, "you can cash it to see if I am serious about the position."

I gingerly picked up the small piece of paper before looking up at him. "Who will I be protecting? Who is she?"

"Stella De'LaCourt."

Goosebumps rose at the back of my neck and just for a millisecond, I thought I had been caught. All of this, the job interview, this cheque, everything was farce. These people are trying to catch me. I do not know how Stella and this guy knew it was me that night who also broke in. This is too much to be a coincidence. This is unbelievable.

My breathing changed its pace. "The heiress." I said quietly while Elijah nodded.

"You will be assigned to her, yes."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?" He laughed, thrown off by the question. "She needs protecting. There have been a few...incidences. I just want her to be safe." He shook his head.

I looked down at the cheque and swallowed roughly. From his manner of speaking, it didn't look like he suspected me. Elijah genuinely wanted Stella to be safe. He wanted to protect her. He wanted me to protect her. But I wanted her dead. I had escaped the first time I tried attacking her, and I had thanked the heavens for it.

But then my sister's face flashed in my memory, making me clench my teeth to control my anger. My revenge was still pending. I needed to serve it soon. I would destroy her, the way her family destroyed mine. My sister deserved at least this much.

Maybe I can use this opportunity. Being close to Stella will give me an edge and make it much easier for me to end her life in the least suspicious manner. I trusted my skills enough to get away with it with some preparations and luck. I could do this.

Masking the expressions on my face, I looked up at the waiting man and smiled. "Where do I sign?"

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Update 2 of 5!
Tell me how it is!
Tina, you were partially right, babe! :)

Thank you for reading!

All my love,
-A