Serign Blake was reclining on a comfortable leather chair when she was startled awake. Her eyes snapped open and she shivered uncontrollably. In her pupils, there was an unknown dread.
A Dream? No, a nightmare.
Serign groaned softly and raised her fingers pinching the top of her nose bridge. With a sigh, she clapped twice and the vast office space was illuminated. Her PA was flashing with a blue light. She straightened up and took it. She unlocked the homescreen through facial recognition and clicked on the notification.
Recall : Thursday 13 - Oct (10 PM): The 25th Business Awards Ceremony of the Wright Foundation. Potential recipient and nominee. Invited
Another groan.
She had completely forgotten. The whole week she was busy cloturing a large project, as such, it slipped through her mind. She promptly stood up and went to the Bathroom / Wardrobe. Before showering, she critically examined her garments and accessories. She finally settled on a burgundy dress with a deep decolté stopping a couple inches before her navel. She added a pair of diamond earrings and a silver bracelet.
For her shoes she decided on a pair of crystal-like heels. The entire outfit plus the jewellery was worth at least thirty thousand Union Coins / UC. Naturally, she didn't buy it herself, although she could afford it with her current financial power. It was a gift from her first client. She had never worn it, reserving it for a special occasion.
The Awards Ceremony was special enough.
Having chosen her outfit, she stepped under the wide shower head and let the cool water pour on her. It took 30 minutes before she felt clean from the grim of a work day. She proceeded to dress herself, applying a minimal amount of makeup and styling her hair.
Finally, she stood in front of the vanity mirror. A beautiful woman with blond hair styled in a wolf cut was staring back. She had a gorgeous and slender body with feminine curves which were showcased by the dress. Her face was delicate akin to that of a fairy. Her green eyes were piercing and bright. In other words, she was a captivating woman in the prime of her youth.
Her PA rang with a soft but audible tune. She tapped the screen while scrying the mirror for flaws in her get up. The tune was replaced by a cool voice.
"Deputy Chief, I've arrived. The car is ready."
"Noted. I'll be downstairs in a few minutes." It seemed that Serign had the presence of mind to prepare a driver for this event as far as a few weeks back. Usually she would have driven herself but she guessed that alcohol would flow tonight. Driving inebriated was a big no-no.
Serign left the wardrobe looking splendid and headed straight toward the elevator. Her office spanned the entire 35th floor of this building. It was tastefully decorated and gave Casual and minimalistic vibe whilst also maintaining a personality.
Serign became lost in thoughts as the elevator went down. The soft humming provided a background for her chaotic mind. She hadn't recovered from the nightmare, the cold water had swept her weariness away but hadn't managed to cast away the shadow on her heart.
Beyond the uneasiness, there was a profound sadness Serign herself couldn't quite understand.
Ding.
Her gaze regained focus as people swarmed in the elevator. Most of them were her employees. Recognizing her, they fell silent. As the elevator went down, Serign was conspicuous, a wide berth was left for her by the employees unconsciously or consciously.
Still, everyone would throw glances at her while trying to be discreet. Their gaze was charged with interest, lust, envy, admiration and various other such emotions. Despite the awkward atmosphere, Serign seemed at ease. Unbothered by the near physical attention she was subject to.
Eventually, some left at various floors replaced by newcomers. Thankfully, after a short moment, Serign found herself alone in the elevator once more. The elevator ride was smooth and she reached the -2th level. It was an underground parking lot. She quickly stepped into the car waiting for her, nodding briefly to the driver who had opened the door for her.
The vehicle was long, with graceful lines. It was also painted with a dark color that seemed to absorb light.
Hum. The car started almost noiselessly. The driver expertly maneuvered through the complex underground parking and reached the exit. Serign opened her purse and passed a card to him. He grabbed it without looking and flashed it at the camera. The automated barrier lifted up and the luxurious car merged seamlessly into the night traffic.
The ride was smooth without any bump, even the city noises were muffled.
The driver was a thirty-ish years old man with a well groomed beard and a solid figure. His eyes were sharp and he was alert. Serign guessed that he had a military background or something related to discipline. The company that she hired had sent him. They had excellent reviews as their drivers double as bodyguards as well. They were on the payroll of many influential people. She had decided to contract their services recently and was pleased so far.
Ting. Serign extracted the PA from her purse. A message from her brother.
