We did it!!! I'm currently listening to Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife) and I'm obsessed🥹 this chapter???? Is IT💀 Kinda dropped a bomb I wasn't expecting myself. More comments and update go deyyy!
Bilal stood there in front of Madina watching her eyes dart around with recalcitrance and titillation for what she's done. Those emotions were dancing in her eyes but he felt his body electrify with a bizarre volt.
That wasn't a slip-up because he'd seen her walking to the bathroom after she's stopped to glare at his tranquilized form. She didn't like it one bit. Her lips pursed to the side, her graphic eyeliner crinkled by the side.
When she went inside, she poured a glass of red wine which she wasn't going to drink because he knew she never really liked red wines. People do change and he's known her only briefly, she might've changed but then it rained on him with just a tilt of the bottom.
Standing right in her face, he allowed his tone to drip down and cruise through thick poisonous syrup. For what reason? He had no idea but he just knew that his voice needed to sound down-reaching, abysmal and sinewy than it usually is.
"What you did wasn't a misstep, Miss Sambo. You are going to be punished for what you've done, severely. I already told you, I don't take impertinence lightly." He murmured to her face, making sure his breath fanned her there.
The air shifts at the sound of her breathy laugh. Bilal didn't like how it tastes in his mouth, grazed his ears like dulcet sonorous; how it feels in his slacks. Unconsciously, he shifted a little to adjust then narrowed his eyes. Something is going on.
Bilal does not like the idea of not knowing what it was. Intentionally charade, dense.
Madina's insulting guffaw languidly died down but her Cheshire psychotic smile was intact. "And you think I'm ever going to do what you want? You are joking, right?"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Bilal supplied. "I told you to leave the past where it should be. Behind! I am now your boss and I won't hesitate to fire you if you ever make a mistake such as this."
Madina narrowed her eyes at the commination, clearly not liking the way he's just spoken to her. He likes getting beneath her skin, making her feel so far beneath him. That should bring her down a notch or two.
"I don't want to do this because of the decency in my heart..." she paused a bit at the huff that escaped Bilal, then went on dramatically, "...but you're making it hard to look the other way."
He drilled her with an icy stare that didn't falter the defiance in her eyes. "Decency? You associate your insensitive and whorish self as kind? Don't be so bias."
Did she flinch or had he pictured it in his head? Doesn't she like him calling her a whore? Then that is what he is going to start addressing her with if she is going to keep bringing up the past time and time again. Goddamnit.
"I'm not being bias. Whether a whore or not, I have your secrets in my hands. Don't think I won't hesitate to use it against you." She blinked owlishly, anchoring her attention on his every move.
His glare traveled with unnerving thoroughness all over her face, trying to intimidate her but it wouldn't work. It seems like nothing he does could ever really grip her like it does others. Even with his gentlemanly attitude, he is very much feared.
"You very well know that I can make you disappear from the face of earth, right?" He tilted his head, a glowering look in place.
Amusement flicked in her eyes making him grit his teeth but she didn't answer him so he said. "Ha, you don't know. You haven't done your homework about me, Miss Sambo and I'm disappointed. Not everyone knows about that part of me but I thought you would use your brain. I am not a Bringer of Doom just because I'm large or wealthy. Maybe I gave you more credit than you deserve?"
She pried her eyes off his and looked down at the wine stain on his shirt. "That is what you think. There is no one that can make me disappear from the face of earth. Especially not you. Don't be delusional because just as you think you are preeminent, I am too."
Chuckling dangerously beneath his breath, Bilal said. "You think you are capable because you sleep from one bed to the other? Is that what you think?"
Madina shifted her angry glare to his, finally granting him the emotion he was searching for. "That's your problem. You underestimate me all the time. All fucking damn time."
Bilal didn't like the look of triumph she is portraying and thinking back to the past, she has many reasons to do so.
Taking another step closer to her, he stared down at her with a heavy brow slanted in strong menace. "Don't cross me or I swear I'll make life hard for you. If you don't disappear, you'll become penniless."
"You think?"
"Yes. Because the first thing I'm going to do is fire your fucking ass."
