LOVE, LIES AND BULLETS

CHAPTER EIGHT

             A CLASH OF EGOS

      MOLLY KAY'S OFFICE

         "Make sure to be safe, I will call you tomorrow", Molly said to her client Miriam, a high school student of age fifteen, as they were talking outside her office.
"I will ma, Miriam said.
"Don't let anything out to him, it could be risky, I will see what I can do", Molly assured.
"Sure ma, my mouth is already zipped", Miriam said as Molly smiled.
"See who we have here", a voice said from behind as both turned to back.
"Looking for another depressed soul to deal with", Romeo said coming closer to them.
"I will get going", Miriam said
"Sure, don't let anything out remember", Molly replied as Miriam walked away.
"What if she does?" Romeo asked smiling.
"What do you want?" Molly asked, her voice weary.
"We have an unfinished business", Romeo said folding his arms.
"Unfinished business?" Molly asked curiously looking at him.
Romeo looked at Molly, a calculating expression on his face.
"So, how much of that thousand dollars did your client give you?" he asked, a smug grin spreading across his face as Molly chuckled.
"How much did you think I got", Molly replied.
"I know you will get a lot, so tell me how much?" Romeo said.
Molly narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to be baited.
"I'm not going to discuss my client with you, and you know that. If you have nothing else to say, then please leave", she said trying to enter her office but Romeo held her wrist.
Molly felt a surge of fear as Romeo's hand closed around her wrist, preventing her from entering her office.
"Let go of me," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "I won't tell you again."
Romeo's grip on her wrist tightened, his eyes cold and hard. "You're not going anywhere until you hear what I have to say," he said, his tone menacing. "You owe me that much".
"Young man, I have no business with you, Our business ended long time ago and my client is doing just fine", Molly said releasing her wrist from his hold.
"Lawyers, Prosecutors, Judges and their lies", Romeo said and paused.
"I thought you and your fake doctor said that your client injury will have long-term implications?" Romeo asked looking at Molly as she bite her lips, trying to figure out what to say.
She knows that Romeo is trying to provoke her, and she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset.
"Look, I know you're just here to get a rise out of me," she says finally. "But I'm not going to give you the satisfaction. I'm not going to engage in this game with you".
Romeo laughed, but there was no humor in his eyes.
"Do you really lie like this to make a living, I can help you out. Because I can see you are making chump change, all those struggling with rent and bills will age your pretty face," he sneered, a look of contempt on his face. "You know, it's a shame, really. You've got potential, but you're wasting it on this dead-end job. You could be doing so much more with your life."
Molly bristled at his condescending tone, but she knew she couldn't let him see how angry he was making her.
"Mr Romeo, don't you have anything to do with your time, are you really that useless, Molly said annoying him as his smiling face turned to a mean one.
At first, Romeo seemed amused by Molly's defiance, but her last comment struck a nerve. His face darkened and his eyes narrowed.
"Useless?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't know anything about me or what I've been through. I'll show you useless."
Molly knew she had made a mistake, but she wasn't about to back down.
"You're the one who started this," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You're the one who's making threats and accusations. If anyone's useless, it's you.
"You're one to talk," she continued keeping her voice level. "What exactly have you accomplished with your life? Other than harassing people who are just trying to get by?"
The question seemed to catch Romeo off guard. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching her face for any sign of weakness. When he didn't find any, he smiled coldly.
"You think you're clever, don't you?" he said, his voice taking on a mocking tone. "But you're not half as smart as you think you are."
Molly knew she couldn't let him get under her skin. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
"I'm smart enough to see through your games," she said. "You're not going to get a rise out of me."
"Is that a challenge?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "You think you can resist me, no matter what I say?"
"I know I can," she said, her voice steady. "Because I'm not interested in playing your games. I have a job to do, and I'm not going to let you distract me from it."
Romeo's expression shifted, his smirk turning into a scowl.
"Fine," he said, his voice dripping with venom. "We'll see how long you can hold out."
Romeo turned on his heels and walked out angrily. For a moment, Molly just stood there, trying to catch her breath. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, and her hands were shaking. But she knew she couldn't let herself show any weakness, not in front of him.
            After a few moments, she composed herself and enter her office as she sat down at her desk. She took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, and got back to work. She knew she couldn't let him get to her, no matter what he said or did.

