"So? What is your next move? You succeeded in making Eunice Tsui return to the country. Everything is laid out according to your plans. Are you going to continue pretending to be that woman's fiance?"
Larry had a broad smile as he teased. As usual, Jullian shot him a dagger look, his way of reprimanding him. But he is used to his threatening look; thus, he'll only ignore him.
"Oopsie, you were the only one who knew it was a fake engagement," he added, causing Jullian to sharpen his gaze.
Most of the time, he hates how Larry's mouth runs. He seems to never be out of breath, as he never ceases blabbing every second.
If it weren't for his talent as a computer genius, he would never put up with how noisy and nosy the guy was. Hence, Jullian stayed calm and ignored his taunt.
"Now that we speculate that Meier is protecting Eunice Tsui, I have no other way to get near her but through Leah." After a long silence, Julian spoke.
"Ho, ho… The wedding is just less than two months away. Are you willing to go to such great lengths to marry that clingy woman?"
Jullian frowned.
Larry isn't wrong with his judgment. Leah is indeed a clingy woman. They aren't married yet, but she wanted to poke her nose into his business. It was the behavior he hated most.
However, Leah is his bridge to getting closer to Eunice. At all costs, he must win her over, whatever obstacle stands in his way.
"Well, we are closer to our goals, so there is no holding back," Jullian said, making a firm decision. He asked, "Which hotel is she staying at?"
"Oh, according to our watchmen, she made a quick tour around the Monterraz Estate before she headed to the Shangri-La Hotel. Since then, she has never left the premises."
"Hm…" Jullian hummed, nodding. He rubbed his chin as he thought, 'No wonder she had dined with Christian.'
"By the way, Christian Meier booked the entire presidential floor for a month and placed several bodyguards scattered in the area. It means no one can step onto that floor but a few authorized personnel...such as the hotel crew."
Larry emphasized his last four words. Upon mentioning that, there was a glint in Jullian's eyes as an idea came in.
Larry is as resourceful and efficient as Kurt, the reason he could not kick out him from his team.
"Good. Send our people over. That's all for tonight. Let me know if you gather new information about Eunice and the Meiers. Monitor the Dela Cruz family as well."
"Copy, boss." Larry salute.
Jullian left the archives hall and headed to his office to check on a few documents. He planned to pull an all-nighter when his phone rang. It was Kurt calling him.
"What is it?"
"Sir, Mr. Meier announced a board meeting early tomorrow morning."
"Did you learn what the agenda is about?"
"No, sir."
"Got it. Anything else?"
"That's all for now, sir."
"Well then, you can go home." Jullian ended the call and put away his phone. He guessed Kurt had just dropped Leah home.
"What is that man planning?" Jullian mused.
What Christian had in mind piqued his interest. Until now, his team has found no helpful information, but Christian Meier's records are clean.
Anyway, his family's status in Switzerland is great. There is no surprise if he had protection from them. The logical explanation there is...
Jullian leans back in his chair and massages his forehead down to the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted all of a sudden. He realized he had forgotten to have dinner.
Even though he doesn't want to go home to an empty house, he must call it a night and get some dinner and rest.
~
The following day, Jullian arrived at the Lopez Tower by seven thirty in the morning. The board meeting would start at eight o'clock, but he remembered that an important document needed his signature.
'It's her!'
Jullian made an abrupt parked and scampered out of his car upon having a glimpse of a familiar woman.
"Good morning, sir."
"Go park my car," he ordered the security guard assigned at the door when he passed him. The man glanced at the expensive car that blocked the driveway, causing others to make a hasty halt not colliding with it.
"Yes, sir!"
Jullian paid no attention to what he'd caused because he had more important matters he cared about.
"Jullian, wait for me!"
He heard someone calling him from behind. However, he was not in the mood to entertain her. Thus, he ignored the owner of this voice and quickened his steps instead, leaving the woman outside the elevator.
"Jullian!" The woman, none other than Leah, stomped her foot when Jullian didn't wait for her and held the door for them to climb the Meier floor together.
