Chapter Six Pt II
1371 Words
The day after came in a flash. Alika stood confidently in the board room. Gia, Gilbert, and the executives sat in silence, waiting. Dylan, Shawn, Zain, Gleyn, and Keith took a neutral stance, sitting at the back to listen.
Alika swooned at herself. She'd finally stepped into the renowned empire of PROFOUND, giving her confidence to make Kimora’s work her own.
Applause followed, and she smiled, contented. Proud.
Gia was the first to speak. “Impressive. Ms. Santander.”
“Thank you, Gia.”
“Ms. Zande,” Gia corrected.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”.
“The plan is good. But please run through the financial forecast?” Gia abruptly said.
Alika flinched. She had no idea what that meant.
Gia narrowed her gaze. “Ms. Santander, this is your plan, right?” She asked.
Gleyn sighed. Her daughter was about to be humiliated.
“Yes…”
“Then walk us through the financials?” Gia insisted, smirking with an eerie satisfaction.
Two days earlier, she had spoken to Kimora, plunging her into her deadly plot. The two had met at a cafe after work and plotted against Alika.
“Kimora, you're a kind person,” Gia said after sipping from her latte. “Handworking too. So I want to help you.”
“Ms. Zande, I—”
Gia touched her hand. “I know Alika asked you to prepare the plan for the presentation in two days,” she said. “She will take credit for your work. Doesn't it bother you?”
Silence fell between them. “Kimora, if you can stand it, I can’t.”
Kimora sighed. “I can't either but—”
“No buts. You should take credit for your work. Let me help you.”
“How?”
“Just omit one key detail from the presentation, the financial forecasts precisely.” Gia said. “Gilbert will know you made the plan, and I will push you to a higher position….”
Kimora readily agreed. Power was her weakness—and Gilbert, her utmost desire.
And now Alika fumbled. She would have studied the financial forecast if it was in the presentation. But it was too late.
“I didn't prepare them,”
Everyone murmured.
How could she miss such an important detail?
“Did someone help you?” Gia asked.
“Yes… no…”
Gia raised an eyebrow.
“Which is it?” Dylan chimed in.
“Ms. Delano and I worked on the plan together. She nust know the details of the financial forecasts.”
“So why isn't she here….?” Gia asked.
“She must be working. She is a marketing strategist at Eye Inc.”
Gia Smiled. “I’d like to meet her.”
“Will you invest if you do?” Shawn asked.
“First the financial projections, then we can talk,” Gia said. “But I have no doubt that Ms. Delano can handle the marketing at Hotel Swan.”
“What about Alika?” Gleyn asked. “They worked together.”
“They will still work together. Alika will report to Ms. Delano.”
“She’s the owner of Swan. How can she work under someone?”
“Owner or not. Alika lacks experience. She even needed help with this basic plan.”
“Ms. Zande—”
“Mrs. Santander, my terms are clear,” Gia said. “I won’t invest in poor leadership and marketing. These are backbones of success. So it's either your pride or my investment.”
Alika glared at Gia, who turned to Gilbert.
“Mr. Monroe?”
Gilbert smiled. “I’ll have Kimora appointed as Director of Marketing at Hotel Swan.”
“Gilbert!” Gleyn shrieked.
“Mrs. Santander, let's separate business and personal matters. This is business, nothing else,” Dylan said. When Gleyn looked at Zain, she shook her quickly.
“You two? We’re friends!” Gleyn said.
“But we won’t gamble with smart investments.” Zain added.
Shawn stayed quiet until Gleyn pressed.
“Can you say something?” Gleyn pressed.
“Gia’s terms are reasonable.” he finally said, and Alika was infuriated.
“Grandpa?” Gia asked, turning to Keith for approval.
Keith smiled heartily. “I trust your judgment, my dear.”
“Like I said, the decision is yours. But if the bank seizes your hotel, I’ll gladly buy it.” Gia said and stood up.
“You vixen!” Gleyn shouted.
“This meeting is adjourned,” Gia said and walked out. Gilbert followed her to her office immediately.
“What is it?”she asked when they sat across from each other
Gilbert exhaled. “Do you have ulterior movtives against the Santanders?”
Gia chuckled. He'd always been smart. “Why would I?”
“Your moves…they feel... calculated. Do you plan to seize the hotel?”
“And if I do, will you stop me?” Gia’s eyes narrowed as silence took over, leaving the office quiet—too quiet for comfort.
Outside, the skyline flickered with lights against the dusky horizon, shadows dancing along the glass walls of Gia’s suite. The scent of cedar and rosewood lingered faintly in the air, blending with the citrus note of Gia’s perfume as she moved toward the window.
Gilbert followed her silently, the soft thud of his footsteps on marble tracing her movement.
“Hotel Swan is good business,” Gia said smoothly, her gaze fixed outside. “And that’s why we want in. But we can’t entrust our money to someone like Alika. She’s not competent enough to run the marketing department. If they insist on her, we’re pulling out.”
Gilbert didn’t respond.
She turned, letting the light catch the glint of gold in her earrings.
“You mentioned buying it,” Gilbert said, finally.
Gia walked closer, slow and deliberate.
“Only if you back out of your agreement with the Santanders.” Her voice dropped a note, velvety and precise. “If you do... and we pull out... the bank seizes the property. I buy it. Simple.”
She let a pause linger—thick with unspoken implication.
“Then again, if you’re still interested, maybe... we buy it together. Fifty-fifty.”
Gilbert’s eyes locked onto hers. Something flickered beneath his steady stare—interest, challenge, temptation.
“I didn’t know your mind worked that way,” he said, lips curling faintly.
Gia smiled—controlled, unreadable.
“This is business. You don’t have to take it personally.”
Gilbert leaned forward slightly, his voice dipped in warmth. “I actually like how you think. That—right there—is how my father made Eye Inc. a force to be reckoned with.”
Gia was silent for a moment. “So... this marriage. Was it step one in taking Hotel Swan from the Santanders?” she asked afterwards, eyes locked on him.
“Sort of.”
Gia circled the desk and leaned a hip against it, letting her fingers trace the edge of her pen.
“You don’t need to marry her then. Let the bank seize it. We’ll buy it. Just the two of us.”
Her voice was playful now—but her eyes were calculating.
Gilbert tilted his head, his gaze drifting to the curve of her mouth.
“You’re dangerous.”
“Am I?” she whispered, tapping the pen once against her lip.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
“You vixen!” Alika sobbed, storming inside without invitation. Her eyes locked onto Gia as she lunged forward.
Gilbert stepped between them just in time.
“It’s business, darling,” Gia said calmly, reaching for the phone.
“I’ll take her,” Gilbert said, gently placing the receiver back in its cradle.
Gia walked slowly to her chair, slumping into the cushion, watching Gilbert without blinking.
“Think about what I said.”
Gilbert’s glance lingered. He nodded faintly.
“Let’s stay in touch.”
Then he led Alika out, her sobs echoing behind them like cracks in porcelain. Onlookers recorded everything—flashes, murmurs, and quiet judgment.
Gilbert didn’t speak again until they reached the car.
And even then... his thoughts were somewhere else.
- Writer
