Darian Brown emerged minutes later with her package and stretched his hand to her.
"But…" She muttered, "You did not even get a cent from…"
"Consider it a little present from me," He interjected, "For housing Olivia."
Housing Olivia? Rosie's consciousness freaked. He would not have done all that if she was just a stranger. She bit back the slight ache that tugged her delusional heart and ran her eyes through his whole frame again. He was a Greek god. Hell, he ruled Greece and everything that concerned it.
Rosie nodded as though dazed and gingerly took the plastic bag from him. She watched as he turned back in urgency to leave "Wait!"
He did, turning to stare at her in curiosity. What else did she want? Perhaps, she needed him to shield her as she exited the mall.
"Thank you," She squealed, and before Darian could say any more word, she dashed off in a half sprint towards the entrance.
Darian watched as she entered a black-tinted car and zoomed off with the screech of her tires. He chuckled when it was no longer in sight and mused "She's crazy," before going about his business.
Darian peered at the watch that hung loosely on his hand by the time he was done picking what he wanted and it read 11:45 am. He had enough time to get ready for his official meeting with Ivan Arthur by 1 pm. It was a whole new experience for him and even as he tried to keep his excitement in check and just go with the flow, his body itched him to rub it in his brother's face. Knowing who Damian was, Darian refrained from doing so.
'Plans are not disclosed until they are hatched.' It was a phrase their father sang in their ears as they grew to understand the dynamics of business and company management and relationships. Unfortunately, Damian outsmarted him in the long run, taking control of the major assets of the family and leaving him with little but nothing. He struggled to find his footing by using the influence of his name to get into high-rise companies but nothing beats the fact that Damian was sitting majestically on their family's heirloom- a feat he achieved by faking a marriage with an ignorant Olivia. Darian could swear that she would not consent if she knew her purpose in the play.
"Don't worry, about a thing… Cause every little thing is gonna be alright…" Darian sang along as he drove out of the mall environs.
*******************
The day was set, and people went about in a buzz of activities in Arthur's group by the time Darian arrived. No one stopped to peer at him, and there were no whispers from idle female workers as he passed. He was glad that no one seemed to care about his identity. The fierce way in which every worker minded their business pleases him thoroughly. It all made sense how the philanthropist was able to overthrow his brother in the business line.
"Darian Brown here, I have an appointment with Ivan Arthur by 1 pm." He stated when he reached the receptionist's compartment.
The lady nodded with a smile and picked up her telephone and Darian watched as she punched a few things before speaking "Yes sir."
He accessed her compartment, quite impressed by the amount of luxury put into it. Three other receptionists attended to different people in their different compartments. He also could not help noticing how professional she was. He could not count the number of times a receptionist had hit on him head-on.
She dropped the telephone and handed a golden-plated tag to him. It had a number engraved on it.
"You may proceed."
Darian made use of an elevator to the top floor, where he knew that the office of the CEO would be located as it was in his family company.
After a series of inspections by different suited men as he passed several doors, he finally met Ivan Arthur, and he was not alone. Olivia was seated by him, staring at her tablet with utmost scrutiny. She looked up when he was announced and a smile broke out from her face.
"You made it."
Darian chuckled inwardly. Made it? Would anyone let this opportunity slide past for any reason in the world? He remembered his brother. Yeah, maybe the arrogant jerk would.
"Yes, I did." He finally nodded at her, a smile of relief playing on his face. He was glad that Olivia had come as well, she made the gravity of what was going on lesser. He was about to have lunch with someone like Ivan Arthur and he did not exactly know how he would scale through without giving off the wrong impression of himself. What if he falters and reveals something about his family- what if he accidentally mentions Damian and the man suddenly gets pissed?
"I hope your way here was smooth," Olivia spoke, pulling Darian from the hold of his thoughts.
"Totally. I got lost in the beauty of the structure at some point. Congratulations on your appointment once again, Olivia. It's time to actualize your dreams."
Olivia smiled dreamily as she remembered telling Darian in the past that she would love to paddle a firm just like her husband, even if it meant her starting from the lowest point.
"You remember?"
"Of course," Darian affirmed with a drink of his nose in a grin. Then facing Ivan, he said, "A pleasant afternoon to you, Mr Ivan."
Ivan Arthur who had been watching the little interaction between his niece and the young man turned in Darian's direction "Same to you, son." He peered at the watch on his wrist and stood up "Now, let's head somewhere for lunch."
A stern-looking man in a suit came forward and drew his executive chair backward, leaving enough space for Ivan to walk away from the desk.
To Darian's dismay, Olivia remained seated. She flashed a breathtaking smile and made a thumb-up sign with her right hand at him as he exited the office with Ivan Arthur.
Five men accompanied them as they made their way to the basement. All the while, Ivan said nothing to him.
Darian could not tell if it was fear or excitement that he felt once he stepped into the basement. He was elated that it was finally happening, he was interacting with Ivan Arthur at such a close range. On the other hand, the possibility of Ivan kidnapping and finishing him off plagued his thoughts as he saw a shiny black van parked in one corner. He decided that he was as good as dead if they got into that van. To his surprise, the doors to a Lamborghini were opened by one of the men behind them and he entered, after Ivan.
They cruised out with the door to the basement opening on its accord. In a few minutes, they arrived at one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city.
Darian stepped out, feeling quite optimistic. Gone was the feeling of fear that clung to him on the way, he was certain now that Ivan was intentional about actually having lunch with him. He was not hungry, but he was eager to see where this would lead so he padded along and had a few forkfuls of what was brought to the table, his eyes, not leaving Ivan who concentrated wholly on his meal.
Ivan Arthur only began speaking when he was done with his meal and his dish, cleared. Darian wondered if his life was lived in the manner in which he had seen in the short period that he had been with him. Pragmatic, mellifluous in a resounding calmness. Never had he been with someone of influence who did not grab any chance to show just how powerful he was. He concluded that it was something that runs in the family.
"Did you enjoy the meal?" Ivan asked brusquely.
"Yes sir,"
Ivan sighed in satisfaction "It is one of my best, I'm glad you did. Maybe someday, I'll bring Olivia here too… for a taste of their meals."
Darian doubted if Olivia would like it. She was never accustomed to eating out while in his brother's house. However, levels have changed and he realized that she would have to get used to a lot of things.
"How close are you to my niece?" Ivan prodded, carefully watching him.
"In the mansion, we spoke on several occasions. It was mostly because she had no one to converse with and I had all the time to while away at the mansion. We were quite close."
"She told me quite a lot about you… and I'm thankful to you for sticking by her side through everything."
Darian smiled goodnaturedly "It's nothing."
"In that light, I'm making an offer to you, Darian Brown," Ivan told him, leaning forward on his seat.
"How would you like to work as the Chief Operating Officer in my company?"
Darian stilled in his stead, his posture, frozen, as the words resounded in his ears.