Edge of Deception

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Monday morning saw Tanya sitting across from Ilario, appearing for a strange sort of examination. Ilario fired random questions at her from everything he had had her work on in the last one month. And the questions weren't superficial either, they made her think.

It took them the whole of the morning to go through with assessment. Then, after lunch, he put a form in front of Tanya.

Tanya checked the title.

"Wazisi Capitals Pre-inspection Form." She looked up at him. "You want me to do it?"

"Yes. Ilario replied. "I told you the circumstances. The proposal is pending at my end since a while. I can't keep postponing."

"But..." Tanya protested, "I don't really know anything about this account. Their credit line was secured six years ago. I have to read up on all those years' material. Not to mention the initial assessment and that's bound to be as vast as a novel."

Ilario shrugged in response. "That's true."

Tanya took a deep breath. "Rio, I haven't agreed to be a part of your crazy plan yet. You can't push this on me."

Frowning, he crossed his arms across his body, his handsome countenance suddenly foreboding.

"Ms Singha, don't forget your station. Whether or not you help in your personal capacity is beside the point. You have been given an assignment and you will fulfil it. You are a very junior employee with no experience whatsoever. I don't think it is good for your career to be cheeky to the CEO."

Tanya gaped at him. She could not believe that he just pulled rank on her.

"So, read up and be ready to conduct the inspection by next week."

Tanya stared mutinously at her boss. It slid off his back like water on duck's. He was in his bully mode. Period.

Her mouth set on a thin line, she asked, "Am I allowed to take someone with me at least?"

He levelled a surprised look at her. "That's a given. You will be accompanied by the official in charge of this account."

She suppressed her indignation and left the cabin. Ilario's secretary was again out for the entire week, so Tanya had taken over her duties.

The next one week was spent with her diligently pouring over all the information the Bank had on Wazisi account. She found out that the credit line had been increased gradually since it was sanctioned six years ago. Even then it had been a hefty amount. It was approved by the board, the company helmed by the then CEO, Giovanni De Russo, Ilario's father.

She couldn't find any fault with the entire proposal and sanction. But to be honest, she didn't really trust her own judgement. Even though Ilario had taught her himself, the lessons were still basic and too broad to apply them to specific cases. Tanya was realising what a handicap it was not to have experience. Alternately, she also cursed Ilario mentally for putting her in an impossible situation.

She didn't really want to take up the crusade Ilario clearly wanted her to. Not because she wasn't interested, it was because she seriously doubted her capability to do anything useful. Besides, despite her many flaws, Tanya was an honest girl, she wasn't quite on board with the idea of deceiving Mateo by taking advantage of his obvious infatuation with her. No matter, how sleazy she found him, she still owed him a favour, namely, this job.

Now that she had completed six months in Orlanes Banking Services, Tanya had grasped what a prestigious opportunity this had been. Just getting to interview directly by the CEO was a dream come true.

Besides, she didn't think she had the necessary acting skills to pretend to like Mateo. He creeped the hell out of her.

And there lay another problem which she had only recently admitted to herself. She was hopelessly attracted to Ilario De Russo. Tanya had never been an early riser. Throughout her college days she had maintained the lifestyle of an owl, a fact which had irritated her parents to no end. But ever since she had started her lessons with Ilario, she was up every morning at six, to be able to arrive at the office at eight. Some days she arrived even earlier than Ilario.