๐ค RAFE:
I knew I caught her right where I needed her. But what I didn't expect was to find her so adamant to talk about the matter. She wouldn't listen or bend into anything else before I open up.
"So, Miss Viviana, what can I do for you to lose your stubbornness?" I ask her after closing the door she almost left through moments ago.
"I believe you have some business with me, Mr. Sinclair. I was only coming here to reason and understand why have you been buying shares of my company in such a secretive way and making sure I wouldn't realize it." She said calmly but I could see the rage in them. She's angry. But she wasn't all hardcore anymore with how she sighed.
But that's not all I see, up close, you notice the dark circles she has hidden with probable makeup as usual. The lines formed by her sides from tiredness. She probably haven't slept in a while.
"I wouldn't use the word secretive, rather planned would be the correct word." I reply back walking toward her who still was standing, arm crossed as far from me as possible.
"And the reason? I'm sure you're aware of the fact that buying my company's stock as well as debt would give you no profit. Then why are you involving yourself with us?" She asked frustrated but keeping her voice calm, barely though.
"What if it's just sheer curiosity? I've been planning on expanding, you know." I replied thinking through to her reply.
"None of us is a fool, Mr. Sinclair. Cut to the chase. What business do you have with me?" She asked finally losing her patience as I expected.
"Very well, let me explain my business with you. You might wanna take a seat." I say pointing at the seat in front of my desk.
"I'm fine, please continue." She says stubbornly which doesn't suit with me.
My so called being nice to her was tiring me out now. I do like her boldness but now it was getting on my nerves.
"If you want answers, I advice you to take a seat, Miss Viviana Lee." I replied back with a much force this time and her face expressed the worry I've been wanting to see.
"Do not get the delusion that I'd listen to everything you say and keep quiet." She mumbled adamantly but sat down anyway as a smile creeped on me.
"But you will, Miss- may I call you Viviana?" I ask turning and she's clearly not happy but doesn't object.
"Maybe you'd be more happy with Vivia, since everyone calls you that." I reply back smirking.
"Business, please." She urged as I sit by my desk.
"Patience, love." I said taking a file from my drawer. She does not like my tone and I can see her flush from anger rather than embarrass.
"What is that?" She asks instantly.
"Shh, now, I'll ask you something and you'll answer honestly. Don't try and lie because it'll be of no use. I'd want to keep this civil, as much as possible." I reply back as I could see her getting nervous as she shifted in her chair. Although her face gave away nothing as usual but she was probably nervous so she doesn't dare object.
"Does the name Sally Pierre ring a bell to you?" At that she immediately jerked up straight like she met an army general or something. But this is just a start.
At first she simply stares at me like I'm an idiot or she heard wrong. But maybe I looked convincing enough for her to let out a sigh realizing I know a lot more than just that.
"How, how do you-" she tried to answer, failing to come up with the right words.
"I know a lot more than the name. And I realized how you completely hid your past pretending to be like an innocent little girl. Now, do you know Sally Pierre?" I ask again and this time her face becomes grim.
"I'm sure if you know so much, you'd know about who she is and if I know her or not." She replied with fire. I'll honestly never get tired of it despite feeling annoyed.
"I know exactly who she is and what she is to you. But my question is if you do or don't. Because it seems like officially there is no records for her in your life." I ask curiously.
"That wasn't my choice but hers. I only changed my name by college because it was hampering with my life." She replied honestly.
"Oh, so Viviana Lee is not your real name. What is it then?" I ask as she bites inside her plum lips. Did she had to do that now. But somehow it makes me want to push her more. Just to see her do it again..
"Viviana Lee is my real name. She just used to called me differently." She replied looking away like she was in pain. She kept avoiding eye contact with me, that said enough how she was uncomfortable.
"Anna Pierre, wasn't it? Beautiful name."She perked up at that but turned her head away from me.
"Whatever, do you know where she is?" I ask her as she instantly turned to me.
