"The heart dies a slow death, shedding each hope like leaves until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains."
- Chiyo Sakamoto
NATHAN
An hour later, the Secretary, Ms. Maria Ahmed breezed into my office to remind me of the meeting with the chief officers at nine a.m. The meeting so important even the chairman showed up, however my body refused to function. The situation perplexed me. Over an hour since she confronted me and stormed out, yet no word from Everest.
"Are you fine Mr Nath?" I forgot she still waited for my reply.
"Yes Ms. Maria, I'm fine. I'll make it in ten." I shooed her away with my hand.
"Ok. Because we don't want to infuriate the Big Dog on such a fine Tuesday morning."
"You seem not to want this job anymore Ms. Maria. Found a new one?" I teased, but kept a straight face.
She looked horrified. "No sir, why?"
"You're going to get yourself fired if he ever hears you call him that."
I fought the small smile that formed on my lips when I saw her expression. But she recovered fast.
"He should hear what you call him then," she said, with a smirk.
I called him 'The Devil'. It sounded a bit exaggerated but others called him more dramatic names. The names all boiled down to one thing. My father, Williams Agaba Adakole was not a man anybody could mess with. He intimidated many and commanded fear and respect from staff and business partners alike. He exuded the aura of dread, only his grandchildren found him soft and adorable.
"Smart. You win again. Let's keep that our little secret," I said, while I stood up.
I picked up my phone and Macbook, and made a mental note to call Everest on my way to the boardroom.
"But are you really fine sir?" I perceived the incident with Enitan earlier the reason of her concern.
I felt the urge to talk to her but I contemplated my answer. She dedicated almost half of her life to Avalon Group and overtime became family, but even though loyal to my family for nineteen years, the topic of my marriage proved too sensitive and she remained just a secretary. So I kept it in.
"Yes. And please confirm all details of my trip on Thursday and forward to Rose, can't have her slipping up again." With that I headed for the door and she followed behind.
"Yes sir!"
"Thank you Ms. Maria." I stepped out then made the call.
"Nothing? Could you have missed her on her way out?" I asked, confused about his feedback on Enitan's whereabouts.
"Not at all sir. The CSO finished his brief shortly after your first call, I made my way to the lobby seconds later.
E-dispatch could have directed her to an elevator already on a trip down, making her wait." Everest's baritone voice reverberated over the phone.
"For over an hour?"
"It's also possible she decided to take the stairs. I have eyes on both."
The idea of her walking sixteen flights of stairs sounded absurd and unlike her. It took a hell of convincing to even get her to the gym, she hated long walks and anything close.
"That's impossible. If she's still in the building, I want to know where."
Guilt plagued me. I ended things with her in the most uncivil manner and didn't deserve to know whether she cried in some corner or walked down the entire building.
But I cared. Everything about her mattered to me and it made me act overdramatic.
"Call Mac and ask him to pull up anything from the cameras."
I used my fingers to soothe the area of my temple that ached. I felt unsettled, she left my office distraught and I worried about her impulsiveness.
"That is going to take some time sir."
"Make it faster. I have a meeting in five minutes, text me when you find her."
"Will do. What is the instruction after that?"
"Take her home and keep an eye from afar till we speak."
"But sir, my orders are to..."
"You orders just changed! Just do as I ask you to damn it!"
I admired his persistence to track me like a hound but while I had the rest of his team to work my security details, I could only trust her in his hands.
I released a deep breath.
"Please." I said in a weak tone.
Only her made me care this much and she didn't even know it.
"Yes sir." He said before I hung up.
I reached the boardroom and through the wide bulletproof glass door, I saw my father's tall bulky and grim figure already seated with other executives.
I walked in and acknowledged them with a nod before I took my seat. The meeting commenced and after all formalities, I gave my report. The situation looked bad.
In one year Avalon Group had taken series of blows and the effects started to show. With Avalon constructions under investigation for links to the former governor indicted for laundering funds through the company and the involvement of Avalon oil in an illegal Oil block deal, my father risked prison and loosing his position to his insane brother, Thomas. This and rumoured seizure of recently acquired properties caused stocks in the flourmill and steel subsidiaries to crash. Strong allies looked like our only chance of survival against the onslaught of investigations, court cases and worst, convictions.
I sat down and glanced at my phone, four missed calls from Everest. Eager to call him back, I half-listened to what the chief risk officer said. Something about the shareholders who owned just twenty percent of the company's stocks panicking and making the board of directors convene without the chairman.
Few minutes later I spotted our Chief security officer, Major Slaven outside. He walked up to Hakim, my father's guard at the door and exchanged a few words. He strode in and whispered a few things to my father then stood straight to address us.
"Good day gentlemen." He drawled in his Serbian accent.