Quickly she scowled at that. She hates when he threatens to fire her and he will keep doing that. They will both not do what the other person will be happy with. Game on.
"The day you fire me, I'm going to make sure the world knows your secrets. Every single one of them. I make good emphasis on my promises and you of all people should know that." Her eyes were blank, as dispassionate as bullets. Slight sliver of deviltry gleamed in her eyes.
"People are going to believe a fucking sleazy bitch from the streets over a respectable businessman? A cybersecurity expert? One that helps several NGOs and orphans across the globe? You have been living beneath the radar, darling. You don't have the slight idea of just how influential I am." He tsked, his lips mockingly sloped down at the corners like a sad puppy.
That stung as though he had slapped her in the face. The anger sucked the air from her lungs, and her claws came unsheathed in an instant. He's seen all those with his eyes and knew she was going to strike right back.
She really shouldn't because he won't back down now and he doesn't want to hurt her. That is the last thing he wants to do.
They were so close he could smell her seductive perfume, count her eyelashes. The barest inch lay between their lips. It was too easy to fill -impossible not to- and Madina let the distance close, her lips skimming his as she said.
"You sound a lot jealous about me being a whore. Still hanging in the waiting-list? It hurts being there it seems." She mimicked his remorseful expression, her lips brushing his with each word.
He scoffed at that, their lips pressed together for a second too long. Tension twirled around between them like a tornado. "In your dreams, little girl. Your dreams."
"You mean, yours?" She tilted her head in that arrogant way she's learned from Mariam.
She tried to pull away, but his hand slid up her neck, fisted in her hair -virgin wig- and kept her mouth brushing his. He stepped closer, forcing her back against the window of the cabin.
"You seem to forgotten that I was the first to have a taste of you." He chuckled, danger lurking each sound then added dispassionately. "I fucked you first."
*^*
Bilal smiled at the man in front of him. It is nice doing business with intelligent cybersecurity professionals away from home because their knowledge varies. They always have something for the future, for Artificial Intelligence and so much more.
He cannot wait to go back and fix everything back in his company so the loss he's suffered from that fucker will finally be cleared. With the ideas he's got here from this Chinese man, Bilal is sure he is going to be invincible when he starts his next project. It is just about time.
That is the main reason why he's always loved traveling across the globe. Finding people away from his type of field, it is vast.
"It was nice catching up, Mr. Hashem." Mr. Wiang grinned, his young and soulful eyes shining at him with great respect.
He's seen that in so many people's eyes but whenever someone brilliant gave him that same look, it makes Bilal's shoulders raise a little and his chest to swell. That esteem and awe in their expression is enough to assure him that he is good at what he does.
Not that he doesn't know that already.
Standing up, he shook his hand and bid him farewell. He buttoned his Ermenegildo Zegna and made his way to the conference hall where a meeting is scheduled. He is only one minute late but he saw the door closing behind a very colorfully dressed woman.
It had to be Madina Sambo.
She is the only person he knew that dresses like rainbow and be unapologetic about it. She even bragged that she's got fashion sense with the rags she wears. He won't talk to her about it again. No more.
Entering the conference room, it suddenly yawed very quiet and they stood up. Most of his employees, the permanent staff members are there inside the room along with department heads, cabin crew members and so on.
He took in the folders in front of everyone, a pen hovering atop the white paper and bottles of water in front of each one of them. He had to thank Benazir for this after the meeting. She's done an excellent job like always. She's invincible, truly.
Maybe Aisha is right. They are kind of compatible when it comes to a few things. She knows everything he wants, his favorite color and time he sleeps down to what he likes eating and at what time. She's careful to not mess up colors that might irritate him.
She's assumed most of the things but he knew she meant well. He shall give her that chance but first, his employees.
Walking straight to the head chair, he sat down and everybody followed suit.
His eyes fell on Madina who is at the farther end of the room by his right, close to Mahfuz. Much better. Sitting anywhere close to her will definitely suffocate him and he might throttle her before the end of the meeting.
But her position is almost the center of his attention. This won't be good.
Shrugging his eyes from her, he stared at the file in front of him. "I think we'll begin now. First I'd like to welcome you all. I really appreciate you all for attending today."
