The King's Beloved (The Beauty and The Beast Series)

Chapter 2. King Of Shades.

Irina couldn't just forget away the recollections of the last night, like nothing. Like it was really nothing.

But for now, she had to brush it aside- just for now and focus on the matter at hand. This confusion, that they had to recheck whether she would work for the head of the PR department or the big boss himself.

To be a part of 'The L&V Cuisines', the largest and the most successful Company of Italy was an achievement in itself so it didn't matter whom she worked under, but something had her sweating profusely and she couldn't decipher whether it was nervousness or something else.

"Ms. Valentino. We are very sorry for the inconvenience. If you could please follow me, I'll show you, your office." The dramatic old manager who had misplaced the files had fled. Instead, a cute blonde guy following him had taken it as his duty to escort her to her new office.

"Please. Just call me Irina." Irina sends him a sparkling smile and the blonde guy held out her hand in unspoken friendship.

"I am Ken. It's a pleasure to meet you."

It didn't take much for her to blend in the crowd. Irina giggled at the childhood incident Ken narrated to her to pass time as they both waited for the elevator to reach the floor, she would work on. Which was the highest number just below the 'P', which means that she would be working for the big boss?

... she didn't know how to react.

The elevator pinged and the golden doors of her new heaven opened to reveal an equally majestic corridor. Irina gulped. The chandeliers shined down on the sparkly corridor which looked like they have been made of pure gold from the walls to the ceiling and even the frame of the paintings that lined the corridor looked like it was carved out of pure white gold.

She could taste the finery of the Indian, American and British culture among the basic Italian, Romanian and Greek culture-just the way a perfect Cuisine Group should be. A hint and touch of everything. She could see why this company was the best. (Even though I love the other cultures, I am still a proud Indian.)

"Wow. This is so magical." Ken couldn't help but smile at her choice of words. The queen's words, the wisest.

"Oh no, your highness! You haven't seen anything yet. Wait till you reach your humble abode." Irina didn't catch the double meaning behind his words and just laughed it off as good humour on Ken's part.

"Sure. Sure. Lead the way." Irina giggled and followed Ken out of the elevator. Ken made her familiar with the whole corridor, from the storeroom to the tea and break room and everything was absolutely beautifully lavishly decorated. Her mind became mush with curiosity each time Ken stop at a door like an excited child who just couldn't wait to open a present.

"Ok. This is the last before we see the throne room." Ken was showing her, his humourous capabilities, like defining the tea room/ break room as luncheonette; storeroom as a cellar and now, the big boss' cabin as A Throne room. Irina giggled.

Ken pushed open the door. "This is the boardroom, aka the meeting room."

Irina's frame filled the door as she poked in to look inside. The meeting room was just like what every room had been. Perfect finery.

The beautiful shiny polished glass table was beautifully laid out with flowers and inverted glasses in front of each plush chair surrounding the table. The dimmed golden lights shined down on the table giving the room a chilling dark glow to every chair, the darkest to the chair at the end. The Boss's Chair.

Irina walked towards the middle of the middle, where the large table was laid proudly and traced a finger down the table towards the end of the table where the boss's chair sat proudly. The moment her hand touched the armrest of the chair, her throat constricted at the familiar sensations and then the golden light consumed her again.