Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 9-5

Faïz contemplated me with a small grin at the corner of his lips, happy with the effect the view of the place caused. It was considered one of the most famous places in the world.

— "I don't get to see this every day," I whispered, hypnotized. "It's even more impressive in real life."

— "I know. Even I don't get tired of it," he confided to me.

His sentence seemed heavy with meaning, as if he were trying to get a message to me. I then turned to him, but before I could even say a word, our vehicle stopped beside the building. The driver opened the door for me, all his actions conditioned on not making any mistakes.

— "Please deposit our things at the Plaza Hotel," Faïz asked him before heading towards the front door.

— "Yes, sir, as you wish," replied the man.

The hall of the building seemed warm to me, contrary to what the exterior could well suggest. When the hostesses caught sight of Faïz, they immediately stopped whatever tasks they were carrying out.

— "Mr. Mattew, good morning. I will warn the management of your presence," one hostess said with a nice smile, and then she punched in a number on her phone.

She had a pretty porcelain complexion marked with a fairly pronounced blush. Her short mahogany-colored hair highlighted her hazel eyes. A slightly mischievous, barely concealed look added charm to her character.

— "Thank you," replied Faïz in a neutral voice without one look for her.

— "Mr. Heath? Mr. Mattew has just arrived with Miss..."

The hostess, embarrassed, looked at me, distraught, like a cry for help.

— "Reyes," I whispered to her.

— "With Miss Reyes," she said.

As she hung up, she gave me a grateful look.

— "Mr. Mattew, Mr. Heath is waiting for you in room K02."

— "Thank you, Mira," Faïz said, moving towards the elevators.

Inside, he pressed number fifty-eight. "The view must have been worth it at this altitude," I thought. The elevator rushed through the transparent glass tube at a speed I didn't expect. Reflexively, I grabbed the railing next to me.

The doors opened onto a large, curved corridor that led to a row of desks, closed doors along the walls. The impeccably clean black glazed floor reflected our own reflections. Faïz walked in silence, with a steady gate, in front of me. He suddenly stopped in front of a door where he knocked before entering.

— "Faïz Mattew!" exclaimed a man in his fifties, with pepper and salt hair, looking very classy.

He wore a beautiful black suit with a white shirt, completely offbeat with Faïz's casual outfit that day. The man approached and gave him a familiar hug.

— "Oscar, this is Zoe Reyes," Faïz said.

— "So you're the one? The young spy in charge of writing the article?" He addressed me in a friendly and joyful tone.

He held out his hand to me.

— "That's me, Mr. Heath," I replied in a shy voice.

The CEO raised his hands to the sky.

— "Please call me Oscar!"

He immediately relaxed the atmosphere. Oscar sat at his asymmetric dark oak desk and pressed a button on his fixed handsets.

— "Gladysse? Would you bring us some coffee and tea, please?"

— "Yes, Mr. Heath, the woman at the other end of the line answered."

Oscar then turned to Faïz and clapped his hands, which reminded me of two bear paws. They seemed so thick to me.

— "So? What's the news from LA, my friend? Sorry about business class. I promise you that next time my assistant will make no mistakes with your private jet reservations."

Surprised, I turned to Faïz and understood that he had not been joking with me on the plane. He dropped on the azure blue sofa, which was decorated with cushions embroidered with the company's initials, before answering.

— "Well, apart from the list of things I have to deal with, there's also also the succession of the position in Trac-Word. We are celebrating Victoria's birthday on Saturday. You are, of course, invited to the event."

— "Time passes quickly," Oscar said. "Already seventeen years old, and I saw her born. And you, look at you. You're a man now. I was practically your age when I came here. At the bottom of the ladder, certainly, but it was such a beautiful adventure for me."

Oscar, now nostalgic, looked into the void. I began to detail the room. The modern and light decoration highlighted the contemporary style of furniture. The lamp, near the desk, formed a semicircle with an endless curve. After a short while, Oscar moved in front of the large windows overlooking Times Square, thus focusing entirely on the city. I, in turn, stepped forward to contemplate the winter view. At that moment, I felt like I was on the roof of the world. I, Zoe Reyes, from a small suburb of Paris, was in New York in one of the largest buildings.