Aria
They say people are not born with both beauty and brains, one area has to be lacking. I've never paid attention to it much, we cannot consider someone stupid simply because they were gifted with beauty and vice versa.
I would not truly admit to myself that I'm beautiful, but I would say I'm admirable. Knowledge is the true beauty, it can give power and it can take it. The more knowledge one acquires, the more upper hand one possesses in a situation.
But beauty is also a dangerous weapon that not everyone should possess, but that gives no right to belittle anyone for it. Men weaken at the sight of beauty, some are ruthless enough to not pay attention to it. Beauty can catch a man's attention, but it's how you sustain yourself that keeps him interested. Not just a man, everyone.
I don't know which I possess but I know it's always to my advantage.
I'm disturbed by my thoughts by my phone constantly ringing on my desk. Hesitantly I put down my custom-made white pen and answer.
"Aria Middleton?"
"Miss Middleton, your father has asked to speak to you. May I put you through?" The receptionist asked.
"Go ahead," I answer.
Silently I wait a few seconds and spin around my chair staring at the city from the highest floor in the building. It's always so busy and no one ever finds time to rest, to enjoy the sunny day.
"Aria," My father speaks.
"Yes, father,"
"I need to see you, it's worse than we thought" he continues.
"I thought you said everything was under control, how long will this continue before he destroys us." I lean back into my chair.
"Calm down, la fille just meet me and we'll speak about the rest."
I spin my chair around once again and grab my keys and clutch. Still listening to my father, I open my top drawer to put the file in, closing it and locking it. Rhea, my assistant comes in already blabbering, I lift my finger to silence and she sits waiting for me to finish.
"I'll be there in half an hour," I answer, quickly dropping the call to attend to Rhea.
"Alright, out with it."
"Mr. Davinski wants to set up a meeting, says he's unhappy about the pace which we going at. He says the meeting should be no later than 1:00 pm today because he is a very 'important person'"
"Men" I mumble not so quietly, Rhea chuckles "Set up a meeting with him at 2:00 pm, I'll be there at 2:30 pm."
She nods firmly and exits my office. I grab the rest of my things and head for my car, the valet brings it around and I step in driving off to my childhood home. My father is a powerful man, who worked day and night to get where he is now in return for being a bad father. Missing birthdays, fathers day, school dances, etc. We got along fine but we had different ideas and views of the world. He may have founded the company, made it known around the world. But he knows I built it, made it bigger, better. I'm not too one to brag but well I'm bragging. My father would've never been as successful as he was without my mother.
She was and still is his pillar of strength. Behind a successful man, there is always a woman. Although my mother was never behind my father, she was beside him. Even when she was unhappy in her marriage, she pulled through because she loved him. Finally, her wait was not pulled to last because when my father retired, he made sure to make up for every single tear she cried. I, on the other hand, wasn't interested he could never bring back my childhood, never come to my 16th birthday again. He didn't want to be my father and now I didn't want to be his daughter.
I still respected him, called him my father and on certain occasions, I embraced him. But our relationship was mostly business, professional, and nothing more.
I come up the driveway, parking my car in front of the mansion. As I walk up, the doors opening my mother stepping outside, I speed up my walk yearning to hug her as she opens her arms ready to catch me. I felt young again when she hugged me, carefree and unburdened. Just for a moment a picture flashes and I remember myself as a fifteen-year-old girl coming home from school, running up the stairs to hug my mom.
"How are you?" she asks.
"I'm good, now that I'm with you" I chuckle silently.
"Oh, Mija you're so busy these days"
"I know, mama and I promise you when the company is no longer under threat. I'll be all yours" I smile, kissing her cheek.
We walked into the house and towards my father's study. She brushes my hair behind my ear and cups the side of my face, gently stroking my cheek before hugging me again.
"You better be," she laughs.
I leave her, walking inside the hallway to my father's study. My heels make a noise indicating my entrance as soon as I open the double doors. He sits in his chair, with a whiskey on the table and signs off a few papers. Noticing me, he stops his work to attend to me signaling to the seat by his desk. I sit, looking around at the newly decorated study. It had a vintage brown aura now than when I was a child. He answers my thoughts before I can question him.
"Your mom thought it might need a new touch, it's wonderful isn't it?"
"It is, she's always been creative." I smile remembering how she feels when she designs a room or office.
"Mm, but as much as I would for this to be a social call it is not. Someone is slowly gaining more and more control of one of the palaces and our biggest problem, we don't know how." he starts to explain, placing four files on the desk.
"If we don't find out who this is, they could destroy the Palace project. How are they doing this?"
"Information is being given out to the rival company, they use it to decrease stock market value. The Palace project is massive, you've seen what it can do, and putting it into full force can destroy many businesses and people aren't happy about that-"
"-De Santos, owns Langfisher Corp. You've met him on occasion, he partnered up with The German Mafia just to see our downfall"
He explains everything, handing me a file with Rontello's information. I skim through it thoroughly and land on his picture. Is an attractive man, with two colored hair, a strong jawline. He's wearing a suit that sticks to him like a second skin, he seems pissed though. The picture was taken unexpectedly, he was walking down the street on a phone call. I've met him only a couple of times and at all times I've never received a good response from him. He's never done anything to prove my doubt, but my gut tells me there's more to this guy than what meets the eye.
