SAVING MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS

UNDER SURVEILLANCE

You're late , Hayes!”

A female voice shot through the reception as she was rushing into the elevator. It was Yvonne, one of the senior staff and the most ruthless of them.

“Three times this week, don't you? That's an alarming digit. I wonder how good it would look in your report” she said.

That was it. The only thing she knew was how to rub Julia's face, her report. Julia had always wondered if she was given the same treatment when she was new to the firm or was that all bitterness.

“ Please, it's just ten minutes. I promise to make-up, but I can just keep it out of my report” Julia replied.

“You call it just ten minutes. If we had all cut off ten minutes of our working time, then we would have been halfway to where we are today,” Yvonne stated.

“Oh darling, there's no way it's eluding your report and yes, you should make it up. As a matter of fact, there's a generous number of files waiting for you on your desk. Enjoy!”

With that, Yvonne turned her and walked off, her shoes clinking to the ground as she made her diva exit.

Julia rolled her eyes, she wasn't even done with the extra paperwork Yvonne had brought her, yet she was receiving another. The day certainly couldn't get any better.

The elevator chimed as it had reached her stopping point. She walked out and briskly walked to her desk. The room was still rowdy because of various mo

Hell yeah, the mountainous stack of files was there staring at her. Opening her drawer in search of the files that she had worked on, but they were gone. They weren't the only things missing; the group of files she was yet to work on were also gone.

‘Dummies’, she smiled.

The individual that collected them didn't even check to see if they were working properly, but at least it gave her a fresh start.

One more thing crossed her mind. She didn't know the name of her boss. Earlier, when she wanted to address him, she almost said, Sir. Luckily, his snapping made her jump right through that hurdle.

She picked up a brochure that had been given to her on employment containing a list of names of people occupying important offices in the company.

° ° ° ° °

Edward was sitting in his living room as a man examined him.

“ You are good to go, sir," the man said.

“ Are you sure?”

“Of course, the drug wasn't meant to pose any harm, it only robbed you of your consciousness while making you seem as if you were not conscious until about an hour later, when it became obvious. It's all notorious for making those under its influence blabber, though if you experience any side effects or symptoms that you find strange put a call across”

“ Sure”

The man walked out of the room.

“ Damn it, Steve”

Edward grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

“ Hello man," the voice from the other side of the call said.

“ Did you spike my drink yesterday?”

“ Noooo”, the individual's voice inflected upwards as he extended the response.

“ Steve”

“ Fine, I spiked the drink, not just yours. In fact, I spiked the entire bottle. You were always stiff guys at night, so I thought spiking the drink would make you loosen up and, believe me, the spontaneity of the night made it worth it.”

Steve could never get any better, perhaps he thought he was still in college.

“ So tell me, who you ended up with? Because I ended up with a pretty redhead, and we had a good time , I think” Steve wasn't sure because he had woken up hungover.

“ Well, the substance didn't react to me the same way it did with you.”

“ Oh, wait, did you have an allergic reaction?”

“ Absolutely not, but I'm coming to your place to show you the side effects it had on me.”

“ Nah, I'm not falling for one of your anger coats again. Moreover, I'm on my way to Ibiza.”

“ You can't run forever, you of all people should know that.”

“ Oh hell yeah, I know, and who says I'm running from you? I have a party to attend, bro. I'll be back in no time, so don't miss me too much.”

“ You wish," Edward scoffed and hung up.

He dialed another number.

“Andrew, I need you to run a background check on someone for me. She stays at Flickr Avenue, Block 5, apartment 219.

His attention is driven away by a couple that come, they are familiar; seeing them surprises him, he ends the conversation and stands up.

“ Mum, Dad," he goes to shake the man,“ You didn't tell me you were coming into town, have any appointments?”

“ We heard you called, and your men couldn't account for your whereabouts, so we feared you might have gone missing. Your mum did most of the worry.”

“ And the only known solution to you was to travel hundreds of miles to come see me. How did you even….. Never mind, you've told me that already, “he rubbed his hands on his head. “ I don't think any of you would ever accept the fact that I am an adult, you don't get to run around at any slightest opportunity, not even when I'm in real danger, I can handle myself”

“ So you're going to get mad at us for caring?” his mum said.

“ Yes I would, and I have every right to. If you're so desperately in need of someone to shower affection on, there's someone at home who just loves that.”

