Unresolved

Chapter 1: Past Scares

Another empty packet of sugar landed in the bin, joining the previous two. Verochka was humming to herself in her office lounge as she stirred her black coffee. The afternoon sun streamed through uninterrupted, warming her back as she leaned against the counter that faced the glass windows. It was routine for her to make a cup of coffee for herself to make it through the afternoon. As much as she loved her job, sorting through data can get pretty monotonous. While the habit was usual the intention behind it was different that afternoon. She had a big meeting lined up and it was making her jittery, she hoped the caffeine would help overcome her nervousness. 

"I knew I'd find you here." Jamie, her colleague joined her, filling her own cup with hot water. Jamie was closest to Verochka in her office. Her cheerful and over enthusiastic personality a stark contrast to Verochka's realistic- bordering pessimistic- attitude. Even their hair complemented each other, Jamie had a short bob styled to fall softly across her forehead whereas Verochka had long brown hair that cascaded down her back in waves. The former was considered a news hub of the office and Verochka treasured her time with her. 

"What's new?" The coffee was perfect, hot enough to warm her throat and give her a jolt but not hot enough to burn her tongue. Just how she enjoyed it.

"Jeffords came to me this morning with a new project, he started off with compliments as he normally does and had me distracted. I am already on a project!" Jamie huffed in frustration, dumping the used tea bag into the bin. Jeffords was their boss and a ruthless man at that. He often hid behind a kind smile and deceptive words. While Verochka did not answer to him and often got assignments from his boss, she did report to him from time to time. And she was well acquainted with his mannerisms. 

"About time. My team is already working on two projects." Verochka chuckled at her colleagues scowl. They both shared the similar job profile but handled two sectors of the company. Verochka was a Data Scientist and Jamie; a Data Analyst. The latter dealt mostly with market performances while Verochka was more into predicting the growth curve of the company. Some would consider her job to be difficult but she rather had fun with it, a new challenge everyday. 

"Heard they hired a new consultant, things are really taking a turn. Jake from thirteenth floor said they are starting a new venture. You happen to know anything about that?" As a matter of fact, Jake was right and in truck loads of trouble for opening his mouth. Verochka was working on a future product but Jeffords had asked her to keep it under the wraps. She considered speaking on it but settled for a shrug instead. It wasn't that interesting a software to build, in-fact it was pretty basic. A chatbot for a company with gender and age recognition. Since she didn't have a team yet, she did all the work herself. The company was old, had tonnes of unsorted data that required to be fed to the algorithm. 

The information and numbers she saw didn't strike to her as odd or in need of secrecy but the company did have a few question marks behind them. It wasn't her job to police the morals of the organization and she knew that quite well. 

"I know that look! You know what I'm talking about, that's what all those closed door meetings are about, isn't it? Jeffords looped you in, didn't he?" Jamie gave a pointed look to her friend who smiled sheepishly.

"I have a meeting at four with the higher ups, things are really cooking." That seemed to satisfy Jamie's inquisitiveness. They spoke for a few more minutes before Verochka had to leave to attend the meeting.

"The chairman is attending, please tell me you have all the files ready?" Jeffords looked especially on edge though Verochka did not comment on it. She straightened her back and shot him a smile.

"I do, here." She replied, handing him the file with the work she had alone spent hours on. She looked at him as he flipped through it, Jeffords hardly meddled with her work. He wasn't a specialist like she was and he knew that too. He was merely a mediator, to ease the hierarchy of the organization. 

"Please pitch in wherever necessary." He handed her the file back and she frowned. How odd. Jeffords often stole the attention at all meetings and projected others work as his, it was common and at some point during her tenure Verochka had got used to it.

"Won't you be joining us?" She noticed the discomfort on his face and she stilled, cursing her mouth fro having run off without thinking. They both left the awkward conversation pretty quickly after that. 

The conference room had a glass door that allowed her to take a peek at what was going on inside. She had met the chairman quite a few times before but she would prefer answering to Jeffords any day over talking to the poker faced male that walked with his head high in the clouds. Though, putting his pride aside, he was brilliant at what he did, a man who put his heart and soul into the company. 

"Good afternoon, Miss Keatings. I wanted to welcome you to your new team for the project you have been working on. The Hamson project will go forward as it was, with you as the project coordinator. The rest of your work will be secondary. This is a priority. Jake, our accountant," She greeted Jake with a smile, containing the shock she felt at the sudden news he had shot at her. It was important project and it made her a little nervous to be at the head of it.  "You know Betty, and this is Timmy, he is my most trusted programmer." She shook hands with Timmy. He looked younger than her, by at-least five years and that innocent glint in his eyes. She wondered what he had done to earn his trust. 

"Since you have been working on the data for our overseas office, you are aware this is a confidential. You cannot and will not speak of what goes on in the Hamson estate or what we are planning for it. Am I clear?" Verochka breathed in extended intervals, she didn't exactly know what he was talking about but it was clear that there was no room for questions or mistakes.  

"Yes, of course, sir." She was taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. He was talking as if she had signed her soul to the devil. The three other members of the team, aside from her and the chairman were equally stoic as her. 

"I cannot emphasize the importance of this venture enough. Though, I would like to introduce you to our new investment banker who will be aiding us with finance. Jaxtyn Memori." Verochka choked on her breath, masking it with a cough when it disrupted the silence of the room. It had been years since she had heard that name, it was a fairly uncommon one and she thanked her stars for it. Though, she knew, this wasn't the Jaxtyn Shields she knew who would kill himself before becoming an investment banker bang in the middle of the corporate struggle. This was Jaxtyn Memori, a man she had never met before.

It all unfurled in slow motion for Verochka, the chairman gestured towards someone behind her and she turned to take a look. The glass door warned her of what was to come yet the warning offered her little time to prepare, the pen she was twirling in her hand dropped on the marble flooring, bouncing off an embarrassing number of times. Verochka was far from noticing that. She was stuck, flickering between the past and the present. 

She knew that face, the tall built, the brown eyes. There were some features she didn't recall, a scar cutting his eyebrows into two. He wore his hair much shorter but she could recognise that man after plastic surgery if it came to it. It was none other that the Jaxtyn she had once met, who she had once loved.

He walked in like he owned the place, going straight for the chairman. His blue suit fit his body well, matching the tie was lay perfectly at the center. He looked like everything he had mentioned he hated, a cooperate puppet. She just stared at him, watched him greet everyone with a professional handshake. Had he seen her? 

She received an answer soon enough, she was the last one he faced and his eyes widened in shock. His hand froze in mid air but he regained composure soon after. Perhaps the only thing she managed to do was place her hand in his, his fingers wrapped around her hand and she felt electricity coursing through her veins. Even with the distance between them, the familiarity of his scent almost knocked her over, her senses knew every bit of him. He had a tight grip that broke her out of her daze. She quickly looked around to see if anyone noticed the exchange but everyone was awed by the man before her. By the time her attention returned to him, he had left her side and joined the chairman who continued to speak.

"Jaxtyn Memori is the senior Vice President of Jackson Ford and the perfect man for the job." Verochka was just staring at Jaxtyn, he didn't look her way. The years had been good to him, too good.

"Mr Memori, this is Verochka Keatings, the project head. Please get acquainted before the onset of the development. You both will be working very closely with each other." Her heart beat was so loud she feared everyone could hear it. 

"Yes, sir." As she spoke, his eyes shot to her. She had to take a step back at the harsh way his eyes sized her up. She had only seen that look once before and that had been the last memory she had of him.

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