Chapter 12 A classless bastard
CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
LINT CORPORATION
Ian sat at the desk, handling the hundreds of paper files that running the corporation required and his thoughts was also on Ria. It has been two days since he met her at the hospital. Ian had traced the address on the business card and he found Ria’s workplace and house.
Ian had watched Ma’am Elise talking to some women at the entrance but he couldn’t walk up to her since he wasn’t ready to make a dress. He needed to have a purpose before going to see Ria again.
Ian dropped the ball point pen on the desk and clasped his hands together. “I can see her under the pretense of getting a dress for my sister but it won’t be possible without me bringing my so called sister.” He mumbled to himself.
Ever since Ian found Ria’s house he has been trying to figure out a way to see her but he hasn’t been able to come up with the best idea yet.
“Maybe I should just watch from afar like the last time.” Ian said as he picked up the ball point pen again.
Ian became so eager to finish up his work so he could go to Ria’s place with the hope that luck would shine on him like last time. He furrowed his eyebrows as he signed a paper.
“But what’s this feeling? Why is my heart beating so fast? Why am I so eager to see this blind lady?” Ian pondered.
A ping on his phone stunned him out of thought. Ian looked down and saw Ramsey on the screen. He heaved a sigh and picked up the phone. “Hello Ramsey.”
“Sir, you have to come out.. miss Lorna is out here making a fuss.” Ramsey rushed out his words.
Ian heard noises on over the phone. He recognized the voice to be Lorna’s. She was screaming at someone. He stood up from the swivel chair and rushed out of the office to his secretary’s space then he saw Lorna raised her hand to slap Grace. She didn’t make an attempt to hit Lorna back and everyone watched without try to stop Lorna because they were all scared of her.
“Lorna!” Ian snarled but Lorna raised her hand to hit Grace again. In a swift movement, he was beside her, holding her hands in the air before she could hit Grace again.
“Let go of me, Ian!” Lorna gritted.
“Really?” Ian frowned deeply.
Lorna looked at Ian straight in the eyes. “Your secretary needs to learn some manners!” She snarled.
“Why don’t you start by learning some manners too!” Ian grimaced in anger.
Lorna’s eyes widened in shock. She jerked free from Ian’s hold on her and she stared at him in disbelief.
“Oh! You think I am going to support you and probably fire Grace without listening to both sides.” Ian voice was unusually low as he tried so hard not to let anyone else hear it aside Lorna.
“Ian-”
He interrupted her. “Everyone get back to work!” He yelled.
His workers scurried back to their spaces leaving just Ian, Ramsey, Lorna and Grace behind. “Go inside my office, Lorna.” He ordered.
Lorna frowned at him. She hated being told what to do. “You can leave if you don’t want get your butt in there and wait for me to talk things out.” He grimaced trying to control his fury.
Lorna glared at Grace who was still crying before she reluctantly walked into his office. “Ramsey, what happened out here?” He demanded after taking in a deep breathe.
“I can’t tell what really happened. I heard the workers talking about miss Lorna’s presence. I rushed upstairs only to see her screaming at Grace.” Ramsey explained.
Ian led Grace to her chair and dragged another one alongside for him to sit in front of her. “I don’t know what to say to you for what Lorna did. But I am sorry about it.” Ian held her small shaky hands in large ones.
Grace is one of the best worker in the corporation and the best secretary Ian has ever had since he became the chief executive officer. She is so good at whatever she does and never jokes with her job.
Ian can’t bear the thought of losing a professional like her. “Please tell me what happened?” He reached for a tissue on the desk and gave it to her.
Grace sniffed. “Just calm down. I am ready to listen whenever you are ready.” Ian said in a calm tone.
Grace damped the tissue over her face. “When miss Lorna came in, I told her that you were too busy to see anyone and that you ordered me not to let anyone into your office even if it was Mr Bryant himself. Miss Lorna refused and said she was excluded from your orders. I tried to block her pathway from going further and explained that I wasn’t ready to lose my job by disobeying your instructions but she got mad and started hitting me.” She recounted the incident.
Ian ran his hand into his hair. He had instructed Grace not to allow anyone in even if it was his own father. Ian only said that because he knew his father was never going to show up at the office unannounced and his mother was also not feeling well so she won’t come around. His elder sisters are all busy at the branches assigned to them.
Ian looked at her cheeks, it was all red and he clenched fists. Grace stood up and bowed her head. “I am sorry, sir. I should have stopped her from causing any trouble.” She apologized.
