Chapter 34: Was it that difficult

Melanin International

Gwen was sitting at her desk and was doing the work Karl had given her. She had made the notes which needed to be taken care of to improve the company's market value.

Taking the papers in her hand she walked towards Karl's cabin and knocked on it.

"Come in" she heard and stepped in.

Sitting on his desk was Karl working with his attention fully concentrated on his work looked like Adonis with that well-sculpted figure and my god that face looked enchanting to her naked eyes.

'My heart will just stop beating at this rate' she said inwardly and calmed her accelerated heartbeat before she walked further and stopped right in front of his desk.

"Did you go through the company's portfolio as I had asked you to do?" he asked without looking up at her and just that moment she felt her heart skip a beat.

He wasn't even paying attention to her but even that was giving her giddy feelings.

Karl had been fully concentrated on the file in front of him lifted his head when he didn't hear a word from him and found her staring at him without blinking.

"Miss Gwen" he called her out and saw her flutter her eyes.

"Umm.. yes sir," she asked in a daze still not completely out of her thoughts made Karl worry about her.

This was the second time he had seen her spacing out which was slowly concerning him.

"Miss Gwen are you okay?" he couldn't help but ask.

Gwen who finally found her thoughts landing down turned red in embarrassment. Why was she so smitten by this man that she couldn't stop herself from getting spelled by his handsomeness?

"No sir... I mean yes sir, I am fine and these are the points we need to work on to improve our market value" she said in hurry and placed the paper on his table before averting her gaze from him.

Karl was surprised by her change in behavior and looked at her dumbfounded. Brushing that thought he looked down at the papers and went through them.

Impressed by her work, Karl nod his head in agreement and looked at her with a satisfied look on his face.

"Good, I think you can be a perfect assistant I can rely on" his words made Gwen happy and she smiled when he praised her without any filters.

"We have a meeting in an hour and I want you to note down the important points to which we need to pay more attention" Karl passed her the papers and asked her to get ready. Noting his words Gwen left his cabin.

Karl who watched her walk out found himself smiling through the glass door.

'Why am I smiling like a fool?' switching back to his poker face he frowned and turned back his attention from the door to the file in front of him.

****

After freshening herself, Alice decided to go to the studio. She knew she would get crazy spending her time alone doing nothing and just sleeping.

Reaching the parking lot she was about to step in when her eyes caught the sight of a person whom she didn't expect to be staking her. Her eyes turned cold the moment she watched him heading toward her and stop.

" What are you doing here Nathan?" she asked with a blank face and saw the man lower his head.

"Young miss, Master has asked me to get you home," he said without meeting her cold eyes.

Nathan was her father's most trusted man who worked for him his entire life. And him being in front of her didn't give her a good vibe.

Alice knew she had been ignoring her mother's call who had been pestering her to return home because her father was mad at her declining reputation.

"Tell your master I am busy to meet him" saying she turned and stepped into her car driving away leaving the man behind.

Alice had broken all the ties with her family the day they tried to use her as their money-earning machine. She knew her father was a greedy man who didn't even spare his blood when it came to enhancing his business.

Driving the car she soon reached her studio and stepped out entering the building. Vanessa wasn't that huge but Alice had managed to earn the name herself. She didn't want people to associate her with her father's last name because she had erased it the day she walked out of that mansion.

Stepping into her cabin she slumped on the chair and closed her eyes heaving out a sigh. She knew what was her father planning to do but she wasn't that stupid to get trapped in their pools of lies.

Sitting straight she turned on the laptop and started working on the photos that need to be edited. Her fingers tap at the next button as she tried to focus on her work but kept spacing out thinking about her family.

"Argh!! Why can't they let me live in peace" she jerk the laptop away and pulled her hair in frustration.

Leaning back she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before she picked up her phone and made a call to her mother.

The ring went on a few times before she heard her mother's angry voice," You finally got the time to answer me Alice" Ashlyn yelled at her from the other side.

Alice who wasn't in a mood to listen to her mother's banter rolled her eyes in annoyance and said," Stop yelling mom, I didn't call to get scolded by you" she said silencing her mother.

Alice had that two socialite parents who didn't care about their daughter well being, all they care about was their family name. Then being ignorant of her all those years distant her from them as she grew up. She was just a scapegoat whom they would use when she reached a mature age.

" Is this the right way to speak with your mother Alice?" Ashlyn gritted her teeth as she spoke with her.

Alice scoffed at her words and let out a disgusting chuckle," Mother? Mom... Have you ever fulfilled your mother's responsibility towards your child? No right, then please stop lecturing me because these words don't sound good from you"

Before Ashlyn could flare at her she cut in," I am warning you both for the last time. Don't try to mock me by sending your men to my doorstep. Nathan was fortunate enough to be spared by my anger and if you don't want me to burst at father then ask him to keep distance" saying she ended the call and threw the phone away.

Alice had long forgotten that she had a family whom she can rely on but it was her fortunate to learn that she was expecting too much from those who never once cared for her.

On the other side, Ashlyn flared in anger with her daughters in decent words towards her parents.

"This girl would never change" Ashlyn turned back in anger and face her husband who was sitting next to her.

Theon looked at his wife's angry face and questioned," What did she say?" his being calm was like a ticking bomb that made Ashlyn gulp.

Calming herself she looked at him and said," She isn't ready to listen Theon, and has asked us to keep distance from her." as soon as she finished those words she saw her husband fume.

"I should have known that I birth an ungrateful child who is of no use for us. If I had known she was going to show her back to us, I would have never let her step her foot out of this house"

Theon had been very considerate with Alice till now, but now, he felt it was his mistake to let her live the life she wanted.

Alice was his only child and the heir of his empire, how was he going to let her go just like that. No, he won't, because he knew with what loss he had gained in this business and just because his daughter wasn't ready that doesn't mean he didn't have other ways to get her in.

****

Resort

Ashley had not heard back from Tristan after he walked out of the clubhouse. She was expecting him to at least call her for their next plan but even after three hours had passed she didn't get even a text message from him.

Now his ignorance was starting to bother her and she felt more guilty for her actions earlier.

'Was it that difficult for her to fulfill his one wish' she asked herself and that made her feel even more worst.

Getting up from her bed she walked towards the balcony just to see if he was standing there but when she stepped out and looked his way she found no one and that upset her.

"Did my actions anger him so much that he doesn't want to talk to me" she muttered feeling a heavy weight in her heart when the thought of him completely blocking her crossed her mind.

"No, I can't let that happen, not after I have started falling for him," she said and turned back heading inside her room.