Five
Sophia stormed off in anger, leaving a petrified Damien behind.
A woman had just slapped him hard across the face. He, the most feared and respected CEO, was hit over a mere necklace.
“Shit,” he snapped, kicking the remains of the necklace.
He starred in the direction she had left for some time before he bent and picked up the ripped necklace. There should be something about the necklace for her to act that way.
“Tap, tap, tap” came the sound of Damian's pen on his table. He had someone look into the necklace after what happened the previous day. He found out the necklace was the only thing her grandfather left her. Her grandfather was the only one who didn't think she was a mistake.
Damien also got to know that she lived a difficult life at home as one that was rejected by her family.
Poor thing. But is this even enough reason to take it out on him?
Somehow he felt sorry for ruining the only gift she got from the family member that loved her. He would have gotten her a new one, but he knew that such gifts were irreplaceable. He would have someone fix the necklace until it became as good as new.
Days went by, and as usual, Damien and Sophia rarely saw each other.
One day, Damien was in his study when a knock came on the door. He frowned; he had said it times without numbers that he shouldn't be disturbed in the study.
The knock came again, a little louder than the former. Then Sophia came in, looking forlorn.
“She didn't hear to keep off his study, did she?” Damien wondered.
Before he could say anything. Sophia went on her knees and pleaded,
“Mr. Sterling, please, I need a favor."
What was this woman up to this time?
Getting no response from him, Sophia summoned the courage to table her matter.
"Please, Mr. Sterling, can I request for an interview with you?" Damien raised a brow.
Dang, that came out wrong. She had strayed from the script; one she had spent hours practicing in her head.
“I mean, the company, the media house. I’ve been asked to make sure that I get you to be interviewed by my media house, or I'll be fired.
I've worked there for years without a promotion. Everything depends on this interview with you. Please, no other company will accept me once they hear my last name. Please, Mr. Sterling, help me.”
When she was done talking, Damien laughed dryly.
“You've got so many tricks up your sleeves. I knew it from the onset that your main aim was to sneak in and tell my private life to the press.”
“No, Mr. Sterling, I…”
Damien slammed his fist on the table and sprang up.
“It's bad enough that you're cunning, but lying is much worse!”
The initial pity he felt for her, as well as the slight remorse he felt for his last action, was gone. She was such a scheming bastard.
All she did was end his pity, and swing into action, ready to sell his story to the press. This was the exact thing she did the first time he saw her.
“Get out, right now!” he bellowed, his eyes blazing fire.
Sophia wanted to plead further, her job, no, her life depended on this, but a glance at Damian's face made her keep mute. He looked like he would kill her if she uttered one more word. She got up and walked away.
Damien sighed as she left. Who the hell did she think she was to walk into his study and request for an interview? Wasn't it known to all and sundry that Damien Sterling had never accepted interviews from any company?
What lousy tale was she telling that her company requested it? Everyone knew he had already made it clear that he wasn't doing any of that.
No doubt, she wanted to do the interview for her own benefits!
With tears in her eyes, Sophia slumped on the floor in her room and cried her eyes out.
She had been working with that media house for many years, but she had never gotten as much as a salary raise. She wanted to resign, but no other company would employ her, all thanks to her father.
The previous day, there was a meeting in the company, and the employees were given the task of getting an interview with the biggest CEO in the country; Damien Sterling.
If they succeeded in getting this interview with him, they would be miles ahead of other media houses, and this was a good thing for them.
Vivian, the head of department, selected Sophia and handed her the task. She had always hated Sophia because Sophia was everything she wasn't. Sophia was much prettier, much more efficient, and generally better than her. She had been looking for ways to get rid of her and this was a perfect opportunity.
Worse still, she had given her a week to get it done or be fired.
If Damien continued to be difficult, no doubt she would lose her job. She would be miserable if she lost her only source of income.
The next day and the one after it, she tried to plead with Damian, but he wouldn't even look at her. The third day, she was told that he had traveled.
Sophia became so worried that she fell sick.
“Damien, how could you be this careless? Your little wife has fallen very ill,” Grandfather chastised Damien over the phone.
This was all Damien needed to come running home. Fifteen years ago, when he was faced with a similar situation, he had delayed by a few minutes, and that cost the life of his twin sister. He never forgave himself for wasting time to come home.
Since then, he had been very sensitive about the word 'sick'.
He shut the door behind him and watched the woman on the bed. The IV drip sipped slowly into her veins.
This woman was something. She thought to use his weakness against him, right?
“Sophia,” he called coldly.
Sophia turned slowly and saw it was her husband. This was the first time he had ever addressed her by her first name. Not only that, she hadn't expected him to show up.
“I'll grant your request. I'll let you interview me.”
Sophia felt a strange surge of energy, and it seemed her sickness vanished instantly.
“Because I won't let you die on me,” he continued.
“Here you are pretending to be sick just to get me to agree to your request. And your request, I'll grant,” he said rather menacingly.
“I'm not... pret..,”
Damn! This should be the wrongest time to defend herself. The necessary thing now would be to secure the interview. Explaining herself could come later.
“You mean you let me interview you?” she asked, choosing her words carefully.
Silly goose, she must be pleased now that she had gotten what she wanted.
“Yes,” Damien said aloud.
“But there is a condition attached to it”
“Condition? What condition?” Sophia asked.