“I apologize for being late, boss.” Paul bowed to Gabriel as he caught his breath. He immediately opened the door of the passenger’s seat of his master’s car.
Paul was Gabriel’s driver and personal assistant. He doesn’t usually leave his employer’s side. But today, he asked to take a leave to assist a family member to a hospital.
“What happened to your car, if I may ask, boss?” Paul touched the dent in the executive’s newly bought vehicle.
“Don’t ask me again,” Gabriel let out a deep sigh as he recalled his unfortunate mishap with Evina Chen. A flicker of thought came to him, wondering how she was doing after that. But then he immediately shook it off his head after he recalled how she tried to kick his bollocks.
“I already called for service. How is your mother?” Gabriel answered, distracting him from asking more about it. He then laid his head on the headrest of the seat.
Paul had already started the car. In a few minutes, they were already out of Sapphire Co.’s parking lot. The location of Sapphire Co. is 25 miles from the urban area. But they traveled through the expressway so that they could reach the metropolis in one hour for Gabriel’s next appointment.
“She’s fine now, boss. Maybe she’s just over fatigue and needs to rest.” Paul answered as he drove. Then he glanced at the rearview mirror to check on the CEO. Gabriel’s eyes were closed, but his jaw was clenched as he felt a throbbing pain in his head.
“And maybe you need to do that as well, boss.” Paul suggested as he continued to drive the car to Gabriel’s next destination. His foot stepped on the gas, so he could be there in the fastest time possible.
“No, I’m good. Father must be waiting for us now. I will just take a nap a bit. Just turn on the music and drop some essential oils in the diffuser,” Gabriel breathed as he squirmed, so he could get a more comfortable position.
“Affirmative, boss.” Paul said in a quiet voice as he immediately obeyed his command.
If Gabriel was true to himself, he would admit it. He was indeed exhausted. He was hands-on with every business connected with The Elysian Inc, aside from the company that he himself managed.
There are times that he wished he could just take a break from all of them and rest. But the obligation of maintaining The Elysian Inc as the number one corporation in the nation exceeded his personal desires. He just had to do his tasks.
He tried to sleep with the relaxing atmosphere. But it still wasn’t enough. Still, he tried to take a nap while they were traveling to their meeting place.
“We’re here, sir.” Paul woke him up as he parked the car.
Feeling somehow better, he went out of the car and walked towards the place. Indeed, Chairman Yang was already waiting for them. He has asked him to meet him after his transaction with Mr. Zhang.
Gabriel stared at him from afar. Even the waitresses couldn’t help themselves from ogling at the sight of the Chairman of The Elysian Inc, dining in the midst of them.
“I apologize for my tardiness, sir.” He bowed to him as soon as he was inches away from him. He was indeed a picture of a strong and powerful man, even in his plain white shirt and khaki pants.
“Did he crouched down on his knees and rubbed your leathers with his sleeves?” He asked as soon as he sat down.
Gabriel nodded his head, making Chairman Yang sneered at his agreement. “He has repeated that act a dozen times. But this one, I will choose not to acquit,” His fist clenched with his eyes narrowed.
“Do not worry, I have settled the matter, sir. You can erase the Sapphire Co. from your list,” Gabriel bowed down to him in respect.
Chairman Yang exhaled a deep breath before smiling at Gabriel, “I knew I could count on you regarding this matter.”
As he did so, his eyebrows furrowed as he lifted his eyeglasses nearer to his eyes. “Are you feeling well? You look ghastly.”
Gabriel lifted his head, so he could gaze at the Chairman, who has just noticed his health. He has not done that in years.
“He must be really concerned about me,” he pondered, a corner of his lips lifted with the thought. But his hopes were dampened as he heard the Chairman’s next words.
“Who would take care of the family enterprise if you die? If only your mother didn’t leave us early, you could have a brother who could substitute you anytime,” Chairman Yang retorted, his face grim, as he called on the waitress for the menu.
Gabriel’s shoulders hunched as his eyes diverted sideways. “It’s the family business, again,” he muttered to himself.
“I’m fine, sir. As healthy as a horse.” He answered him with a grin, hiding his disappointment.
