21. One of you will be leaving

At BESMA Group, twenty minutes later.

The elevator to the top most floor opened and out came a beautiful woman in a long flawless strapless dress, exposing her well-baked chocolate brown skin. Everyone in the floor saw her and immediately knew who she was. She walked gracefully to the end of floor and paused to look at the empty desk on her left. Turning to her right, she saw the lady sited completely ignore her and continue to work as normal. She felt embarrassed.

"Um…Maggie, is it? Where is Brandon?" She asked with her soft irritating voice.

"He is not in." Margret replied without looking at her. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I do not need an appointment. I never have. Don't you know who I am?!" Julie snapped at the dismissive secretary.

"No. You are Ms. …?" Margret asked looking at her for the first time. She then smiled faintly at Julie and added: "I can book you an appointment."

"How dare you?!" Julie hissed. "I will let him know about this and you shall lose your job. You are just a simple secretary!" Julie was shouting now and everyone in the floor was looking at her now. She looked at Margret and hit her hands on her desk. "You shall know me! I'll…"

"What?" A cold calm voice came from behind her. "You'll what Ms. Ann?"

Julie flung herself in a rage and met eye to eye with Brandon, his hands in his pockets. She suddenly rushed towards him and stopped two steps before him. Putting on her pitiful face, "Boss Bran, your secretary, she disrespected me. Do your employees disrespect guests nowadays?" The man behind him looked at her dead cold and walked past her leaving behind another man who smiling at her.

"I think that is your cue to leave, Ms. Ann." Watson clarified and paved way for her pointing at the elevator with one hand and the other in his pocket. She stamped her right foot and immediately turned around.

"Brandon!" She shouted at the top of her voice to the man who was almost going into his office. Brandon did not turn but took out his phone from his inner coat pocket and dialed a number.

"Mr. Kelvin, do I have to do some jobs for you?" He asked and hung up. Only Margret heard the question since she was closest to Brandon, who slowly put back his phone in to his inner coat's pocket then put his hand back to his trouser pocket. Time seemed to freeze and Julie wondered what Brandon was thinking. The elevator suddenly opened again and everyone, except Brandon turned to look at who was coming out. Three men came out. Kelvin Bernard, the chief security officer of BESMA Group and two of his security staff subordinates. Julie looked at them and immediately knew what was going to happen. She turned around and took quick steps towards Brandon who slowly turned to look at her.

"Brandon! Are you going to let your guards mistreat the love of your life like this? Are you going to let them treat me like this?" She asked almost chocking in tears. "You can't be so heartless!" Brandon looked at her coldly, lacking any emotions.

"Mr. Bernard, you really want me to do this job for you?" He asked Kelvin but kept his eyes fixed at Julie. Kelvin immediately rushed to where the boss and the woman was standing. Before he could say anything, Julie turned around and brushed shoulders with him as she angrily walked to the elevator. She stepped in to it and turned around and looked coldly around the room towards the people looking at her. She laughed hysterically then suddenly stopped, saying as coldly as she felt: "You are going to pay for this!" The people in the room looked as the elevator shut. Brandon looked at Kelvin. "Revoke all her passes to all of our buildings. If she gets in here again, you'll be the one leaving." Brandon turned around and went in to his office, followed closely by Watson.

Brandon felt his left hand tremble. Watson immediately got into the micro-fridge in his office and took out a bar of chocolate. Brandon snatched it from Watson's hand and went straight to his favorite spot at the window. "Keep track on Julie. She is one to keep her word. And she is ready to do irrefutable damage." Brandon said as he enjoyed the test of the chocolate melting in his mouth.

"Do you still plan to go to see the land in DD City with Ms. Claire?" Watson asked carefully. Brandon felt a pinch in his heart at the question. "Jacob called to remind you that the date for the visit is tomorrow. Since it is the start of the weekend and the perfect opportunity." Brandon opened his mouth to respond but he figured he did not have the answer. Watson silently left the room to give his boss time to figure out his mind. He had enough chaos for the day. The day dragged on.

Natasha opened her eyes in the late afternoon. Her head was still slightly spinning. She was feeling very hungry. She noticed she was in her bedroom and had on a black robe. She tried to recall what had happened but she could only remember getting in to the car. 'How did I get here?' She held her spinning head as she staggered out of bed. She was dressed in a black robe. But Mrs. Gilbert preferred her in purple silk pajama. 'Could it be? No. Not again! Natasha! You are so stupid!' She shouted to herself. The door was suddenly opened and Mrs. Gilbert walked in with a plate of food.

