Elara was haunted by those two words.
"Who could have placed it there? What did it mean?"
, she wondered.
Feeling suffocated by the thick, tensed air of the gala, Elara left and sat at the backseat of her
car, her palms damp with sweat. She was so perturbed that she left without telling Damon.
Meanwhile, Damon was still at the gala, discussing business and striking deals.
Elara sat quietly gazing at the view of the city, thoughts racing that she didn't even realize that
Maria Green, her assistant and trusted one, sat beside her.
"Was that note real? Or was it just a figment of my imagination?" She wondered.
Maria watched Elara keenly wondering what was up with her.
"Ma'am, is something bothering you?" She asked, touching her sweaty hands. Elara snapped
back to reality, as soon as she felt the gentle touch on her hand.
"Wow, I didn't even realize that you were present"
, she said, facing her.
"Don't worry. It's
nothing"
, she lied, forcing a fake smile.
One thing with Elara was that she never shared her problems or troubles. She preferred to carry
her burdens alone. But Maria didn't believe her. She was smart and sensitive. She knew when
Elara was troubled by something.
Maria sensed Elara didn't want to open up, so she didn't press further.
"So, how did the gala
go?" She asked.
Suddenly, a flashback of the note struck Elara. She hesitated before answering.
"It… went well"
.
"Nice hearing"
.
"Did Mr Blackwood give you a hard time?"
"No, he didn't. He was unexpectedly softer. You can never tell what goes on in that billionaire's
mind"
.
"I see. He's unpredictable"
.
"And dangerous"
.
A wave of silence stretched between them. Elara held her bag tighter, resting her head on the
window with thoughts ravaging her mind.
'Whoever had left that note… knew something big'
, she thought.
And she felt she was already behind in the game.
The next morning, Elara entered into the glass doors of Monroe Enterprises. It felt as though
something had happened. She couldn't understand the reason for the charged atmosphere. She
could feel her heart throb.
Her half brother, Ryan Monroe looked angered. He stood behind his desk with a loose tie. One
didn't need a soothsayer to tell that he was irritated.
"What? They disengaged from the contract at the last minute? I thought we had the contract
sealed. Now they claim that the Blackwood's had a better proposal?" He yelled at the staff
standing in front of him.
Ryan co-managed Monroe Enterprises with Elara. He carried fire and Elara carried composure
and strategy. Together they made the Monroe empire strong. But she feared that his anger
could ruin things for them sometimes.
Maria leaned close to Elara and whispered.
"He's been upset since morning"
.
Elara took a deep breath, placing her bag on Ryan's desk.
"Ryan, please calm down"
, she said, moving close to him.
"You can leave"
, she ordered the
staff.
"Things are getting bad, Elara"
,Ryan stated.
"First stay calm. We can't afford to lose our cool"
.
"Elara you don't get. Two of our top investors just pulled out from our mega deal"
,he stated.
Elara's throat tightened.
"Why?"
"The Blackwood's Enterprises offered them a better deal. Now we have lost two contracts. Just
marry Damon already"
.
"Don't start, Ryan. Now let's just think of a new strategy to adapt to pull more investors"
, she
said, her gaze drifting to Maria then she looked away.
In another part of the city, a man stood by a large window staring at the city's skyline with
a glass of wine in his hands. Files scattered on his desk like cards.
"Hmm… Ryan Monroe"
, he whispered moving towards his desk.
"The man with the fire. Just a
little spark will do the trick"
.
He opened another file that had the name, Maria Green on it.
"Maria Green,the
faithful,competent and sensitive assistant. All good traits"
, he said dryly.
"But everyone has a
weakness. How long does it last?" He questioned rhetorically.
He took out his phone from his pocket and typed.
'Beware of the ones closest. He's not the only
enemy'
.
After typing it, he sent it. His gaze drifted to another file on the desk. He lifted and opened it. It
bore the name, Gabriel Vale. He was Damon's aide.
"Gabriel Vale, loyal and bitter. Just the
perfect contrast. How long will his loyalty last? Will his bitterness get the best of him?"
He smiled slyly.
"The pawns are already set in place"
, he murmured.
"It's remaining to move
them"
, he said, voice dripping with cruelty.
At the Blackwood's Tower, Damon stood near the large floor to ceiling window of his office,
watching the beautiful view of the city, the skyscrapers, magneficient buildings. He was in his
empire, where he commanded and controlled everything. Where he exerted power. But, despite
that… something felt amiss.
He turned back towards the large oak desk that had files, contracts, merges, proposals
littered on his desk waiting for his signature. This showed that the Blackwood's enterprises were
thriving.
"Has Watson's proposal been reviewed by the board?" Damon asked, his voice cold
and commanding.
"Yes it has sir"
, Gabriel Vale, Damon's aide replied sharply. His voice was poised and calculated
but there was something strange, something unnamed in it.
"Other procedures would be carried
out once your approval is given"
, he added.
"Perfect"
, Damon uttered, shutting the folder.
Gabriel twitched his lips while taking the folder from Damon. A feeling of resentment struck
him. He felt disregarded, unvalued and unappreciated. He felt like a puppet whose purpose was
to dance to Damon's tunes. He was fed up with carrying orders without being acknowledged.
"Is there any other information?" Damon asked, voice brisked.
"No, sir"
, Gabriel replied sharply.
"You're dismissed"
, Damon said, waving him off.
After he exited, Damon's thoughts drifted to something else. It wasn't about business deals or
rivals but it was about Elara Monroe. Her appearance at the gala stunned him but he was
angered by her sudden disappearance. That too without informing.
"Why does she still feel like she can resist my control?" He muttered to himself, placing his hand
on his chin.
The Monroe empire was going through a tough time and Damon was aware. But that
wasn't his concern. His focus was on Elara. She was different. She refused and rejected his
control. And that annoyed and amazed him.
"How long will it take you to know that you can't resist me, Miss Monroe?" He asked no one in
particular.
"I always get what I want. And that's a fact"
.
Gabriel Vale wondered in his office if being loyal to Damon was worth it.
"How much longer will I be neglected?" He thought.
Somewhere in the city, a figure stood in a dark room.
"One. Two. Three… let the games
begin"
, he muttered, and laughed wickedly.