Michael
I woke up to the vibration of my phone, and soon realized that Sylvie was cuddled up in my arms. She looked serene and innocent in her sleep, and a small smile touched my lips at the sight. The previous night had been filled with a roller coaster of emotions, and I knew it had something to do with Antonio. I had seen him leaving her room just seconds before I knocked. He had a smile on his face as he left, I figured it might have been a friendly arguement. However, after seeing Sylvie in tears, I knew he had done nothing but harm her emotionally.
I felt my blood curdle in rage, but I desisted from annoying myself this early in the morning. I had a meeting in the next three hours, and I was not about to let Antonio ruin my mood.
Carefully removing myself from our embrace, I tiptoed across the hotel room, not wanting to disturb her peaceful slumber. We had a long day ahead of us, she needed all the rest she could get.
I returned to my room and minutes later the hotel attendant came knocking on my door with breakfast. I considered it more of an alarm that Sylvie was awake now, so I made for my phone. I wanted to call and ask how she was doing, but on a second thought I decided against it.
I got straight to getting myself prepared for the meeting, and after that I had little food from the tray that had been dropped off a couple minutes ago.
"Good morning." Sylvie's greeted the moment I opened my door. She was already at my door, and would have knocked it I hadn't stepped out that same moment.
"Good morning Sylvie. How are you doing?" I returned as we both began walking towards the conference room.
She lowered her head shyly before replying "I'm doing great, what about—"
"Good morning, Mr Black." Antonio's deep voice interrupted her. I turned to see him and his new secretary walking towards us. With a smile, I returned the gesture before turning around to focus on my path.
As we strolled down the hallway towards the meeting room, the low hum of hushed conversations surrounded us. Sylvie clung to my side, her quick steps keeping pace with mine. Antonio and his assistant walked behind us, and I would then from time to time to keep an eye on him. He probably wouldn't act out of line in my presence, but I didn't trust him enough to not be worried.
As we approached the door, Sylvie leaned in closer and whispered, "Thank you."
I smiled, and so did she. "Save the appreciation for after the meeting," I replied, my tone light. She nodded, a spark of determination in her eyes. I took a deep inhale before pushing the door open.
Only two people were in the room, but the tension was not mild. After exchanging greetings with the two figures in the room, the four of us settled around the table waited for the rest of the team to arrive. The wait was short-lived, and soon the meeting had began in earnest.
The tension in the meeting room was palpable, and my focus wavered as I noticed Antonio's persistent glares directed at Sylvie constantly. He had an intimidating gaze in his eyes and he made no efforts to hide them as his eyes bore into hers. I noticed how uncomfortable Sylvie was and I could see the unease in her eyes. Anger surged within me at the blatant display of hostility, but I managed to keep myself in check.
I took a deep breath, reigning in my emotions. Reacting impulsively wouldn't sdi anyone any good, it was best to save everything for after the meeting. As the meeting progressed, I observed Emma's discomfort, and it fueled my determination to address the issue. I had no idea what was going on between the two of them, but it was affecting her productivity and distracting her from the matter at hand. I'd worked hard to secure this project, and I had no intention of sitting back and watching while their personal feud destroys my hard-work.
Finally, as the meeting concluded, I approached Sylvie discreetly. "Come with me." I said, my tone firm yet supportive. We stepped aside, away from the lingering presence of others and she looked at me with curious eyes. She was relieved that the meeting was over, but at the same time tensed that I had just called her aside.
"Is something the matter, Mr Black?" she inquired, her voice barely above a whisper.
I cut straight to the point, my concern evident. "What happened between you and Antonio last night?"
Sylvie hesitated, and her eyes darted around searching for an answer. It was definitely not the question that she expected, but I had no intention on sugarcoating words, especially when the situation could ruin my business . "It's nothing, really. Just a misunderstanding."
I shook my head, refusing to accept a vague response. "Sylvie, I won't tolerate excuses. If there's an issue, I need to know. Antonio's behavior is unprofessional, and it's clearly affecting you."
She looked down, her hands fidgeting nervously. "We had a disagreement about a project, and things got heated. But it's sorted now."
Even though her answer seemed genuine, I pressed further to get the full story. I definitely knew it wasn't just about the project, Antonio was clearly bullying her into staying quiet, and I was not about to sit back and allow it. "Heated how? Did he threaten you?"
Sylvie hesitated again, but this time her eyes met mine. She sighed before answering. "He was angry and said some things, but it's fine now. I can handle it."
My frustration grew however I remained calm. Antonio was an important asset to the company, firing him could make things bad for us. His fame brought more attention to us and he helped with the marketing even without a commercial. He was definitely doing too much and I was determined to put him in his place.
"Please don't punish him because of this. It was just some minor misunderstanding, I'm sure we'll figure things out soon." Sylvie pleaded and all I could do was stare at her in utter disbelief. I couldn't tell if she was being kind or if she was simply terrified of Antonio. Regardless of which it was, she was being unbearably stupid.
"What are you saying? You'd rather be his slave than watch him get punished for maltreating you, is that it?" I asked, my tone slightly getting harsher by the second.
"No, it's nothing like that. I just don't want to cause any more trouble between us—"
"It's alright. You're dismissed." I interjected sharply. Sylvie hesitated for a second, unsure if she should say something or not. After two seconds of searching my eyes, she turned around and walked away.
I let out a sigh of exasperation and suddenly a feeling of regret washed through me. I had gotten jealous, and had let it get the better of me. Instead of seeing what she truly meant, I had equated her words to love. I thought that perhaps she still loved Antonio and didn't want him to suffer even if it means that she wouldn't be happy. While it was something Sylvia Mulberry could do, I doubted that was the case. She just wanted to avoid any more troubles with Antonio, and I had been too clouded with jealousy to see that point.
Exhausted, I walked to my room. We had another conference during the later hours of the day, and I needed to rest and prepare myself for it. I approached my room and found the door open. Alarmed, I dashed in only to meet face to face with Antonio's secretary. My brows furrowed in anger and curiosity. She chuckled nervously, but I was in no mood to joke around.
With a cold tenacity, I arched a brow and watched as her demeanour weakened.
"I just—"
I raised a finger to hush her before asking. "What are you doing here?"