Deeproot

Fierce Reunion

As Harold extended his hand, Gratina felt a surge of anger at the smile on his face. His perfectly styled hair and tailored suit seemed to mock her, and his eyes gleamed with a dark intensity that made her skin crawl. She shook his hand, her grip tightening as memories of their past flooded her mind. The pain, the betrayal, the loss of her child, the agony, her mother’s death, it all came rushing back, and she had to fight to remain sane.

"How dare you smile at me?" she thought, her eyes blazing with fury. But she kept her cool, a smirk lingering on her lips. Harold seemed entranced by her, his eyes locked onto hers as if he could see into her very soul. He was drawn to her fierce beauty, her confidence and strength.

The air was thick with tension, the silence between undeniable. Gratian’s anger and pain hung heavy in the air, but Harold was undeterred. He knew he was playing with fire, he knew she would kill him if she had to on the spot because he has watched and heard so much about her ‘no nonsense game’.

He sits to the chair opposite hers as she walks to her sit.

"I'm not interested in partnering with Zenithium Inc.," she said

Her voice firm as she tapped her phone with her perfectly painted nails. The sound echoed through the room, drawing Harold's attention to her hands. He smirked, his eyes lingering on her nails before returning to her face.

As their eyes met, Gratina sensed a spark of tension, but she remained unfazed. A word kept flashing in her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it. She gazed deeper into Harold's eyes, the same eyes that had looked down on her five years ago, dismissing her as petty and foolish. The memory ignited a fire within her, and the word finally clicked into place ‘revenge’.

Her eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the sole solution to deal with the man who had wronged her so deeply. Harold seemed to sense the shift in her demeanor, his smirk faltering for a moment before he regained his composure. Gratian’s eyes never left his face, her gaze piercing and determined. She knew that this was just the beginning of a long-awaited reckoning.

He spun around, his eyes scanning her office as he stood up, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.

"Partnering with me would give your company a significant edge. If your PA had done their research, you would understand why." He approached her desk, his hands grasping the edge as he leaned in, his eyes locked onto hers.

"And besides, I think you need this." His smile was confident, almost arrogant.

Gratina's mind raced with doubts. Could she really consider partnering with him, even for the sake of revenge? It would mean bringing him into her daughter's life, and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take. She picked up the phone and dialed a number, her voice firm

“Yeah we’re done, please come and see Mr. Harold off and I will be needing a briefing for my meetings today and also a cup of coffee” she drops the call

Stands up, straightens her clothes as she moves with poise straight to her door, opens it, he stand erect watching her every move.

“Mr. Harold, you may now leave, any other business will be communicated directly to your secretary or PA whatsoever, thank you very much for stopping by”

He walks to the door with all confidence, stands in front of her

“I will be waiting for a positive reply…Gratina”

And that was it, her name on his lips, she never wanted to hear him call her name, it was like an insult to her, he steps out as she closes the door.

She walks to her chair, she screams in rage and kicks in anger.

As she gazed at the door, her eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, her fists clenched in anger. She longed to strike the man who had just walked out, to erase his existence and never hear her name on those lips ever again.

The knock on the door broke the tension, and Hunter entered with a cup of coffee and a tablet, his eyes cautious as he approached her.

"Why wasn't I informed about this meeting beforehand?" she asked, her voice low and menacing, her eyes fixed on him with a deadly stare as she stretches her neck in a massage.

"We weren't expecting him or the people he came with, it was a surprise visit. They discussed a potential partnership, but the company is unconventional..."

She cut him off, her voice rising in anger, "I don't care about their proposal or their unconventional nature. Next time, send them away and request a scheduled meeting. I won't tolerate any more surprises."

As she sipped her coffee, her gaze turned to her room, her voice firm and commanding,

"I need every detail about them, and my schedule for the day. What's my next meeting?" Hunter nodded, his eyes fixed on his tablet, his voice alittle shaky as he replied,

"You have a meeting with Ma, a rising company seeking to partner with us."

She gazed at him, her hand reaching up to touch the back of her head, her eyes filled with a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

"Reschedule all meeting, it's not a priority. They can wait. I need you to book a house massage and he should be there in the next three hours, and arrange for me to take the next two days or just tomorrow off, we will both work from my house while the secretary passes the rest to us."

Hunter's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opened as he took in her sudden change in attitude. He nervously adjusted his glasses, his eyes darting back to the tablet as he notes down her requests. "I-I'll take care of it," he stuttered, his voice laced with fear even if they were close.

He hands her a letter. "The secretary asked me to give this to you. It was dropped off by someone. "Her brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing as she wondered who could have sent it. She tucked it into her bag, as she always does with the rest letters. As she stood up, her eyes locked onto Hunter's, her voice firm and commanding.

"And one more thing. Inform Zenithium Inc. that we will be partnering with them."

Hunter's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with disbelief as he bowed his head, his eyes fixed on the floor, with that, she turned and walked out of the office, leaving him behind.