"Good morning Mr Alex. Breakfast is set" Linda directed him towards the dinning table. He picked up some pancakes and was about shoving it into his mouth but was disrupted by his phone ringtone.
"Mr Grey the chairman is here and his asking for you, but I'm holding him up with an excuse till you arrive" Sophia his secretary reported. "I will be there in 20" he said before hanging up. "Linda this meal is delicious" he said before picking up the coffee and heading to his awaiting car.
"Good morning Mr grey" was everything he heard from every corner he passed. "Good morning, Mr Grey" Stacey greeted with a smile on her face. "Where is the chairman" Liam asked nonchalantly as he adjusted his suit which was in a perfect position.
"Alex, you're here" Mr chairman beckoned for his son to sit in the chair facing him. "Mr chairman you are sitting right on my chair" Alex said with any hint of softness. "My bad, so sorry" Mr stood up from the chair and went to sit on the opposite chair.
Alex knowing his dad won't be paying any friendly visit if something is not going, so he went straight to the point to avoid beating around the bush with his dad "Why are you here dad?". "I would go straight go the point!. I want you to make a business deal with the Ambethan technologies"he said with a serious face.
He scoffed at his father's word "You can't be serious, Father. Partnering with that tiny company? It's a waste of our time and resources."
Calmly his father said "I understand your concerns, but this smaller company has innovative ideas and a dedicated team. It's worth exploring."
"Innovative ideas? They're just a bunch of amateurs trying to get in on the action. We're the ones with the expertise and market share. We don't need them." He replied disdainfully.
"That's exactly the kind of thinking that will hold us back. We need to be open to new perspectives and collaborations. This deal could bring fresh opportunities and growth, also they are ranking top four in the market board." His father replied firmly.
"Oh, sure, because nothing says 'growth' like partnering with a company that's barely scraping by. You're just being sentimental because the owner is an old friend. I won't let you jeopardize our company's success with this foolishness." He replied with sarcasm lace in his tone.
"This isn't your a discussion for opinion, it's a decision made and I informing you" Mr Gabriel his father said in anger as he rose to his feet and towards the door before pausing and turning to face his son. "Remember you are not fully in charge of this company till you are settled down" He walked out after saying.
"Ahhh, there he goes again reminding me to get married like I'm some kid" he angrily threw his pen holder vase which was made of glass. It shattered so loudly that it alerted his secretary whose office was just a few miles away from his. "Boss is everything okay" concerned Sophia asked but was meeting with an angry outburst. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE" he Barked at her, which made her rushing to escape so as she won't be used to pass out his aggression.
"What is going on" Liam asked seeing how scared Sophia looked. "Nothing, just that the boss is having is usual mood swing" Sophia said before going back to her office.
"Whoa whoa whoa. What going on here" liam asked seeing how disarranged the office looked like. "What's going on is that that godforsaken father of mine do know how to piss me off every time" he took a big sip from his bottle of whiskey.
Liam walked right into the lounge which was thankfully still intact as he placed Hus friends tuxedo. "What did he say this time?" Liam questioned.
"Same usual stuff of me getting married to acquire the remaining shares of the company." He shrugged his shoulder having to think of what his father said. "That why your pissed off?"
"Why don't you mind your business." Alex hissed at his friend.
"Speaking about minding my business, your tuxedo is in the lounge" he said before stepping out of the office. "Thank you" alex muttered to his friend, not that he even heard him' he thought to himself.
**** the auction ****
I stood confidently in the auction room, his eyes scanning the rows of paintings up for bid. I was accompanied by my friend, Liam, who was equally determined to help me buy back the seven paintings that had been stolen from his family's collection years ago. Liam nodded encouragement as i raised my paddle to start bidding.
As the bidding began, I and liam worked together seamlessly, their teamwork honed from years of friendship. Liam bid on each painting, while i kept track of the bidding and whispered advice in liam's ear. Together, we were an unbeatable team.
The first painting was sold in a bidding fight. I just couldn't stand the fact that liam keeps on bidding with this annoying lady, when he could just close her up with a high amount. After she bided 7 million for the painting, I got annoyed and bid a billion naira. I know she could never come back to bid after I brought it that high. I could see the disappointed look on liam's face having disrupts his interesting game, but I was caught out for that, I came for the painting, nothing else.
By the time the fifth painting came up, liam and i were on a roll. We bid swiftly and surely, outpacing the other bidders with ease, not after going on a bid with the velvet lady again. The room began to take notice, and whispers spread about the biding fight who were sweeping up the paintings.
As the final two paintings came up for bid, I and liam felt a sense of excitement and relief. We had almost completed their mission. I bid fiercely on the sixth painting, while Liam kept a watchful eye on the competition, which was annoyingly still the woman in velvet. Then, i turned my attention to the final painting - a stunning oil portrait that had been his grandmother's favorite.
With a final bang of the gavel, Alex won the last painting, completing the collection. He turned to Liam, grinning from ear to ear. "We did it!" I exclaimed, as Liam clapped me on the back in congratulations. "Couldn't have done it without you, mate," i added, leaving the room in victory.
**** Amber POV ****
'Hmmmm.' I stretched. I got up from my bed and headed straight for the bathroom where I had a quick but satisfying bath. As she prepared for the day, she slipped into her tailored navy blue blazer, the crisp fabric accentuating her confident shoulders. A soft, white blouse with subtle sheen peeked out from beneath, its delicate collar framing her face. A pencil skirt in a rich, charcoal grey hugged her curves, falling just above her knees. Her dark hair was pulled back into a sleek, low bun, revealing elegant silver earrings that caught the light. Black pumps with a subtle heel completed her polished look, ready to take on the day with poise and professionalism.
"Good morning Mrs mercy" I greeted the moment I saw Mrs mercy in sight. "Good morning Amber, hope you had a goodnight rest" Mrs mercy asked in response. "I did, thank you Mr mercy for the bath yesterday. It was so refreshing" I complimented. "Uhmm... Mrs mercy I think I would skip breakfast this morning" I said before placing a light kiss on her forehead. "Stay here o will be back" Mrs mercy said before going to the dinning to get something, well from what I saw it was a packaged breakfast. "Awwwn... You don't have to package breakfast for me. I could just just order on my way" I delightfully collected the package from her before heading to work. "Thank care of your self okay." I could hear Mrs mercy yell from inside.