Allea

forty-four

"Boss here's your lunch and these are the last week's progress report of Milan Industry, which are not different from the previous ones."

At Nayla's voice, my eyes vaguely flickered toward the cup of coffee, the vegetable salad from my favorite spot, and the file she placed beside it on the table, on it my gaze halted with a little frown. Then, after a second, my gaze again moved toward the file I was reading, and mumbled, "Okay, I'll look into it."

"Um...Boss, I wanted to talk about something?"

"Hm."

Pausing my current work, I looked straight at Nayla and urged her to speak.

"Regarding Xit Company's CEO, Ben's been handling his calls until I took over his work, I realized he has stretched this a little too far."

Still registering and trying to remember who she was talking about, I raised my eyes questioningly toward her, "Huh...who's that?"

Plainly, she stated, "Robert Smith, you met him at Salvadge's party."

Hearing the familiar name, I responded, "Oh, I entirely forgot about him."

While I was still recalling what exactly I told my assistants about that man a few months ago, Nayla explained further, making me aware of the situation with him. How after about one month his proposal was ready and for about the past two and a half months, Ben has been trailing him over calls, not giving him a single date as well as not confirming the cancellation. As we were busy, his existence was completely ignored until he started calling again. 

I remember, I told them to cancel his offer on time, but they didn't, "Ben was enjoying himself, wasn't he." Noticing that there was no anger in my voice, she smiled a little and nodded.

"You guys should have reminded me earlier, it's not good that you have to waste your time on this," In between all the work, they have to handle that man too, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. But Nayla was right, this matter has been extended far more than what I would have liked —for about for months. I have no personal relationship with him and we are connected by this business world, where most of the things continue based on mutual regard, one can only play as long as it doesn't cross the line of irreverence. Everything should remain within the limits of professionalism, I have understood long ago that with big names, comes heavy responsibilities, and it is my obligation to maintains the integrity of that name.

Xit Company was once among the leading ones of the time years ago when it was under the true heir William Brown. Under the leadership of new executives, the company has faced downfall since but the old-man Williams is still respected, and therefore Xit Company has survived for so long even after facing losses after losses in the projects and ruining their reputation. I don't respect their company or Robert Smith, I don't bother with the respect of William Brown. Although, the first man to reprimand me would be Nicholas Salvage, because of the good friendship between his father and old-man William.

Nonetheless, I can disregard everything, it's easy for me as I have never considered them in the first place.

Still, it was me, who in the first place mingled the personal intentions with my professional ones, nothing of this would have extended this long, if...I didn't start it at the party.

"Um...Nayla gives me a moment, I tell you in a while what to do with him."

My face must have made visible my internal conflict, as hearing my words, Nayla paused and stared at me skeptically, before asking hesitantly, "Boss, can I ask, what did he do?"