A Meeting With The Devil
1519 Words
Chapter 12
Just then, the door creaked open and Trisha stepped in.
“Ma’am, Mrs. Sinclair requests your presence in her office,” she announced.
I swallowed, turning briefly to Derek as I rose to my feet.
“I suppose she has some work for me,” I said, forcing a light smile, hoping he would take the hint and leave.
Instead, a pleased smile curved his lips.
“Good timing, I have something to discuss with her as well. We can go together.”
Before I could protest, he reached for my hand, helping me up.
“Thank you… I’m fine,” I muttered, subtly pulling away. He released me immediately.
Trisha’s jaw tightened, her expression stiff, but Derek didn’t seem to notice.
“Ladies first,” he gestured.
I exhaled quietly and stepped out, feeling his presence close behind me.
I walked ahead with forced confidence, pretending I knew exactly where I was going… when I didn’t.
Trisha should have been leading, but she didn't.
My gaze landed on an elevator, and I moved toward it instinctively.
“Where are you going?” Derek asked, confusion threading his voice.
“To my mother’s office, of course,” I replied quickly, masking my uncertainty with firmness.
He paused, then pointed toward a hallway. “I know she has a private office on the top floor, but she usually works from this one.”
Relief washed over me, thank goodness he followed.
“Right… I thought she was upstairs,” I said, redirecting myself down the hallway he indicated.
We soon arrived at an imposing door; sleek black glass framed in gold, embedded with a discreet biometric panel. Before I could react, it slid open smoothly from her assistant.
“Mum, you sent for me,” I said as I stepped in.
“Yes, I did.” She looked up, and then her gaze shifted to Derek.
“Perfect.”
My eyes widened slightly.
Perfect?
“I received a call from an old friend, Mr. Gerald,” she began. “Derek’s uncle. His influence in this region runs deep… business, politics, everything.”
Her tone sharpened slightly.
“Our empire may dominate globally, but this region isn’t one you simply walk into. Expansion here requires access, and Gerald controls that gateway.”
I felt my chest tighten. So this wasn’t just a meeting… but a test.
“He’s willing to collaborate,” she continued, “but he insisted on meeting you personally.”
Why me?
“I can go see him,” I said.
She studied me for a moment before nodding, then her expression turned serious.
“I know you can, but I don’t trust Gerald, not even a little. This isn’t just business, Liora.”
My breath hitched.
“You’ll go with Derek.”
“With Derek?”
“For your safety.” Her gaze shifted to him. “Keep her safe, and don’t fall into Gerald’s traps. You know him well enough.”
So this man wasn’t just powerful… he was dangerous.
“Yes, ma’am,” Derek replied, placing a hand over his chest in a mock salute.
“Take her there and bring her back,” my mother added, then her eyes returned to me.
“I’ll see you both when you return.”
“We might not return immediately,” Derek added smoothly. “After the meeting, we may step out for a while.”
My stomach tightened.
“I have no objections, if my princess agrees,” my mother said with a faint smile.
I returned it lightly before turning and walking out.
I retrieved my bag from my office as we headed out, Trisha trailing behind us.
When we reached Derek’s car, he opened the door for me. I slid in, and he shut it gently.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Trisha step closer.
“Thank you. I’ll take it from here,” Derek said politely.
The tension in her expression sharpened, but she said nothing.
Derek got in beside me, and the drive began in silence.
“You seem quite attached to your assistant,” he remarked casually.
I forced a smile, clutching my bag tighter.
It's the opposite.
When we arrived at the penthouse, my heart sank.
This wasn’t just a meeting but my first real step into the empire, and I couldn’t afford to fail.
My legs trembled as I stepped out. Derek closed the door behind me, his eyes briefly scanning me.
As we walked inside, my hands shook, and I tightened my grip on my bag to hide it, but Derek noticed. He gently took my hand, steadying me as he led me in, then guided me to the sofa.
“Sit.”
I obeyed as he disappeared briefly, Derek returned moments later, a man in his fifties walking in behind him.
“Well…” the man’s gaze settled on me, slow and deliberate, like he was taking his time memorizing every detail. “You’re even more stunning than I was told.”
A faint smile touched his lips.
I stood immediately. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“Ah, polite too.” He chuckled softly, gesturing toward the seat. “Sit, sit… no need to be tense.”
Tense?
I sat down, noticing Derek as he remained standing beside me.
“So,” he said, lowering himself into the chair opposite us, crossing one leg over the other with ease. “You’re the one Mrs. Sinclair is grooming to step into the empire.”
His tone was light, almost conversational, but there was something probing beneath it.
“I’m still learning,” I replied carefully.
“Hmm.” His eyes lingered on me again. “Learning can be… accelerated, with the right guidance.”
“I prefer to understand things properly,” I said.
Derek shifted slightly beside me as Gerald’s smile widened.
“I like that,” he murmured. “Confidence, it suits you.”
Then his gaze shifted to Derek.
“Derek,” Gerald said casually, reaching into his pocket and pulling out some cash. “Run along and get us a drink, something good.
Derek didn’t take the money as he stood still.
“I’m not leaving,” he said calmly.
Gerald’s brows lifted, amusement flickering in his gaze.
“Not leaving?” he repeated. “Since when did you start hovering?”
“I stay where I’m needed.”
Gerald leaned back, studying him now.
“Interesting,” he muttered. “Very interesting.”
Before I could process that, two women stepped out from a hallway deeper inside the penthouse, dressed elegantly. They didn’t look at us as they walked past, just straight to the door and out.
Gerald followed my gaze, then chuckled under his breath.
“Business associates,” he said smoothly, though I hadn’t asked.
My fingers tightened slightly around my bag.
Something wasn’t right.
Then his attention returned to me.
“Perhaps,” he said slowly, rising to his feet, “we should continue this conversation somewhere more… private.”
Derek stepped forward slightly, but Gerald ignored him with his eyes still on me.
“My bedroom is more comfortable,” he added, his voice lowering just enough to feel deliberate.
My chest tightened as I stood abruptly, my voice firmer than I felt.
“Derek… I think we should leave.”
“Of course,” Derek replied.
“So soon?” Gerald asked mildly. “We’ve barely begun.”
I didn’t answer as I turned and walked out.
Once we reached the car, the question slipped out before I could stop myself.
“That’s your uncle?”
“Yes,” Derek exhaled. “And that’s exactly why I didn’t want you meeting him like this.”
“I regret coming here in the first place.”
Derek glanced at me briefly before focusing back on the road.
“You came here because he controls the regional gateway,” he said. “Any expansion into this territory has to pass through him. My father made sure of that before he died.”
I frowned slightly. “So even you…”
“... can’t bypass him directly without consequences,” Derek finished. “Not without creating problems that would cost more than the deal itself.”
There was silence.
So this was bigger than I thought.
“I see…” I murmured.
The drive continued until we arrived at a massive, luxurious restaurant and stepped in.
“Welcome, boss,” a waiter greeted.
I blinked. Boss?
Derek handed me his phone. “Pick anything.”
“I’ll have whatever she chooses,” he added.
The waiter nodded as I selected my meal.
Soon, our food arrived and we ate.
“About why I wanted to see you… I contacted the hospital I recently acquired in Canada, the same one where I took your lookalike,” Derek said, breaking the silence.
My grip tightened.
“They confirmed she finalized her divorce recently,” he added.
The words hit like a shock wave.
I choked slightly, reaching quickly for water as my heart pounded.
Does he already know?
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