Arcane

Chapter 6: Little Lady

•Run away.. run away Zyran. Zyran? Don’t look back, don’t come back, go and hide. Never return back here. Mom loves you Zyran. I always will. No! Mom!! Wake up mom!! Don’t- Don’t leave me! Mom!!•
He shuffled, clutching the comforter tightly. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, face gone pale and eyes shut tightly. His lips trembled. He murmured continuously under his breath. His breathing was abnormal, becoming uncontrollably wild. A painful frown was carved on his godly features. His chest heaved up and down as if his lungs lacked oxygen. He was drowning in a never ending ocean of miseries, wrath and devastation, once again. Sleep was never in good terms with him,  was it? It always turned out to be  nasty and gauche for him.
He snapped open his eyes and bolted up on the bed with the ringing of the digital clock placed on the bedside table. He turned it off. His thoughts were turbulent, disturbed and untamed. It had always been like this, nothing new. His eyes emulsified emotions. He stared blankly at the ceiling before coming back to normal.
His eyes returned back to that dead pool of arctic blue crystals, no emotions, no feelings. His pinched expression zeroed to null.He jerked off the comforter and headed towards the bathroom. He gawked at his reflection in the huge bathroom mirror laced with white LEDs. “Being aspectabung, aren’t we?” he mocked his own reflection.

ZYRAN

Grabbing the car keys, I was ready to step out of the door but the buzzing of my phone  interrupted me. MY ONE AND ONLY, the screen displayed along with a picture of a Rowan winking like a creep. When did he get a chance to touch my phone and play his tactics on it? He needs a lesson. A small smile made its way on my face.  I picked up the call. “Good morning honey!” he chirped in a high pitched voice. “What do you want?  We could’ve talked in my office. Why do you need to behave like my lover?” I questioned, trying to sound annoyed. “Aww, are you that desperate to see my beautiful face? I know no one can resist me. Be it girls or boys. Never mind, I called to inform you that you have a meet and greet with the newly hired employees and it is the very first thing you need to do today!”he exclaimed.I could feel him grinning on the other side. “Isn’t this my secretary’s job? to remind me of my schedule and manage it?” I interjected. “Hey! You disrespectful brat! Selecting the new employees and guiding them is my department and letting them meet the chairman is my responsibility too!” He huffed. Now, It was my turn to grin. “I heard it. Now, stop being sulky.” I completed. “Meet you soon honey! I love you! Drive safe!” He spoke, trying to annoy the shit outta me. He succeeded in doing so. Is he gay?