"There's been an accident with one of the elevators. Got stuck between floors for a while and crashed two floors down. Fortunately, only one casualty was reported."
My heart stopped.
"Tech are trying to ascertain the cause, until then all seven elevators except the executive elevator are shutdown and sealed."
No.
I managed to find my voice.
"The casualty, do you know who?"
My father who looked unfazed since the Major walked in sent me a glare, his only reaction since the news.
"We have not been able to identify her, but it's obvious she's not a staff."
I went numb.
"She's alive but unconscious. A few injuries but could have taken hits to the head and other parts. Emergency services are attending to her as I speak."
It's her.
No it's not.
The only thing my mind played on a loop. Hundreds of visitors trooped into the building everyday, maybe one of them got unlucky.
"In the mean time access card control in elevator E1 has been deactivated to provide access to all staff and enable them get to their floors faster, so it's going to be a packed trip. But we can get the chopper here before your meeting ends to avoid the hassle."
But that explained why Everest never saw her alight.
And the missed calls.
Like one struck by bolts of electricity, I picked my phone and charged towards the door leaving my father and the others stunned. I saw the lights of the silent alarm blinking but everyone looked calm, I guessed security got to them in time.
I dialled his number in a heartbeat.
"Please tell me you got her and she's alright." I paced the hall and waited for his voice to come up over the loud sirens blaring in the background.
"I'm sorry but one of the elevators malfunctioned and-"
"God. No no. No!" I screamed over the phone and stumped my foot hard against the floor.
She came because of me. Because I refused to talk to her first. It was all my fault.
I trashed my arms and grabbed the rear of my head with both palms out of reflex. I wasted no time to hear the rest of his update before I darted to elevator E1 and pressed the darn thing non-stop until my fingers became sore, but the indicator only showed the cab many floors below me.
My legs carried me towards the staircase, my only instinct to get to the ground floor.
But then strong hands tugged me. I turned to see Hakim's towering figure and firm grip on my arms while my father strolled down the hall with anger etched on his face.
"You disappoint me boy." He shook his head in disapproval.
"This is not the time nor place for this Dad. I need to get to her!" My chest heaved with emotions only God understood.
He pointed in the direction of the boardroom.
"You will put yourself together, walk back into that meeting and apologise for being irresponsible."
"I'm sorry but I need to go now!"
"The only place you will go is back in that room to discuss the future of this company! Your future."
"She's hurt because of me." I whimpered.
"Just take a look at yourself you pathetic child! Twenty eight years of being raised and trained by your mother and I, four of those spent working in this company, and you still don't have your priorities set straight. This company is falling apart piece by piece and all you are concerned about is some nameless lowlife from the suburbs of Lagos? What do I have to do to pass a resounding message!"
"Do not speak of her in such a manner!" My voice raised and a few people noticed the commotion but none dared to stare.
"Do not abuse the privilege of being my son. You are still an employee and I expect nothing but total concession and discipline from you!"
I pulled away from his minion and hobbled down the stairs. Halfway down the stairs, his voice brought me to a halt.
"One more step. Just one more and you loose everything! My name. Your position as the CEO of this group and every fighting chance of becoming future Chairman of the board."
"No. You won't do that." I said. Weak, my knees turned to jelly.
"Then go ahead." He said, and signalled to the stairs.
I didn't have to. I knew the outcome already. He would rip off my dreams and inheritance from under my feet without a second thought. After all the only reason I became his business favourite was because he did the same to my older brother.
I slumped to the ground defeated. Clutching my head, I leaned on the wall for support while I just glared at him.
"Good. The company will take care of the hospital bill and compensate her. But that is all the connection there will be between her and this family. No more. You will forget her sorry ass and get married to Annabelle Martins. The next time the both of you so much as step foot in the same building, it will be worse than a faulty elevator. I'll raze down the entire building if I have to."
Oh no, I hoped my ears heard wrong.
"Dad, What the hell are you saying?" My voice wavered.
He stared down at me with a knowing look on his face.
"Stay away from the girl and she will be fine." With that he gestured to Hakim and turned towards the hall.
"What have you done! Did you try to kill her?" My voice echoed in the stairwell.
"Tried?" He scoffed.
"I never fail at anything yet she is alive. This, my boy, is just a warning." He adjusted his glasses and made for the boardroom.
I pulled out my phone and called Everest.
"Please. Do not leave her side. Watch over her until I find a way to her."
I dropped the phone and sobbed bitterly.
The pang in my chest unbearable, I fixed myself up and climbed back. Just like a coward, I walked down the hall and back into the meeting.
Well well well! I see you've met the Chairman😨. So what do you think of him guys? Don't forget to comment on this chapter and vote. You can vote on this chapter by tapping the star at the bottom left of this page.
The picture above is of the character, Chairman Williams Agaba Adakole.
Love. EneChelsea.