Chapter Five
1196 Words
She turned around to face him slowly, she’d call him bluff, but men like Marco Dandolo don’t do bluffs. His eyes were cold and expressionless and was looking back at her. His absolute calm was the presumption that he wasn’t cracking an expensive joke.
In the field of advanced technology, she was well known, she could create programs that solved intricate problems, she wanted to share her knowledge to the kids at the community center that was why she volunteered there. She didn’t know a thing about law and legal proceedings, but she understood it was a threat and he doesn’t joking.
Marco watched the color flood her face. Her skin was smooth and flawless, and her face was free from any freckles. She had an unusual striking prettiness that was more dramatic because she seemed to be unaware of it.
He wondered that if she could turn those bright hazel eyes on him and get away scot-free then she probably needs a rethink. He had a lifetime’s worth of training of spotting women who felt that there looks where ticket to getting whatever they want. He’d watched them do a number on his father. She might not be an airhead like them, but she was driven by emotions he streered clear of.
“Of course,” he shrugged “Litigation is something that takes time. Naturally your services at my company will be terminated, your pay will cease incontinently and then there is the price to pay for legal costs.”
Her expressions were easy to read, and Marco found himself enjoying the flicker of emotions displaying on her face.
“That’s—that is just absurd,” Hailey stuttered. “You can’t be serious. If your sources are correct you’ll find out that I haven’t been in touch with… with Wesley for years. Plus, I haven’t said a word about your deal to him, or anyone.”
“I only have your word for it. discovering whether you’re telling me the truth or not would take time, during that time you would be naturally without a penny to your name, defending your character against my company’s legal department.”
Slowly he was boxing her in a corner. Shoulders sagged she said, “what do you need me to do?”
Marco stood up, hands in his pockets stared at the tempered glass overlooking the city. “I told you this isn’t a straightforward situation. It isn’t a simple case of throwing you out of the company when you can jeopardize my deal with the confidential information that you have.”
He paced his office, rounded the desk and stopped in front of her “The deal is almost completed and, in two weeks, I will have a finalized conclusion. Supposedly, I believe you for a minute, and you’re telling me the truth about not communicating with Mr Blake. It is imperative that any sensitive information you may have acquired is not shared, and the only way that can be achieved is if you’re incommunicado with the outside world. That is how it’s going to be for the next two weeks until my deal is closed.”
“Sorry Mr Dandolo, but I don’t think I follow what you’re saying .”
“Which bit exactly Miss Kingston do you not follow?”
“The two weeks. Incommunicado. What are you talking about?”
“It’s perfectly clear Miss Kingston. You will not be in contact with anyone, and I mean anyone for the next two weeks until my deal is closed, at which point you may or may not return to your desk in SoHo and we can both forget this unfortunate business never happened.”
She gaped at him, mouth wide open.
“And by incommunicado, I mean no phones, gadgets no communication devices, you will be under surveillance until you prove you’re of no threat to me.”
“But you can’t be serious!”
“Do I look I’m performing a standup comedy?”
“Under surveillance? What does that even mean?
This is the 21st century for goodness sakes, you can’t just kidnap me for two weeks because you have a deal to complete, that’s a crime.”
“I won’t be kidnapping you Miss Kingston, very far from it, you have a choice here. You can choose to walk away from here, but you know the consequences of that action. The process of consulting a lawyer that you cannot afford, and need I remind you how demanding Litigation is, and the case of your unemployability with no reference from me or my company, I’ll make sure your name is blacklisted in the tech world. Need I remind you Miss Kingston that I am a very powerful man and I do not like to be crossed.”
“Arrogant, inhumane and a total heartless, that’s what you are Mr Dandolo. A heartless,inhumane and an arrogant domineering bully!”
Marco eyes drifted to her full pink lips and for a second was overwhelmed by a powerful, crazy urge to crush them under his lips to confirmed if they were as soft as they look.
“I’m guessing that you’re beginning to see sense,” he commented dryly.
“It’s highly unethical” Hailey muttered under her breath. She eyed him with hostility.
“It’s perfectly ethical, Miss Kingston, a little unusual even, but then again, I’ve never been in the position of harbouring suspicions about the loyalties of any of my employees before. I pay my staff way above market price and that usually works. This is the first of its kind.
“I can’t just be kept under watch for two weeks, I’m not a lab rat, plus I have responsibilities at the community center!”
“A phone call should handle all that. If you want, I can handle that myself. You just need to present unfortunate circumstances that will leave you unavailable for the next two weeks. Same goes for your parent relatives and any outstanding boyfriends.”
“Do I make myself clear, Miss Kingston?”
“I can’t believe this is happening. You’re really doing this”
“It’s simple, you will be accommodated without the benefit of your phone and your gadgets. Consider it more of a vacation, but without your gadgets.”
“A vacation?” her imagination was running wild; she could dig up different doefscenarios.
“I assure you that your accommodation will be of the highest quality. All you need to bring are your clothes. You will be escorted to your flat to pick up whatever you need.”
“Can I ask where I would be going? This is totally insane she cried out.”
“You don’t have to worry about that Miss Kingston, all has been arranged.”
“I need to know, so I can know the kind of clothes to pack up.”
He didn’t think this through, his plan was to put someone in charge of babysitting her, now babysitting her was looking good he admitted.
“You can pack anything you like, but I assure you we are not going to the Antartica.”
- Writer
