C4 Chapter 4

INTO THE WORLD

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RICHARD POV

Richard wasn’t in his office today, probably gone to his own company, he’s a very busy and hard working businessman. I found out the reason Maya thought he was rude the first day I met with him, they had both misunderstood each other.

Apart from the fact that he’s a very handsome and attractive man he’s also very busy and hardly has time for any form of dilly dally, he’s always working even though he’s already filthy rich, wealthier than Mr brown, imagine that!.

“ I have told you to stay away from my Richard… you won’t listen!” Ivy's icy voice streamed into my thoughts. I haven’t been able to stop myself from thinking about Richard for more than ten times since I woke up this morning. I groaned out lost and turned to look at Ivy from head to toe.

She was scowling down at my face and her two hands were on my table, I looked toward my door to glare at my security, “why did you let her in? I have told you to keep this tiny thing out of my door… I gave you a list of people you should always keep out! She’s number two” I yelled furiously at my security who kept pleading and telling me that she barged in and he couldn’t stop her because she works for our biggest investor and business partner; Richard.

“See ivy.. SINCERELY, I’m not in the mood for your nonsense and trouble this morning. I really want to work today and I have other places to get to, so leave my office and go to your Richard… I’m not interested in him” I told her sincerely but she wouldn’t believe me of course, she thought I was Maya.

After everything I had gone through in David's hands I will never give my Heart to any man even if I fall in love million times again and again with the person, I will either flee or kill myself than fall in love again!.

“You are a liar… I caught you staring at my man yesterday at the conference meeting… don’t think you can snatch him because you both were betrothed when you were born! He’s mine now ", Ivy was almost barking like a dog, her eyes were flying all over the place and her teeth were snarling at me, I had to move my chair a little bit away from her as she was pouring saliva on my face as she was speaking.

“But what’s all this embarrassment for, have you seen us talking to or holding each other like lovers since I returned to my fathers’ company two weeks ago, ask him he will tell you that we hardly talk aside from business matters… I would really love to get rid of you ivy but I’m not your boss… he is… I will advise you to keep a working attitude instead of coming at me everyday to fight over a man!” I snapped at her, getting out of my seat.

Just then Richard entered my office, His beautiful and alluring eyes fell on me, his string cologne hitting me in my nose and I caught the flicker of seduction and affection in his eyes, i have been seeing that look for a week now and I plan to ask him about it, I really don’t want to fall in love with him, I’m not Maya, so why do I feel tipsy and dizzy whenever he’s around me?.

“What did I warn you about ivy…? I might just keep you off work here and return you to my company branch in London if you keep up this attitude… we broke up and we are no longer together… right Maya?” Richard threw the last sentence as a question at me, I shrugged at him and looked away.

My heart became heavy at once, I knew it was because he said we were no longer together as a couple, I wasn’t given time to think about why I was so sad and dissatisfied about it.

“So you will take her side right?… It’s all good… I will stay away from her for you… but warn her! She should know her place!” Ivy whimpered, all her toughness and anger gone immediately she saw Richard, I thought of David at once and hissed out loud, i was also like that with him, love makes one powerless!.

She felt I was hissing at her because she hissed louder than me and folded her hand on her chest indignantly, veering around to glare at me, “I’m not hissing at you Ivy.. you are not my enemy… I thought of a man I had a relationship with and remembered how foolish I was because of love … that’s all” I told her.

“So you dated someone else aside from me? … do you regret it?” Richard instantly asked me, moving closer to where I stood, his eyes filled with curiously laced with anger. I shook my head again at him, telling him with my gesture to stay out of my business. I have been avoiding talking to him.

I just might say my feelings out loud to him if I spoke with him and I don’t want that, all my numerous training on being and acting like Maya would be a waste if I gave myself away in any way.

I had to stay at home in Mr Brown mansion to learn everything about Maya before I resumed working and got back into the society fully as maya, news and blogs who were all waiting to eat me up, Maya must be a very active and public person.