"Oh, Natasha. You are finally awake. You gave us quite a scare." She said to the young lady who seemed still drunk. "How are you feeling now? You must be angry." She asked worriedly placing the plate of food on the bedside table. Natasha looked at her. "What happened? Who brought me here? Who changed me?" She enquired.

"Please eat my dear. The doctor said…"

"The doctor? Which doctor? What happened?"

"The nice doctor Simon. You were almost getting sicker than before. The young boss and sweet Watson had to get you the doctor. Please eat."

"What happened Mrs. Gilbert? Please tell me. And, are you the one who changed my clothes?" Natasha asked while sitting on the bed. Mrs. Gilbert just smiled sweetly. "Please ask the young boss. Excuse me." She then left Natasha even more confused. 'Does that mean that she is not the one who changed me in to this?' She asked herself and peeped in to her robe. She then held her mouth in shock. She was completely naked. Not even an undergarment underneath! 'Damn it!' She snapped. She felt hungry. She immediately went on to devour the food brought earlier. She was still sleepy so after she was done, she fell asleep. When she woke, it was already deep in the night. She checked her phone and it read nine p.m. The plate was not there. It seemed Mrs. Gilbert had come again and she had not heard her. She switched on the bedside lamp and then she heard it. The door to his bedroom opening. She rushed out and opened her door slowly to peep at the man who was opening his bedroom door.

"Are you going to peep at me the whole night Ms. Claire?" He suddenly asked without looking back. Natasha shut her door fast and leaned on it. 'Stupid girl!' She scolded herself. "You know I have seen you, right?" He continued. The door slowly opened and Natasha came out, still unsure. He turned around and looked at her. She was still in the bathrobe he had put her in earlier. He wondered whether there was something underneath…

"What happened today?" She asked trying to control the shaking in her legs and hands. He looked at her then shrugged then opened his door. She did not want to but found herself following him and realized it when she stood at his door. He took off his coat exposing his well-built physique covered by the black shirt he had on, then took off his tie then slowly began to unbutton his shirt. He stopped midway and turned his head to look at the woman standing at his door.

"Are you going to come in, Ms. Claire?" He mockingly asked. She snapped out of her fantasy.

"No…No Sir. Not at all." She stuttered and turned around to leave but before she could take more than two steps, she was immediately pulled back in and the door shut hard behind her.

Julie sat in her room thinking. Her eyes were swollen from crying the whole. She had drunk half of the bottle of red wine in her hands. She regretted leaving. She should have stayed and fought it with the Joseph family since she also came from a rich family. But she had to go and avoid the paparazzi dragging her family name through the mud. After Brandon's mother was found unconscious under the fleet of stairs in The Palace two years before and she was accused of having pushed her down the stairs, she knew that he would not let go of her easily as soon as he came back from taking his mother abroad for treatment. So she handled her business quietly and disappeared. Her doorbell rang. She clumsily put the bottle of wine on the bedside table as she stood to head to the door but it fell down, spilling its sweet red contents on the pure white carpet. The contrast was conspicuous. 'Could that be Brandon? Has he come to apologize?' She thought to herself and felt a pinch of happiness. 'But then again, Brandon never knocks.' And the light disappeared from her eyes. She staggered and finally opened the door.

"Julie, I am sorry for coming over un-announced. But I have been trying to reach you to no avail and I was worried that…"

"Oh Samuel!" Julie sighed happily as she jumped in to the arms of Samuel. They embraced each other like lovers who had just reunited from a terrible quarrel which had been going on for weeks. Julie just cried in the embrace and Samuel did not plan to stop her. He knew what could have been the problem. It was always the same problem, Brandon. After a while's embrace, Julie was tired and Samuel escorted her to her room and within minutes, she was dead asleep. He looked at her sleeping peacefully and wondered why she bothered her heart with a heartless man and yet he was ready to love her with all his being. He was furious! He tucked her in to the duvet and picked up the wine bottle on the floor, carefully placing it on the bedside table. 'Brandon Joseph, from now on, this means war!' He swore to himself.