CHAPTER 3

“Greetings to you Mr. Tate, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Mr. Lawrence responded

“Please, I need you to look into a profile for me, her name is Amelia Walmart and I want to know everything about her.” Alex said, with an assurance of hope.

“Okay sir, I will” Mr. Lawrence responded

“I trust you to carry out this findings perfectly.” Alex responded and thereafter, hanging up the call.

After the call, Alex had to drive quickly. He had scheduled a meeting with his board members to prepare for a project at hand. This was one of the biggest opportunities he had to expand Tate Industries to a greater level of growth.

Upon arrival, he hurriedly walked towards his secretary and asked “Is everybody ready?”

“Yes sir, they are.” Lucy, the secretary responded. Also sir, you do have a visitor awaiting your arrival at the office”

“Who could that be?” Alex asked, his mind racing in curiosity

“I wouldn’t know sir” Lucy responded.

“Alright, kindly grab a coffee for the entire team and have it delivered to them while I go find out who the person in my office is” Alex said

As he walked through the corridors heading towards his office, his thoughts wandered, anticipating who that person would be

As he arrived his office, his hand swung downward, in an attempt to open the door. His eyes widened in shock and displeasure upon realizing who the person was.

“Cora?!”

“What the hell are you doing here?

“You are absolutely not welcome here!” Alex snorted

“Calm down baby” Cora responded, in a calm and soft manner, walking closely towards Alex, as she stretched forth her hand, touching his jaw gently. “This is not how to welcome your lover you hadn’t seen for over three years”

Cora and Alex were once engaged, their future filled with promise and love. However, their relationship took a turn when Alex discovered that Cora had been unfaithful and had also been overly thrifty, which caused a significant infraction of trust between them. Alex knew that calling off the engagement was the right decision.

With a harsh and a loud tone, he said, “There is absolutely nothing between us and so, I will appreciate it if we maintain the distance we had already shared over the years”

“I am still in love with you Alex, and I will stop at nothing to get you back! You do know what I’m capable of doing.” Don’t let things get ugly, she warned.

Afterwards, Alex picked up his phone from the table and adjusted his tie. He needed to still maintain decorum in anticipation of the meeting he was heading to. “You can see yourself out”, he said.

“We weren’t done talking!” Cora yelled

 As Alex became aware of his delay, he quickened his pace, capturing the attention of those nearby. His heart raced with a mix of urgency and determination as he made his way to the meeting, anticipating to join his board members without further delay.

“Good day everyone, I am sorry for being late. So, shall we begin please?” Alex spoke, addressing the entire board members.

6:30PM

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Mirage Lounge grew livelier, with everyone chatting and laughing, the bar buzzing with excitement.

Amelia had grown to love her job in a very short time. To her, it didn’t seem to be a contracted job anymore and she wouldn’t mind to have a problem if it were an official employment.

Flora had earlier informed Amelia of the birthday party of Mr. Pius, who had contracted their bar to be responsible for the provision of the drinks, it’s only fair to have given them the job since they were his favorite.   

“So, about the birthday celebration, ensure to look good, you just might be lucky to get hitched to a billionaire there.” Flora said, letting out a sarcastic laughter

“Hey, slow down  young lady. I’m only going there to do my job.” Amelia said, letting out a short smile

Lost in reverie, memories of her recent conversation with Alex flooded back. She couldn’t shake the impression that he was interested in helping her, after sharing her predicaments with him. She pondered on what might have sparked his interest and what she had done to earn his attention.

The closing of the day’s job had finally come and Amelia couldn’t wait to be home. She never imagined that there would come a time in her life where she’d have to work! As she said her goodbye to Flora and parted, she booked a cab that took her straight to her residence.

Upon arriving home, she took off her shoes, clothes and any other thing on her, headed straight to the bathroom to take a shower, after which she grabbed some food, and retired straight to the bed. The only thing she could remember was Flora telling her not to be late for Mr. Pius’s birthday celebration happening tomorrow since all bar attendants will need to be there early enough to set the drinks before the arrival of guests.

***

Amelia’s eyes snapped open to the blaring alarm, cutting through the morning silence. She groaned, realizing she was running late for the day’s job and so she scrambled out of bed feeling disorganized which made her also rush through her morning routine

Eventually, she got dressed and headed out of the house immediately to the venue. She placed a few calls to Flora as a guide in locating the place. Upon arrival, Amelia was stunned by the presence of the dignitaries at the premises. She heard a loud shout of someone calling her name.

“Amelia!” Flora called out, getting her attention. Amelia walked in a haste to where Flora was standing

“I’m glad you could make it, even though you came late after I deliberately told you not to” she said, letting out a slight frown.

“I’m so sorry, Flora. It won’t happen again I promise, and thanks for standing in for me” Amelia responded, feeling grateful.

“Okay, that’s fine.” Flora responded

“We can begin serving now.” Flora said, “please, ensure to get the orders right and you may be rewarded with some tips.” She winked, letting out a sarcastic laughter    

“The guests over there is requesting your attention” she said

Amelia ensured that the guests were catered to with impeccable service with a seamless blend of hospitality and efficiency, creating an atmosphere of warmth.

As the hour of closure approached, the bustling energy of the birthday party gradually waned, a sense of nostalgia filled the air, with the final call for drinks, the party gently transitioned into a state of peaceful closure.

The entire bar attendants ensured every corner was in check, that nothing went missing or broken at the venue, after which they had a brief conversation with their manager, appreciating them for their services and assured them of their payments. Thereafter, everyone parted ways, heading to their various destinations.

Few miles away from her house, Amelia observed she was being followed. Instinctively, she quickened her footsteps, but it still didn't make any difference. Heart pounding, Amelia tried to shake off the feeling of unease, but it only grew stronger

Unable to bypass her fear any longer, she turned around to confront her pursuer. To her surprise, she found herself face to face with a man she had never seen before. He was tall and with a mild look in his eyes

"Who are you?" Amelia asked, trying to sound brave despite her fear.

The man wore a smile, taking a step closer to her. "I mean no harm, but I'll need you to follow me” he said

Reluctantly, she followed the stranger to the car, where the tinted glass window wound down, revealing a stern face, as she attempted to step out of the car

“So, it’s you!” she said, with a stern voice

“I do not understand what’s going on here. Who are you please?” Amelia asked in confusion.