The First Meeting
1271 Words
Victoria led Brenda through the executive floor . Unlike the busy lobby downstairs, this part of the building was very quiet. The thick carpet softened every footstep, and the walls were lined with modern paintings that looked expensive without trying to attract attention.
Everything about the floor reflected discipline. No employees rushing from office to office.
No unnecessary conversations.
People worked quietly, as though they understood that every minute mattered.
Victoria stopped outside a pair of walnut doors.The silver nameplate beside them read:
**Lucian MARCO**
**Chief Executive Officer**
She turned to Brenda.
"Mr. Marco is finishing a meeting".
Please have a seat. He won't keep you waiting long.
Brenda nodded and sat on one of the leather chairs facing the office.
Victoria disappeared through another door.For the first time that morning, Brenda was alone.
She clasped her hands together to stop herself from fidgeting.
The silence was unsettling.
A few minutes later, the office door opened.
Three men in tailored suits stepped out.
The oldest among them looked frustrated.
This merger will strengthen the company, he said, trying to keep his voice low. We should at least reconsider. The younger man beside him gave a tired smile.
If Mr. Marco has made a decision, reconsidering isn't an option.
The third man sighed.
He's Just walking away from Five billion dollars...
The younger man adjusted his tie.
He didn't walk away from the money.
He walked away from the people behind the money .
The three men noticed Brenda sitting nearby and their conversation ended immediately.
With polite nods, they walked toward the elevators.
Brenda watched them disappear.
Five billion dollars,
She couldn't imagine that amount of money.
It was enough to build schools ,Hospitals ,Entire neighbourhoods.
Yet someone had spoken about it as if it were another item on a meeting agenda.
Before she could gather her thoughts, another office door opened farther down the corridor.
A woman in her forties stepped out carrying a stack of files.
She looked flustered.
I told him the presentation wasn't ready.
A young assistant walking beside her smiled sympathetically.
And what did he say?
He said, Then he demoted me to a Janitor.
The assistant couldn't hide his worry.
They continued down the corridor.
Brenda looked away, pretending she hadn't heard.
A few moments later, Victoria returned carrying two cups of coffee.
She placed one on the table in front of Brenda.
Thank you.
"You're welcome".
Do people always whisper around him?
Victoria sat opposite her.
Not because they're afraid to speak. Because they choose their words carefully.
There's a difference.
Brenda wrapped both hands around the warm cup.
Is he really as difficult as people say?
Victoria thought for a moment before answering.
Mr. Marco has high standards. Some people call that difficult.
Others call it leadership.
The office doors opened again.
This time, a middle-aged man walked out alone.
His shoulders were tense, but there was relief on his face, as though he had survived something unpleasant.
He stopped when he noticed Victoria.
Has he signed it?
Victoria nodded.
He has.
The man let out a slow breath.
That saves us another week of negotiations.
He glanced briefly at Brenda before continuing toward the elevator.
Brenda frowned. Negotiations, Meetings ,Five-billion-dollar mergers.
This was Lucian Marco's ordinary morning.
And somehow... Between all those decisions...He had made time to meet an unknown schoolteacher.
The thought unsettled her more than anything else.
Victoria glanced at her wristwatch and stood up.
He's ready.
Brenda looked toward the office. The doors were still open.
From where she sat, she could see only part of the room.
She rose slowly. Her heartbeat became louder with every step.
Victoria stopped beside the doorway.
"You may go in now".
Brenda drew a quiet breath.
Then she crossed the threshold.
The door closed softly behind her.
The office was larger than Brenda expected, yet nothing inside it felt excessive.
A wall of glass overlooked the city, flooding the room with natural light. Dark wooden shelves held neatly arranged books and awards instead of expensive decorations. Every file on the desk sat perfectly aligned, as though even disorder had been denied permission to exist there.
Behind the desk sat a man reading a document.
He didn't look up ,He didn't pretend to be busy, either.
He simply finished the page he was reading, signed his name at the bottom, closed the file, and placed it neatly on a stack to his right.
Only then did he lift his eyes.
For a brief second, neither of them spoke.
Brenda had expected someone much older.
The newspapers had described him as a billionaire, a corporate strategist, and one of the most influential businessmen in the country. Somehow, she had imagined grey hair and decades of experience written across his face.
Instead, the man before her looked as though he hadn't reached his mid-thirties.
His features were sharp without being harsh.His dark eyes were calm.
He studied Brenda quietly.Not in a way that made her uncomfortable.
More like a man examining a document before deciding where it belonged.
Finally, he spoke.
Please...Have a seat.
His voice was deep, steady and unexpectedly polite.
Brenda remained where she was.
I'd rather stand.
A faint smile touched his expression.
"As you wish".
He folded his hands on the desk.
Miss Brenda Michael.
Brenda met his gaze.
It still feels like an investigation.
Brenda broke the silence first.
Why am I here?
Because you accepted the invitation.
I accepted a meeting.
Not a proposal.
A fair distinction.
His answer caught her off guard.
For the first time since entering the building, she felt as though she wasn't speaking to a man who relied on rehearsed speeches.
He listened.Then answered only what mattered.
Lucian reached for a slim folder lying on the corner of his desk.
Before we discuss the proposal...
"I'd like to ask you something".
Brenda crossed her arms.
Go ahead.
"If someone offered you enough money to save your mother's life...What would you be willing to sacrifice"?
The question landed heavily between them.
She answered without hesitation.
Everything.
His eyes remained on her.
Everything?
Everything except my dignity.
A long silence followed.
Lucian leaned back slightly in his chair.
"That answer...Is the reason you're sitting in this office".
Brenda blinked.
I don't understand.
I know.
He opened the folder.
That's because you're asking the wrong question.
She felt her patience slipping.
Then tell me the right one.
Lucian held her gaze.
The right question isn't why I invited you.
It's why I rejected everyone else.
Brenda stared at him..
Over the past three months, I interviewed twenty-seven women.
Some came from influential families.
Others built successful careers of their own.
Several of them were introduced through business partners.
Brenda's confusion deepened.
Interviewed For marriage?
For a contract marriage.
She shook her head in disbelief.
You've turned marriage into a recruitment process.
His expression didn't change.
Marriage is a legal agreement.
Romance is optional.
Brenda let out a short breath that sounded halfway between disbelief and frustration.
A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
It disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
She looked directly at him.
You still haven't answered my question.
Why me?
Lucian was silent for a moment.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
Because every other candidate wanted something from me.
My name, my company, my influence.
He paused.
You only want to save your mother.
The room became perfectly still.
Brenda searched his face for a trace of mockery
He wasn't flattering her.
He was stating a conclusion.
And somehow that made his words even harder to answer.
- Writer