However, when he looked at the Chairman, his face started to blur. He rubbed his eyes, thinking that they were just weary. But in a matter of seconds, darkness has already enveloped his vision.
Gabriel pass out in the midst of their conversation.
******
When he opened his eyes, he was in a different room. A white blanket was covering half of his body. And his right arm was connected to an IV drip.
He tilted towards the left area. And as he did so, he saw the Chairman’s stern face staring at him without even batting an eyelash.
Startled, Gabriel tried to stand up. But he was stopped by the Chairman.
“I-I’m sorry, sir. This would not happen again.” He stammered with his head bowed down. His fist clenched with his desire to beat himself up.
“You couldn’t be this weak, Gabriel Yang,” he condemned himself in his thoughts.
“This is why I always tell you to get married. At least someone could take care of you while you take care of our corporation.”
Gabriel wanted to give a remark about the ‘marriage part’. He could have requested for a personal physician or a nurse. They are both better in taking care of people than a wife.
“Maybe Mom really care for him then,” he pondered as he noticed a hint of sadness in the Chairman’s eyes, beneath the cold demeanor.
Not wanting him to linger on her memories for too long, he mustered all his strength to look spirited and enthusiastic.
“Don’t mind me, sir. I’m fine. My body just need to soaked in these drips, and I’ll be up and back to business in no time.” He tried to cheer him on.
But it seemed that the Chairman was not convinced as he continued on, “At least have a fixed secretary. Or better, find a wife.” He was now using his Chairman voice, the voice that he uses whenever he wanted something done without questions asked. “If not, I would personally take matters in my own hands,”
Gabriel gulped. He knew that tone. And he would not dare rebel against it.
He thought about his resolution. The Elysian Co. has not found an assistant for him yet. The staffs that were assigned to him never stayed for more than six months.
“I will hire an assistant within this week, sir. And I will make sure she would stay with a minimum of one year,” Gabriel answered him in a determined tone. “It is impossible, but it is better than having a wife,” he told himself.
********************
It is health that is real wealth.
And not pieces of gold and silver.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Why do you think Gabriel hates the idea of having a wife? Share your thoughts below. :) Keep safe everyone!
Meanwhile… "I'll be there in ten minutes. Hold on, Evie." Maria comforted Evina as she honked her car horn like crazy. She had received the news that her younger sister just got fired. Without even saying goodbye to her colleagues, she immediately left her current location to meet with her. They were on the phone as she drove to where she was. "Take your time, Iya. It's not the end of the world," Evina replied to her older sister in a cheerful way. "Don't pull my leg. I know you too much, Evina Chen," Maria rolled her eyes, making Evina snort at the other end of the line. "Fine. Thanks, Jiejie. I appreciate it," Evina said sincerely before they dropped the call. Evina then picked up the iced tea in front of her to calm down her aching heart. Maria was right. She was devastated with the outcome of what she had done. Even though she believed that she just did the right thing, she was also concerned about her career. She let out a
Ring! Ring! Ring! Evina immediately sat up in bed. She hurriedly stood up, put on her slippers and grabbed on her towel. Like her usual morning routine, she was about to take a bath. It was until she realized that she had nowhere to go. “It must be my body clock or something. You’re now officially a bum, Evina. Welcome to your new life.” She tapped her head three times, making sure it would work properly. She went back to her bed and slumped back to her soft pillows before picking up her phone to check on her news feeds. Now she has all the time in the world to do so. As she was scanning her social media account, she saw that her former classmate just posted pictures of herself on stage with a thousand likes and hearts. She was recently promoted by the company that she was working for. “I’m sure she just licked her boss’ feet.” Evina rolled her eyes. She continued to scroll up her phone some more. As she did so, her face which was prev
Evina immediately searched for The Elysian Inc on the internet. She was familiar with the giant corporation, but she was unacquainted with the people behind the hierarchy. She must have vast knowledge of the company if she wants to be a part of it. “The Elysian Inc. offers a huge choice of software for many purposes. Their software is by far the most used operating system in the country. With an acquired revenue of $107.8 million, the dominating software industry remains The Elysian Inc. The company was founded in 1965 by founder Chairman Rafael Yang.” “Pretty impressive,” Evina nodded her head as she scrolled down the page. However, what caught her eye was the picture of the founder of the remarkable corporation. “I think he looks familiar,” She zoomed in to the picture of Chairman Yang, which was also in the webpage that she was looking at. He looks very attractive for a man his age. His aquiline nose was very prominent over his chiseled, angular fa