"If I did I'd have answered that the moment you mentioned her. And just so you know I have no relation with her. Any trouble you have with her is not my problem. She left me when I was 16 and I never saw her again. Simple. Please do not use my past to ruin my future. And my company or my employee are not to blame for my past. Please don't use something like this to hurt the things I care for. That's a very unruly way to get back at someone who personally did nothing to you." She finally let out as I could see her eyes gleam up.
She's holding everything in, maybe for pride or honor. She doesn't deserve any to me.
I don't care how hard she worked or if she was hurt but being a girl bought up by a woman like that she can't be any better, at least not by nature. No, its impossible for her to be nice or good.
"But Miss Viviana, I cannot let that happen. Her business is your business as long as I don't find her." I get off the table as she jerked back immediately.
She's scared just like I wanted her. It was almost proving me to do more. She was always bold and confident. I wanted to see it crush as I want to crush her family.
"I really don't know where she is and she doesn't know where I am. I left Florida after, um, she l-left. I never met her again. No one knows where she is." She reasoned desperately. She was fidgeting. I felt as if that wasn't the whole truth.
"Does your sister know then?" I let out which instantly surprised her.
"My sister? Whats are you taking about?." She lied looking surprised without knowing how bad she is. She was right I guess, she cannot lie.
"I told you not to lie, it won't get you anywhere. Oh, let me clear up something. Your brother-in-law David Lockwood seem to have some debt in one of the company I know. He was due few month ago, wasn't he? He's late. Mind if I remind him a bit?" I ask smirking.
"Please, Sophie has no connection with her. She was too small to realize what happened. If need be I'll pay the debt for them." She tried reasoning but it just made me laugh.
"Says the girl who herself owns million dollar debt in her own company." I reply back as she instantly turned away in frustration.
She took a deep breath and faces back to me.
"Mr. Sinclair, the debt of the company is still not due. We'd fulfill it in time as we promised we would. Your buying into that was not in our plan but we never have failed to pay up. And any business you have with Sally, please don't pull innocent people because of problem with her. Just tell me what I must do to solve your problem. As you say I'm related to her so it is my business only." She finally gave in.
Resigning to fate, are we?
My judgement of her being smart with words was right. She doesn't exactly give in but she doesn't argue stupidly either.
"Your not so innocent either, Miss Viviana. You've played your fair share of game to get what you wanted." I point out.
"I'm in the business of wiping people's ass, I do a lot more than dirtying my hand to get things done." She replied honestly.
"So, then you must be prepared to do anything for your company?" I ask amused which she reacts to immediately backing away.
"Anything reasonable." She says finally looking directly at me.
Slowly I walk up to her. Looking deep into the bright eyes that once held so much confidence seem too dull now filled with fear. But it doesn't fail to intrigue me like always.
"Have dinner with me and maybe we can come into a conclusion then?" I reply back walking in closer.
"Are you planning to play with me now using my weaknesses? That's quiet for someone like you." She asked bravely. A smile creeps on me, but I'm not happy, it's just hilarious that she thinks I'd want to play with her.
"Playing is a small word to what you're about to face. Don't forget you still owe me a pay back for refusing me. I'm not over that yet." I finally let out through gritted teeth.
That night I felt somehow humiliated when she refused me in my face despite my respected interest in her and left just like that. No woman ever did that to me. No woman ever denied their obvious attraction like her. I cannot let something like that go with just an apology. In fact, she never even apologized.
"If I upset you that evening, then I apologies. But my intentions were solely on refusing your interest on me and avoid you. I never meant to insult you. We had a civilized conversation. I never expected you to feel insulted." She let out instantly like she was stating facts.
"Trust me, it's a lot more than that, Miss Viviana." I reply back closing in as she moved toward the door.
"I've done nothing to earn such hostility from you. What do you want?" She huffed.
"What if I say it's you." I answer which instantly captured her attention and she pulls open the door to leave but I close it immediately. She's not going anywhere until I get her where I want her to be.
