Chapter 20

Scarlet's POV.

“Wifey, I know you are worried about me. And that's why I have also hired some bodyguards for myself, to assure you. Are you satisfied now?” Raymond answered sweetly, making my worries disappear.

“Hmm! I am free of worry now since you have also hired bodyguards to protect yourself. Don't distance them from you. Have them with you all the time while you are away from home.” I warned gently and hung up the phone.

The day started well today. No pressure, no stress, just good things happening. And I wish things went smoothly today. Mr. Jerry was supposed to tell us his decision today, whether he would join Ray Entertainment or not, and I was anticipating his agreement.

But the answer that came made my mood drop from 10 to zero.

“Mr. Jerry rejected our offer. He doesn't want to work with Ray Entertainment. His decision to stay away from the entertainment industry remains the same.” Lyla gave this bad news to me.

Now I have no idea how to handle this situation. He's known for his rough personality and ninety-nine percent success.

“Since he rejected, we need to find someone else.” I don't want to waste my time on one person with no good outcome.

“But Miss Scarlet, don't you want to try again? He's the best when it comes to teaching our children.” It seems as if Lyla doesn't want to give up on Mr. Jerry.

“He may be the best option, but we can't force him if he doesn't want to work with us. We tried convincing him to join our company; we told him we needed him. But in the end, it's his choice if he wants to work with us or not. And since she doesn't want to, we have no right to force him. We need to find someone else.” I started looking for other candidates in the file given to me by Lyla.

One candidate out of three is out; now there are only two left. But are they even qualified? Yes, they have experience. They have worked in this industry for a long and know how things work. But...

“Lyla, make an announcement. We are hiring a coach for Left Wing, and anyone who meets the criteria can come to the interview.”

“What? Are you recruiting a fresher? But we have many big names who can teach our kids better.” Lyla is confused by my sudden decision, and it's fair.

“Ray Entertainment has always been known for giving fair chances to newcomers. So I see nothing wrong in it. We are hiring, and that's it.”

“But you need to discuss it with the leaders. Taking decisions without taking others' opinions into consideration will only anger them.” Lyla seems worried.

“Lyla, I am the CEO. If I can't even take such a small decision by myself, do you really think I am qualified to run this empire? There's no need to discuss this matter with anyone. Spread the word; we are hiring.”

Lyla exited the office in low spirits. She wasn't happy at all. I don't know the reason. Is she worried about me? Or maybe worried that my reckless action might be subject to her upcoming bullying? Maybe she's worried others might bully her because of me.

While Lyla got busy with HR, I continued to complete the work, and to my surprise, nothing extraordinary or bad happened today. I didn't visit the left wing but went to the shooting sight; the models were doing well with the photo shoot. I disturbed no one and went to my office.

But then I saw Michelle Travis waiting for me in my office. He walked to me the moment I entered the office.

“I thought you were capable enough to teach my students, but it turns out you are nothing but a loser.” He mocked.

“Come to the point.” I walked to my seat.

“There are so many capable people in this industry, so why are you hiring newcomers instead of inviting well-known people?” He questioned.

“I know there are many well-known and qualified people to teach the kids you abandoned. But who knows, hiring seems to be the best option for now. The kids need a teacher, a coach who can guide and teach them without showing any ego. And an experienced person will never do that.” I have my own reasons for hiring a coach.

“First of all, I didn't abandon them. I gave them to you for you to prove you are capable of handling company matters. Or else how will others trust you?” Said Michelle seriously.

“Don't give excuses for your incompetence. I might not be an expert, but even I know the value of loss of time. You might have given them to me to prove my competencies, but have you realized this can ruin their future? Since you have given the threat of their future in my hands, you should stay away from their business. I will handle everything on my own. And if needed, I will ask for your advice and suggestions.” I said as I sat on the chair.

“There are plenty of people who will set aside their ego and teach the kids. Do you have to hire a newcomer?” He asked.

