Chapter 4 — Echoes In The Boardroom
1250 Words
It was early morning — the start of a new week.
Adrian stood outside his balcony, dressed clean and looking very expressive, with a gold Rolex on his wrist and a visible diamond chain glimmering through his unbuttoned shirt. He had a tired look in his eyes as he sipped his coffee.
He spotted Leo’s green BMW 7 Series pulling up from his penthouse balcony before getting a call from him.
“Adrian, I’m here.”
He hung up and made his way to the elevator, wearing a straight, arrogant look, with a few files curled in his palm.
DING!
The elevator doors slid open to reveal a tall, handsome man — his muscular frame clearly visible beneath his shirt and fitted trousers.
The female receptionists who welcomed guests to the thirteen-storey apartment — where Adrian owned the penthouse on the top floor — blushed profusely as he walked past them.
“He’s so hot… how I wish I could be his woman.”
“Sometimes I have wet dreams just from staring at him. I wish to be handled properly in bed by a man like that.”
“I walked in on him sometime ago wrapped in his towel — my imagination ran so wild I got wet. I nearly came from the way he looked at me.”
“He hardly notices us. No matter what move we make, he just ignores us.”
They whispered as he strode past. His perfume lingered long after he left.
The entrance door slid open on face recognition. He walked up to the car as Leo whined down.
“Why so early?” Adrian’s morning voice was deep, his brows arched, and his expression serious.
“Sorry, I had to drop my mom off.”
“Family first, huh?” He stood for a while before giving a smile and walking into the backseat.
He started recalling his past week, getting himself mentally ready for whatever went down today.
They pulled up at Halberg — a monument of glass and steel that reflected the bright morning sun. Adrian got his shades on and stepped out in his black, shiny designer shirt and perfectly tailored forest-green trousers, with polished shoes that mirrored the sunlight. His chain glistened, his shirt slightly unbuttoned.
Leo stepped out looking sharp in a white corporate suit that emphasized his tall, lean figure and shades. Two handsome young men in rich, elegant clothes.
It was a hot day.
Another sleek car pulled up beside his — a Rolls-Royce Phantom, gloss-black with chrome accents that caught the light like liquid silver.
Maya was the first to step out — tall, beautiful, and sharp in a fitted black suit. Her heels clicked against the marble driveway as she adjusted her shades. Then came Clara.
She stepped out like the morning itself demanded her attention — a fitted crop blazer, straight-cut trousers that shaped her figure perfectly.
A soft black blouse contrasted her dark hair, and a black $117,000 crocodile-skin Hermès Birkin bag swung casually at her side. She walked with so much confidence and pride; her expression unreadable and straight, but every step carried authority.
The workers had their eyes on them.
“Is Halberg hosting a fashion show?” one of the guards muttered.
She shot him a disdained stare.
They avoided eye contact with Clara — for reasons unknown to them, Clara treated women better, but men… she treated like trash.
Adrian was already in the elevator when she walked in with Maya. They all acted like they didn’t see each other — it felt like she was shy. Clara’s cheeks glowed red as they ascended.
Soon as the elevator opened and they went their separate ways, approaching their offices, Clara dragged Adrian to a corner. Leo and Maya didn’t notice they weren’t with them.
“What did you do to me?” she asked suddenly.
“Huh?” Adrian was in shock.
“Ummm… I mean — I have something to ask.”
“Okayyy???”
“Do-you-like-me—” she blurted quickly, turning red as she threw her face away.
“What the—” Adrian was about to say, but Clara heard footsteps approaching, so she walked away quickly.
Adrian stood there, confused and unsure of what she said or why — but he refused to believe it was what he thought he heard. She spoke too fast; he couldn’t even understand her words.
He walked to his office, still confused. He got back to work — he had a lot to do — and decided to let the entire thought of what happened go.
Later that afternoon, Leo walked in with a huge pile of files and slammed it on his table.
“What are those?” Adrian’s brows raised — he was scared it might be more work.
“Some of the files you dumped on me the other day — Clara’s files. I’m done,” Leo replied with a smile.
“Wow! You’re done? Ha!! You’re done!!” Adrian laughed out loud with Leo in relief. “That’s my boy! You see? I was beginning to doubt your abilities and question why you’re my assistant — but that’s a good job,” he cleared his throat to put his serious face back on.
“Yea, yea…” Leo said, unimpressed but laughing. “It’s like a regular Tuesday for me. Anyway, Clara mentioned something about me telling you to go to the chairman’s office. Y’all got scores to settle.”
Adrian froze. The weight of the past week crashed into his chest — the tension, the insults, the almosts. If she’d reported him, he could lose everything.
His chest tightened as he reached for the office door. It opened automatically — the chairman had his office on the 62nd floor of the Halberg Tower, the executives on the 61st. Basically, the higher you go, the higher your rank.
It was his first time up there — the elevator needed permission from the chairman to open and would run a check on whoever stepped in. He barely noticed the process, lost in thought, fear crawling through his chest. His future and hard work were at stake.
He took deep breaths before walking into the huge space — one of the biggest offices he’d ever seen in his life. Though he’d been to many luxurious rooms and offices, this one was different — the view of the city was mad. From the glass walls, you could see everything.
Zig sat behind his huge computerized desk, leaning forward with his hands intertwined. Clara stood next to him with a disgusted expression Adrian had never seen on her face in his few days working at Halberg.
“Good… good morning, sir,” he stammered. Adrian was a proud guy and hardly worried about things that didn’t determine his future. He wouldn’t respect anyone unless they earned it or he looked up to them. Zig was one of the few he feared — and Clara, he admired.
Before them, he acted subtle — a rare sight — trying to gain favor from the top.
Unsure of what he was about to hear, or what Clara must have said, his heartbeat quickened. He could feel his body temperature rising in the cold, silent room.
What could be wrong?
Am I about to get fired? Or are they going to take my promotion from me?
He thought to himself, swallowing hard as Zig’s eyes slowly lifted toward him.
- Writer