“So you went to the new man because we broke up.. Maya you broke our relationship.. it wasn't me… who did you date!…?… I asked you the first day you came to work…and I will ask again!… Maya Where have you been for the past three months… ummm your father was worried” he quickly added the last sentence when myself and Ivy turned to look at him with our mouths open.

He was already taking the conversation too personal, talking to me like I belong to him, “why are you so possessive and convened about my life…?.. please let me be and go with your woman, you told me you found someone else what else do you expect from me!” I shot back at him, using the information Mr Brown gave me.

The angry look I kept getting from Ivy was irritating me and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I don’t know how to be rude like the instructor taught me to be, Maya was definitely cold and rude, nothing got to her. If she was here right now she would have put Ivy in her place, Richard definitely wasn't satisfied with her rudeness and nonchalant attitude toward him, he mentioned that she wasn’t caring and she had a bad attitude, looked down on people as well, he must have felt she didn’t care about him.

“Hello ma… your father brother want to see you.. he’s waiting by the lobby” my secretary voice spoke from the office phone, I breathed in relief at the brief interruption as Richard and his woman were begining to make me uncomfortable in different ways, Richard wasn’t trying to hide the seductive look he was giving me, ivy saw it but said nothing, I noticed she was too scared to annoy him just like I was with David.

I almost wanted to be her friend just to tell her to run from Richard, he doesn’t love her as much as she did…. Maybe he’s using her to get back at Maya, with what I have seen, he’s still in love with Maya.

“Don’t let him in… not today.. not ever!” I responded to the phone and banged it hard and quickly back into its pouch, everyone was annoying me today, it’s a cue to go home and lock myself up in my luxury bathtub, drink some wine and watch Netflix!.

Mr Brown brother, who’s my uncle now, has been so interested in my life since I returned, always breathing down on my neck, he has been asking me the same question as Richard “where have you been these past three months… you are not telling me something Maya and I will find out!” I wonder why he’s so pissed off that I’m not telling him.

“Uncle is definitely not happy that i’m back… we need to add him to the list of suspect sir.. remember he kept coming here everyday since he found out I came back from my three month escapade threatening and harassing me!… the first one week you had to give excuses for me.. he’s not my father so why is he so interested and obsessed with me!” I had complained to Mr Brown one day and he had promised to investigate him as well.

“Your uncle was spreading a cold rumour that you were dead and your father was hiding the news … we were all scared when the news kept spreading and your father wasn’t saying anything to curb it” Richard said to me, following me and staring at me keenly as I packed my things into my bag.

“That’s because he doesn’t have to curb anything.. now I’m here and everyone knows it’s a rumor.. I don’t know what’s wrong with that my uncle .. he’s so interested in my life!” I found myself complaining to Richard unconsciously.

“Maya please be careful… you need to be, you have so many enemies… remember when someone shot you because you were about to win a big contract for your father…” Richard's response threw me off balance, it wasn’t because of what he said but the tune and affection laced in his voice, he sounded so worried for me that I remembered immediately that we were supposed to be enemies.

I eyed him like I was irritated by him and side stepped him, ivy who had gone to wait at my exit door bumped into me intentionally but I ignored her and headed directly to the exit door, making A mental note to use the lift so I can avoid my uncle who was waiting for me in the waiting room. My heart is still racing for Richard.

Working together in the same company was beginning to give me a headache. I know I can’t avoid him because he would be here some days of the week, his family and Mr Brown are business partners and they have been doing business together for centuries now.

“There’s no escape from this man rose … I tell you!” My mind told me, it felt like my mind was mocking me, I agreed with my conscience at once. Seeing him today alone made me jittery and I was soaking wet in my inner core just by the way he was looking at me.

“I hate men” I told myself, I kept chanting it as a mantra even as my bodyguard collected my bag and guard me into my car immediately I got to the lowest floor, my heart was still yearning for RICHARD ADAMS.