"Alright, I'll do what I do best"
"Trust me, I've tried his backed uptight and we need more connections, connections we aren't used to using"
I sigh throwing the file on the desk, "This is waste of time, I'm all for business but they're starting to piss me off. Sometimes you gotta fight dirty with dirty and I'm done playing"
"Yes, which is why I've called in the calvary. A few connections that will lead us into the underworld, give us Intel on every business that partnered with Mafia. If we can't beat 'em, we join 'em"
I smile mentally preparing myself for war. He explains the rest and I listen in quickly, giving my Intel when needed. This was way more difficult than I thought, it was a takeover or sell me your shares. People were out for blood, ready to kill. My father knew this would happen, he'd trained me to fight, prepared me for a war that was inevitably 'a woman in the business industry is taken for granted, when in fact she is a dangerous weapon, your life will be in danger countless times and I need to prepare you for that.
I check the clock reading it, it's 1:50 pm.
"I gotta go, dad I have another meeting" I sigh, fixing myself.
"Did you just call me dad?"
"What?" I answer dumbfounded.
"You just called me dad?"
"No, no I did not"
I rush out of his office, hearing him laugh and smile before informing my mom and leaving. The drive back to the office is about twenty-five minutes and I check the time again, 2:17 pm, I may my way to the company Cafe. I order six different types of donuts and wait patiently while they package them.
When I enter everyone immediately starts acting busy, I chuckle to myself and act like I didn't notice anything. My employees are not afraid of me, but they know when not to disrespect me which I appreciate, cause I don't take kindly to disrespect. I peep my head into her office slightly.
"Rhea, my favorite assistant," I said, sarcastically.
"What do you want, Miss M?" she chuckles stopping her work.
"Nothing, I just thought you would like some donuts"
"Oh, is it cookies & cream?" she squeals happily.
I enter and place the box on her desk, "the one and only," she squeals again opening the box and savoring the smell. I smile, mentally high-fiving myself gotcha.
She stops and glares at me suspiciously, "No, no Miss M, what is the price to pay for eating these"
"Just a tiny win favor," I smile.
"I knew it, Miss M!" she sighs closing the box and pushing them towards me, "No, take them back"
"Oh come on, six cookies & cream donuts, for just a little favor"
She stares at them, biting her lip and contemplating her decision "Fine, this is not gonna end well"
I squeal happily in my seat, "I need you, halfway or towards the end of my meeting to come in with a glass of red wine and accidentally spill on Mr. Davinski's shirt."
Simarae walks in, standing beside me and staring between us. She opens the box and stares at me long before looking outside and figuring out my entire plan.
"You sneaky little asshole" Marae laughs.
"Miss M, please don't make me do this"
"Oh come on, it's just a little wine"
Marae smirks, slowly pushing the box towards her about to devour the donuts, "You know, I can do it"
"No!" we both say simultaneously. Marae glares at us in confusion.
"I'm insulted" Marae sales.
"You know what happened last time," I answer her, pushing the box back to Riya's side.
She stares at the box, opening it and grabbing a donut. She takes a bite and falls weak. I high-five Simarae next to me and she does the same. We come closer, nodding at her as she swallows the food.
"Okay, okay I'll do it"
"Yes!" I squeal.
I sit down, grabbing a donut and Simarae does the same as well, "Four cookies&cream donuts"
I check the time, 2:29 pm. I continue talking to Simarae and Riya while we eat the donuts, laughing about funny office moments. It's moments like these that I can forget about the never-ending contracts and meetings. With the constant stress of fighting for my place in the business world, a woman is always underestimated in this industry even some of my male employers disrespect me in my absence. I wonder sometimes, when will they learn?
A woman is not a force to be reckoned with, no matter how sensitive or weak they may be seen. We have a side we keep hidden and for good reason, but some of them just don't understand.
Sitting here with my bestfriend, my bombast assistant friend, I can forget all that. And for a minute, just for a few minutes, I can forget him.
"And then he said, his not mine, he's my twin brother" Rhea laughs.
"He told you, his kid was his non-existent twin brother's" Simarae gasps in disbelief.
"Men will play you."
"Cheers to that" We bump donuts and I place mine down to check the time, 2:52 pm. I think he's learned his lesson.
"Okay, I think I'll finally join Mr. Davinski"
I stand up and fix myself before walking out, I greet a few people and walk towards the boardroom. A glass room of big decisions which was interior designed by mom and yours truly. I walk in, still smiling replaying the fact that I bought six donuts but poor Rhea only ate two. My mood is immediately ruined when I enter the boardroom, I hear a bang on the table and I walk in to find an agitated and angry Mr. Davinski.
"What the fuck!"
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