The bustling atmosphere of the office was momentarily disrupted by a sharp knock on the door of Victor's office.
*knock knock*
Victor looked up from his pile of paperwork, the noise pierced through his concentration.
As Macy entered, one of his assistants. Greeted them both,
"Good afternoon, Sir Lucas and Sir Victor."
Her respectful tone didn't waver as she acknowledged Victor's presence beside Lucas, offering a nod in greeting to him.
She also glanced at Lucas to convey the message about the call.
"Sir Lucas, you have a call from the reception. They mentioned it's quite an urgent matter."
Victor couldn't help but furrow his brow.
Everyone in the office was well aware of the high-stakes projects underway, making it an inconvenient time for interruptions.
However, he noticed that Lucas, his right-hand man, had an unexpected visitor and gave him a pointed look, silently indicating that he should complete his current tasks before entertaining any guests.
"May I ask who is asking for Lucas?" Victor asked, his voice taking on a more serious and somewhat intimidating tone.
"Did the reception not receive instructions to hold off on visitors today?" he added
The assistant, Macy, hesitated for a moment.
She was aware of Victor's reputation for seriousness and precision, and the prospect of relaying this message made her nervous.
"I apologize, sir, but it's Maam Helena who is aking fo Sir Lucas's assistance. She mentioned that she requires him to help her bring the food she has brought for you."
Victor momentarily halted his work, his pen hovering above the papers.
He gave Macy a discerning look, making sure he heard correctly.
"Helena? Are you certain about this? Helena called Lucas just to have him assist with carrying food?"
Victor was incredulous.
He couldn't fathom that Helena, whom he perceived as somewhat spoiled, would make such a request.
His disbelief was evident.
Macy, sensing her boss's incredulity, swallowed nervously.
" Yes, sir they confirmed it was Maam Helena, and she has just arrived, currently waiting on the ground floor."
Victor's brow furrowed even deeper.
"I made it clear that we were not to entertain any visitors today. Did you not understand that?"
"Besides, Lucas and I are deeply engrossed in our work at the moment. Please inform the receptionist to relay the message to Helena that today's agenda is important, and her presence is not required."
His tone was abrupt and blunt, leaving Macy taken aback.
She couldn't believe that Victor was so resolute about refusing to accommodate his girlfriend.
Nevertheless, she complied with his directive.
"Understood, sir," Macy responded before leaving Victor's office and notifying the reception.
---
In the meantime, at the reception area, Helena waited impatiently.
She glanced at her Rolex watch, her face reflecting the impatience she felt.
Her bossy demeanor didn't go unnoticed by the receptionist, who kept a watchful eye on her.
When the receptionist finally approached her,
"So, where's Lucas? Is he on his way? Please ask him to hurry up a bit." Helena inquired.
Helena's demanding tone made the receptionist feel embarrassed.
She hesitated before replying,
"I apologize, ma'am, but Mr. Victor specifically instructed us not to admit any visitors today due to their busy schedule."
Helena raised an eyebrow, her irritation evident.
"No, do you know who I am? Do I appear to be just anyone?" She pointed at herself.
"But, ma'am, I received instructions from our boss."
"Are you certain that you conveyed to him that it was I who was looking for him?" Helena inquired, her tone condescending.
The receptionist, taken aback by Helena's tone.
"Yes, ma'am, I did. But he insisted that today is a crucial day, and your presence is not necessary."
"What?!?"
She was about to complain again.
But Helena's voice calmed slightly, and her expression swiftly changed upon noticing that several people were discreetly observing her, intrigued by her earlier behavior.
"Very well, I shall patiently await here. Please convey to Victor that I will be waiting for him,"
"I shall await him in the guest lounge," she stated.
"Ma'am, they are—," the receptionist was about to continue speaking to Helena, but she quickly departed towards the guest lounge.
As she exited the reception area, the receptionist sighed, bewildered by Helena's uncharacteristic behavior.
-----++++
Meanwhile, just a few minutes later, Rina made her entrance into the company's premises.
She couldn't help but marvel at the grand interior design, and her gaze wandered around in awe.
Some employees stared at her, perplexed by her casual attire in contrast to their formal work attire.
Approaching the reception area....
"Hi, is Erwin in the office now?" Rina inquired.
The receptionist appeared puzzled by the name.
"Sorry?"
"I mean Victor," Rina clarified, realizing that "Erwin" might not be a recognized name in his company.
"Oh, so you're referring to the CEO himself, Sir Victor," the receptionist acknowledged.
"Yes, is he here? I just need to give him some files he urgently needs for a client meeting today," Rina explained, displaying the files Lucas had left for her.
The receptionist raised her eyebrow at the woman she was talking to.
