12- Traitor
Executives of ‘Levisay Group’ were here from Manhattan for this important meeting. Hunter Levisay was heading this top-notch meeting in the conference room. The environment of the room was quite tense.
Abigail was there as a departmental head. It had been ten days since she found that he was the CEO. After that, they had countless encounters. Countless OFFICIAL encounters! But not once he tried to look at her or talk to her.
He always acted as if they both were strangers. As if she did not exist!
The problem was with her. She wanted to believe she was happy with the arrangement. Totally contented that he treated her with cool courtesy just like any other employee.
Now she remembered he had always been like that even before she got to know that he was not
She was the one who tried to chat. He was always there as a listener. But later he had started warming up to her. He was becoming friendlier. He even used to smile at her. She had witnessed him being naughty after that bathroom encounter.
Thinking about all of that brought her back to the meeting, being conducted by him. She had heard that Hunter handled such meetings once a month. But this one seemed an exception as this was the second meeting in a month.
“This is the third time in a row when we have lost the deal,” Ethan said hitting the table with his file. “And this is the third time in a row when Alain groups have cut it under our noses.”
“Now I need to know the results! Who is the traitor?” All the executives were quiet listening to Ethan’s aggressive tone. Only the top heads of concerned departments were called for the meeting. Abigail had only seen the friendlier side of Ethan. This side was alien to her.
“Ethan. We even changed the quotation this time. I don’t know, how in hell this is happening.” Liam, the chief operating officer spoke.
“I seriously think we should hire someone professional to dig out deep. Because whatever this is. It’s going to be dirty.” Max was the Finance department head.
This was her first meeting with the heads and Ethan had asked her just to attend it for the sake of it. Throughout the meeting, everyone was speaking, pouring suggestions, showing concerns and aggressiveness.
Everyone except Hunter Levisay. But to Abigail, they all seemed habitual of it.
The unexpected knock on the door made everyone go quiet.
Mrs. Ann Montgomery, an aged woman who was Hunter’s office assistant entered the room with a
professional smile on her face.
They all knew Hunter never liked interruptions in his meetings. Though he never misbehaved with his employees. But usually, his cold and calculated eyes used to be enough to wet anyone’s pants.
“Hunter, we have got the man here.” She told Hunter and then turned around when Hunter merely nodded.
A man in his late fifties entered the room. He was short heightened and bald in the middle. He was plump and chubby around his waist. His face showed nothing special but just an ordinary face with ordinary features. But if one would look in his eyes, he would notice a gleam which could be taken as intelligence.
Mrs. Ann left the room. The man nodded at Hunter and without any pleasantries put a file on the table before him. The file was labeled as CONFIDENTIAL in bold letters.
Hunter opened the file and went through its pages. Everyone was quiet not understanding what was going on? Or what was going to happen? Who was that man?
After a few minutes, Hunter raised his head from the file and looked at the man. The man nodded i n his direction as if confirming his suspicions and then left the room.
Very casually Hunter glanced at all the members then straightaway looked at Liam. “Do you have any friends working in the Alain group?”
Liam swallowed audibly not at all expecting this. “What is this supposed to mean?” Liam raised his voice slightly. His forehead was sweating profusely. He removed his glasses to wipe away the sweat from his eyes. Though the air conditioning of the room was perfect.
Hunter was still very calm and cool, “Is that friend … a girl? Is she your girlfriend?”
“This is something very personal Hunter. I still don’t understand that …”
“Answer his question dammit.” Ethan was fuming with anger. “Don’t make it nastier.”
“I am happily married and I would never …” Liam tried to be loud but his voice was shaking.
“Should we call your girlfriend and ask her? Does she know you are married?” Hunter’s tone was icy, running a chill down Liam’s spine.
“Why personal attacks, Hunter? You would take Amanda’s words against me?”
“Did I say that we are talking about Amanda?” Hunter smiled and that smile was everything but
friendly. It was evil, it was cynical.
“Here look at this picture. The man kissing this girl in the bar resembles you a lot I guess.” Hunter threw the file before him. All the photographs inside the file were scattered on the table. In all those photographs Liam was not only kissing but also doing much more … that too without any clothes.
“Hunter! I can explain this. I……”
“You are fired,” Hunter announced casually as if he was talking about the weather.
“Get out. Your dues will be cleared during this week. The check would be mailed to you. No need to show your face here. Ever again.” With that Hunter stood and started to leave.
“Just thank God I am not giving this worthless piece of your body to law agencies.” With that Hunter left the room taking long strides towards his office.
Just then two guards appeared out of nowhere and headed towards Liam, “I swear. I didn’t do anything. Please, Ethan. Talk to him. Tell him I am sorry.”
They all could hear Liam even after he was taken away. Abigail was rooted on her chair. The way Hunter had dealt with the man, made her frightened for some unknown reason
For her, there was only one conclusion to all this.
He was NOT Henry.
But it seemed that was not enough for the day. When she was heading towards the elevators, Ethan stopped her. He was talking to Mrs. Ann.
“Abigail. Can you be a sweetheart and check some of our files for us? I need to leave the office urgently.” He was the same Ethan who was talking aggressively with Liam.
“Sure, Ethan. Give me the files.”
Ethan at once handed them to her, “Here. These are very important ones so you cannot take them t o your office.”
Abigail stopped with one step still ahead. Seeing her confusion, he smiled a little over brightly.
“Due to confidentiality!” He cleared and held her by her elbow, “Come with me.”
Abigail followed him. He opened a heavy door and held it for her. Waving his hand he asked her silently to enter the office. Abigail at once followed his order but stopped dead in her tracks when she found Hunter sitting there behind his desk. The same Hunter who threw out Liam mercilessly.
She didn’t know if she should feel frightened. Though she could also see his secretary, James sitting beside him.
Apart from the handsome man, it was the interior of the office…. She was in awe of it.
The office was all metallic grey and black and didn’t look gloomy but had a classy touch. A black wooden desk was situated just in front. On one side of the room, a five-seater sofa set in L shape was there with all grey and black cushions. Only office chairs were done in faun color.
The glass walls gave a clear view of San Francisco city. “Wow. This is beautiful!” the words escaped her mouth before she could stop herself.
“Like it?” Unexpectedly it was asked by the callous and coldhearted person himself. Hunter smiled at her. It was genuinely the first smile after she met him as his employee. Before that he did not even bother to look at her.
In answer to his question she just nodded like a child.
On the other side, at the far end of the room was a minibar.
“Impressive!” she said again.
He was busy on his laptop… as usual. James was making some notes in his Mac book. At last, Hunter raised his head again and looked at Ethan questioningly.
“Hunter. Abigail wants to work on these files…”
Wait a minute! What?
AM I THE ONE WHO WANTS TO WORK ON THESE FILES?
DIDN’T HE ASK ME TO DO IT?
“So it’s better if she sits here because I need to go and run some errands.”
Abigail did not know why Hunter was throwing murderous glances at Ethan. Though he did not utter a single word. He was sitting with his fist under his chin. But Ethan was not even looking at him.
He pulled a chair placed in front of Hunter and asked her to sit there. Abigail was standing there indecisively
“Sit down, Abigail. He won’t eat you up. He is a good man!” There was amusement in Ethan’s voice.
Abigail stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She did not want to sit there. But Ethan had been so good to her that she did not want to say ‘No’ to him.
Very slowly without looking at either of them, she sat down.
wn
“Thank you, Abigail. I owe you for this.” With that, he left the room leaving her alone with Hunter Levisay.
