Mr. Sinclair

6. Backstabber.

The CEO felt his soul leave his body as he heard that female voice come out of nowhere. Quickly, he closed his computer while clutching his chest, as his heart seemed to want to jump out of his chest.

"Damn it, you nearly scared me to death."

"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention. I just thought I was alone in the building."

Nathan stood up, trying to hide the hangover.

"Yeah, well...I thought the same until a moment ago."

Amelia furrowed her brow, looking at him strangely.

"Are you drunk?"

Nathan let out a sarcastic sigh, shaking his head.

"Drunk? Me? Do you know who you're talking to?"

"I do, but do you?" she replied sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

He seemed particularly nervous considering he had only had a couple of drinks, but she was too exhausted to ask about it. In response, he shrugged.

"It was just a couple of drinks, nothing for you to worry about."

"Great, I wasn't worried anyway," she replied dryly. "What does concern me is knowing about tomorrow's meeting and—"

"Yes, actually... I wanted to discuss something about that."

Nathan straightened up and cleared his throat, trying to regain a corporate demeanor. Amelia, who was halfway out the door, turned her body fully towards him to listen attentively. The brunette's cold gaze only served to make him more nervous than he already was.

"What's going on with that? Has there been a problem?"

Nathan's conscience—or lack there of it—ate at him, as he stood silent for a few seconds in front of his colleague, who patiently awaited a response. He knew he had a difficult decision ahead of him. His relationship with Amelia (or the beginning of one) was at stake, and the future of Sinclair Fashion depended on it.

He had to weigh his options carefully and decide on the best course of action.

"The meeting has been canceled."

"What? Who told you that?"

"Isabella Ricci contacted me directly to say her flight has been delayed. We've rescheduled for the next day."

"Oh." Amelia seemed to have bought it all, as she didn't see any nonsense in it.

Nathan nodded fervently as he approached her, ushering her out of the office and locking the door.

"I know, terrible. Isn’t it? They play with our time as if we didn't rely on it."

The young woman nodded, somewhat disappointed.

"Yeah... I had everything prepared for tomorrow. I don't know what I'm going to do with the time I was going to use for the meeting..." They both walked to the elevator.

"Do you want the day off?"

Amelia looked at him as if she had seen a ghost.

"Day off? In the midst of everything that needs to be done?"

"Well, you are the creative part of the company, right? I think you need to have a rested mind occasionally. It doesn't seem like a big deal for you to take the day off."

Amelia's hostile gaze softened as she listened to him.

"Are you being serious? Who will take care of everything while I'm not here?"

"I can put people in charge of it, don't worry."

He smiled warmly. And even though he was playing his best acting role, he had been surprised to see a more sweet version of hers, with her guard down.

He didn't know if it was the alcohol in his body acting or that when she wasn't fiercely enraged, she was a very pretty girl, but he couldn't help but glance at her all the time they were in the elevator. Amelia noticed this, although attributing it all to her boss's intoxicated state, she didn't pay attention.

"You know? Now that you mention it, maybe I could use a few hours of rest..." She commented, thinking about it.

"Then don't think twice about it. Take it as my way of making amends with you."

She let out a laugh, raising both eyebrows in disbelief.

"You're making peace? I think that's definitely alcohol," she said.

Nathan looked at her in surprise. It was the first time he genuinely heard her laugh.

"You have a beautiful smile."

The atmosphere filled with a tense silence. Both had heard those words come out of Nathan's mouth, and they seemed equally surprised by it. Amelia didn't know how to react without causing trouble, so she just let out a nervous laugh before changing the subject.

"I think I should call a cab."

Meanwhile, Nathan pressed his lips together as he realized that that thought should have stayed in his head. What did he aim to achieve by saying that?

It seemed that, at times, foolishness took hold of his body, making him say ridiculous things like the earlier comment.

"Wait," Nathan grabbed the young woman's arm, turning her towards him.

"Yes?"

Amelia's voice was soft, and her reaction was much more delicate than Nathan expected.

Perhaps she was a much more normal woman when she wasn’t being constantly pressured.

She fluttered her eyelashes over her big brown eyes, sending an electric current through the young man, who had to focus to composing himself.

"Do you want me to take you home? I have a car here and could-"

She began to laugh, while he watched her bewildered.

"Do you want to take me home in this state of drunkenness? Forget it."

She replied, grabbing her purse as she saw the taxi parked outside the building. "But I appreciate the invitation. Maybe another day, when you don't reek of alcohol."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, greeting him with a small kiss on his cheek before leaving him there, unable to utter a word.

Nathan swallowed hard, watching her climb into the yellow car. All that close interaction and strange actions around her had felt like a fever dream, putting him somewhat in doubt if the decision he had made was truly the right one.

...

The young man adjusted his tie for the third time in the hotel room mirror, feeling anxiety creep up his spine. That day was extremely crucial: a meeting with several international designers they would work with, featuring innovative designs that could catapult his company into the global market. He glanced at the clock, noting it was almost time to head to the conference room.

As he grabbed his briefcase, a pang of guilt struck him as he thought of his partner. He hadn’t told Amelia anything about this meeting. Her insight had always been invaluable, her perspective sharp and unyielding. However, he had decided to keep her in the dark.

“To hell with it. She probably deserves it anyway,” he thought to himself, erasing any trace of guilt.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts aside and exited the room.

The conference room buzzed with activity. Designers from Milan, Paris, Tokyo, and New York mingled, their animated discussions filling the air with a mixture of languages and ideas. Nathan entered the office, his heart pounding, but his face showing a mask of confidence.

“Mr. Sinclair, over here!” A tall, elegant woman with sharp features and an impeccable sense of style waved him over. It was Isabella Ricci, a renowned designer from Italy and the key contact who had facilitated this meeting before the launch.

“Nathan, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” said Isabella, with a firm and warm handshake and a particularly coquettish smile.

“Isabella...” Nathan responded in kind. “Thank you for bringing everyone together.”

As the meeting commenced, Nathan found himself engrossed in the presentations. Each designer showcased their innovative concepts, from sustainable materials to cutting-edge technology in fashion. The CEO’s mind raced with possibilities, envisioning collaborations that could transform his company’s trajectory.

Back in her small apartment, Amelia was preparing for her day off, totally unaware of Nathan’s clandestine meeting and real intentions. She received a message from her friend Rita, inviting her for coffee before they both headed to another plan during the day.

Needing a break from her hectic schedule, Amelia accepted without hesitation.

As she sipped her latte with Rita in an elegant café near the Sinclair building, she overheard a conversation at the table next to them. A group of well-dressed people discussed an important conference. It wouldn’t have been a problem except she had heard Nathan’s last name being mentioned. In fact, they seemed to be from the Sinclair Group.

Intrigued, Amelia paid attention and listened closely, picking up names and information.

“Did you hear about Nathan’s presentation today? Oh my god, his ideas on sustainable fashion were impressive.” a blonde suit girl commented to another, who nodded in agreement.

Amelia’s heart skipped a beat. What did she just say?

Nathan hadn’t mentioned anything about an important meeting that day. The only important one was...

“Amelia? Are you okay?”

Rita’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, causing her to turn her attention back to her friend.

“Huh?” she replied, having missed Rita’s words.

“I asked if you’re okay. You look a bit pale.”

The truth was she couldn’t stop thinking about what she had heard. Why would he keep something from her?

She was unable to stop thinking that the friendly tone he used last night was just a lie, just like the free-day offer.

Amelia closed her eyes for a moment, disappointed about how she could be so clueless about it.

"How are you going to believe the words coming from a corporate playboy?" She said to herself.