Chapter Sixteen – His Plan Failed.
After speaking with the security guard on why it was important her boss be at the third floor before bidding started, Stephanie sped into the male column looking for Nathan.
Why had the security guard been so tight about letting anyone in? He had turned back some men who needed to use the place urgently and for what! Because Nathan was in there? What kind of biased shit was that!
“Nathan, where are…!” she froze when a lady, hurriedly fastening her shirt buttons, clashed unto her. “Sorry, Hun!” the lady ran out.
Stephanie blinked rapidly and turned to view the woman properly. Did she just use a male’s restroom?
“Rich people are weird” Stephanie concluded, going on into the restroom, being careful not to go into the stalls. “Boss!”.
She took a step further and kicked the bin a little to cause a sound, “Anyone here?”.
She was almost moving ahead when she noticed a small red material lying on the ground. It looked like some tie or small cloth.
Pushing the bin with her to dispose of it, she walked closer and to her surprise it was panties on the bare floor! In the male’s bathroom. Her head spun back to the door where the lady had walked out from. Did she… was this hers?
A noise startled her. It seemed like someone was struggling. Leaving the panties where it laid, she crept towards the male stalls and peeked into one through a keyhole, praying to God that she doesn’t see a formidable sight.
There she saw her boss sprawled on the floor, with some white foam sliding from his lips. Was he dying? Convulsing?
She was nearly alarmed before her eyes caught sight of his unhooked belt and his shirt buttons all open. She remembered the lady again, who bumped into her, fastening her buttons.
“Good God” she muttered, rushing back to the panties as things made sense. She picked it up before her brain could register that it was an ‘underwear’. Both disgusted and annoyed, she ran back to the stall.
To not sound alarming, she made a small knock on the stall door. Water rushed from the tap but no response. She knew he was in there so she knocked again.
“Why are you knocking, Sir? It’s a male’s bathroom. Come in if you need it” her boss shouted.
Stephanie’s fist clenched besides her. Slapping the door open, she glared at him, stretching the little cloth out to him.
“Sorry Boss, but I think your little whore dropped her panties!”.
She didn’t care to get his reaction before dropping the cloth and storming into the bathroom to wash her hands.
“And the bidding has started, I was told only CEOs and Secretaries can represent. Ashley can’t so let’s both go” she spoke without looking at him.
Wiping her wet hands on her skirt, she walked away. Being careful not to step on the panties.
“Please, help yourself to refreshments as we decide the winner to this bid!” the announcer said, and walked down the podium.
The bidding had been done and she was the one who represented her company. She still didn’t get why Nathan didn’t do it himself but she didn’t revolt and just went on with it.
Giving thirty-one million dollars for a twenty million dollars company was a stretch for her but it wasn’t her money so she didn’t bother.
She smiled at Ashley hopefully as refreshments passed them.
“This is a damn promotion for you if it works out, right?” Ashley nudged her.
Stephanie chuckled, “Yeah, my fingers are crossed”.
Nathan sat behind them fiddling with his VVIP badge listening to the girls. What promotion was she talking about? Had he spoken of that?
He cleared it off his mind, he had worse things to worry about. Stephanie had caught him and that lady. Never had he planned it so. He just ruined the trust and friendship he was growing with her and she’d just see him as nothing but a play boy, trying to get her under him. He adjusted himself on his seat and breathe out heavily.
Stephanie observed his agitation and faced him, “Don’t worry boss. The bid was a generous value for the company. By my statistics, we have better chance of winning!”.
Ashley raised a brow and smirked, “Wait, Nathan are you worried about the bid. I know you had a plan, didn’t it work?”.
Stephanie glanced at the both of them, “What plan?”.
Nathan forced a smile “I’m not worried. Just tired. Don’t worry, both of you”.
Ashley pressed her lips together, rubbing her neck. Maybe she shouldn’t have hinted on his plan. And now, Stephanie was looking at her expectantly.
“It’s nothing. Just precautions” she muttered to her.
Stephanie brushed it off, they were lots of things she had brushed off today.
It wasn’t her business if he had an illegal plan.
It wasn’t her business if her boss was making out with some strange lady.
It wasn’t her business if that strange woman was the secretary of the rival company….
Her thoughts slowed down and processed the last information.
She gazed around for the lady and found her besides the CEO of Sparks Moon Company, their rival for the bid. Why was Nathan making out with the rival for the bid? Was he… selling his body to her in order to win? Didn’t he trust her abilities and statistics?
She kept cool waiting on the results of the bid.
The announcer came back up within fifteen minutes, “And now, the winner of the bid, winning by thirty one million dollars,…”. Stephanie saw the Sparks Moon secretary frown.
“… is The Pure Silver Company!” the announcer shouted and the crowd started clapping. Stephanie’s heart fell to rubbles. So they won? But it didn’t feel honorable if her boss had cheated to win.
“Stephanie, go get the contract!” Nathan said to her.
She faced him with a glare but he didn’t meet her gaze. Ashley looked at them confused. She stopped clapping. Hadn’t they won? Why were they both gloomy?NôvelDrama.Org © content.
“Yes, boss!” Stephanie cleared her throat and walked to the podium, putting on a fake smile.
“I don’t get it, why are you sad? Didn’t your plan work perfectly? We didn’t lose” Ashley asked.
“It worked as perfectly as I wanted but…” he looked up at Stephanie coming back with the contract, “… but I still lost”.