I will lower the moon for you Page 7

  I took quick brisk steps to my dad's study, the usual spot where I held confidential meetings with my security team. Every passing second felt like a lifetime. My heart raced in anticipation. I had a bad feeling about this meeting.

  "I came as soon as I could. I got worried. What happened?" I gushed the moment I entered the room.

  "It's worrying. I have bad news." He stated sternly.

  "What is it?" I impatiently walked towards him and looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

  "Our doubts were right, Jacob. The report from the Forensic team had arrived earlier in the evening today. Just to be sure, I cross-confirmed with our private investigators too. It's authentic."

  "Are you saying...." My mouth went dry. I could feel every pulsing nerve vibrate under my skin.

  Augustin handed me a bunch of papers, and after a lingering silence, finally said the most unfortunate words, that could definitely cause some irreversible damage.

  "Yes. After investigating all the possible threads. I am positive." He heaved a deep sigh as his head weighed down, probably with regret, or guilt.

  "No... it can't be. How could this be true? Damn it." I threw the papers in the air and channeling all my strength, I punched the desk in front of me

  "How the fuck did this happen? We had the best security systems!" My voice echoed and bounced back through every corner of the room.

  "It has to be an insider's job. Some kind of help or access." He whispered.

  My words were now choking in my throat. I was feeling suffocated. I could not believe my ears. Until now, it was a mere speculation, but after it got confirmed, my soul broke into pieces.

  I threw everything around, grunting in pain. I felt as if I was hit by a bus.

  "I feel I failed Sir. I failed all of you. I am sorry son." Augustin said as deep pain reflected in his voice.

  We all failed him, not just you.

  Unruly tears escaped my eyes. We both sat in pin drop silence for the longest time. After a while, I tried to calm myself and regain composure before turning to him again.

  "Don't blame yourself, Augustin. You couldn't have known."

  "That's the problem, Jacob. I should have known. It was my job to protect you all, and I couldn't do justice to it".

  I was at a loss of words, but the regret burning inside me helped me channelize my energy.

  "We have to find answers Augustin, no matter how painful or dangerous this may be, I am not going to back down."

  "I am with you son; you have my word. I will do all in my power to find the truth. But at first, we need to increase the security for you and Madam."

  I just nodded at his suggestion. Protecting mom and my house was my topmost priority.

  "Have you validated all the possible professional and personal rivalries? What about Ben Murial?" I asked, pacing up and down the room, I didn't know where to start from. Anxiety was eating me up inside.

  "Ben Murial is still under our radar. You should continue to keep close ties with him until we complete our investigation."

  "I took over BLK Enterprises, one of his prime subsidiaries. I am sure he will retaliate."

  "Let him. That will buy us time. What about his daughter? Keep a close watch on her too." Augustin suggested.

  "Erica is under control. However, she looks harmless. She is just a spoilt kid, wasting her father's money."

  "If you say so, Jacob. Just be alert. I assure you I will get to the bottom of this." Augustin finally looked in my eyes. I could see the pain and regret was now replaced by determination.

  I gave him an approving look, however deep inside, I was losing hope. Every shred of peace and belief that I had was tearing down. I felt lost, but I didn't show him that. I had to keep it together, for the sake of my family; for the sake of justice.

  Meanwhile, Augustin requested my leave and turned around to exit the room. Before he could, I called him from behind.

  "Augustin? Does mom know?"

  "Not yet. I didn't have the courage to break it to Madam. She would be devastated. I would leave this up to you." He muttered without turning back and soon after, he left the room.

  The moment he left; my body just slumped on the couch.

  I was breathing revenge. I pledged to myself, I wouldn't stop until I find my father's culprit.

  Glimpses of our family moments; dinners, outings, treks, birthdays, festivities, and happy faces of mom and dad played like a reel of flashbacks in front of my eyes. I walked down the memory lane, and my heart ached to recall how beautiful life used to be.

  Everything was finished; everything was destroyed. And now I had the most painful task in hand.

  How was I supposed to tell a wife that her husband's death was not an accident, but a brutal murder, planned and executed seamlessly?

  How was I supposed to inform a mother that there were high chances that her son's life might be at risk too?

  How to tell a woman who was barely surviving, that her family might be in the middle of a life-threatening conspiracy, and she might just lose everything that she had built all her life?

  Chapter 12

  Working for him

  Emma

  I was home to spend the weekend with my family; it felt so good to be around mom and dad.

  "Emma, have you booked your cab already?" Mom asked while handing me a brown bag that had the food, she packed for me.

  "Mom, my stomach is still hurting from all the food you have stuffed me. Please, I cannot eat anymore."

  "Come on, Emma, let your mom pamper you a bit. You hardly eat home-cooked food now." Dad said, forcing me to keep the bag.

  "Thank you, guys. I love you both."

  "We love you more darling, and we are proud of you." Mom gave me a peck on my cheeks before saying goodbye.

  I was a mess before coming to my parent's house. After my awful meeting with Jake, I cried myself to sleep.

  He might be hugely successful and may have many girls forcing them on him, but he had no right to imply that I was looking for something to happen between us. It was a mere coincidence that I happened to have his company as my first client project.