I parked my Bentley Mulsanne in the basement parking slot. It was one of my gems. I spotted Rowan’s Mercedes Benz parked two rows ahead. He’s not late today? The hell? He broke his record? I strode towards the lift to get to my office, the 15th floor. It was authorised for the high ranking employees only, the others were required to reach the main building and swipe their Identification card to get to their respective working space.(you bragging? High ranking people, huh? The directors of the board, The CEO and the chairman aka you?). The biometric scan machine pinged as it recognised me and the translucent doors of the lift opened. I entered the lift, the doors were about to close when...A foot interrupted, coming in between the doors? Who the hell? “I knew it! I knew that you would go straight to your goddamn office.” a voice cut through the silence and I recognised the source of this nuisance right away. Mr. Rowan Kester. “And what else do you want me to do? Take the stairs? Or fly to my office?” I retorted, irked. “Don’t tell you have a short term memory loss? I clearly told you-“ I interrupted him, “About the meet and greet? It can wait. I have something important to take care of first.” I finished. “No, no and no. You are coming with me because they are already assembled in the 14th meeting room.  It won’t take long, okay? You just have to do what to always do. And by this, I don’t mean that you will scare the shit out of them. I repeat, DO NOT scare them.” He pulled my arm, after blabbering hysterically. I rolled my eyes and let him drag me out of the lift. Scaring them, huh?  There are a very few trustable people in one’s life and the people whom you genuinely care for but for me, It is only one. This annoying little rat. No one even dares to  treat me the way he does. No one can. Rowan’s phone ringed. “You go ahead, I gotta take this call otherwise my old man  will kick me out of the house.” Rowan jested.
I arrived at the entrance and... something was unusual? No guards outside? I saw a crowd gathering inside, getting bigger. Faint noises were heard inside. The hell? I was in baffled. Is this how they maintain decorum? I darted inside. “Please drop the knife down mister, We can talk this out, I am sure you will find a solution” a gentle voice spoke. It seemed like a request. It was coming from the centre of the huge crowd. “My child! Let him go, please!” Another lady cried out. Others were holding her back from running towards the centre. Who allowed them to cause this pathetic stunt in my building. “What is going on here?” I asked a man standing on the outer side. He did not bother to look at me, being so engrossed and started speaking “You don’t know? Man. So, there’s this employee called Max and he was thrown out of this company unjustifiably as he was blamed for the leak of a very important presentation and business plan of The Allisons, even when it was the doing of some other person and now his twin brother, James is here for-“ he was cut off.
“Someone call the police!” A man cried out. I pushed through the crowd, planning to put an end to this crap. People around me gasped and stiffened, I guess they realised my presence. Panic was seen in their actions. They gradually parted and made way, allowing me to pass through. A man was standing with a blade pressed against the neck of a child. His eyes were red and his hands were shaking. Nervous, huh? A woman was standing in front of him, her back faced towards me. She looked terrified, asking the man to calm down. The child was shaking in fear, weeping throughout. Being brave, little lady? “NO! IF YOU CALL THE POLICE, THIS BLADE WILL PASS THROUGH THE KID, DON’T PLAY SMART WITH ME!” the culprit, I suppose, bellowed. “No one is going to call the police! Let’s talk this out mister, please. I know how it feels to be wronged and blamed, even when you’re not at fault. But, what you’re doing right now is reckless. I am sure your brother will get justice.” The lady begged. Impressive. She is not the one to just sit around and watch, is she? She looked no older than me. “You are Max’s twin? Why don’t you stop fooling around and come to you senses, Mr. James? You didn’t find it appropriate to talk the matter out with your brother before coming here? I am sure he will tell you the truth.” I voiced out, harshly. I was pissed off because I have hired some dumb humans as the ‘so called’ security, because this man is upto something ridiculous, because this lady was clearly putting herself in danger by telling him to calm down. My urge to finish him right here was immeasurable but I cannot blow my cover, can I? There is a fine line( a huge ass wall. Ahm) between my role as a Chairman and a feared lord. The lady looked back at me, concerned. Her face was twisted. Her round eyes sent a secret message as if telling me not to provoke James more than he already is. Her face was...enticing. “Look who’s here! The bastard of a chairman himself. So cunning and selfish. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the man who loves to ruin the lives of people and play with them! He threw out my brother like a piece of waste! My- my brother is hospitalised because of him!“ he yelled. Fool. Wrong move. I smirked looking at him. He was trying so hard to be brave but it’s a pity that he’s actually a fucking coward. Lips eyes were dilated, gestures were violent, lips were trembling, face was pale as porcelain. He was very close to breaking down. I took out my phone and dialled  a number. “Escort him to my office” I ordered the head of the team. It was a secret one. It was needed rarely. Only me and Rowan knew about it and it was named as ‘Team X’ . Every one was specially trained in team X and they had the latest, most advanced facilities. I had enough of his crap.
The lady in front of me was trying to get the child out of his grasp, to safety, consoling him at the same time. Why is she getting herself in trouble? She almost took the child in her embrace when..
That bastard did something, he shouldn’t have. He removed the knife from the neck of the child, bringing it forward towards the lady. The blade diced through the skin of the lady. It cut through her arm. A trail of crimson came pouring out. She let out a cry of anguish, lowly, grabbing that part of her hand. Her back was still facing me and she stumbled back. I caught her. Putting my hands on both of her shoulders, firmly. She looked back at me again, her eyes were moist. My blood boiled. I removed my hands from her shoulders and clenched my fists, trying to ignore the burning sensation in my brain. The sound of booted footsteps echoed through the hall and the X’s barged in. They came towards James and  one of them took him down, capturing him against the floor.  “Others can stop watching the drama and leave” I asserted. “Clear the lobby” I ordered the remaining X’s. The child ran to her mother. He was shaken. James was taken away. He was mine to deal with. Let me show him what this bastard of a chairman can actually do. “Take the child and his mother to the lounge and compensate them.” I instructed my secretary who came running towards me. “Will do it, sir.” She replied, breathless. Where was she before?  Where was she when this drama happened? I let it pass for now. The brave little lady turned towards me. She fixed her eyes on mine, they glistened. Her eyes were easy to read, she was in pain. I shifted my eyes to her bleeding arm. “You didn’t need to act all brave and put yourself in danger when you are not capable of it, miss.” I reasoned. Her face changed. It hardened. “A child was in danger. A young innocent one was stuck in a wretched situation. I could not sit back and enjoy the show, right? He was in the situation of life and death. His mother was horrified!” She fired. Her voice was shaky but musical. Her hazel eyes held innocence. I was slightly taken aback. She was the first one to look at me in the eye, fearless. Interesting. I put both of my hands in the pockets of my trousers. I stared at her, amused. “So, you don’t mind getting killed yourself?” I questioned. My voice was cold, dripping with sarcasm. I expected her to get scared but the reaction was quite opposite. She scoffed. Her hand was still holding the other injured one. “You look like someone who’s in a high position. I was thankful for the way you intervened and handled the situation. I thought you were considerate and all but I take my thoughts back now.” She pestered. She doesn’t know me? I took in her form. She was youngish and attractive. I find her attractive? Oh, Shut up. I gazed at her Identity card. A newbie? It was very bold of her to stand in my company, not knowing me. Talking back now, are we? “Let me tell you that I am anything but considerate. And yes, I am a high profile person. Let me introduce myself.” She frowned. I took out my business card, handling it to her. “The name’s Zyran Allison. Chairman of the Allison Group. My secretary will be taking care of compensating you too”

•  àspectabund- letting emotions show easily through face or eyes. •