"You know how much I want you, Evina," Julian said in a husky voice, completing the frightening ambiance in the car. They were still in the parking lot of an abandoned building where Julian had brought Evina. Still in a daze, Evina froze as she couldn't believe what was just happening. It was only a few hours ago when he visited her in her unit, together with her older sister, Maria. He told her that he knew of a job opening in their company, which made her come with him. "L-let's go, Julian. They must have been waiting for us," she unconsciously blurted out, her eyes frantically searching for a sign that they were indeed in Julian's company. And he would not do what she was thinking that she would do. But the lights continued to flicker, casting shadows on Julian's threatening face. Evina pulled back until her whole body was stuck on the car door. "I've been waiting for so long," He drawled in between breaths. His eyes started drinking her bo
On the other side of the district, Gabriel was having a business meeting with the CEO of Astro Inc. “Congratulations, Mr. Yang. We appreciate your initiative to reach out to us first.” The CEO of Astro, Inc. bowed down to Gabriel as he shook his hand. “It is actually the Chairman’s aspiration to be in partnership with a world-class company such as Astro, Inc.” Gabriel stooped down to him as well. Gabriel just landed the deal. It is a project that The Elysian Inc. has been investing in for months. It put Gabriel in a good mood as he whistled while going to the parking lot at the basement of the Astro. Inc’s building. “The Chairman would be so proud of me,” he smiled to himself as he was nearing his car. Paul seemed to sense the positive result of the transaction. With a broad smile on his face, he opened the car door for him. As he did so, Gabriel’s eyes caught on the dent on its side. His face transformed into a frown as he remembered
Paul froze for a few seconds before he handed his gun to Gabriel. He must have been shocked at Gabriel’s sudden reaction. Gabriel was astonished, too, himself. It was not usual for him to direct a weapon at others. “But this situation was no ordinary incident either,” Gabriel muttered to himself as he was about to go out and defend the woman. As soon as Paul’s gun was on Gabriel’s hand, he immediately pivoted to bolt out of the car. However, when he turned back, he saw a slender arm reaching out to the open door. “Let me in!” It was the woman who was just waving hysterically at them a while ago. She didn’t even ask for Gabriel’s permission. But she immediately crawled inside, pushing Gabriel to the other side of the car. She immediately closed the door and flailed her hand in a swift motion to Paul as she demanded, “Go, go, go! Hurry!” Paul nodded as if he was sensing the urgency of the situation. He immediately stepped on the gas and left the
Evina silently waited in the car as the executive went out to do some errands. His driver or bodyguard stayed with her, making her feel safe somehow. They were in the parking lot of a department store, where the owner of the car asked to be dropped by. She wanted to forget about what happened. But she was too mortified to do so. The thought of Julian harassing her in an abandoned building lingered in her mind, suffocating the air out of her. Her hands frantically grabbed the nearest support she could find as she inhaled a lungful of air. “Are you all right, Miss Chen?” Paul turned towards her and offered her a bottle of water. Evina smiled at him and received the bottle. She then drank from it, hoping it would relieve her discomfort. As the drinking water penetrated through her cells, Evina started breathing normally. “Thank you. Maybe this will go away in a day or two,” she expressed her gratitude to him as she observed him. “He seemed a nice person,
Night has already set in outside the department store. The buyers were already leaving the establishment. Some had fun shopping and was laughing mirthfully as they went out. Others were walking fast as they hurried to catch up the train. In the parking lot, there were three people who were in the same car. All of them wanted to do different things after visiting the store. One wanted to leave the two and go on her own way. Another preferred for her to stay. And the last one was torn between the two. Usually, Gabriel didn’t mind other people’s plans. Why would he care when he already has a lot on his plate? However, this was a different matter for him. Even if she didn’t disclose any information about what happened, he knew an absurd incident occurred in the midst of Jeyong Town. “Get in. Do not make me say it thrice,” Gabriel commanded. Evina froze from her tracks. She already opened the car door and was about to step out. With a frown on her