  After meeting my family, I realised how all of this was baseless. I was determined to keep my distance from him, and never ponder about the events that happened in Corsica anymore. None of that mattered. I was well placed and had a long road ahead.

  Jake and his lovers could all go to hell, for all I care.

  I was looking forward to begin work at Richmond Corp and wanted to keep faith in all things good.

  The next day I went to Richmond Corp and met Mark and his team.

  "So, Emma, let me show you your cabin." Mark stated as he gave me a warm smile and led the way.

  As I walked behind him, I took a minute to observe how well he looked in his brown tailored suit that perfectly fit his strong build. His hair was gelled and set backwards and his body language radiated confidence.

  "Here we are." He declared. I stepped inside my cabin and was amazed to see how spacious it was. It had big windows, blue and beige walls, a big office table and chair at the center, with small cabinets on both sides.

  "Wow. This looks great. Thank You Mark."

  "Anytime, Emma. Let me know if you need any help settling in."

  "Sure. Umm Mark, how about you give me a tour of the place, showing me the basic facilities? You can do whenever you are free, no pressure."

  The moment I requested his help, his eyes became soft. He gave me a pleasant look; I could not read him properly but I always felt a bit nervous around him.

  "How about during lunch? I can give you a tour and then we can eat together." He offered.

  "Sure."

  As promised, when it was lunch time, Mark offered me his services and accompanied me to the cafeteria for lunch. The moment we stepped inside many people, mainly girls, gave me cold stares and a lot of others greeted Mark out of courtesy and admiration. He clearly held a prominent position at Richmond's and he seemed to be highly respected, som
eone people looked upto.1

  The rest of the week flew by in having several meetings with different departments and understanding the current status on various upcoming projects for Richmond's.

  The next big one was in Europe. Richmond Corp was planning on collaborating with Windson Inc.'s for a government tender based in Norway. Windson's were another shark and our stark rivals in the industry, and due to the evident competition, there was a lot of uproar in world media for this association. Two leading companies were joining hands on a deal.

  The team was preparing for the opening ceremony that was supposed to be held in two weeks from now, Mark filled me in on the details and surprisingly was always available to guide me every step of the way, even when he had an extremely busy schedule.

  He was always there, no matter what.

  We started working very closely ever since I was beginning to get to know him better. Since my first day, often had lunch together, which usually use to be quick breaks between the heavy workload we both had. From my little acquaintance of him, I know he was around twenty-seven and single. He never mentioned any girlfriend, and was basically in a relationship with his work. He was very hardworking and was one of the most trusted team members of Mr. CEO.

  Thankfully, in my two weeks here at Richmond's, I didn't see Jake even once, and I preferred keeping it that way.

  The week was coming to an end. It was Friday and close to eight pm, and suddenly I heard a knock at my cabin door.

  "Hey, Emma! Still, working? Sorry to disturb you but I just got free from a board of director's meeting on the Norway project. It is kicking off next week, and we had to plan everything. Are the files ready that I entrusted you with?" Mark entered in a rush, his eyes resting on the files he was holding.

  "Hey, Mark. Yes almost, I am giving them a final review. I should be able to send them to you before I leave tonight." I said without looking up, engrossed in my work.

  I observed he was still standing, looking at an envelope in one of his files. I looked up, "Is there anything else you want to fill me in with?"

  "Yes, actually these are your documents, you will be travelling with us for the opening ceremony to Norway. Here in this envelope are all the logistic details." He said, handing me the envelope.

  I was confused and shocked at the same time. I had no idea I had to travel for this deal.

  "Travel to Norway? Oh, I had no idea. When are we supposed to travel?" I asked nervously, taking the envelope from him, still not able to apprehend properly.

  "Sorry for the short notice, Boss just approved the final agenda and logistics, and it seems your presence with the team there would be required given your amazing contribution to this project," He said with a soft smile. Mark and his etiquettes, he never held back in saying encouraging words to me.

  I thought for a while, before responding "That's fine, when are we supposed to leave and for how long?"

  I was suddenly very nervous thinking about Jake approving my travel.

  "We leave Monday morning, for the entire week. The details of the program are all enclosed in this envelope. I will see you at the airport at eight am sharp".

  He said, gesturing me to continue my work while taking my leave.

  After Mark left, I dived back into my work, trying hard to ignore my emotions. I have to travel out of the country with Richmond Corp's top management, ergo led by Mr. Snob CEO.

  I decided not to get too affected and first focus on completing my work.

  I also wrote a detailed update to Benjamin and informed him on the project status and also about my business travel plans. Once done, I closed my laptop and looked at the time. It was 30 minutes past 11. I collected my stuff and headed out.

  I did not notice the time at all, it was so late, and when I stepped out of the cabin, I observed the floor was empty, I was practically amongst the last few ones in the building.

  I walked out of the corridor and turned to wait for the elevator. Only two out of the four elevators were working at this hour, whereas one of the two was stuck in the basement for the past 10 mins. I was on the 18th floor and getting restless waiting for the elevator.

