Chapter 3: 3 – The First Interaction
Qaya Stone – the "icewoman" – fixed her dark eyes on the handsome face of the man in front of her. Complex emotions swirled through her heart.
Perhaps the President did not trust her after all, she thought to herself bitterly. After all, she was just an abandoned stray that he had rescued on a whim ten years ago – but what had been a life-saving grace for her, had probably simply been a random act of charity for him. After all, the President was living proof of "do good and do it well" – so it was simply out of the goodness of his heart that he had saved a stray teenage girl, sent her to study and then given her a job. They lived in different countries and met once or twice a year – and almost all of these meetings were for work.
Qaya had long been aware of the rumours about her – that she was about to quit from her position as the CEO of Colossus in J Country and defect to one of the rivals. She was used to negative rumours about herself, so she hadn't paid much attention to this one, either.
But to think that the President doubted her loyalty…
It hurt, she thought, her eyes dropping to the papers on her desk.
With a sigh, she looked up again at the eldest son of the man who had been her mentor, saviour, hero and the only person akin to a father figure for her. "If your father is concerned about the rumours of my departure from the company, do tell him that there is nothing to worry about and I will remain his loyal servant till the day I die," she said quietly, her voice carrying the solemnity of a promise.
Hamir was quiet for a long moment. He considered denying the whole thing, but realised it would be futile after that grand declaration. CEO Qaya Stone was too smart to be fooled with his amateur tricks, he thought wryly. In a way, he felt relieved; deception was not an art that came to him naturally.
It would be better to be honest with her, he decided.
Besides, the seriousness of her voice, and the mostly hidden sadness in her dark eyes made him feel uncomfortable.
So, Hamir put on his best gentlemanly smile – the one that made most females (and some males) around him swoon and giggle – hoping to lighten the mood. He threw up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "All right, you win. How did you know?" he asked lightly.
CEO Stone raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, and then replied enigmatically with one word - "Research."
Hamir laughed disbelievingly. "Papa has always kept us away from the spotlight, and I've kept a very low profile in my chosen profession as well," he pointed out. "It is very difficult to connect Hamir Sen with Hamir Goldstein unless you've actually seen me."
Qaya chuckled and smiled slightly. "Well," she said. "I'm not a doctor, but I did read up on hereditary genetic traits for the new project the President intends to launch next year. Dr. Goldstein – you must have heard people tell you before that you have your father's eyes. Heterochromia iridium."
For a moment, Hamir simply stared at her in shock. How sharp and observant was this woman! No wonder she had risen her position at such a young age!
A helpless smile bloomed on Hamir's face, along with a small sense of anticipation. Like most high IQ people, Hamir enjoyed the company of smart people – and it had been some time since he had come across someone of this calibre.
Perhaps it was not just a fool's errand that Papa had sent him on, he thought suddenly. Thinking of his father, he suddenly felt exhausted. He could feel the jetlag from flying halfway across the world and going straight to work without any rest – perhaps because he was relieved that he no longer had to conceal his identity in front of this woman.
Hamir took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I am glad most of the world isn't as perceptive as you," he said softly. "It would have made life difficult for us."
"I doubt it," she snapped, almost involuntarily. She had no patience for the whinging of an entitled, rich brat, even if he was the off-spring of the man she had sworn fealty to.
He looked up at her, his eyes ablaze with passion and fury. The stormiest sea Qaya had ever seen could not compare to such intensity.
Qaya stared at the spectacular man in front of her. Tall, dark, classically handsome – he was a dream come true. With his glasses and gentle voice, he was sophisticated, erudite and cultured. But the moment he took off his glasses and pinned her with the raptor gaze of the unusual grey-green eyes he shared with his father, she stopped breathing. Gone was the mild, kindly gaze of his father; Hamir was a wild beast, an undoubted alpha male. For the first time in over a decade, her heart hammered in her chest and the desire she had never thought she would feel again reared its dangerous head.
However, just as abruptly as it had come, the tempest in Hamir's eyes faded out. He looked away from her and winced. Then he returned his glasses to their position on his nose. When he finally looked up at Qaya again, the gentle grey-green of a calm ocean was back.
Taken aback, Qaya realised that this man was as used to suppressing his own feelings and emotions as she was. Perhaps the only difference was that while her defence mode was rude, abrasive and designed to keep people away, his was a mild, meek and easy-to-approach front that allowed him to blend in with the masses.
Hamir resisted the urge to flinch as Qaya regarded him with a thoughtful look on her face. He cursed himself for losing his cool; it had been a long time since anyone had managed to get under his skin. What was it about this woman that constantly undid the balance he had effortlessly maintained for his entire adult life? Why did she gnaw away at his self-control?
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