When Sebastian left her office, Veronica covered her face with both of her hands as if she were carrying the entire world. She didn't even hear the knock that Yuna did until she entered.
"My lady, are you okay?" Yuna wondered.
"I am." Veronica simply answered but still not looking at Yuna.
"Did Mr. Salazar do something to you?" she carefully asked making Veronica look back at her. "Oh, he did." Yuna was holding her smile since her lady boss was blushing.
"Don't say anything." She glared yet her cheeks were not sending a cold CEO vibe from her.
"I am not." Yuna giggled. "You're cute and ordinary, my lady."
It caught her attention. "You think so?" she wondered.
Yuna nodded. "Yes, my lady. He could help you camouflage your night job." Veronica nodded since it really could help her along the way. "But what he did do to make you blush like a tomato there?"
"He invited me for dinner." She answered but Yuna was not buying it.
"My lady, we grew up together and I know a simple invitation can't make you blush like that, so spill." Yuna reminded her lady boss of how long they'd been together and Veronica sighed.
"He stole a kiss from my cheek. Happy now?" as soon as Veronica told her that, Yuna started fangirling making her lady boss cover her ears. "Yuna, we're at the office. I'm still your boss here."
Yuna quickly controlled her happiness for her lady. "Sorry, I'm just happy for you, my lady." she was sincere since it was a very long time ago the last time she witnessed her lady show any expression. "Take his offer, my lady. He offered help and I can see that he was sincere."
"I'm planning to". She smiled at her secretary. "Maybe tonight, I'll tell him."
As the day took turns at the Salazar Empire, Sebastian was in a good mood throughout the day. He might be still wearing his famous cold facade but he was not glaring to anyone he crossed with. He just waltzed around as he checked his company's progress.
Sebastian made a surprise visit to the art and design department. "Any updates around here?" It caused everyone in the department to quickly get up from their designated booths and bow respectfully at him.
The department manager approached the CEO. "Everything is moving smoothly, Sir." She was the one who answered on behalf of the entire department.
Sebastian nodded as he strolled around the department checking their progress. "Are we meeting our deadlines?" he wondered.
"Some, Sir, and the remaining projects only needed some adjustments and revision before hitting the 6th month's deadline." The department manager answered.
"Alright, just make sure not to make any delays on the remaining projects." Sebastian liked the progress that was happening around the art and design department. "But just in case the project came up with something heavy, be sure to have a meeting with your team at the marketing and the production department whether the project can meet the deadline or delay it in a couple of days," he added a suggestion in case something went wrong along the progress.
The department manager nodded. "Understood, Sir."
"Pardon my sudden visit. Please, continue your good work." Sebastian told them and left after a quick check in their department that everyone felt relieved about.
Glen chuckled as they were walking toward the elevator. "You gave them a fright."
"Well, I have to do that without warning," Sebastian responded as they entered the elevator. "You know that I have to see for myself if they were slacking off or not." He admitted that he doesn't like anyone who were pretending to work and still get their salary.
"Understood, Sir." Glen smiled and they proceeded to their station.
Sebastian recalled something. "Glen, clear my schedule the rest of the day, I have an emergency at you know where." He reminded Glen and when his secretary heard that, he nodded.
"I will just give you a notification and email in case the client sends some." Glen smiled and Sebastian returned it before heading inside his office. He knew that his boss was in a good mood.
When the clock hits noon, Sebastian decides to leave the company and head to his villa. His villa had a Spanish-style house and it was not far from the farms that the Salazar family owned. But even though there were no patrolling men around the area, the entire villa had 24/7 high-security surveillance that nobody dared to infiltrate unless they were asking for their death sentence.
Upon Sebastian's arrival, he wore his mask before coming down from the black Mercedes Benz. "Good afternoon, Boss." Two men who were guarding the front door greeted him as they opened the door of the house.
But being the usual cold boss, "Got anything for me?" he coldly asked them as if he didn't care and just went inside the house.
One of his men informed him."We've got some information about the faceless CEO of the Ciel De Luna. But all of them seem like a bluff." He even handed a file about what he managed to gather about Veronica Santiniez.
"What made you think it's a bluff?" he asked as they headed to his office.
"It was easy to find on the net but when I asked some employees working there, they said the same thing as if they were forced to." the same man answered.
"Elaborate that, Silva." Sebastian wanted to hear which part was the bluff that his man was saying.
