My Secretive Wife

VVIP

Marco set aside the documents he was reading and leaned on his custom-made leather chair. 

"Tell me what you're up to?" Marco believes that Anthony found to analyze the videos is no other than his friend Francis. 

"Well..." Francis was thinking about how to extort money from his friend. He might not be the richest man globally, but he is indeed rich himself, and who knows how much his real value is? Marco doesn't flaunt his money and doesn't spend it either. If someone would compare their expenses, they might think that he is more affluent than this man. But the fact is far from that. 'Stingy!' he thought.

"How much?" Marco cut him off before he speaks more. He knows Francis very well, and Anthony is right. Francis is perfect for the job. He is a doctor, but he also has rich experience in many fields.

"How about a VVIP card at your resort?" He winked at Marco and studied his reaction. He looks calm while telling Marco what he wants, but deep inside, he is nervous and, at the same time, excited. Marco has a VVIP card at MC Hotel and Resort, so if he gives him one, he will have an equivalent position with him, at least in his hotel.

"Sure, but you need to be the on-call doctor of my hotel." Francis might be crafty, but he won't give him the card for free. He needs to at least work for it.

"Oh, men! You're mean!" His relaxed position on the couch was gone. Anthony looks at him with sympathy. 'Sir Francis, you cannot take advantage of my boss,' he thought. 

"Take it or leave," Marco acted like he was not interested anymore and grabbed the documents that he was reading earlier.

"Fine! Fine! Fine!" Francis was anxious that Marco might change his mind if he didn't decide right away. 

Marco snickered and opened the top drawer of his desk, where he put the USB drive. 

"Here," He suddenly threw the USB drive to Francis, who was caught off-guard. Luckily the USB drive landed on his lap. 

Francis picks it up and twirls it in his hand. "When do you want the result?" He asked. It will only take an hour at most, depending on the clarity of the videos.

"Now!" He commanded without leaving him a choice.

"Hey, man! Easy! It's too early to be serious," Francis knows that it is imperative to finish the task, but he wants to annoy him. It's not always that he has a chance to do so. He grinned at the thought playing in his mind.

If only Francis knew what Marco was thinking, he might cuss himself for asking for a VVIP card. 

"I need a laptop, I did not bring mine," he said, still sitting on the couch and playing with the USB drive in his hands. 

Marco glanced at Anthony and gave him a nod. Anthony hurried out of his boss's office to get a spare laptop in the secretary's office. Marco started reading the documents while they waited for Anthony to come back. 

Francis did not dare bother him; instead, he turned on his cellphone. As soon as he switched it on, the ringing did not stop. Although his volume is not loud, it is enough to get Marco's attention.

Marco knitted his brows and said, "answer it!" in an annoyed tone. 

Francis mouthed the word 'sorry' and answered the phone. Anthony turned the knob of Marco's office door and entered the room when Francis was on the phone.

Francis suddenly stood up and walked to the door in a hurry. He waved his free hand to say goodbye and gestured that he would take care of the videos. He then turned around and quickly left.

Marco and Anthony were dumbfounded when he just left like that. Anthony feels like someone poured ice on him when the temperature drops suddenly. He looked at his boss, and his eyes turned cold. 'No wonder I felt the chill,' Anthony mumbled to himself. 

"S-sir..." Anthony tried to get his attention and to know what he needed to do next. 

"I need the result today. If Francis cannot, give it to someone else!" Marco said in a stern voice. He was pissed that he suddenly left without explaining why he had to go. But, deep within him, Marco had an idea why. What annoyed him was the way he just waved and left. He could have said that he had an emergency at work.

"Y-yes, sir!" Anthony bowed and turned around to give Francis a quick call. Francis is the only one he knows that can do the task. If he cannot do it, he will have difficulty finding someone they can trust. 

When Anthony returned to his office, he sat down on his swivel chair and tried to calm himself down. He inhaled and exhaled until his heartbeat became normal. Every time his boss released the cold aura, it made him so nervous that he wanted to hide. His boss has a strong personality that even a man like him became scared of him. 

He picked up his phone and called Francis's phone. He tried to call several times, but no one answered. He then thought of calling his office in the hospital, and luckily it was responded to by his nurse.

"Hello, this is Dr. Francis Guzman's office. I am nurse Patricia, how can I help you?" Said the woman in the other line. 

"Hello, I'm Anthony Perez, is it possible to speak with Dr. Francis?" Anthony replied politely. 

"I'm sorry, Sir, but Dr. Francis is currently in the operating room. He won't be out until the operation is over. If you would like, you can leave a message for him, and I can relay it to him." She said while hoping that this guy would hang up. She went to Dr. Francis's office to get something, but his office phone suddenly rang.

"Please let him know to call Anthony Perez asap, thank you." He said and hung up without waiting for the woman's answer. He is too eager to inform his boss of the reason why Dr. Francis left suddenly. And maybe, he will forgive him and won't be so angry anymore. 

He left his office and knocked on Marco's office door. 

"Come in," Marco is confident that it is either his assistant or secretary, so he does not bother to look up. No one dared to come to his office without an appointment unless they were closely working with him, and he asked them to go to his office.

"Sir Marco," called Anthony. He is more convinced that his boss will let Francis finish his duty as a doctor before he pressured him with the surveillance video.

Marco put his pen down and looked him up. "Anything you need to say?" He asked. Though there is still a cold aura surrounding him, his office is warmer than earlier before he left.

"Dr. Francis hurried back to the hospital because he has to operate on someone immediately," he sighed after saying what he needed to tell his boss.

"Okay," he replied. Marco then continued signing the documents that he was reading earlier. Though he got angry earlier, he's not senseless. His friend is a doctor, and it's typical to receive a call even if you're not on duty, especially if they lack people. 

Anthony got confused with his reply, 'that's it?' he thought. He was waiting for his boss to say something more. He decided to stay and did not move at all.