Aliya's POV...
My junior staff said their goodbyes to me after we had wrapped up for the day. I had to make sure everything was in place before I left, I was interrupted by the fashion designer team leader who had come in with a cigarette in her hand
" Care to join me for a smoke?" She asked me
" I don't smoke" I told, lying knowing fully well that I smoke at least once a week
" Oh, I forgot you are the decent one" she said
" I am?" I questioned, curious.
" Yes, that's why the secretary chose you to replace Debra; she said you can take a fall for anything and won't quit because this company is probably your last chance of survival" she told me " Don't take it to heart though, she said that while drunk at our girls' hangout last year, she watched you carefully" she added
I nodded my head, "Why are you telling me this?" I asked her, curious
" I know how it feels to be taken for granted and you can't do anything about it because you are clinging to the last rope of hope, I tried to warn Debra to be careful of her too but Debra is too greedy" she told me
" Aren't you supposed to be Felicia's friend?" I asked her
"Felicia and I used to be friends until she stole my position from me, she told the CEO I was sleeping with the VIPs, I haven't confronted her for it because I don't want her to know that I know all else she cuts out my last rope of hope" she told me
" Oh, so it's about position " I thought to myself " how do I tell her that I don't give a fuck about her " I thought again to myself as I faked the emotions I never had
" I know, don't feel sorry for me" she told me " I will go deliver these designer clothes to Reuben at his office, my male assistant isn't feeling too well to do so" she added
I gently held her hands "Why don't you leave it for me to deliver, I am going towards his company direction to see a friend of mine, you have done enough for today" I told her
" I really don't want to stress you, I will do so" she told me
" Leave it to me, just say your daughter called for you urgently" I told her
She glanced at me for a while, "How did you know I have a daughter?" She asked surprisedly
" You have a picture of her in your office" I told her
" Oh, you noticed, guess you are very observant " she told me "It's on the cushion; I will write down a note of the exact address and who to give it to for you" she told me
" Thank you" I said
" No, thank you; you saved me from getting home late again today or else my husband would scold me" she said cheerfully.
I grinned as I handed a pen to her to write down the note for me before leaving.
***
Amanda POV
I waved at Reuben the moment I saw him walk into the restaurant
"I must have kept you waiting," Reuben said
"Not at all, Reuben. It hasn't been more than 10 minutes since I got here," I told him, even though it had been 30 minutes. I had my plans, so it's nothing
Reuben sat down close to me. "It's a nice restaurant. You must come here often," he told me
"Not really. I just recently discovered it, and I wanted to take you somewhere good to show my gratitude," I told him
"Oh, that's good, but I don't have anything to offer you," he said, looking at me
"You don't have to worry about that. You being here means a lot to me," I said
Reuben stared at me for a while without saying anything. "Can we order now? I'm hungry," he said
"Sure, why not?" I said as I called the waiter to take our orders.
While the waiter was taking our orders, I made sure to signal one of my photographers, who had come secretly with me, to take a clear picture of us, according to what I had planned.
***
Aliya's POV...
On arriving at Reuben's company, I met with Cece, his manager, who was waiting for her Uber. She stared at me, trying to figure out where she knew me from
"I am here to drop off Reuben's designer clothes he ordered from the company," I said to her.
"Aliya, right? Isn't it too late for you to do this?" Cece asked.
"He shouldn't have made it mandatory to bring it in today," I told her.
Cece scoffed. "You must think you are tough," she said, walking closer to me in silence.
"I don't think so. I am just carrying out orders," I told her.
"You can't access the doors now because the security has locked them everywhere. You can just take it to his house because he probably would be wearing it tomorrow for his event," she told me.
"Since you are going there, you might as well take it there because I have somewhere to be," I told her.
"Who do you think you are to order me around? I can just talk to your CEO to fire you. I am going straight home, so you should finish up your errand and drop it off at his home, or else you have something else on your mind. If not, dropping it off there is nothing," she told me as she popped gum into her mouth and onto my face.
"His address?" I said to her.
"I will tell Uber to drop you off there. No need to know the address. Girls like you pretend they don't need anything from anyone and just suck people dry when they let their guards down," she told me as she signalled for the Uber driver, who had arrived a few minutes ago, to open the door.
I watched her enter the Uber without saying anything to her. I grinned as I joined her so she would drop me off, as she had claimed she would. Two of us were seated at the back as she continued operating her phone while the Uber driver took off, heading to the destination.
I saw her message to Reuben that I was coming to his house and made a bet with him that if he tried to seduce me, I would give in. Like everyone else, I knew that was her purpose; she was trying to set me up to get money from his brother.
The Uber driver dropped off Cece along the way so she could take another path while the driver continued with me to Reuben's mansion.
***
Reuben POV...
I slightly grinned when I saw Cece's message, I'mm not surprised that she always loves having fun whenever she gets bored
" I hope you are enjoying your dinner?" Amanda asked
" Yes I did but I'm afraid I will have to leave now" I said getting up
" Oh okay, should I at least drive you home?" Amanda asked
" I can't stress you twice today, you have done enough as a friend" I told her grabbing my suits " I will pay for the food, I hate being indebted to someone" I added leaving the table
" O..oh, Kay," Amanda said blankly.
I quickly rush to my car to drive back home, I seriously don't know why I was in an urge, I never felt this eagerness towards a stranger before.
***
Aliya's POV...
Waiting patiently at the mansion, I was observing the surrounding, I can tell it's a quiet environment and people hardly come by and he seems to have gotten the mansion new because there was no securities yet, my purpose of delivering the designers clothe myself was to piss off Felicia if she finds out because Amanda would have been strict on the kind of person that delivers the clothes to Reuben, I thought I could take the opportunity to see how magnificent his company was but I didn't expect that I would get to know his house through his stupid ass sister who doesn't know I can read through her whenever she tries to plot something. I know her kind and I have met them while growing up at the orphanage...
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the car that had driven in; it was Reuben; he came out of the car staring straight into my eyes. He glanced at his wristwatch before looking back at me
" It's 11pm, shouldn't you be home by now" he asked me
" Won't you punish me if I had gone home with your designer clothes, they seem important?" I questioned back.