"I'm sorry, but Sir Victor is not receiving visitors today. Could you please come back in a few days? Today is an important day for the company," she said.
"No, this is also crucial. You see, I have the files they need for a client presentation today," she said while showing the files.
"No, you can't fool me, miss. Many have claimed the same and chosen important days just to get his attention. Like you, many women pretend to have important papers for Sir, but all they want is to get his attention," she added, raising her eyebrow and showing disinterest in continuing the conversation.
"He didn't even acknowledge Maam Helena's presence despite her being his girlfriend. What more you, who isn't."
This was the feeble utter by the receptionist, accompanied by a gaze at Rina from head to toe.
She was left speechless by these words...
Not only did the receptionist refuse to let her see Victor, but she also displayed rudeness.
She couldn't believe this behavior was accepted in the company. She thought to herself.
"No miss, you see, I'm different from the women you're referring to," she said.
Slightly raising her voice when mentioning "women" as it seemed there was more than just Helena in his husband's collection of women.
"These files are genuinely important right now, you can confirm it when you call Lucas," she added with diminishing patience.
"Please," she added, her patience wearing thin.
The receptionist couldn't help but gaze at Rina for an extended moment.
It was the first time she had noticed Rina's remarkable beauty, even in casual attire.
Initially, when Rina walked in, the receptionist had been taken aback by her seemingly out-of-place clothing amidst the formal attire of the office staff.
Feeling somewhat hesitant but compelled, the receptionist reached for her telephone to call Macy, another assistant, to report the presence of the visitor.
"Miss, I'm going to call the main office to verify the documents you mentioned. But if it turns out that your claims are untrue, would that put me in trouble?" the receptionist inquired, searching for assurance.
"Don't worry I can assure you that I'm telling the truth" Rina answered.
"Okay, your name, miss?" she asked.
"Tell Lucas that Rina Sy is currently looking for him right now to deliver these important documents," Rina replied.
The receptionist paused briefly, her curiosity piqued by the surname the woman mentioned, as it could potentially be related to one of the company's partners, given that "Sy" was a prominent surname.
However, when her gaze fell upon Rina, who was wearing a nonchalant expression, she simply shrugged it off.
It seemed highly unlikely that someone from the Sy family would be unable to afford proper attire.
However, she just conveyed Rina's message with a casual shrug.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, the receptionist's call reached Macy, who had been tasked with delivering an urgent message to Victor.
--------+++++
Macy, on the other hand, received another call from the reception desk.
According to the receptionist, there was someone in possession of vital company documents.
Fearing that it was somewhat very important.
Despite her trepidation about facing her boss again, Macy immediately knocked on Victor's office door.
While Lucas and Victor had been preoccupied by their earlier discussion, the knock on the door disrupted them.
Lucas promptly rose from his seat to find the reason behind it, as he could sense the irritation on Victor's face indicating he was not pleased by the sound of the knocking.
As Lucas stepped out of his office, Macy quickly approached him.
He had intended to go out to confront her, suspecting that Helena might be bothering her again.
However, before Lucas could speak, he was taken aback when Macy uttered,
"Sir Lucas, someone is seeking your presence. A person by the name of Rina Sy is waiting at the reception, stating that she has crucial documents intended for you."
Lucas was surprised to hear that Rina was looking for him and seemed to have brought the documents he had left at her home.
He couldn't hide his curiosity and concern, prompting him to question,
"What? Rina? Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, Sir," Macy affirmed.
"Alright, inform the receptionist that I'm coming down to meet Miss Rina," Lucas said decisively.
------------
Victor was wondering about Lucas's odd behavior, as Lucas entered his office with a sense of urgency.
"Sir, I will be going to the ground floor to greet Miss Rina. She's waiting downstairs with the documents I brought from your home," Lucas informed Victor.
Victor's attention was immediately captured.
"Rina? Are you certain about this?" he inquired, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, Sir," Lucas responded.
"Okay, just stay here in the office. I'll go and welcome her downstairs instead" Victor declared, rising from his seat and adjusting his suit, which had become slightly disheveled due to his previous sitting position.
Although Lucas found Victor's reaction perplexing, he didn't question it.
Instead, he watched as Victor prepared to meet Rina, noticing a subtle sense of nervousness in his boss's demeanor as Victor checked his appearance in the office mirror.
As Victor noticed Lucas's gaze, he redirected his attention to his assistant, saying,
"What are you looking at? Finish your work here, and I'll handle things downstairs."
Lucas decided not to dwell on what he had observed, assuming that he had possibly misread Victor's reaction.
It seemed unlikely that Victor would be nervous about encountering his wife, especially since their relationship seemed strained.
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