"If not sleeping with me is what made you so upset, you should've asked about it first, before pulling in my past issues." She replied in pure hatred with her back at me without facing me.
I need her eyes on me, to see exactly what I feel for her. She doesn't have the right to avoid me and I'll make sure of that. I force her to turn as I notice her flushed, from anger or embarrassment, I'm not sure.
"If sleeping with a woman was all I needed, I'd have had an army of woman standing for it. But I need more that that from you. I need that pride you're so boastful of to be crushed at all cost. Because I cannot stand it." I whispered back holder her hands in place as her eyes dart around to find anything to look at but me.
When she finally looks at me, I could see how so called confidence crumble replacing by something I wasn't sure of. Maybe fear, maybe pain. As I got more closer, we were inches away as I felt her hammering heartbeat on me. She's nervous and it's clear with evidence. I always knew I had an effect on since the moment our eyes met. But how much is what I'm about to find out. My pull made her eyes close as her body touched mine creating a fire I doubt I'll be able to calm any more. I want this woman at all cost. That is I all I know.
She grimaced as if in pain but didn't utter a single sound. It infuriated me how her pride stood above all. I will destroy that if that's the last thing I do.
๐๐๐๐
๐ THIRD POV:
Since she was small, she has always wondered why was she always the target of such rotten luck. She never harmed anyone, never thought of doing so, she never had bad intention. Every time she thought it was was finally over, it started all over again.
But then again, wasn't it because of her that things around her went wrong. People she loved left her. People who loved her hurt her. It was like a never ending cycle she could never get out of. She had no one to blame but herself.
Her fault because she couldn't be a good daughter, her fault because she couldn't be a good sister, her's because she couldn't be a good friend, employee, boss. Even though she gave her heart out to be the best, all she over came was the worst.
In the last 11 years, many have come for many types of payments of the deeps her mother and step-father committed. It seem to have never a ending list and for this she changed her entire identity just to survive in this world. But then someone as powerful as the Sinclair owning up-to her for payment, how could she do anything but just sit and watch them ruin her life all over again. She wondered what might've her mother's crime been to such a big family that caused for Rafael Sinclair to hate her so much.
When she first spoke to him, he seemed actually fun. Like the kind of guy you'd enjoy having a conversation with for hours. He had good humor and matched hers well. She did think maybe if he didn't pull up the sleeping with him card, she might've really liked him. There's no denying how good looking he was. He wasn't wrong to think any woman would fall for him. His ego being hurt because she rejected him seemed somehow justified since he never faced rejection. In her career, she had fair share of handling men's issue to know how their mind works.
She was no fool, she knew Rafael was attracted to her. No man has ever looked at her like he did. But the remorse in his eyes were also new to her. It wasn't there the first time they met. His eyes seemed to hold a power over her like a fuel reigning over her attraction. But then today the eyes he held her with terrified her. She's been hated by men for hurting their pride but never to the point of being hated like he does. It was suffocating when he looked at her like that. As if she was his world's most unwanted object.
She looked down at her bandaged hands, now soaked in bits of blood, that once had the fading of blistering burn, now held large scrape marks from being held by his forced large hands that refused to let go even when she winched in pain. But she wasn't about to give him a satisfaction of a whimper from her. He was right, her pride is her everything. She'd rather die than give up her pride. Deep inside she promised herself once that no human shall ever get the satisfaction of hurting her pride. She refused to let anyone do that.
But the man affected her. As much as she wants to deny it, he affected her. It's not because he's handsome or breathtakingly good looking but because she's seen enough men in her life working where she does to know men does not affect her. Even she isn't sure why he only does. Her heart and body, neither listens to her anymore. What is so different about him? Why does she fins him attractive despite how cruel and rude he is? Why is he so involved in her life? Questions spiral in her mind with unanswered doubts which were now clouding her judgement.
Her phone suddenly vibrated which bought her attention back to where she was. She realized it's already late afternoon around her and almost no one was around in the park.