             
          FIO-LU HOLDINGS

        Luther and his teams are gathered around a conference table, discussing an important project. Adriana, is sitting at the side of the room, taking notes and handing out documents when needed. The meeting is going well, but no one was able to give solution to the problem at hand.
"So what is the solution?" Luther who was quiet the whole time suddenly asked as the
whole room became silent.
      Adriana looked up from her note and saw the team whispering to each others, She was starting to get a hunch about what was causing the problem, but she was hesitant to speak up. After all, she was a new person , and she didn't want to overstep her bounds. But the more she thought about it, the more certain she became. She decided that she had to say something, even if it meant putting her job at risk. She gathered her courage and approached Luther.
"I think I might know what's causing the problem," she said, her voice shaking slightly.
"You can speak", One of the team member said as they all looked at her.
"What if we look at each module in the process, one by one, and see if we can find any issues?" Adriana suggested. "We could start with the dyeing module and work our way through the entire process. Maybe there's something that's been overlooked, or maybe there's a step that's not being done correctly."
The team agreed that this was a good place to start but Luther stood up from his seat, his expression unreadable.
"We can't make decisions based on guesswork," he said, sounding irritated. "Everyone needs to go and do their own research on this before we can even begin to talk about solutions. I'll expect your findings on my desk by the end of tomorrow". With that, he turned and walked out of the room, Adriana trailed behind him feeling disheartened. She had been so excited to share her ideas, and now she felt like she had been dismissed. But she tried to keep a positive attitude, reminding herself that she was new to the job and needed to earn Luther's trust. As Luther reached his office, Adriana caught up to him.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked, her voice hesitant. Luther paused, then turned to her.
""Actually, there is something you can do for me," Luther said, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a large stack of files. "These need to be sorted and organized, and I need them done by the end of the day." Adriana's heart sank. she had sorted a large amount of files in the morning and now she was being given a mundane task again
She glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that it was already 5:00 PM, and she knows she can't finish sorting out the files on time.
"Sir, it's already late, but I was wondering if I could take these files home with me," she said, keeping her voice polite. "I think I might be onto something, and I'd like to work on it more tonight." Luther looked up from his computer, his expression unreadable.
"I appreciate your dedication," he said. "But company policy prohibits taking documents off-site."
"I understand your concerns," Adriana said, not wanting to give up. "But I promise I will be very careful with the files. I just think it would be helpful to have more time to work on them."
Luther hesitated for a moment, then sighed.
"I suppose I can make an exception this time," he said, handing the files to her. "But you must bring them back first thing in the morning."
"Thank you so much!" Adriana said, relief flooding through her. She gathered up the files and hurried out the door, eager to get started on her research.

************************************

As Adriana closed the door to her office, she sank into her chair, exhaustion washing over her. She set the files down on her desk and took a deep breath. It had been a long day, and she was ready to go home. As she reached for her bag, her phone began to ring. Startled, she answered it without thinking. "Hello?" she said.
"Adriana? It's Michael am outside waiting for you." Her heart skipped a beat, she never told him that she is working here, what could he possibly want.
"I'll be right there," she said, her voice trembling. She quickly gathered her things and headed for the door, her mind racing with questions. What does he want? Why was he here? As she made her way to the front of the building, she spotted Michael leaning against a car, his arms crossed. He looked up as she approached, and a small smile played across his lips.
"Did your mom tell you am working here?" Adriana asked curiously
"No I figured it out myself," Michael said and laughed
"Enough of your joke, be serious", Adriana said.
"Actually she told me you got a new job", Michael confessed as Adriana nodded.
"So what are you doing here?"Adriana asked.
" I thought you might like a ride home, he said, his eyes sparkling.
"You are not serious", Adriana said as she entered the car.
"I thought you will reject the offer", Micheal said.
"Do you want me to", Adriana asked trying to step down from the car.
"Just kidding, Michael said as he entered the drivers seat, both wore their seatbelt as they drove off.