The Minister’s Obsession

Chapter 5

Marissa

It was him.

Marissa couldn’t believe it.

The CEO was the man from the sidewalk! How could it be? What other possible explanation could there be? Marissa looked around her, but she was the only one confused in the room. The only one in shock.

Adam Minister walked up to the podium, and Marissa began to regret sitting so close to the front. Everyone was clapping, but she could barely hear the sound over the uproar in her own head.

Her chest was tight, and she could feel a warm buzz go through her body. She wanted to sink into her chair, to disappear. She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She wanted most to go back in time and undo the deed she had done. But there was no rewinding. No second chances.

Marissa noticed that he was wearing a different suit now, and that gut-clenching feeling became even stronger. She remembered the stain spreading...

The clapping died down, and he took one sweeping look at the audience before starting his speech. Marissa, on the other hand, tried to steady herself one deep breath at a time. Don't look away, she thought to herself. Be brave, stand your ground. Looking away makes you look guilty. And she wasn't guilty.

So when his gaze reached her side of the room, she kept her face forward. But she wasn't prepared for what might happen if his eyes landed on her. And when they eventually did, she saw his mouth shift slightly, a shadow of a smile forming on his face.

Heat crept up the back of her neck. She looked away, immediately regretting her decision. But she could still feel the intensity of his gaze on her. For a moment, she was transported back to the sidewalk, to the moment right after the collision, before he ever said a word. The way he had looked at her...

Marissa took her notebook, fiddled with her pen to keep herself occupied, pretending to pay attention as he started to speak.

"Thank you, Mrs Miller," he said. His voice was the same, deep and powerful. "I won't take much of your time. I know you all have work to do."

A light chuckle erupted in the room. But Adam didn't strike her as the funny type. He just had that effect on people. He was charismatic. The world would always bend to please him while he remained the only constant.

"I look forward to learning from each of you," he continued. "I plan to spend these early weeks listening, observing, understanding what makes this company work..."

Marissa zoned out from the speech. She summoned the courage to look up only to find that he was looking in her direction at the same time. Marissa could swear that there was a glint in his eyes. A slight tilt to his posture. Indicating that he was enjoying this. How the imbalance between them was so evident.

But how could she be so sure that he recognised her? That he even remembered her? For all she knew, she could be imagining things. He had probably forgotten about her the moment she walked away. She pictured him as the self-important type.

Marissa's confidence returned. That made sense. That was probably the most likely scenario. So why was she fussing about this anyway? The sidewalk, the encounter, it wasn't entirely her fault. She was right to call him out on his behaviour then. Why was it different now that he was in a position of power?

But the thing wasn't just about him being in a position of power. It was about him being in a position that held power over her. If he were truly the self-important type, she could lose her job. But that couldn't be possible. That was irrational thinking. Marissa wasn't prone to thinking irrationally. What is wrong with me? She thought to herself.

She sighed. The day was not supposed to go like this.

"Are you okay?" Someone beside her asked. It was Nancy, one of her nicer colleagues. Marissa didn't realise she'd been that audible. She wondered how much Nancy had seen.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, giving her a forced smile.

They were whispering, albeit a bit too loudly, and Marissa didn't want it to get anyone else's attention.

"He's much better than what I expected," Nancy butted in again with a smile before turning her attention back to the meeting.

If only she knew, Marissa thought to herself, saying nothing else.

Adam had been speaking about direction, growth, and accountability. His demeanour was different. Firm, yes, but a little less cold than how he was at the sidewalk. This was a professional setting anyway.

Marissa turned her attention back to the meeting. All she had to do was get through it. So she listened to the rest of his speech.

"Ambition is good. In fact, I encourage it as a breeding ground for success, but when it leads us to see our colleagues as obstacles, it hinders our collective potential..."

Marissa stilled at the word. Obstacle. She looked at him, and his gaze swept away just as hers reached him. Was she imagining it, or was there not a hint of a smirk on his lips?

There was no way she could have been imagining this. It was confirmed now. It was obvious he had seen her, even recognised her. That phrase was a subtle jab. And only she understood the deeper context it carried. This was the part where all the gears in her head would start to turn, but she had already gone through those motions. She was, for lack of a better word, helpless, right now.

Adam ended his speech, and the whole room burst into applause again. Karen stepped in smoothly, taking back control of the room. She gave closing notes, and in between, Adam leaned in to whisper something to her ear.

Marissa looked away for that part. Afterwards, he walked out of the conference room flanked by the same men in suits. The meeting ended not too long after that.

Karen ended her closing note, thanked everyone for coming, and then dismissed them. Immediately, people started to leave. Marissa gathered her things and rose with them, heading for the door. She'd barely taken a few steps away from her seat before Karen's voice stopped her.

"Ms Hall," she called out. "Could you stay a moment?"

Marissa turned back. "Of course," she said, barely stomaching the pit of dread boiling in her gut. She knew deep down that this had to do with Adam. And she wasn't keen on finding out what it was about.

Marissa stood and waited while Karen had a few words with some others by the door who were also leaving. And when the last of them left, the doors closed, and the room fell silent.