  I patiently waited for five more minutes, and suddenly the other elevator beeped, and without thinking twice, I entered it. I pressed the G Floor button, but instead, the elevator went up. I guess I was so tired of waiting that I didn't notice it was going up instead of down and climbed in nevertheless.

  It stopped on the 35th floor, the top floor of the building, and as soon as it opened, my feet froze at its place.

  A very tired yet extremely handsome looking Jake entered the elevator. If looks could kill, I would be dead by now. He looked so elegant in his black trousers and grey shirt, and his strong muscles struggled to ripple his shirt apart.

  He entered looking at me; he did not move his eyes away even for a second. He was shamelessly gawking me.

  Did he forget his manners at home?

  The air suddenly changed, and I could feel the electricity in the atmosphere. The elevator was now flooded with the fragrance of his strong cologne.

  I could melt sniffing his masculine aroma and the aura he carried with him. It was just both of us in an enclosed space. I saw a small smirk on his face as he moved his gaze away from me. He was studying my nervousness and enjoying the affect he had on me.

  What a prick!

  I dared not look back at him, with my gaze now fixed at my nervous fingers that I had been fiddling the moment he stepped inside. I just stood still waiting for the elevator to stop at the ground floor. As we were approaching down, he stepped a bit closer to me, and now I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

  He was slowly getting closer, and I was stepping back, completely anxious. I was almost in the corner with Jake facing me. He bent down and whispered slowly.

  "Good Night Ms. Carter, take some rest, you are going to have a hectic week ahead". He said with a small smile forming on his lips.

  With that, the elevator beeped on reaching the ground floor, and he strode out of there without looking back. I could not believe what just happened. My heart was racing, and I could hardly find air to breathe.

  I sighed and walked out. I had already called a cab while waiting for the elevator, and it was waiting for me outside of the reception area.

  The moment I stepped out; I saw a black Rolls Royce extravagantly parked outside with Jake sitting in the driver seat. I ignored him and his luxurious car, and went straight to my cab, just eager to leave this place at the earliest.

  As soon as I reached home, I took a warm shower and calmed myself before getting to bed. I had lost my appetite and was too lazy to cook myself something.

  I messaged both Niki and Britney to meet me for lunch tomorrow. I wanted to catch up and also could use their help with some shopping for my unexpected last-minute business trip.

  They both agreed happily. Afterall shopping is every girl's guilty pleasure.

  I was laying on bed and all I could think of was Jake. His minty breath falling on my skin, the huskiness in his voice and his notorious smirk.

  God! Professional conduct, my ass.

  Chapter 13

  Push and Pull

  Emma

  It was the weekend already, and I barely slept a wink last night. Jake was getting under my skin. I was irked with his behavior; his actions confused my sane mind. I hated this push and pull with him.

  After hogging on eggs and bacon for breakfast, I took a quick shower and wore a yellow floral dress with beige flats completing my look. It was already noon, and I had plans to meet Niki and Britney at the mall.

  I reached fifteen minutes early and waited for them in one of the coffee houses on the ground floor. Soon, they both arrived, and we placed our orders.

  "Wow. Norway looks like a beautiful place." Britney was scrolling through pictures of the place on her phone.

  "And you know it's the best time to visit Norway now, especially with the Northern Lights." She added excitedly.

&n
bsp; "Of course, it is one of the most romantic destinations in the world. You never know you may find your prince charming there." Niki piped in.

  "Did you miss the memo where I mentioned that it was an official trip? Sorry, Prince Charming - not going to happen."

  "You never know Emma, what if Mr. CEO becomes your savior again and you find your prince charming in him?" Britney butted in and gave Niki a high five.

  "Guys, can you stop obsessing over him? I could barely stand him. He is nothing but an egoistic asshole." I stuck my tongue out to both of them, and they burst out laughing.

  "Yes, we know how you love to hate him. But my bets are still high and up on him." Britney was such a tease. Ever since I told these two about the club night encounter, they had been nonstop ranting about Jake.

  "Please, you know he is a womanizer, right? Girls on his arm change faster than the days of the week."

  "Yes, but lately he has been quite inactive. At least that's what the gossip-mongering paparazzi say." Niki seemed so amused by this whole situation. For them, my love life suddenly became more entertaining than a soap opera.

  "Whatever. Can we please change the topic?" I insisted.

  "Okay, as you wish. Let's discuss Mark. How's he? You have quite many admirers, I must say." Britney gave me a dreamy look.

  "What about him now?" I got irked at his mention. I had huge respect for Mark and saw him as a good friend.

  "Well, he might be one of your many suitors Emma, and he is a hottie too. At least his Instagram pictures seem to say so." Niki passed her phone with Mark's profile open on the app.

  "No way. Mark is a colleague; a friend and I respect him for his work. I can learn a lot from him. I don't see him that way."

  "No, please don't friendzone him already. Give him a chance at least." They both giggled again. I gave them literal death stares, and they finally took the cue. After chatting about other random things for almost an hour, we decided to shop.

  As per the program details that Mark gave me, we had dinner parties virtually every night of the next week. A big charity gala event with a particular dress code on Friday evening, that is, the last day of the one-week long agenda. The gala event was a masquerade ball, and I immediately decided to think of an excuse and give it a pass.