Light In My Darkness

15

"Please don't do this." I cry out.

"Why shouldn't I, you deserve it." He says with a vicious smirk as he latched his hand around mine dragging me forcefully with all his power as I try to stand on my ground.

"Leave me Austin, I've already done my part so there is no point in me attending the meeting," I whisper-yell, trying not to create a scene.

He flipped around as he releases me from his iron traction, "You've done your part? The project you've done your part is freaking multi-billion one, and when it is time to reap the benefit out of it you're hiding." He exclaimed.

How can I tell him that I have my reasons!

We enter the gigantic conference room that was furnished with the latest technology, a few members of our team were busy with the last-minute amendments.

Ms. Walker the head of this project, gazes at me with an indignant look on her face, I have no idea why she hates me this much.

She literally dumped me with mountains of work that were supposed to be done by a hand full of people. That's the reason my contribution to this project is way more than the others.

"I told you not to attend this meeting, didn't I?" She whispered, and I was about to shot her with a reply but abstained, as the doors flung open with the board of directors entering in.

Everyone settled down, and we were waiting for Mr. Longwood.

He walks in fashionably late in all his glory with an aura of power radiating off him, making me wonder how foolish was I not recognizing it earlier.

He was followed by his model like assistant who walked in with sheer elegance.

Everyone was on their feet including me, and he nods his head in acknowledgment.

When his eyes fall on me, a smirk graced his otherwise emotionless face as though mocking me and giving a silent message of his superiority. I avert my gaze looking anywhere but him.

Ms. Walker starts explaining and I couldn't resist myself from twiddling my finger with nervousness.

I'm not ready to face her wrath if anything goes wrong.

"Stop." He orders her in the middle of nowhere taking us by surprise.

"Miss. Walker, I'm here to listen to your explanation and not to hear you reading out what's displayed on the slides. I'm very much capable of doing it myself and I don't need you for that." He says in a very calm voice and yet the calmness in itself was enough to scare the shit out of you.

"What's wrong Mr. Longwood?" She asked him in a panicked state with worry written all over her face.

"Who curated this presentation? And don't even dare to lie to me, your lack of preparation is enough to tell me otherwise."

My heartbeat raises at an unimaginable rate, as I am the one who he is asking about.

'I'm so dead, god knows what he will do if he knows it's me.'

What if he insults me again like that day.

If he was not enough, its Miss. Walker on the other hand, who was glaring at me like she wants to slaughter me into pieces this instant, her glare was deadly enough to carnage many.

"The research was done by me and my team and Miss. Ashton was the one to put everything together, sir." She hissed in exasperation.

'Liar!'

I whip my head towards him, gulping visibly with a feeling that cannot be characterized into any category. It's a mix of hate, fear, and anxiety.

"Who is Miss. Ashton here?" He inquiries and I'm one hundred percent sure that he knows that it's me.

Deciding to play along I answer.

"Me," I mumble in a timid voice, and his lips twitched upwards into a smirk while eyeing me.

'A perfect opportunity to insult me again, isn't it?'

"Very well, Miss Ashton, continue with the presentation." He orders in a monotone, completely taking me by surprise.

I look at him like he's a dead person who is now sitting in front of me safe and sound.

"No sir, I ca-" He cuts me off in between.

"I wasn't asking, now stop wasting my time and start presenting." He ordered me, again.

Austin squeezed my hand in encouragement with a faint smile as he gestured me to go forward.

Having no other option I leave my chair unwilling with anxiety rising inside me as I'm not really a public speaker.

I just stare at the slide displayed in front of me.

"She's wasting our time, let Miss. Walker resume, sir." one of the directors spoke out, but one look from him was enough to shut him up.

"Take a deep breath and start Miss. Ashton." His encouragement surprised me to the core, but the smirk on his face was telling me that he was enjoying putting me in this predicament, as he flumped back comfortably.

Taking in his advice, I briefly explain the various graphs, diagrams, and survey reports using a laser pointer.

"So the idea of Gothic Hotel is quite new in this country and we will be able to tap a lot of tourists by enhancing the cultural significance and the existence of a port will be beneficial for the upcoming, 'The Great White' project for our company."

I exhale heavily in relief, as the directors seemed to be satisfied, but the best was yet to come as he decides to open his mouth.

He bombarded me with so many fucking questions for which I didn't know the answers.

It was so stupid and naive, of me to think that I've covered everything.

"Miss. Ashton, this is not enough I want you to work on it and give me the final copy by Wednesday. You will be personally working with me on this one." He says with a smirk plastered as he emphasized the word personally.

'What the fuck did he mean by personally.'

Everyone dispersed to resume their work, I and Austin, made out way out of that suffocating room.

"You should have seen the expression on her face, it was priceless." He was laughing like a lunatic while clapping his palms as he makes fun of Miss. Walker and given an opportunity he will do it every time, as he loathes her.

I chuckle whilst shaking my head.

A small part of me was jumping in joy at the situation, he put that woman into.

"That was rude of him," I say suppressing the urge to laugh out loud.

"She deserves it because that's how she behaves everyone."

We were walking towards the elevator when a voice stopped us, we turn around towards the source of the sound.

"Yes?" I answer.

"Miss Ashton, sir wants you to meet him in his cabin." His assistant informs me.

Knitting my brows together I look at Austin, who had the same expression written on his face.

"But why?" I ask her in a confused state.

'What does that jerk want now?'

"No idea." She shrugs off lamely and walked away.

'Lazy goose.'

"I'll meet you later, bye for now." I said, giving him a side hug, and walk towards the Akuma's a.k.a devil's cabin.

His name was written in golden block letters.

'Oh, how I wish I could erase and replace it with the word Mr. Jerk.'

Dismissing all the stupid thoughts out of my mind I knock on his door.

"Come in." I heard his velvety voice, twisting the knob around I step inside.