The Secret Contender

Chapter Three Pt II

Gilbert and Gia walked in charged silence, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished marble floor. He refused to acknowledge her, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface.

Who the hell does she think she is?

Gia, ever perceptive, cut through his brooding. “You’re cursing me inwardly, aren’t you?” Her voice held a trace of amusement, but there was a challenge in her gaze.

Gilbert exhaled sharply. “Mm?”

“You’re still upset about my reaction to your mother.” Her smirk was unrepentant, as though she relished his agitation.

He frowned. “Why are you smirking?”

“I find it fascinating,” Gia replied airily. “People like you wound others without remorse, but when the tables turn, you paint yourselves as victims.”

Gilbert’s eyes narrowed. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“Your mother compared me to a dead woman.” Gia’s voice was laced with quiet steel. “I found that offensive.”

Gilbert said nothing.

“What’s worse,” she continued, eyes flickering with something unreadable, “both your parents looked absolutely terrified. Like they’d seen a ghost. Do you think that reaction wasn’t insulting?”

Gilbert studied her for a long, deliberate moment before something shifted in his expression. It was amusement, slow, and calculating.

Then it was his turn to smirk, and Gia faltered, caught off guard.

“In a matter of minutes, you’ve managed to make me see you as the victim instead of the aggressor,” Gilbert observed, his voice laced with intrigue. “Your degree in communication was clearly worth the investment.”

Gia narrowed her eyes. “Have you been researching me?”

“I make it a point to know the people I’ll be dealing with.”

“Too bad. I have no interest in dealing with you or your family.”

“Still bitter about my mother’s comment?”

“I don’t want to be constantly reminded that I resemble a dead person,” Gia said, her tone clipped. “That would kill my self-esteem.”

She moved to step away. Then she spotted Alika approaching and pretended to stumble, letting out a sharp shriek.

Gilbert reacted quickly, his arms catching her before she hit the floor. For a brief, electric second, their eyes locked—his grip firm, hers uncharacteristically vulnerable.

Then Gilbert looked away and steadied her.

“Why do you wear heels if you can’t handle them?” he muttered.

Gia smirked. “Are you good at handling heels?” she asked, her tone teasing. Gilbert’s face flushed, and he averted her gaze. “FYI, I excel at handling far more important things.” She threw him a flirty gaze, just deliberately enough for Alika to see.

“Honey, I missed you,” Alika cooed, latching onto Gilbert’s arm. But Gilbert barely acknowledged her.

“Today is busy, and you are late. Ms. Gia Zande, here requires a tour of the hotel,” His tone was flat, detached. “Since you were its original owner before my family’s investment, I suggest you lead the tour.”

Alika’s face tightened. “Can’t someone else do it?”

“You want someone else to tour me around your hotel?” Gia echoed, eyes glittering with amusement. “Do you even know what happens here?”

“We have employees for that,” Alika responded coolly.

Gilbert sighed. “Alika, Ms. Gia and her grandfather are potential investors. Your response is not reassuring.”

“Exactly.” Gia’s voice sharpened. “A business that isn’t nurtured by its owners isn’t worth investing in.”

Alika’s expression darkened. “Ms. Gia, I assure you, our employees run the hotel effectively.”

“If that were the case, you wouldn’t be on the verge of bankruptcy,” Gia countered. “A leader sets the standard. If the foundation is weak, everything else crumbles.”

Alika stiffened, speechless. Gia didn't sound or look like the snob shed net outside. But Gilbert smirked, clearly impressed.

He cleared his throat, attempting to salvage the moment. “Alika, why don’t you assure Ms. Gia that we’ll work on changing her perception as we move forward?”

“How exactly will you do that?” Gia interjected before Alika could even speak.

Gilbert exhaled. “Tell her about our business plan.”

“I want to see that plan,” Gia stated.

“It’ll be presented to you next week,” Alika replied stiffly.

“Next week?” Gia arched a brow. “I assumed it was already prepared.”

Alika hesitated. “It is. I just need my parents to review it first.”

This was a lie that Gia easily sniffed out. After all, she'd come prepared too.

“Alright then. You know where to find me.” Gia offered a small, indifferent shrug. “Because I never coming back here.”

She turned to leave but paused, glancing back.

“You know what, Ms. Santander? You should focus on making money—not just spending it on cars.” With that, she walked away.

Alika’s composure shattered. “That woman is infuriating!” she shrieked.

“She’s right, though,” Gilbert remarked.

“You should have helped me instead of watching her humiliate me!”

“I did, Alika.”

“What did you even do?”

Gilbert raised a brow. “Is losing composure your speciality?” He folded his arms, studying her with mild amusement. “You never lose your voice despite yelling all day.”

Alika gaped, her face burning with mortification.

