Reyona had just gotten off one of the most promising calls she had made in a while that morning.
It had not been easy getting international calls either because nothing was hidden in the world of business.
Especially not something of that magnitude.
Many of the international business owners who knew of the matter had not been as hostile to her as the Kayooma business owners had been, but most of them had declined to work with ReyDexter anyway.
Some promised to get back to her, but that call never came through.
When she or one of her employees called such a number back, they might find out that the person they spoke to was unavailable and would not be available for a long while.
But just that morning, she had just gotten off the phone with the CFO of Nepsol Holding in Azerbaijan.
Nepsol Holding is a big group of companies with subsidiaries active in the fields of energy, telecommunications, construction, and high-tech.
Azerbaijan was a country she wouldn't have thought of expanding to anytime soon, but at the moment, she decided to leave no stone unturned.
Reyona had met the woman once at a conference where she was a speaker, and the woman had told her through her interpreter that she was a remarkable woman.
Then the chief financial officer handed Reyona her card.
Reyona had not given that card a thought since she had collected it.
But then, while going through some files, she saw it nestled among old files.
When she researched the company again, she blamed herself for not looking closer at the company earlier.
Having Nepsol Holding as a client was worth more than a hundred of the clients ReyDexter had lost.
Sehima Hasanova had been very surprised when Reyona called her.
The woman could speak some English now, and they were able to understand each other.
Hasanova did not hide the fact that she was going to do her own research before she would fully come to a decision, but she expressed her interest in working with Reyona.
As Reyona disconnected the call, she sat with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
Yes, the call ended on a positive note, but she knew what Hasanova would find.
At the forefront of all the achievements and triumphs of her company was the scandal.
It would be the first thing the woman and her team would see.
She was still contemplating whether she should just send a portfolio of the company to the woman while adding details about the scandal when the phone rang.
A look at the caller ID soured her mood further.
Though she was tempted to not pick up the call, she somehow knew he would just keep calling until she was forced to answer or switch off her phone.
Since she had no intention of switching her phone because of anyone, Reyona picked up the call.
She would not hide from anyone.
"What bad timing, Mr. Rohan," she said simply as she put the phone on speaker mode and placed it back on her table.
"And a good morning to you too, Mrs. Lanoth," he said in a tuneless tone.
Mrs. Lanoth.
Reyona had no idea why hearing that name from him always managed to infuriate her.
She had a ready, scathing response at the tip of her tongue, but then she remembered that he was not worth it.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I think you don't take your clients or business seriously enough," he said simply.
What?
What the hell is this bastard talking about now?
Reyona reeled in her anger as she felt a headache coming on.
She gingerly stood up from where she was seated.
She had to stifle the groan that almost escaped her mouth as her muscles cramped suddenly.
She inhaled deeply and sank to the floor immediately
"What is going on?" he asked from the other end.
What? He heard her? Reyona wondered, embarrassed.
She inhaled slowly to steady her voice.
Then, as she rubbed her shin, she answered carefully.
"Nothing is wrong. Now, please, if you are done with your analysis of how I handle my business, I need to go."
She tamped down on the electrifying feeling in her feet as she gingerly stood on it.
She reached out to disconnect the call, but his words stopped her.
"There was ongoing cooperation between our companies, wasn't there? Isn't it irresponsible of you to just leave us hanging without further communication?"
Reyona forgot her fading pain as she stared at the phone like it had grown horns.
Has he gone totally mad?
Which cooperation was he talking about?
The same one he had denied her because of his personal reasons?
He had taken the business from her but had found his way to get what he wanted anyway, and now he was talking about irresponsibility?
The enormity of how much she wanted to tear into him scared Reyona herself.
She could picture herself snatching up the phone and telling him off with the foulest words she could ever find.
She could almost taste the victory of how good it would feel to let him know just how much she loathed him and every man like him.
Instead, she slowly and deliberately pressed the disconnect button.
Then she put the phone on silent.
His call came through immediately, but she ignored it.
His call had done something to her anyway; it reminded her of what she had promised herself.
She was not going to hide her condition from anyone, no matter what was at stake.
With that reminder in mind, she opened her email and sent the company's e-portfolio to Sehima Hasanova.
Alongside the portfolio was the well-detailed report that Reyona had worked on over the week.
She sent the two and decided to take her mind off the consequences.
It was left to Sehima now.
She had no idea why but she was feeling better that morning.
She left the office and went to the adjoining room that had been converted into a room for her by her employees and Toria.
She smiled as she saw her sister sleeping on the bed with the covers off her body.
She moved closer to her and covered her body.
Then she bent down to kiss her sister's forehead.
"Thank you," she whispered.