Chorus of 'you're welcome' and mirthful murmurs filled the air before he raised his hand to halt it. His head rise and catch each of their eyes in the room, a show of power and sovereignty.
"I'd like to start this meeting with celebrating our achievements in the past month. Thank you all for your participation, effort and hard work. For that, I ordered snacks and wines to be delivered to every employee." Trickle of joyful laughter echoed in the room.
Ammar once attended his monthly conference meetings, he'd praised him. Adnan doesn't work like this because he leads with iron fist without a care whom he hurts in the way. It doesn't matter as long as there'll be success.
At the same time the employees adore him and fear him at the same time. The pay is never late and if you deserve a raise, it comes generously which is something Bilal decided to use. It is a business strategy not everyone knows about. Or some are just too greedy.
The monthly luncheon always ends with happy smiles and laughter. Sometimes he'd pay for an entire restaurant for the meeting and other times it is a grand dinner that everyone will dress up for. They enjoy every second.
He touched a few keyboard buttons in his MacBook then announced. "A few of you are going to get a raise because we've hit a milestone only because of your commitment."
The conference room waited on a baited breath. Every month someone gets a raise. "Miss Benazir Ladan, Mr. Fox Levine, Mrs. Ruth Crom, Mr. Benedict West and Mr. Solomon Arubi. Report to the HR department for your raise after the meeting is over."
"Lastly, I'd like to emphasize more on punctuality. There are so many of you all lagging behind and I do not like it at all. In the contract, punctuality was strictly written in bold and italics..." some chuckled while others squirmed. "Adhere to that and peace shall reign. If you have any complaints, the HR team is always there for you."
Bilal stood up and buttoned his suit yet again. "Thank you, the meeting is over. Have a great day."
He was the first to dematerialize from the conference room as usual. He made his way to his office only for a familiar voice to flood into his ears. It's been days since he's last heard from her.
He stopped in the middle of the hallway and waited, not turning around to acknowledge her presence.
Madina came to stand in front of him, her rainbow fashion making him cringe inwardly, of course. "I wanted to ask when next we are gonna fly out."
He thought about it for a minute before answering. "That should be in two days. We are going to Peru."
Her eyes sparked at the Peru, she's never been there it seems.
But then she grimaced at his answer, looked down at her rose gold nails then said. "I won't be able to make it. There are a few things that needs... fixing here so I can't leave."
"Is it important?" Bilal tilted his head. She sounded almost apologetic. He knew she loved flying and wouldn't want to miss this for the world. This must be crucial.
"Obviously." Her answer came almost immediately and hefty with plethora of sarcasm.
"When are you going to finish fixing those stuff?"
"By Monday, In Shaa Allah."
The way she said those last three words made him frown. It's not like he's forgotten that she is a Muslim but there was just something at the way she said it. Oops.
"Then we will be leaving on Monday early in the morning. Do not be late, Miss Sambo. I won't take it lightly this time around." He decided, taking a step to the side but she wasn't done.
"Why won't you just hire someone for the trip? You are rich and there are several pilots waiting for an opportunity like this." Madina raised a brow, eyes shining with expectation that he is going to crush.
"That is not how I work, Miss Sambo. Don't question my decisions." Checking his Audemars Piguet, he added. "Get your things done before Monday or kiss your job goodbye."
Benazir appeared right there, she gave him a curt nod, eyed Madina with interest and curiosity before she disappeared down the hallway probably to her desk. She looks smart in her professional outfit of tan and white unlike the rainbow in front of him.
"Whatever." She made a move to leave after rolling her eyes at him.
Bilal gritted his teeth, fury making his molars grind. He stepped into her personal space like he did few days ago on the plane. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"
"I think so." Came her mutinous retort, face serene and daring.
"Don't ever try that again around me. Ever." He gritted out, eyes narrowed to slits in dark pools.
Something about his expression made her retreat back, just a little. "Yes, boss."
"It is sir."
"Yes, Sir."
Bilal left with his heart pounding in his chest while thinking; Madina has him wrapped around her little finger and he is scared shitless.