Gilbert sighed. “Work on the business plan and have it ready by next week. We need Keith Zanders Investment.” He said and turned to leave.

“You’re not going to help me?”

“I’m an investor, not a hotelier. But you, on the other hand, studied hotel management and hospitality. I believe you can deal with it.”

“I can’t do it alone.”

“Ask Kimora for help.”

“Kimora?” Alika’s tone was sharp with disbelief.

“She’s a marketing strategist. She might help.”

“You ask her.”

“Why can’t you*?”

“She’s your employee.”

“You’re not asking as her employer—you’re asking as someone who needs help. Kimora works for Eye Incorporated, not Swan Hotel.”

Alika couldn't swallow her pride. “You expect me to ask for help?”

“If your ego won’t let you, then do it alone. But if this plan fails, we lose Gia as an investor.”

Alika scoffed. “Wasn’t your family the richest in Alaba? Why have the Zandes overtaken you so quickly?”

Gilbert’s expression was unreadable. “Alaba is our territory. The whole Ambia belongs to them. They don’t just own businesses, Alika. They control the economy.” With that, he walked away.

Alika’s nails dug into her palms as she stormed off in the opposite direction.

She had no time to waste. The plan had to be drafted immediately, but she couldn’t rely on her marketing team.

As frustration simmered inside her, a thought crossed her mind.

“If only Mr. Zande had a grandson instead of his insufferable granddaughter,” Alika said to herself. “Then I could’ve manoeuvred my way into his life and become a queen.”

On her way out, Gia met her grandfather, her expression tense.

“What happened, dear?” Keith asked, mirroring her frown.

“Grandpa…” She hesitated. “Are you sure you want to invest in this hotel?”

Then Shawn Santander, ever observant, quickly approached them, “What happened, dear?”

Gia exhaled. “Mr. Santander, your daughter is currently unfit to manage a business,” Gia bluntly revealed. “I’ve given her a task. If she completes it and mpresses me, I’ll reconsider my decision not to invest in Swan. Otherwise, my answer now is no.”

Shawn sighed, disappointment threading through his voice. “We will do our best to help her fulfil your task.”

He and Gleyn had always harbored high expectations for their daughter, but Alika had never met them. Since childhood, she had shown a preference for spending rather than earning, indulging in luxury and flaunting her status rather than working for it. They had nurtured hopes of shaping her into a shrewd businesswoman, yet time and again, she had proven otherwise.

Gia responded with an indifferent nod. “In that case, I will wait for her.” She took her grandfather’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “Grandpa, shall we?”

Keith studied her for a moment, then shook his head. “Why don’t you go ahead, dear? I have somewhere to be. Let’s have dinner together tonight.”

Gia brightened. “Great! I will do the cooking.” She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Keith chuckled, returning the gesture with a kiss to her forehead. Then he watched her leave, his gaze lingering before shifting back to the Monroes and the Santanders.

“My granddaughter may seem immature and cold,” he mused, his tone calm yet authoritative, “but she excels in business. If you wish for this deal to proceed, I suggest you rise to her standards—otherwise, there will be no agreement.”

A flicker of unease crossed Shawn’s face. “What about the shares? Will you buy them?” His voice carried the weight of apprehension.

Keith met his gaze evenly. “If Gia decides we can't invest, I doubt the shares will be purchased either, Mr. Santander.”

Gleyn let out a wistful sigh. “I wish I had a daughter like yours…”

Keith shook his head. “Don’t say that. There’s hope for your daughter—especially if my granddaughter is in her life.” With that, he turned and walked away.

Moments later, Gilbert approached his parents and in-laws, slipping effortlessly into the conversation.

“How was the tour?” Dylan asked.

“It didn’t happen,” Gilbert replied, his tone edged with something close to reluctant admiration. “Gia spotted every loophole before we even began.”

“She’s that perceptive?” Shawn asked, raising a brow.

Gilbert exhaled, nodding. “Far more than I expected.”

“She’s just a young woman,” Zain said, her voice laced with curiosity. “Where does she get the insight to run a business empire like PROFOUND?”

“The real question is—where did she even come from?” Dylan interjected. “Keith has always been unmarried and childless, and now suddenly, there’s a granddaughter?”

Gleyn crossed her arms. “Let’s not forget that he was known for his extravagant lifestyle.”

Shawn nodded in agreement. “The man was undeniably promiscuous. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hidden child who gave birth to Gia.”

Gilbert’s gaze darkened with quiet calculation. “I’ll continue my research on Keith. There are too many unanswered questions.”

The others exchanged glances, silently conceding to his decision. Yet, as the conversation lulled, Dylan and Zain remained visibly uneasy, their expressions clouded with something deeper; something unspoken.