Love, Lies and Billionaires

The night was pitch black when the car began to slow down in front of a massive building and made a halt behind the other cars, whose occupants were taking their time to get out.

Cameras flashed as the occupant alighted one after the other and walked on the red carpet which led into the hall.

‘Of course Mr Harding has made it public, possibly to clear the rumours about both of them,’ she thought

Maren watched all these people walk into the building after striking one or two poses for the cameras. People she only has the privilege to see on tv or on the net were now going to be in the same room as her.

As the cars moved forward, so did Maren’s till they came to a final halt at the mouth of the carpet and it was her turn to walk the carpet.

She looked out the window and back at her hands, which were slightly vibrating because of excitement.

“Ma’am, we’ve arrived,” the chauffeur announced, though she couldn’t quite see him through the partition in the vehicle.

“I know,” Maren answered in a firm voice. But deep down, her head was bursting with an adrenaline rush. This was all too exciting for her.

She took a deep breath and put her hand on the car handle. Instead, one guard who had followed behind them in another car immediately opened the door, which she had just noticed had been standing by the door all this while.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

As soon as she set her foot out of the car, the camera flashing resumed once more.

“Miss Sharppe has arrived,” she could hear them whisper as more cameras flashed and almost blinded her. She held on lightly to her purse as she trudged steadily on the carpet, her head swooning with pride.

“Good evening, ma’am,” Louise greeted as soon as she set foot into the brightly lit hall. She was dressed in a white two piece long sleeve and pants with her yellow hair in a ponytail. Just the right appearance to make her look like a secretary to someone of importance.

“Mr Harding asked after you. The ceremony is already in progress,” she added as they walked towards the middle of the hall where every other person was littered about. “He requested to see you as soon as you arrive”

The hall was lit with a popular soft tone played by a keyboardist, but only a few of the guests cared to pay attention to it.

‘What is he now? My boss?’ was the only thing that came to her mind as her mind was numb from anticipation of how great this night would be.

“Where is he?” she asked, trying not to turn her head and give the whispering of other guests the privilege of getting a whiff of her extreme excitement.

“I think he should be in one of these rooms,” Louise said as they got to an end of the building, which looked like a back stage with two doors.

“Alright then.” Maren moved forward and made to turn the golden knob of the door but paused when noticed Louise’s absence behind her. She turned around and saw her secretary a few feet back with a small smile on her face.

“Only those Mr Harding want to see are allowed so close to the door, ma’am,” Louise informed, noticing her boss’s questioning look.

Maren just rolled her eyes and turned the knob, which gave way easily.

“I’m sorry sir, I promise it won’t repeat itself,” Maren heard whimpering as she slowly put a foot into the room. It was dimly lit, with only a table and chair as the furniture within. With no one in sight.

Maren entered through completely and the door suddenly banged shut, startling her. She blinked a couple of times, reminding herself that this was not some shitty horror movie.

The whimpering had stopped, but still no one in sight. She looked around the now silent room, though she knew it was in vain.

“Mr Harding,” She called, trying to see if there was a hidden door she could go through. ‘What the fuck is this? This is a modern gathering, for crying out loud! There shouldn’t be eerie shit hap-”

Boom! She heard a thud from a corner of the room and then scraping on the ground.

“Mr Harding?” she called again, staring at the corner from which the sound had come.

A door opened, and a figure emerged, dragging along something that looked heavy as it slowed him down.

“Mr Harding?” She moved back a little, careful not to stumble on her heels from the fear she was feeling as she watched the scene in front of her.

The person turned to look at her and she could swear that was not who she’d come there for.

“Ah, miss Sharppe!” The familiar baritone called, and she turned away from the scary-looking man to the newcomer in the room.

“Perdon my carelessness, but sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty, right?” He asked with a smile which Maren could barely make out through the lighting.

He held a piece of cloth which he used to wipe his hands and then threw it in a corner when he was done.

Maren watched with terror in her eyes as the other man dragged a body to the corner of the room, leaving trails of blood as he passed by. She turned back to him, then to the piece of cloth, and then to him again.

“Oh, don’t worry, I didn’t do that. I’d never do that” he was now seated on the chair in the room with a smirk on his face. He waited till the man had shut the door behind him before turning to Maren.

“Why did you want to see me?” She finally asked, shaking off the shock.

“Oh, nothing much.” He said and stood up. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked towards her. “I just needed a one-on-one time before we go out there with fake smiles to meet an audience that clearly has nothing else to do tonight” his voice was very relaxed.

Though they were a few feet apart, his cologne still hit her, though it seemed to be having a battle with the damp, bloody smell of the room.

Maren stared back at him, his blue eyes piercing into her like she was going to join the body in the corner. “One on one?” She managed to ask.

He edged closer, and Maren could now see his face better. His hair was gelled back to a shine and then tied to a knot. His beard was neatly groomed, looking like it was done to make his lips a center of attention.

He was in a white shirt with the first few buttons open, exposing his tattoo-god! That tattoo, her head screamed. It always seemed to strike her with something she couldn’t fathom.

“Funny how you don’t even know me, but you jumped at my offer so quickly. You really have always been this hungry”

Maren’s brows furrowed. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Sir, all the guests have arrived”