"Hello?" She picked up the phone breathing in and got up to leave.
"Vi, where are you? Your meeting should have been over ages ago." She heard Cynthia's worried voice and smiled. Maybe someone was still there to care for her, she thought.
"Yea, I'm on my way. I just needed a walk to blow things off a little." She answered.
"Did he say why he's being an ass?" She asked as Vivia's lip quivered to tell her the truth but she didn't want her involved too. She knew if Cynthia learned that he threatened her using her past. She'd leave no stone un-turned to destroy him, ultimately herself.
"He's a hardcore, Cyn. He won't crack that easily. Forget it, we'll just focus on raising our profit to pay up the debt." She replied trying to not exactly lie upright to her.
"Okay, that's good. Um, when will you be home?" Cynthia asked in hesitation.
"Why are you home now?" She asked confused, she wouldn't be at home at office hour.
"Just come back." Cynthia insisted like a child.
"When did you start to miss be so much, Cyn? What's up?" Vivia laughed and reached her car in a near parking lot.
"Yea, um, I'll tell you when you reach home." Cynthia's voice worried Vivia a lot but she knew she wouldn't spill until she was home.
So she cut the call and pulled her jacked over her shoulders. Drove fast to reach home as soon as possible since she knew something was wrong here. Hoping that it's just a guy matter and nothing else.
๐๐๐
โค VIVIA:
Once inside, I immediately realized something is off about the place. Yesterday I felt it too but I was too tired to care about it.
Reaching to our living room, I noticed Cynthia was on her phone worried. Seeing me she immediately cut the call and got up.
"You were missed." She said smiling awkwardly. There was no joy in their.
"What happened?" I asked slowly.
"Yea, so, don't panic, okay? Um, I think someone, um, broke into our place." Cynthia finally let out grimly.
"What?" The words didn't register in me quick enough to be surprised or shocked.
"Nothing is exactly missing but things have been moved from here and there. And well, " She looked toward my room in worry. But before she could speak up, I ran toward my room immediately just to find the place completely ransacked.
Particularly, my room had nothing important since I only slept here. So, only the items on my table and shelf was all over the floor. My bed wasn't in a good shape with how the mattress was turned over. The drawers under my bed were pulled out too. I looked toward my closet whose door was ajar. Walking close, it was easy to see my whole closet was turned upside down.
Whoever came here was searching for something and that's from me particularly.
"Your room's fine, right?" Is the only thing I let out finally after a while.
"Yea, they did come and touch things here and there but nothing like here." Cynthia explained.
"Did you call security?" I said remembering something and left my room.
"I did but they were confused how he got in so easily, so I asked to check the footage. And-" she was informing when I cut in realizing exactly what happened.
"He had keys." I told her looking through our shelf by the main door. My keys were missing from the key holder box. In fact, I haven't opened my door with keys since yesterday.
Yesterday!
"The man I hit yesterday wasn't a coincidence." I turn to her who looked confused.
"How? What? Hold on, I'm confused. How did you know he had keys on him?" She asked shaking her head.
"Because my keys are missing from here. I always have my keys clipped in my purse. But since yesterday I don't have it." I replied explaining.
"But you said you just forgot them at home." Cynthia looked confused.
"I thought so too, but they're not here. I didn't take my keys today since I knew you'll be home sooner than me. And yesterday, when I hit the man, I think he took my keys because I dropped my purse." I replied fearing exactly what I hoped would never happen.
"And you had them clipped on your purse. Vi, someone have to be very swift to up-clip a set of keys from a purse." Cynthia reasoned knowing I wasn't making any sense. But I knew I was perfectly making sense.
"I know exactly who could do that." I said as my mind was racing at 100 meter per speed.
There's only one I know who's so good at swiftly hands and snatching up things.
"Who?" Cynthia asked worried.
"My, father." I finally let out as my legs give out under me.
And I just sit there horrified by my own realization.