Ian stood up. “No.. no.. please sit down. It is not your fault.” He looked at his personal assistant .
“I am sorry, Sir Ian. I really tried to stop miss Lorna but she threatened to tell Mrs Bryant to fire anyone who comes close to her that’s why we couldn’t do anything.” Ramsey said in an apologetic tone. Everyone is always terrified by Lorna’s presence in the company.
“It is okay Ramsey but you should have called the security men. They would have kicked her out of here regardless of who she is.” Ian spat.
“I called you instead because I know she would listen to you.” Ramsey said in a low tone.
Ian looked back at his Secretary. “Grace, I am so sorry. I don’t know why she would go to that extent of hitting you. Please, I promise you that whatever happened today won’t repeat itself again. I will talk to Lorna and make sure she doesn’t come here unannounced and cause trouble.”
Grace shook her head. “Okay sir.”NôvelDrama.Org © 2024.
“Ramsey, please drive her home.” Ian instructed.
“Yes sir.” Ramsey nodded.
“Grace, you can take the day off to take good care of yourself. Get back to work when you are well enough.”
Grace stood up from the chair abruptly. “No.. no.. Sir Ian, I am fine. I don’t need a break from work.” She stammered.
“Look Grace, I am not firing you from work. I just want you to rest okay?” Grace searched his face to be sure if Ian wasn’t firing her. “I am serious.” Ian said.
Grace looked at Ramsey who gave her a wink. “Okay sir.” She agreed.
Ian reached for some notes in his pocket and dropped it in her hands. “This isn’t enough for what Lorna did to you but you use this to check into the hospital to see if there are damages done to your face. You can send me the expenses when it is done.”
Grace forced a small smile on her face. “Thank you, sir Ian.” She said shakily.
“Drive her home.” Ian said to his personal assistant before walking back to his office.
Lorna stopped pacing when she heard the door click. “Are you done consoling that bitch you call a secretary?” She folded her arms over her chest.
“Her name is Grace and she is not a bitch. What is your problem Lorna?” Ian demanded.
“My problem?! Of course, I do have one and you are my problem! Ian Bryant, you are my problem!” Lorna screamed out.
“I am not your problem, Lorna! If you don’t know what your problem is then I will tell you.. right now which is that you don’t follow simple orders! I gave the order that my secretary shouldn’t allow anyone into my office until I am done with the tasks at hand. My own father is not left out so who are you to just come into my company and cause a scene and even go as far as beating up my secretary! You are fucking out of your mind! If you are not yelling at someone in my office today then you are beating up another! You think you can come in here and do whatever pleases you!” He pointed at her.
“Are you siding your secretary, Ian?” Lorna asked as he walked to his desk.
“Yes. Yes Lorna, I am taking sides because you are at fault here.” Ian replied.
“Oh now I see… so what I have been hearing around here is true.” Lorna clapped her hands.
“What’s true? What have you been hearing?” Ian let in a handful of breath to fill his lungs.
“That you have been fucking your secretary!” Lorna blurted out.
“What?!” Ian gasped with his jaw dropping wide. Where on earth did she get that nonsense from? He mused.
“Oh! So you have been sleeping with her right? Tell me the truth, Ian!” Lorna slammed her hand on the desk.
The accusations and her actions triggered his anger even more “So what?! Whoever I decide to fuck with is none of your business!” Ian slammed his hand on the desk too.
Lorna stared at him in shock. She didn’t expect such a response from him. “You have no good taste for women. Ian Bryant, you are a classless bastard! And that is why Mason Miller is better off than you!” She seethed her teeth in anger. She said those words knowing that Ian hated being compared to others especially Mason Miller! She just wanted to hurt him the same way he did by taking sides with his secretary.
Ian clenched his fists on the desk. “Mason is no where better than I am!”
Mission accomplished. Lorna leaned back and straighten up from the desk. “Yes he is better off than you. Ian Bryant is just a classless bastard!” She grabbed her handbag and stomped out of his office.
Ian turned away. He felt like hitting something so hard but he controlled his fury. “So rude! How on earth am I supposed to get married to someone like her!” He loosened his tie.
“Never!” He grimaced.
Ian’s gaze flickered on the files, he felt like throwing them all out of annoyance but then his eyes caught a name-Ria. He had scribbled her name down on a paper file. She popped up in his mind then he found himself relaxing at the image of her beautiful angelic face.
He tried to put an end to the image on his mind’s eye but it didn’t leave and he doesn’t think it would leave anytime soon.