Chapter 240 The Mall

Chapter 240 The Mall
Everyone was impressed that Thorin came to the office armed with all the information. He had done his homework well.

“Huh! Yes, I did. And I don’t have doubts about my talent; don’t think otherwise. But I have been riding on her talent for years now. She did everything that day. I just helped her speed up the process. Everyone here knows that. Maeve is our pride. If you want to carry out the tests, we will be here; we will take it, but that will be futile; whatever we do, she will do better and faster,” scoffed Aria and replied with a huge smile on her face.

“Whatever, I need you all to take the test and when Ms Maeve Arrendale comes back, I need to see her. Let’s see if she really deserves to stand on the pedestal you all keep giving her,” said Thorin through gritted teeth.

“So, how do you want to do this?” asked Thessia. “Can I participate?” she laughed.

“I would encourage you to and everyone else. Whoever passes the test will get two major projects I came up with, freedom to select their team, a big bonus after completion of the project, and of course a promotion,” replied Thorin.

Everyone looked at each other with excitement.

Thorin continued, “You all can take the test together or at whatever time is convenient for you all. Up to you! But let me tell you, the test will be hard. I hope the good name I have been hearing about the Veyantara office will do everything in their power to live up to it.”

“Don’t worry, sir! We won’t disappoint you,” said Aeltharix.

“Let me show you to your cabin,” said Thessia and stood up. But she halted in her tracks, “Um… we only have two desks inside that cabin. We didn’t know that Miss Calder would be coming too.”

“No worries. She is here to help HR. Give her a cabin in that department. Corvin will work with me; I want him with me,” smiled Thorin. Vespera grabbed the fabric of her skirt and clenched her fists tightly again. Thorin was ready to keep her away from him. She pouted and looked at Thorin, “Thorin! I am here to help you, not HR!”

“By helping HR, you are helping me. You found the best people for your business, and your business is so successful. Do that for this office too, please!” requested Thorin. His begging and pleading melted her heart. She sighed and nodded at him, but not before rolling her eyes at him. “I knew it; you are the best.”

“Then take me shopping!” said Vespera and clung to his arms.

“Okay, I have instructed everyone about everything. Let’s take a look at the cabin, and then we will leave. We cannot do anything before these guys make all the arrangements. Happy, now?” laughed Thorin. He knew he had to keep Vespera happy because, in his mind, he was using her. He was stringing her along when he had no feelings for her. To keep his Eve safe, he was dragging her along and that made him feel guilty.

Thessia took him to the biggest cabin on the top floor and showed him around the office. That took them at least an hour, and then Thorin asked Thessia to get a setup ready for the tests. The test would start tomorrow. And now they were all ready to walk out.

“See you tomorrow. Thank you for today. And make sure your star gets here for the test,” said Thorin. His face was smiling, but the grinding sound of his teeth told everyone how much he despised Maeve.

“Keep your emotions in check, you idiot!” teased Corvin while walking to the car.

“Shut up!” mumbled Thorin. Corvin went back to the house while Thorin took Vespera to a mall nearby. They had seen grander malls than that, but in a small town, a small mall, they would have to work with that.

“What do you want?” asked Thorin, smiling.

“I don’t know, let’s just look around and get me a coffee,” said Vespera, happily.

“Let’s go!” said Thorin, and they both walked into a coffee store. Wherever Thorin went, women and girls kept giggling and staring at him; even men were aware that he was extremely handsome. He looked like a prince, and everyone was excited to see the son of the richest man on the planet walking among them. They grabbed their coffee and walked out.

Vespera kept sipping the cold coffee while pointing out things she wanted to buy. Thorin, without any objections, kept buying everything for her. The bodyguards walking behind them kept holding every packet, and Thorin walked with his cold latte in his hand. He never touched Vespera, but she kept clinging to his arms.

“Look, look! Everyone’s looking at you. They have never seen Thorin Blackridge walking among them, mere mortals. You must feel like royalty,” teased Vespera.

“I am royalty,” mocked Thorin and turned to look at the girls giggling at him. The moment he turned, the door of the children's clothing store next to him opened, and a sweet little girl exited the store with a woman in her early fifties. The tiny girl bumped into Thorin, and the coffee in his hands dropped on the girl’s head, spilling the coffee, which soaked the girl’s head and her dress.

“Hahhh!” screamed the girl dressed in a white floral frock. She first shivered with the cold and then wiped the coffee from her face, placed her palms over her waist and looked at Thorin with utter disdain.

“Valeska!” shouted the old lady and knelt near her. She kept wiping the coffee from her head, her face, and her dress, but Valeska’s eyes were on Thorin.

Thorin looked down and clenched his teeth in guilt. “Ohh!” he wanted to say sorry, but forgot how to speak. The moment he saw the girl, he forgot to breathe. She looked like a cute doll. But that was not the thing that attracted him; it was her eyes. He thought hard and realised that he had seen those eyes before, and then it struck him like lightning. Those eyes were his. The girl’s eyes looked like his eyes.

“Ohh!! That’s what your mother taught you to say when you make a mistake, mister?” snapped Valeska.

Everyone standing around Thorin was taken aback. No one had ever talked to Thorin like that before. His bodyguards looked stunned but they hid their mouth to hide their smile.

“Excuse me!” asked Thorin.

“You are this mountain of a man. You have eyes. Can’t you see? Can’t your legs figure out where to walk or how to walk?” chided Valeska. Her tiny body before Thorin’s huge frame looked like an ant was picking a fight with a huge elephant.

“Valeska! Don’t talk like that. Say sorry!” said the old woman.

“But Grandma! He bumped into me first. He threw his yuck liquid on me. He should say sorry, not me,” pouted Valeska.

“Yuck liquid?” asked Thorin, smiling.