Inside an office hallway, a woman moved with her tousled hair fluttering, some strands resting on her white shirt's shoulder. The shirt was tucked into a short black skirt paired with leggings, all adorning her spotless, milky white skin.
She wore black-framed glasses and held a black leather rectangular object that appeared to contain a tablet.
'Has the boss still not arrived?' Helga's furrowed eyebrows, with small wrinkles forming due to her frown and stress, revealed the turmoil in her mind as she approached the end of the hallway.
Moving towards the exit with a visibly exhausted expression, the mental stress, which seemed to have aged her ten years in an hour, finally pushed her outside the main gate.
"Good afternoon, Miss Helga," a man wearing black suit pants, a bow tie, and a badge reading 'Manager' revealed his identity as the manager of the Royal Elympus Hotel, where an important meeting was taking place.
It was a meeting of the board of directors of Valhale Group of Corporations, organized by the woman in front of him. The visible urgency on her face bewildered him, prompting him to inquire after not receiving a reply, "Is there something—"
Before he could finish speaking, the manager was halted by the sight of the woman swiftly taking out her phone, her fingers dancing over the display in an elegant yet rapid manner. This prompted him to retreat, giving his client some space, as prioritizing customer privacy was their first rule of conduct.
'Come on, Boss, pick up the phone,' Helga felt her heart might crash at any moment. Her trembling fingers barely holding the phone were evident of her current condition.
After all, it was a very important meeting and offending the board members who were already inclined towards switching sides could be catastrophic.
"Hello."
A voice as smooth as silk but as chilling as ice emanated from the other end of the line, a blend of sweetness that could lure one in and a sharpness that could cut deep—a mixture potent enough to evoke possessiveness in anyone who dared to listen.
"B-boss, where are you?" With a quivering voice that instantly transitioned to a high pitch, Helga cried out with visible anger evident on her face, both hands trembling uncontrollably as she held the phone. Her rapidly moving pupils betrayed her state of panic.
"Is Aron Wendier there?" The voice calmly contrasted with her secretary's, its tone laced with an amusement known only to her.
"Huh? Aron Wendier? Yes, he is, but where are you, Boss—" Taken aback by the sudden question from her boss, Helga's professionalism kicked in, and she instantly adjusted to provide the requested information. However, before she could inquire further, a sudden sound filled the surroundings while crashing her heart.
VROOOM!
The surroundings reverberated with a thunderous roar, prompting the hotel staff and Helga to instinctively cover their ears and shut their eyes.
screech~!
Amidst the chaos, the sound of tires screeching on the asphalt reached Helga, causing her eyelids to quirk slowly, allowing a glimmer of light to penetrate her pupils.
With both hands still covering her ears, she cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes, blinking for a moment before catching a reflection of a red car.
It was a red Ferrari, its sleek curves gleaming in the daylight, with a trail of burnt black rubber behind its path.
Ignoring everything, Helga's blinking eyes remained fixated on the car before it's door swung open, revealing marvelous interior but fading it behind was the figure of a woman coming out of the car.
A woman clad in a white shirt, a short tie, and a draped black suit, the fabric billowing gently in the breeze. Her raven-black hair fluttered as her piercing amber eyes calmly surveyed the surroundings with a sharp gaze.
She exuded a sculpted beauty, with spotless skin, high cheekbones, and sharp jawlines, her lips curved into a slight smile as her gaze settled on Helga.
"B-boss!" Helga's pupil's trembled with nerves visibly expanding, before her held breath since the moment car arrived finally let out towards the woman with her legs reflexively sprinting towards her.
"Slow down, Helga," Esme's lips formed a curve before a smile appeared. Her eyes glanced towards the building with visible amusement. "Where is Reindeer?"
"Huh? You mean Aron Weindeer?" Slightly perplexed by those words, Helga raised her eyebrows, looking at her boss in confusion.
"Indeed, that same animal," Esme replied, turning her eyes towards the hotel building. She moved forward, a subtle hint of coldness passing through her eyes.
"Wait, Boss. Sir Aron is one of the board of directors supporting us." Helga, who had known Esme for more than a decade since they studied at the same school, instantly identified that the cold expression indicated someone's life was at stake.
"I will not touch him, but bring the luggage from my car," Esme said, gesturing with her hand. She lifted her palm, waving towards Helga, who was trying to approach her but halted. Helga then turned towards the red Ferrari, following her orders.
Helga watched her boss's disappearing figure inside the hotel building before sighing and turning towards the car, asking the hotel staff for help.
Hearing her words in that lost tone, five of the hotel staff moved towards the car, pushing a metallic hotel trolley that looked like a cage to carry luggage for their customers.
Helga glanced between the hotel's entry door, where Esme had disappeared, and the hotel staff. She sighed and moved towards the car, leaving the situation in the boardroom to be handled by her boss.
'I will ask for a twofold increase in my pay,' Helga thought, considering a promotion as she inhaled a mouthful of air. She straightened her body like any employee who stands proud even after doing so much hard work and remains as energetic as morning, just to fulfill her duties.
The moment Helga was ten steps away from the car, a hotel staff member had already opened the trunk. Instantly, her expression contorted, her breath caught, and she cried out, "Ahh... B-blood!"