Is that Eunice who was in the elevator as well?
Leah's face contorted with fierceness. Livid, she marched toward the public elevator and barked at its passengers.
"All of you, get out!"
"Miss Leah, we can share a ride since we will head to the same floor."
The person who spoke is one of the secretaries assigned to the president's office. Hearing her excuse, Leah scolded her.
"Who are you to disobey me? I am the future wife of your boss, the owner of this building! It means I have the authority to order you whatever I want! You had no say when I said I would take this elevator alone!"
The secretary and another employee from the other company renting out the Lopez Tower felt annoyed at how Bossie she was even before she became Mrs. Lopez.
The secretary now had a plan to write her resignation letter and hand it over to the boss the day before his wedding.
'I rather sell fish in the market rather than work with this woman!'
If Leah were to become her boss' wife, she could already imagine how she would punish her and the rest of the Lopez employees if they didn't please her!
Leah is arrogant and thinks of herself highly, the reason none of her colleagues like her. She acted like a queen as if she had a crown and a throne, in which case she was just an entitled b*tch.
Meanwhile, at the executive elevator, Eunice was surprised when Jullian suddenly joined her. She wanted to question the guy about why he was taking the Meier elevator when the Lopez Group executive elevator was at the end of the hallway in the right wing of the building.
But then she reminded herself that Lopez Group was the developer of the Monterrazas project. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jullian is visiting Meier's office.
'He must be here to attend the board meeting.'
~
Jullian's POV
I was steering my car toward the parking lot when I had a glimpse of Eunice entering my building.
I felt over the moon for no real reason. I don't understand, but my chest was filled with an inexplicable, foreign emotion.
I'm glad that Leah was able to convince Eunice to accept my job offer. Therefore, I parked my car in the middle of the road and followed her as she walked toward the elevator.
I could hear Leah calling out my name, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to speak to Eunice alone without realizing something was wrong and found out later.
"Good morning, Eunice. We've met again." I greeted her with a smile, hoping it looked genuine in her eyes.
However, she looked dissatisfied with how she stared at me, sizing me up. Subconsciously, I reached for my tie and fixed it, even though it perfectly hung around my neck.
Suddenly, I feel a tension I never felt during the countless wars I've been to.
I don't understand why, but tiny beads form on my forehead when I just take a shower and the morning weather is cold.
This made me look in the mirror to confirm if I was pleasant enough to the eyes and if my suit looked good on me. Although I purposely wore my most expensive business suit for today's board meeting, I felt it wasn't enough to impress the woman before me when her face was void of emotion. Unlike every woman I crossed who didn't miss an opportunity to throw themselves at me.
Eunice Tsui is such a mysterious woman.
I wondered what was running in her head.
"Mr. Lopez, I don't think we are close enough to call each other based on our first names."
"What?" Her statement took me aback. I rolled my eyes, looking for an answer to retort. But then, my eyes landed on the elevator buttons. "Where are you going?"
The lit button was way below my floor. I just then noticed that several were missing. These buttons weren't even implied for my floors.
"Aren't you supposed to be heading to my office?" I asked her with confusion, which caused her to raise her left brow.
"Why would I go to your office?" she asked me.
I heard her scoff. I have been noticing this. She seemed to ridicule me in secret. But it must be just my assumption. I often overthink when it comes to her and this is my opportunity to take another step closer to her.
"Aren't you looking for a decent job?" I asked her, studying her exquisite makeup. I noticed she only wearing light colors and it was good on her. I couldn't help to compare her to Leah who wearing layers of makeup that made a big change in her real look.
"Excuse me?"
Ah, Eunice snapped me out of a daze. I didn't realize I was looking at her intently. But my question seems to shock her. Therefore, I have to explain myself.
"I told Leah that there was a vacancy in my office. I need a personal secretary, so I—"
She cut me halfway, and I didn't understand why she looked so stunned as if I was wrong with my assumption.
"Mr. Lopez, do I look poor to you? My overall outfit has cost ten times more than yours!"