She trembled slightly. Heartache flashed past in her pupils. Steadying her breath she opened the message.
Rolon : Thanks for the watch, Big sis. It was exactly the one I wanted! - Attached photo.
Clicking on the pined picture, the smiling face of a 15 years old teenager appeared on the screen. He was dressed in private school uniforms. An arm raised to show a watch with complicated gears and another making the peace sign.
Serign teared up for an instant then she blinked suppressing the emotional surge. As if nothing had happened, she smiled and her hands flew on the screen. Then, she took a selfie and sent it to Rolon.
Serign: I am glad you like it. Big sister is going to an event. What do you think of my outfit?
She put down the PA and tried to relax as she let herself rest against the cushy backseat. She closed her eyes and only opened them when the car started to slow down. Through the tinted window, Serign saw the line of cars they were in and the entrance of the Wright Dome Center in the distance.
The giant dome was a thing of wonder. An architectural masterpiece. To think that it did not belong to the city of Riad but to a group, the Wright Group. The Wright family was at least in the top 5 in the union, in terms of wealth and heritage.
They were the reason Serign responded to the invitation, more precisely, the current head of the family and the Chairman of the group, Lumens Wright. He had decided to host the event this time. As a business woman, she couldn't miss the chance to interact with the Wrights, not to mention it was the chairman of the group.
Therefore, the attendance tonight was high. No one, potential recipient of the awards or not, wanted to miss this social gathering. The brass of the city of Minos and beyond dare not miss the event. It was a great opportunity to climb the ladder. It was also the case for the small players who couldn't link with the Wrights, there were many bigshots.
Nervous energy filled the vicinity of the Wright Dome Center.
It took half an hour but her car finally reached the entrance. A steward came forward as soon as her car stopped and opened the door for her. She dipped her head gracefully and exited the vehicle. There were a few flashes that blinded her momentarily. She felt dizzy but quickly reoriented herself.
Reporters.
Of course the event was covered by the media. Shrugging the remaining dizziness away, Serign walked gracefully into the Center. She was directed toward the biggest reception hall of the Wright Dome Center.
While heading toward the reception hall, Serign ignored the people streaming toward the hall like her. Instead, she was looking at the deserted center. Usually, it was filled with a large number of people at all times. The Wright Dome Center had numerous cafés, stores, restaurants and even rooms one could rent in the manner of a hotel. There were also 7 reception halls used for events. Though anybody could rent it for private events, the price was steep. The really rich were the only ones able to rent them.
No. For this event, the entire place had been emptied except for the guests and potential recipients of the Awards Ceremony. While distracted, Serign reached the reception hall and stepped inside.
The hall was expertly decorated, monochrome flowers and circular tables made of glass. Strip of purple fabric covered the walls of the hall in a series of knots and patterns. On the right of the hall, there were four bars filled with the most expensive alcoholic beverages. A crystal-like, large square podium was also positioned in the middle of the hall.
Some guests had already filled their seats and were talking in low tones. As Serign strode toward her seat, she attracted the attention of a lot of men as well as some women. It couldn't be helped, vanity aside, she was incredibly blessed in terms of looks. While growing up, her mother had always wondered if she really was her daughter. She had been a beauty in her own right but Serign's charms were not quite of this world.
After looking around for a bit, Serign found her seat. Her table was close to the podium and already had a few occupied seats. She sat down and summarily greeted the other guests. a soft chorus of greetings answered her before everyone returned to their conversation. Still, some of their gazes lingered.
"Hello, I am Mathew Cognaugh, CEO of Epsilon Consulting." A man in his late twenties introduced himself as soon as she was seated. Serign affected a polite smile and turned toward him. She took his card and gave him hers.
"Serign, Serign Blake, CEO of S-Design. Pleased to meet you." She reached with her hand and shook his outstretched palm firmly.
"I've heard of you, mostly from business magazines. You started 3 years ago in a small studio. Then, you managed to grow your business into a mid-size company grossing over hundreds of millions in revenue annually." he was looking straight into her eyes and he hadn't released her hand yet.
Serign' eyes fell on their joined hands before looking up and observing him. He was a slender but fit man judging by the way the gray suit looked on him.
Broad shoulder, tall, brown hair, average but harmonious facial features and honey colored eyes.
Serign could swear she never saw this color on a person before.
All in all, definitely not ordinary.