“ Edward," his father called out, upset.

“ I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you people to go back home because I'm okay.”

“This will definitely be the last time I will leave the things I'm doing to come see if you're fine.”

“That's okay by me.”

He knew that was one statement they couldn't keep. They had even made the statement before and here they were playing concerned parents.

“ Let me book a plane for you.”

“ You don't have to, we came in a chopper.”

‘Sure, they were going to make a grand entrance each time they entered the city’, Edward thought.

After they left, Edward looked at his wristwatch and remembered he had to stop by the firm.

He stepped out of his house, signaled his driver and stepped into the vehicle, a massive black SUV.

“Mr Reed, would you like to stop anywhere before the office?” the driver asked.

“ No, just the office,” he replied.

After a brief moment of silence and driving, his phone lit up as a call came from Andrew.

“ Did you not get the descriptions?” Edward asked.

“ No sir, I did. I have actually identified her as Miss Julia Hayes. Andrew cleared

“ Okay, that was quick," I replied.

The car pulled over, and he stepped out of it.

“ She just moved into town three weeks ago and, most importantly, she knows that…”

“Damn, can you not see where you are going," Edward said as he got bumped into by a worker, managing to catch his phone midair, he placed it back on his cheek and continued on his way.

“ Sir, are you there?”

“ Yes I am, you were saying?”

“ So she works at your company?”

“ My company, are you sure?”

“ Absolutely, there's no way I'm mistaken. I'm yet to get more info but if there's anything specific you would like to know about her, you can let me know.”

“ Alright then”

A lady came right behind him walking briskly in a way that made him know that she was trying to watch his pace. Being pitiful, he slowed down and once she started to speak he recognized her voice, it was Yvonne.

He was really a handful, which always got him irritated. If only she knew that he saw clearly through her facade

“ It's really nice to see you today, Mr Reed. You hadn't informed us that you were coming today.”

“ Do I need to make a formal statement or announcement before coming to my own company?” His tone was lashing in a way that made her stutter. Good for her next time she'll choose her words wisely.

“ Not at all sir, it's…..”

“ I guess you don't have much to say now. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I would need the presence of a particular Miss Julia Hayes in my office right this moment.”

“ Hayes?”, her confused statement, made him turn to her for the first time.

“ You've got any problem with that?”

“ Not at all just that…”

“ Very well then," he said, and went into the elevator without hearing another word.

As soon as he was in the elevator, he put up a wicked smile, that was how to handle pesky people.

The door to his office swung open with full force after a knock. The person probably thought his door was stiff and gave it their all, making her also stagger in. Yes, it was a female, Julia, and his eyes gave off a look of disgust. He did it on purpose to intimidate her, and it sure worked because her cheek flushed red in embarrassment.

He traced her as she made her petty steps to his desk. The office was spacious, it would take a person to walk at a normal pace about thirty steps to make it in front of his desk, but the way she walked it took her close to fifty.

“ I see all the doors you've handled have all been stiff, giving you enough reason to want to wreck mine."

“ I'm sorry, Mr Reed”. Her tone was mild.

“ Do have a seat”

“ I'm sorry I took you to my house. I panicked, and my phone died when I tried to call an ambulance. My instinct told me that maybe you were in potential danger and…”

That was way too many conjunctions in one sentence and her facial expression was something to die for. He would have burst out laughing if not for the great control he was exerting on his jaw,

Priceless.

That was the word. He paid little attention to what she said and more to her face even though it was partially tilted downwards.

“ …if you could be merciful enough not to fire me or at least give me a recommendation letter so that I can get a job elsewhere.”

“ Are you done?” he asked, physically unmoved by her speech.

She raised her head and looked at him in a sort of disappointment, or so it would seem to him.

“I never said I was going to dismiss you because I'm not sure what I might have told you in my unconscious state. In fact, the only reasonable thing to do is to keep you close lest you spill this company's confidential information.”

“ Sir, I can honestly tell you that you didn't reveal anything to me other than…”

“ Oh please, that is what anyone that had something confidential revealed to them would say. It makes you less believable to me,” he said with so much confidence,

“If you ask me, I would say that you were probably hired by one of my rivals to obtain information from this establishment and to check that I am making you my personal assistant. You'll find that position quite refreshing, as you would be the first, but don't be fooled because your every move will be monitored closely, every single one of them, so I would advise you to choose your next steps wisely.”