“Ray Entertainment is a brand itself, so its employees shouldn't beg anyone unnecessarily. We are known to give people fair chances, so why snatch it away from them? Recruiting is a crucial part; many people around the country will participate. This is a chance for us to hire fresh talent who are excellent.” I gave my reason.

But I don't think Michelle got it. In his perspective, I am nothing but a loser recommended by my late mother, a certain someone with zero knowledge, so it's normal he treats me like nobody.

“Scarlet Quinn, I hope you understand what you are doing right now. First of all, you took this decision without consulting and discussing with anyone, and now you aren't even including them in this process. If this backfires on you one day, don't come to me with teary eyes.” He warned and left, slamming the glass door loudly, almost screeching my ears.

I looked from the side, and he looked furious. But compared to our first meeting, he handled his anger better this time. He didn't explode on me. His words did make some sense this time and didn't look like he was out there to take revenge on me.

Just when I thought it's the end of the bad moment, Ryan's call disturbed me. My heart dropped seeing his name on the caller ID. I picked up the call.

“What do you want now, my dear?” I gritted my teeth, but in a secretive manner, without letting him know.

“It's lunchtime. Come out now. I am waiting in the parking lot. I am taking you out for lunch.”

What? He wants me to have lunch with me? This guy... he never took me out before, and even if he did, he never spent a cent on me. But now that I have become rich, he wants to buy food for me? How ironic.

I want to reject him, but knowing he holds a thread of my future, I have to tolerate him.

“Alright! I am heading to the parking lot.” I hung up the phone, took the jacket and purse from the table, and headed outside.

He was waiting for me in the parking lot. He's dressed so neatly that I wondered, Is he the same person who threatened me yesterday? He looks normal. Who can say he's a psychopath?

I got into his car, which he definitely rented from somewhere, and drove to the restaurant.

Being with Ryan is morally wrong and even ethically. If I am seen with him, it's going to cause a huge problem. If my in-laws see me with this bastard, they will not believe me. I won't be able to explain anything. But right now, I am weak and have no power in my hand. So until I gather enough evidence against him, I have to treat him well and do what he says.

He took me to a fancy restaurant and ordered fancy and expensive food. We are together, and when it came to paying the bill, of course, he's going to pay. He will pay, right?

“Here's your bill.” The waiter handed him the bill.

Ryan smiled and looked at me as he slid the bill towards me. “Baby! Pay the bill.”

“Me? You are asking me to pay the bill?” I asked doubtfully.

“Oh, babes, who will pay if not you? As you see, I am broke. Don't wait, just pay immediately.” He said it shamelessly.

I knew it. This bastard has never spent a single cent on me, so where did the confidence that he would pay the bill today come to me? I was really an idiot to think he was treating me to a meal today.

I took out my mom's credit card and paid the bill on the spot. Ryan has hearts in his eyes, not for me but for my money.

Ryan is obsessed with me, not because he loves me, but because I have money. And he will look for ways to extract that money and wealth from me.

“I am too full after the meal, but there's always space for dessert. How about you treat me to that famous mango pudding?” Ryan, this bastard, really takes himself for a king.

“Why not? If my baby wants to eat mango pudding, it's my pleasure to satisfy your craving. Let's go.” I want to punch him, send him out of the universe, and then laugh manically.

I took him to the cake shop; I am buying him the mango pudding.

“You two are newlyweds. But how come your wife left you alone this morning? You two should spend lots of time together, and it's the only chance you will get since you just got married recently; don't waste it.”

“Since we are newlyweds, we are having difficulty adjusting to new lives. You can't blame her.”

“I am not blaming anyone. Just telling you. Anyway, this mango pudding is famous for its unique flavor; buy one for your lovely wife.”

This voice...they are very familiar.

The moment I realized whom these voices belonged to, my first reflex was to hide behind Ryan.

“Hey babe, what are you doing? Are you hiding?”