As Vincencio took overtime at his night routine, Skylar, on the other hand, also deals with something fake in the mornings. Meaning, she had to make fake things look real, and it started with the projects that they had with SaiRus Corps.
"Medina, it's time," Skylar whispered after putting down the phone, and her smirk faded into something a worrisome mother would look like. Then the actress Skylar activated, saying, "How could he do this to me…how could a brother-like Fredric do this thing to me? Tell me, Med, am I not trustworthy? Did my company wrong him?"
"Sky, first of all, you're trustworthy, and the company didn't do anything wrong." Knowing her role to play, Medina answered softly yet with firmness in her caring tone before continuing, "WE made sure that all projects hit the deadlines and all issues were handled with precision. Don't degrade yourself, but instead, be the CEO everyone knew about."
"You mean that side?" Skylar scoffed sadly, wiping her fake tears that had fallen down her face.
"What else, boss? You're the only CEO I've known who can turn the tables to our favor regardless of how difficult things may seem." She answered with a 'as-a-matter-of-fact' kind of tone, grinning at her skeptical boss.
"Then I guessed he opened unintentionally that dark Pandora's box." She said, colder, grimmer as she wiped the rest of her fake tears away from her face before standing with a shifted aura – a deadly aura, saying, "He's going to pay what he did."
"Sure, he will because from what Vincencio's men shared with me, Fredric Rusco had something to do with your daughter's abduction." Medina grinned, adding information that would trigger Skylar's temper even more.
"HE DID WHAT?!" Skylar growled furiously, making Medina flinch in the process, nodding. Skylar's eyes turned dark, lethally threatening before spitting with venom, "INVOLVING MY DAUGHTER IN THIS MATTER, I'LL MAKE SURE HE'LL BE GONE FOR GOOD. MARK MY WORDS, MEDINA. I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT."
"Then where do we start?" She asked, faking her notes.
"Something had already started, and we'll make it even worse." Skylar grinned with a grimace before adding, "Call and bring my husband here. I need his mind on this matter."
"As you wish, and before I forget, you need to settle it before noon because you have meetings to attend throughout this afternoon, which includes him," Medina recalled before heading to the door.
"Then, make sure to save the last seat for him." She grinned sinisterly, making Medina shiver, but amused.
"Noted, anything else to add, Boss Sky?" she asked.
"Keep me posted about my daughter's whereabouts, and please ensure to get the exact location." She replied firmly.
"No promise, but I'll try to gather as much as I can." She responded sincerely, but Skylar knew her secretary well when she commanded something serious of her.
"That's better than nothing." She said before looking at the window, dismissing her secretary, saying, "Dismiss and bring my husband here."
It was only a matter of a few minutes when Vincencio entered the CEO's office, holding a file that he was ready to present to his boss. But Skylar was standing firmly intimidating by the window, saying nothing, even after he greeted her in the morning like any polite employee in the company.
"Drop it and be my husband for now," Skylar said sternly before facing him with her usual intimidating façade.
"I thought I was going to present the project with SaiRus Corps, but okay…" Vincencio said, sighing before wondering, "…tell me why I'm here?"
"He's the one who took her, and you forgot to tell me about that." She said coldly, making Vincencio sigh.
"I didn't forget. I just - you've been handling a lot lately, and I want to take care of it when it comes to our family. Let me be the man protecting his family. You're not alone on this matter." He corrected, explaining his side sincerely, making Skylar's stern expression soften as she approached and sat beside him on the couch.
"But please, don't leave me out of it." She said, leaning on his shoulder, gathering strength from her husband before continuing, "I don't care if I have plenty of things on my plate, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to neglect our family."
"I'm not saying that. But okay, to ease your worry, I'll share them with you." He kissed her temple, giving assurance before sharing information he had about their daughter, "Regarding our daughter's well-being, I made sure some of my men kept their eyes close on my daughter. They had been sending me information that she had been treated well, which got me curious."
"What do you mean?" She wondered, frowning curiously.
"You heard me. Our little girl isn't mistreated; instead, she's been spoiled. But from their reports, there is no sign of Fredric around our daughter." He answered briefly, clarifying his words.
"Didn't you say to Medina that he's the one who took her?" she asked, still confused.
"Yes, he's the one, but I'm curious why he took her, treated her well, but didn't show himself more often around her. I mean, think about it on the other side…" He said, sharing his input, but a deep frown still on Skylar's expression, making Vincencio sigh before continuing, "…why did Fredric take our daughter but not harm her or ask something in return from us? And why did Fredric cause some projects with us to fail after taking our daughter with him? What is his purpose in doing all of this? Why did all of the people he worked with?"
"Damn, why did I miss that?" She said, rolling her eyes in disappointment at herself for not thinking of that side.
"Maybe our reverse mode finally went right back on track?" He teased, making her glare.
"I don't think so." She refuted before adding her own conclusion, "If you're saying is true, then maybe it has something to do with what I've been dreaming about before."
"That misty dream you mentioned before?" He guessed, making Skylar nod.
"Yeah, and maybe a memory that I don't remember apart from the familiarity I'm feeling toward him." She said softly before sighing again.
"A brother?" he guessed, eyebrow arching, making Skylar giggle softly.