"Cold but kind boss. They rarely see her walk out of her office unless they are having a meeting with her. But others say she is a frightening boss whenever she's mad. They say that her eyes held no emotion and could kill anyone in sight." Silva went on causing Sebastian to chuckle.
It was reminding him about himself. "Well, what they were saying is true. She has a cold facade, and frightening looks whenever she's serious about something. Her sinister smirk can be taunting like a nightmare but she is indeed a caring boss on the way she talks to her employees." Sebastian smiled in fascination upon recalling what he saw around her. But what enchanted him was Veronica's lovely smile. It was a smile that reminded him of his first lost love's innocent gummy smile.
"Boss?" Sebastian snapped from his thoughts when he heard Silva's worried voice. "Are you okay, Boss? You seem lost in there."
"I am fine." He made an excuse. "Anything else?"
"Oh, about Mr. Pendelton, he was making some transaction with the Sakurai familia with the use of his flirting facade around the heiress of the family." the same man, Silva informed him. "But I also noticed this man." He showed a photo of a mysterious man delivering a telegram directly to the Sakurai family head. "When the family head received it, everything seemed to stop."
"Stop?" Sebastian got intrigued.
"Yes, Boss," he confirmed. "From what I could see, whoever sent that letter was bigger than their family for them to quickly reject Mr. Pendelton's advances around their heiress." he went on making Sebastian smirk.
"Do we have an enemy or a friend?" he wondered but his man could not give him any answer.
"We can't be sure but Sakurai Familia is one of the S Famalia which I think Mr. Pendelton had no idea," Silva answered.
Sebastian sighed but his grin was not fading. "Then that answers our question. If Sakurai Familia was still one of the S Familia then that letter came from their big boss."
Silva was a bit confused. "But their big boss is gone and the S Familia is down." He recalled.
"Don't be so sure. S Familia was the only mafia family that could match S Empire." Sebastian smirked. "And from what I could remember, S Empire didn't harm the S Familia so why it will be gone?"
Silva was still confused. "They have no boss."
"Do you think so?" his boss chuckled at his puzzled reaction. "You have a long way to go on understanding who's the S Familia and S Empire to each other." he shook his head and waved his hand. "You may go. I've got something else to check on."
Sebastian checked on his entire property before deciding it was his time to head to a certain place to prepare for a dinner date. He was smiling to himself that nobody was caught except his driver-bodyguard.
"Good mood, Boss?" his driver-bodyguard, Jason, asked through the rear mirror of their car.
"Maybe. Drive to my newly built restaurant." Sebastian's smile turned to a smirk. "I want to try the kitchen there." his driver didn't answer but just drove toward their destination.
The newly built restaurant was near the El Fregamo's main boutique. It was also already finished and neat but it was not opened to the public just yet. Things around the restaurant needed to be checked until it could fully operate to the public.
"Is there anything else you need, Boss? I can run to the supermarket it is not far from here." Jason politely asked his boss.
Sebastian was checking everything in the kitchen which includes the ingredients around. "Nothing as for now, but maybe tomorrow early in the morning," he answered as he began preparing what meal he will prepare for Veronica.
"If you say so." Jason nodded. "Just call me, Boss if you need anything. I'll check the perimeter." he excused himself.
"Okay, be careful," Sebastian said without looking at him. Jason was surprised to hear that from his boss but didn't say anything and left his busy boss in the kitchen of the newly built restaurant called, SAMES RestoBar.
Sebastian was finally happy with his prepared ingredients when he looked over his watch. "Shoot! I have to pick her up." he quickly removed his apron and went out of the restaurant. "Keys." He hurried making Jason toss the car keys.
Jason bowed as Sebastian quickly drove the car to head the Ceil De Luna and picked up Veronica. Speaking of her, Veronica has to go overtime due to some persistent clients that had been having some complications over the design. She wanted to kill them on the spot but she must control her temper and be neutral.
Yuna sighed in relief as soon as their client left the meeting room. "Finally, that went well this time."
"You think so?" Veronica coldly asked while arranging the files and putting some notes for her men to settle the arrangement on them. "They were testing my patience since I'm the famous faceless CEO."
"But you show them how you handle it and I'm still impressed, My lady." Yuna praised her lady boss and took the files that she settled.
Veronica scoffed. "You should be impressed, I'm your flexible boss."