Chapter 14 CHAPTER 14
Michael’s POV
She didn’t blink and I knew she was not kidding.
“A date?” I repeated. “I’m engaged, Rosa. That’s not the image the CEO of Greywood’s wants in the public.”
“Hardly engaged,” she countered. “Alpha Raymond would never approve.”
Her statement infuriated me. “Have a goodnight, Rosa, and make yourself at home. I’ll get a media manager.”
Jasper met me in the hallway. “She’s home.” It wasn’t a statement, it was a question. He was asking what my next move about Evelyn Moon was.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jasper,” i said to him. “You can keep Rosa company if you don’t mind.”
I woke up with an apology text from Evelyn Moon. She apologised for messing up the night and promised to keep to the terms of the contract unfailingly. I tossed my phone away. I wasn’t upset by how the night had turned out. I was upset by how much it affected me. I was conflicted between feeling sorry for her or being angry.
Tamara walked briskly beside me in the office, her shoes clicking on the tiles. “I have bad news, sir,” she said, her voice causing me to pause.
“What is it?”
She bit her lips. “The lady for the media role. She cancelled last minute.”
A dull headache was growing in my temple. “What happened?”
“She got a better offer elsewhere,”she said, tugging at her pad.
“Did you try to negotiate, Tamara? To raise the offer?”
“She was quite clear that she wasn’t going to take the offer anymore.”
I glanced at the time. “This product is supposed to launch in the next two hours, Tamara. I want you to work with HR and get me the best Media lead anywhere in this world.”
She nodded sharply and turned on her heels.
When Tamara arrived more than an hour, she didn’t look like she had good news. “The notice was too short, sir,” she said. “But we got a volunteering application from Rosaleen Blackwood.”
“Rosa?”
“She submitted an application for the role as a volunteer an hour ago.”
We were already running out of options and Rosaleen was the perfect person for a position like that. “Is she still here?”
“I’ll give her a call, sir,” she said, rushing out of the office.
Rosaleen arrived at my office a few minutes later wearing a smile and a grey suit that matched her skin tone perfectly. “I heard I might be hired as your media head,” she said, standing behind the chair and swirling it gently.
“Sit down, please,” I said, gesturing at the seat.
She turned around and sat down in front of me. “We are quite at a dead end here, I must confess,” I continued. “Are you sure you want to take this position without pay?”
She leaned forward, her face straight. “I told you what I wanted already, Alpha Michael.”
“A date every week.”
She nodded.
“Once a month,” I said, leaning backward.
“Deal.” She stretched her hand across the table, smiling. I accepted it and we shook on it.
“I’ll start today as I was told and I promise you, you won’t regret this.”
—
I didn’t expect to see Evelyn Moon at the house. She was looking at a family painting when I walked in on her.
“Who let you in?” I asked, startling her.
She turned around and almost tripped over a large vase on the floor. “You haven’t been taking your calls,” she responded.
“I thought I made it clear that I don't want to see you again.”
She remained still. “We signed a contract..”
“And you messed up an important part of it.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry. I regret the things I did last night. I didn’t know I was going to get high easily. It- it was my first time,” she stammered.
I scoffed. “How does that fix the impression my father has of you?”
She stepped a bit forward. “Let me handle that. I know I have made myself look like some stupid fool, but I can fix it. I’ve had a fair share of bad first impressions. I always get a comeback.”
Not from what I witnessed in the restroom the previous day.
“You are too much problems, Evelyn Moon. From rumors of you being pipped by your step mother for money, to having your private picture on the internet and then yesterday. Is it really worth all the stress?”
“I’ll make it worth your while,” she said sharply. “I can do some work in your company. I have some experiences running my father’s company. And I'm getting a professional degree in that regard soon.”
I studied her. “You look like you can’t even handle yourself.” I let out a bitter laughter. “Why should I trust you with my company?"
She shrugged. “You’ll never know if you don’t try.” She placed her palms together. “Please.”
As much as I was bent on terminating the contract, I knew it was not a good look for me at all. Our engagement was still being actively talked about all over the place. Calling it off would place me in terrible lights.
“No more alcohol, whatsoever,” I said. “And no suggestive photos.”
She raised her hand and crossed it over her chest. “Cross my heart,” she said.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Jasper. I was expecting a call from him about the sale of our product.
“Jasper,” I said, my voice trailing.
“I’ve got great news.” He sounded so excited, and I found myself smiling. I walked away from the sitting room.
“Spill. Is it about our product?”
“Yes. Guess how much we were able to sell within three hours of launching?”
I thought sixty five percent was a good figure. “Seventy percent,” I said, pouring some water in a glass cup.
“A hundred percent,” he screamed over the phone. “The fastest sale ever made in the company. In the whole industry if we are checking.”
“Sold out?” I repeated.
“Completely. Rosaleen is such a marketing genius. She was so amazing.”
Rosaleen, I thought. There had to be a reason that our paths were crossing after so many years.