BILLIONAIRE'S REDEMPTION

Chapter 4: Demolishing the Barriers

Sandra’s POV

Without knocking, I rushed into Moses's office, my pulse still pounding from the phone message. My hands trembled as I grabbed the phone, its luminous screen feeling like a ticking time bomb in my fingers. Moses raised his head, his normally expressionless face hardly flinching at the sight of me.

“Sandra, what”

My voice was a little rougher than I meant to say, "We need to talk," I interrupted him. "I’ve been receiving threats."

His fingers paused over the papers on his desk as he raised an eyebrow. “Threats?”

I threw the phone at him and said, "Yes. Someone ransacked my desk earlier, and I got this." Immediately, the screen displayed an anonymous message that read, "Stay away from Moses, or you'll regret it."

Moses took the phone from me, his eyes darting over the message, his face unreadable. I had a fleeting impression that he might dismiss it, perhaps even teasingly say that I was overreacting. Rather, though, his visage stiffened, a spark of something appearing, perhaps worry? Moving his features across.

He questioned, "Who sent this?" even though I knew it was a stupid question. The threat was anonymous, and the number was unknown.

My response was, "I have no idea," while attempting to control my shaking voice. "But it’s not just the text. Something is going on here, Moses, and I feel like I’m caught in the middle of it."

With a slow exhale, he slowly tapped his fingers on the desk. His tone was gentler than normal as he finally answered, "I'll look into it." "But for now, don’t worry about it. It could be a scare tactic someone trying to get to me through you."

With my arms crossed, I mumbled, "That's not very reassuring."

Moses maintained his emotional and physical distance even though his eyes flashed with something like concern. He repeated, "I'll handle it," yet there was something in his voice that convinced me to believe him. "Just... stay out of trouble. Don’t dig too deep into things you don’t need to."

"I wouldn’t be in this mess if I didn’t work here," I shot back, rage rising inside me. "But now I’m involved, whether I like it or not."

Moses looked back at me, his expression hardening, but there was more to it than that perhaps a sliver of warmth showing through. "I’ll make sure you’re safe, Sandra. You have my word."

I should have been reassured by his comments, but they didn't. I wasn't sure if I was ready to trust him just yet because there was still so much he wasn't sharing.

The enthusiasm in the conference room was palpable. There was a tangible sense of anxiety in the room as negotiations with a significant client were about to collapse. Moses was seated at the head of the table, cool and calm, but I could tell he was tense by the way his jaw tightened.

I watched the discussion in silence until the main negotiator made a crucial mistake in the contract structure that would end up costing us a lot of money. My gut contorted, and I spoke up before I could stop myself.

"There's a better way to structure this without giving away so much on the margins," I said, bringing all eyes to me at once.

Moses didn't interrupt, but his eyes glowed with amazement. The negotiator looked at me, obviously taken aback.

I forced myself to speak, clearing my throat. I quickly presented my suggestion, and the group fell silent as I stated, "If we adjust the terms to focus on long-term value instead of short-term discounts, we can keep the client happy without sacrificing profitability."

There was a moment of doubt before the client’s representative nodded softly. His words, "That... could work," were accompanied by a sidelong glance at Moses.

With a slight smirk on his lips, Moses reclined in his chair. "Sandra’s right. Let’s go with her suggestion."

After that, the meeting proceeded without a hitch, and at the conclusion, we managed to save the contract. Moses hovered behind, his gaze tracking me as I gathered my notes as people flowed out.

He said, in a softer tone than usual, "Good work."

"Thanks," I said, feeling both proud and perplexed. Moses had always seemed chilly and aloof. But for a little period today, I noticed something odd.

Later that evening, I sank into my couch, tired after the day’s events. The meeting and Moses's unexpected attitude change had left my mind spinning. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that there was more going on behind the surface, even while part of me wanted to think that he was finally beginning to see me as more than simply a secretary.

I needed to talk to someone who would understand, so I called Emma.

"Hey," I said when she picked up. "Today was... insane."

"Tell me everything," Emma said in a curious tone.

I informed her about the text message, the encounter, and Moses's response. The anxiety I'd suppressed all day started to surface again as I was speaking.

"Emma, something doesn't feel right," I said. "I don’t know if I’m getting in too deep, or if I should just quit and walk away."

"Don't give up," Emma firmly urged. "But you need to be careful. If Moses is hiding something and it sounds like he is you could get caught in the crossfire."

I whispered, "I feel like I'm already in the crossfire." "I don’t even know who to trust anymore."

"You’ve got to trust yourself," Emma whispered. "Keep your eyes open. Moses might not be telling you everything, but he sees something in you. Use that to your advantage."

I let out a sigh and reclined on the sofa. "I just don’t know how much longer I can do this."

"You're capable," Emma said. "And if it gets too dangerous... then you leave. But not before you figure out what’s going on."

I was walking home in the cold night air, my mind still racing after the day's events. I was immersed in my world, keeping my head down while the streets were silent.

That is until I sensed someone standing behind me.

I paused and looked over my shoulder. A few steps away, just beyond the beam of the streetlight, stood a shadowy figure. My heart was racing in my chest, so I started moving more quickly out of instinct.

However, the stranger trailed behind, getting closer.

I said, “Hey!” and turned to face them. Although my voice faltered a little, I tried to speak clearly. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The figure moved forward, and I let out a gasp when I saw Derek's well-known face. Grasping my wrist firmly but not painfully, he did so. "You don't know what you're committing yourself to," he said in a low, menacing whisper.

I withdrew my hand as panic shot through me. "Let go of me!"

Before I could respond, Moses appeared out of the shadows. Moses glared menacingly, "Stay the hell away from her," as he strode forward, grabbed Derek's arm, and yanked him away from me. His face was covered in a mask of rage.

Derek took a hesitant step back and grinned. "This isn’t over," he continued, his gaze flitting between me and Moses. "Not by a long shot."

My pulse was pounding and my head was reeling from terror and confusion as Derek vanished into the darkness. Moses had a solid, protective hold on my arm, but there was something else in his dark, angry eyes that shook me.

Why did I feel like I was standing on the precipice of a storm that I didn't understand, and what was happening?