Contract Marriage; Fated Love

Emily was so engrossed in her work that she didn’t notice the CEO’s entrance. It was after sometime that she felt and noticed the presence of another. She looked up and recognized the face immediately. It was her first time of seeing him in person but this face was in almost every business magazine.

“Good morning sir,” she greeted standing on her feet.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Emily Muxin?”

“Yes sir.”

“Of Butterfly Designs?”

“Yes sir. I am the one.”

“You look too young. I had expected you would be older,” he said studying her closely and carefully.

What’s wrong with achieving and attaining great heights at a young age? Was she supposed to wait till she grew old? Silly man!

“Are you done going through those designs?”

“Not yet sir. I’m still on it.”

“Too slow.”

Emily looked up in surprise and almost rolled her eyes at him. What did he mean by ‘too slow?’ The magazine has over five thousand designs which she had to study carefully. Moreover, she just started twenty five minutes ago.

“Hasten up with that. I will need you to come up with a design draft before the close of office hours today,” he ordered and walked out of the office with an air of nobility and authority.

Emily thought him annoying, though calm. He wasn’t as domineering as other Ceos’ in USA and China she had heard of or come across.

She continued going through the designs till she saw the one she thought was unique. She thought of altering some parts of it and adding more designs to make it stand out.

“I can’t just create a design that has already been drafted by another. That’s why I am Butterfly Designs, Emily Grant,” she muttered and smiled to herself.

She took out her phone and snapped them. She sent them to Gu Yanxi online.

“What do you think of these?” she texted.

Twenty minutes later, Gu Yanxi texted back.

“They are great and unique.”

“I am thinking of combining the designs to make a new and better one altogether. I want it outstanding.”

“The better. I trust your designing abilities. Thumbs up.”

Emily decided on the designs she loved and went off to see the CEO’s secretary.

“Good day.”

“Good afternoon Miss Muxin. Is there any problem?”

“Not at all. I have selected some designs and I want you to look at them. It’s…”

“No, Miss. You don’t show your designs to me. It’s President Night who is to decide, Miss Muxin. I will let him know you are ready.”

“Alright.”

From the transparent glass doors, Emily could see President Night seated in the outer part of his office. He was sipping wine and tapping his fancy pen on the table. Emily couldn’t say if he was offended or not. He had an inscrutable expression on his face. He turned towards the door when his secretary entered. Emily couldn’t hear their conversation but she quickly averted her gaze when he looked in her direction. She didn’t know what he said but she saw his secretary shiver, bow and hurry out of the office. She tried her best to conceal her fright and discomfort from Emily but Emily could see way beyond her superficial smile.

“You can go in now.”

“Is this the best you could choose from there?”

“Yes, President Night. They are actually three. I could work with the design pattern to make a more unique one.”

“Let’s wait for you to make the design draft then. You know that this competition entails a lot of hardwork and concentration.”

“I will do my best sir.”

President Night picked up his glass once again and resumed drinking. Emily knew it was time for her to leave and she did so.

While she was leaving, she sighted a beautiful woman coming towards the CEO’s office. She ignored her and continued on her way to her office.

President Night turned and looked in the direction Emily had left. He was worried. A lot of questions were going on in his mind.

Was she going to make the perfect jewellery and dress design?

Will she help him win the competition?

His grandfather as well as his father had both failed to secure the prize in their times as CEO of Ye Night’s company. He had promised himself that he was going to bag that price once he got into office. Now, he was in that office and it was time to actualize his dream and bring the promise he had made to himself to fulfilment.

He was lost in thought when Xia Lin entered. Xia Lin was his girlfriend. She was very proud and saucy. She always felt on top of the world because her boyfriend was the biggest CEO in the country.

When she saw him staring in the direction Emily left from, the seductive smile on her face was quickly replaced with a frown. She stormed towards him and called,

“Sheting?”

When he didn’t turn, she tapped him on the shoulder.

“What’s the problem?”

“So, it’s because of her that you are ignoring me?”

“Who is ‘her’?” he asked in bewilderment.

“That girl who just left. I saw you staring at her from the corridor.”

“She is the fashion designing, Lin.”

“Or my rival? I won’t hesitate to take her out of the way of she is.”

Emily didn’t know she had made some enemies at her new place of work even before she settled down to work. One was Xia Lin, the CEO’s girlfriend. She was soon to meet the rest of her foes.

She sat in the company’s cafeteria having lunch all alone. She so much appreciated the solitude. It helped her observe every other person in the cafeteria. She noticed two girls at a table not too far from her. They both glared at her with extreme hatred. She couldn’t help but wonder what the problem was. She had been hated by her own family in the past, hence, the hatred of others meant little or nothing to her.

She just didn’t want any problems at her new place of work. She only wanted to do her job, which was to make designs for the company in respect of the competition coming up. Afterwards, she would leave the company. She only had two weeks to stay and wasn’t cut out for any drama of any sort.