"Maybe…" She replied.
"Then why do such length and worry you?" He wondered. Skylar shook her head before slouching beside him.
"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with a vampire blood that I awakened to…" She said, unsure.
"Then if that was the case, then we have to play along." He sighed, suggesting that he play along.
"That's the plan." She sighed, but all of a sudden, Vincencio started snickering, making Skylar frown, "Stop it. Stop laughing. I'm serious."
"I am too, but this is…oh boy, I hope our daughter will enjoy watching this when she grows up." He burst out laughing at the act they were doing. Skylar giggled too, but recomposed herself.
"Shut up and focus, hubby." She said, trying to be serious and hitting Vincencio's arms softly.
"Okay, okay, I'll behave and focus." He said, composing himself before talking seriously about the project, "So, boss, what do you think about this project we have with SaiRus Corps?"
"Hm, let's see…" She said, sighing, taking and reading the file before cracking her fingertip, saying sternly, "This will do because the Blue Rose park will be ready within a week, and we can stage it perfectly for the game."
"Will it be a lethal game?" He wondered, taking the file with him again after the CEO signed it.
"Oh, it will." She grinned sinisterly, shivering Vincencio's spine before adding firmly, "Prepare this before your shift ends today, and Hubby, be careful at your night routine. I feel eeriness around the shadows."
"Noted and hope this will end soon." He smiled hopefully.
"In a few more days." She replied, hoping peace would come before her husband left her office completely. Being on her own again, Skylar went to her secret room, saying softly, "It's been a while since I entered this room."
***
As Medina said, Skylar's entire afternoon was filled with meetings around the city. She met new clients. They renewed their contracts with her, and some expressed their desire to expand their business by adding shops at her newly built hotel.
"Thank you for this opportunity, Mrs. Skylar." New business client thanked Skylar sincerely as they left the restaurant.
"Same here." She responded politely, and both walked in separate ways.
Skylar released a heavy sigh, walking toward the parking area. She just finished all of her afternoon meetings. It was tiring, but all of them were settled smoothly until it was nearly six.
"Medina, give me a few minutes to rest, then we'll head to the next meeting place," Skylar said coldly as they got close to their car.
"Sure, Boss." Medina replied, letting Joey open the door for Skylar before saying, "Rose Net Café before SR Night Pub."
"On it," Joey replied, and drove the car to relax a little before going to the last meeting.
They didn't stay long at the café; they just went there to relax for a few minutes, talking randomly before heading back on the road. However, Skylar suddenly tapped Medina's side.
"Make a few detours," Skylar commanded softly but with a grimace.
"Are we being followed?" Medina wondered, making Skylar nod.
"Sure, we are." She grinned before commanding Joey, "Keep the pace, Joey, but don't get caught."
"Noted." He grinned and drove. But each time he made it to the corner, he sped up a little, creating a safe distance from somebody tailing their car.
At six-ten, their car was parked at the VIP slot of the SR Night Pub, and they headed to the last meeting for the day. With her usual collected and intimidating façade, Skylar waltzed into her favorite pub and went straight to the VIP glass booth for a meeting.
"Wow, you're five minutes early for our meeting." Fredric greeted smugly.
"Don't want to waste time, and tell me why some of our projects went down the hill?" Skylar asked bluntly, filled with coldness and venom that Fredric shivered at.
"Hold it right there, Skylar. The projects were being intercepted, and forced me to cancel them. I hate to do it to you, but someone is trying to get in between my deals. They somehow knew that I was favoring working with you and tried their best to ruin this business." Fredric defended himself, ensuring their partnership remained the same, but Skylar distrust him.
"Really, now you're saying that? You are ruining my trust, my company's trust with the SaiRus Corps for not complying with our deals." Skylar refuted firmly, making Fredric piss.
"I'm telling you the truth. This business – our business had been intercepted by someone who wants me down. They're stealing my projects that I had with you and making me look like a bad guy." He kept defending himself before scoffing, shaking his head, saying, "And it seems like they were winning without even trying on facing me."
"Fredric, you're not the only one who's losing. I'm losing plenty to keep this business with you, but this is getting too much. I'm pushed to the corner with a gun on my head if I keep this business with you, and I don't want my men to get entangled with a business partner's issues and conspiracies." Skylar said bluntly and coldly, making Fredric look horrified. Skylar sighed before saying firmly, ending their partnership, "I'm here to end our deal after releasing the last project we had together."
"Skylar, please don't do this…I've been losing everything…not you too…" He said weakly, and Skylar had no remorse about breaking things with him.
"Sorry, but it has to be done." Skylar stood up before walking to his defeated side, whispering, "I know she's with you, and I'm bringing you down."
"Wha-how?" he reacted, surprisingly.
"I'll prepare something for you." She smirked sinisterly, but Fredric laughed, confusing her.
"Fine, but sorry, Skylar, I had prepared something for you." He grinned sinisterly, waving his hand, and his men entered, capturing them.
"FREDRIC! WHAT'S –" Skylar shouted, but Fredric appeared and injected a tranquilizer, making Skylar fall in his arms unconscious.
"Don't worry, you've got the nicest view." He grinned darkly before letting his men take care of them. "Now, let's play."