CHAPTER 4
757 Words
Bound by Vows, Torn by Silence
Mr. Raymond stared at the hand hanging in mid-air as if someone had just shown him something repulsive. Then he turned back to the computer in front of him, silently resuming his typing.
A sudden jolt surged through Mr. Raymond’s body, from his head down to the soles of his feet. His throat tightened with a lump of embarrassment.
Never in his life had he been so humiliated. He felt utterly ashamed.
The other man, noticing the awkwardness, quickly grabbed the hand Mr. Raymond had left hanging and chuckled awkwardly.
“Sorry, Mr. Raymond,” he said lightly, “you know how risky handshakes are these days because of the whole COVID situation. He was just trying to be cautious.”
Mr. Raymond forced a tight smile that barely reached his lips. “That’s understandable,” he muttered.
“I’m Daniel Umar, the personal assistant here,” the man said, relaxing into a friendly tone. “And this is Mr. Ethan Auwal, the CEO of A.A. Enterprises.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Raymond replied with a nod. “I’m Mr. Raymond Ahmad Kankiya, CEO of R.S. Gallery.”
“Right. You came to us about a business matter last week,” Daniel said, glancing over at Ethan. “At the time, Mr. Ethan was unavailable, so we couldn’t continue the discussion. But now he’s here, so feel free to explain your request again, if you don’t mind.”
Raymond sighed, casting a brief glance at Mr. Ethan, who still hadn’t looked up from the system he was working on.
“As I mentioned before, my company is on the verge of bankruptcy. We’ve accumulated a number of bank loans, and the COVID crisis has only made things worse. At this point, the banks are breathing down our necks, and some shareholders are even threatening to withdraw. I came here hoping to secure a loan from your organization to help prevent my company from collapsing.”
A short silence passed before Daniel leaned forward.
“So if I understand correctly,” he said, “you’re requesting a loan?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“How much are you looking to borrow, and what’s your proposed repayment plan?”
“I’d like to request thirty million U.S. dollars,” Raymond said calmly.
Daniel blinked in disbelief. “Thirty million?”
“Yes,” Raymond answered firmly. “Twenty million will be used to settle the bank debts, and the remaining ten million will go toward reviving operations within the company.”
Again, silence fell over the room. Mr. Ethan still hadn’t looked up.
“Okay, sir,” Daniel said after a pause. “When do you intend to repay the loan? Because that’s quite a large amount, and we wouldn’t want to breach any agreements.”
“God willing, within one year,” Raymond replied with confidence. Still, in the back of his mind, he found himself wondering if Mr. Ethan was perhaps mute — he hadn’t said a single word.
Daniel gave a polite nod. “Alright, we’ll review your proposal and you can return the day after tomorrow to hear our decision, if that works for you.”
Raymond extended his hand. “That’s fine. Thank you. I really appreciate your time.”
“You’re welcome,” Daniel said with a brief smile.
Raymond left the office with his mind buzzing. There was no telling whether his request would be granted. But he had to try.
As soon as he got into his car, he drove straight back to his company to take care of some urgent matters.
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“Alright,” Jasmine said, her eyes fixed on the screen in front of her. “Now, Lila’s team can choose the cake style they want. Send them these samples and ask them to make a selection. As for Mr. Wilson’s order, start preparing all the required items. You know we’ve only got three days left.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Chloe replied. “Should we go ahead and send the materials to the hotel now?”
“Yes, everything else is almost done. If we don’t wrap up today, we’ll definitely finish by tomorrow. Go ahead and send the samples, then make a list of any missing supplies.”
“Okay, ma’am,” Chloe responded respectfully before leaving the office.
Jasmine continued typing while occasionally sipping her hot tea. But just as she began to focus again, the shrill ring of her phone interrupted her.
- Writer
