Chapter 6: The Devil In The Boardroom
952 Words
POV: Rihito
The moment I noticed Aaliya was finally eating properly, I quietly left the room without saying another word.
I didn’t understand why staying there suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Outside the room, one of the maids immediately lowered her head respectfully.
“Take care of her,” I ordered coldly. “She’s still weak.”
“Yes, sir.”
After giving the instruction, I headed back to my room.
The mansion remained unusually quiet as I moved through the long hallways in my wheelchair. The early morning air felt cold against my skin while exhaustion slowly settled into my body.
The night had been troublesome.
And it was all because of that stubborn woman.
Once inside my room, I took a quick shower and changed into a black tailored suit before fixing my watch around my wrist.
When I finished preparing, I used the elevator to head downstairs since stairs had become useless to me years ago.
The thought alone instantly darkened my mood.
The dining area was already prepared for breakfast when I arrived downstairs.
Several maids stood nervously at the side while lowering their heads.
I barely touched the food in front of me.
Just a few bites were enough before I lost interest completely.
Honestly, I wasn’t even hungry.
Without another word, I grabbed my coat and headed outside.
I saw no reason to inform Aaliya that I was leaving for work.
It wasn’t like we were a normal married couple anyway.
Outside, my guards immediately opened the car door for me.
The ride to the company was silent as usual.
The moment my car stopped in front of the company building, every employee nearby instantly straightened nervously.
Some quickly lowered their heads while others greeted me respectfully the moment I entered.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Good morning, Mr. Rodriguez.”
I ignored every single greeting and continued moving toward the private elevator.
Over time, people had learned not to expect responses from me.
Funny enough, I preferred it that way.
According to Leo, most employees were terrified of me.
But honestly…
I didn’t care.
Fear made people obedient.
And obedient people caused fewer problems.
The elevator doors opened directly onto the top floor where my office was located.
The entire floor instantly became silent the moment I arrived.
Even the sound of typing slowly disappeared.
Pathetic.
I entered my office without sparing anyone a glance.
A few files were already neatly arranged on my desk waiting for approval.
Without wasting time, I buried myself in paperwork immediately.
Numbers.
Contracts.
Meetings.
Business was far easier to handle than human emotions.
At least business made sense.
A few hours later, Leo entered carefully.
“Sir, the board members are waiting inside the meeting room.”
I closed the file in front of me slowly before lifting my eyes toward him.
“Let’s go.”
Leo immediately stepped aside while I pressed the control button on my wheelchair and headed toward the boardroom.
The moment the doors opened, every board member inside instantly stood up nervously.
But strangely…
Even while discussing business, my mind briefly drifted back to Aaliya again.
And that alone irritated me.
The moment I entered the boardroom, silence instantly swallowed the entire place.
Every board member stood up nervously the moment their eyes landed on me.
“Good morning, sir,” they greeted almost at the same time.
I didn’t respond.
I simply moved toward the head of the table while Leo stood quietly behind me.
The air inside the room felt tense enough to suffocate someone.
Good.
Fear kept people focused.
I placed the documents on the table before lifting my eyes slowly toward them.
“Let’s begin.”
Immediately, one of the managers stood up nervously and began presenting the company’s monthly reports.
At first, I listened quietly.
But as the presentation continued, my expression slowly darkened.
Numbers were missing.
Several projects had been delayed.
One of our overseas investors had even threatened to withdraw from a contract because of careless mistakes.
Pathetic.
The manager’s hands visibly trembled while speaking.
“S-sir, we were planning to resolve the issue before the next quarter—”
“Planning?” I interrupted coldly.
The entire room froze instantly.
I slowly leaned back in my wheelchair while staring directly at him.
“You’re telling me this company pays you millions just for you to ‘plan’ instead of producing results?”
Sweat immediately formed on his forehead.
“N-no sir…”
I picked up the file in front of me and threw it across the table violently.
The loud sound echoed through the room, making everyone flinch.
“This report is trash.”
Nobody dared to breathe too loudly.
“You’ve had three months to fix these problems,” I continued coldly. “Yet somehow the situation became worse.”
Silence.
Dead silence.
Even Leo remained completely still behind me.
One wrong word from anyone could end their career instantly.
Another director slowly stood up.
“Sir, we deeply apologize. We promise to improve—”
“I’m tired of promises.”
My voice remained calm, but somehow that made the atmosphere even scarier.
“I want results. If none of you are capable of handling simple responsibilities, then perhaps I should replace every single person sitting in this room.”
Several faces immediately turned pale.
One man almost dropped the tablet in his hands.
Pathetic.
After another hour of intense discussions and criticism, the meeting finally ended.
By the time I returned to my office, exhaustion had already settled into my body.
But strangely…
Aaliya crossed my mind again.
Annoying woman.
The entire day passed with meetings, paperwork, and endless calls until night eventually arrived.
- Writer
