Chapter 59

~Alistair~

My sense of hearing intensified as the ticking of the clock became even more louder than it normally was, and I fiddled with my fingernails, waiting for time to be up, so that this meeting could just be over once and for all.

I definitely was not listening to what they were saying. All that was on my mind was simply what the Banshee had said. Her kind normally predicted death, and for her to have spoken of my doom and that of my kind should what I desire find its way back to me, it only meant death, but I still couldn’t figure out the puzzle her words had thrown at me.

Although I acted like I really didn’t believe what she had said, I low-key didn’t doubt it. After all, anything was possible, and she would not just decide to lie on the verge of dying, and I could only wish that she had been more straightforward with her words.

I unlocked my phone, going straight to Google Chrome. Like I did every single day, I searched for Eliana Venator, but like every single day, there was nothing recent that had happened to her. After humiliating her in public six years ago, no-one neither saw nor heard from her. Many people were of the belief that she had probably undergone a plastic surgery and taken on a new life, while others believed that she had broken down completely since she was already insane, and her parents had been forced to lock her up in a mental asylum and had kept it a secret from the public.

If something terrible had happened to her, it would be all my fault, and so, everyday, I lived with an aching feeling of guilt in my heart. I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me that all what had happened had been my fault and my fault alone. No one could trace her whereabouts, and even though, I had had her relatives followed at a time, none of the secret spies I sent caught them in a place where Eliana was.

It was as though she had never even be there. She just vanished into thin air without warning. I knew though that she had left the country, but I didn’t know where she left to, and with over 190 countries in the world, I couldn’t place my hands on the exact one which she might be in, and I couldn’t even send spies to comb the entire geographical territory of a country.

Eliana Venator was not a social media person, and if only she was, I would definitely have found out about where she was at the moment, and she’d be traceable, but without a phone number or social media handle, there was no clue as to finding out where she was. She hadn’t even communicated with her best friend, Carrie, and it was just as if she would never be seen again.

I was really sorry, and even though Garrett just expected me to move on with my life and be happy, I just couldn’t do that. It wasn’t possible to just live like nothing happened after I had apparently ruined her life to the extent that she had refused to show her face in Los Angeles ever again. Perhaps, she had actually gotten a plastic surgery like some reporters suggested to change how she looked, but no strange person had been seen interacting with any of the Venator family members.

There was no way I could forgive myself and embrace a happy life for as long as Eliana hated me and hadn’t forgiven me for all I did to her and her family. I lived a sad life, trying to keep myself busy with all manner of things, but deep down, there was this void and empty space inside of me that could never be filled up due to the guilt that hadn’t ceased since the day I discovered I had been wrong to publicly humiliate Eliana, and expose her family’s dirty secrets to the world.

I was going to live like this till the day I died, and deep down, I knew I didn’t even deserve to be shown mercy, but maybe...just maybe I would have a little peace of mind if I got a chance, at least, to tell Eliana how sorry I was for doing such a mean and contemptible thing to her.

“Mr Duke?” I heard Stanley, one of the advertisement team members call.

I jolted from my thoughts. “Yes?” I replied, sitting upright and adjusting my suit.

“I am done with the presentation,” He said, motioning towards the projector, which showed our new smoothie collection, and the most appropriate way according to him to advertise it.

“Is that all?” I asked, taking my water film the table.

“Yes, sir,” He replied.

I heaved a sigh, and shook my head, unimpressed. “Is this everything you all could come up with? Is there no other better way we could approach the advertisement and marketing of these goods?” I asked, taking a sip from the bottle of water.

“We joined our heads together and came up with this idea, Mr Duke, and we all thought it would definitely attract customers,” Antonio, the team leader said.

I scoffed. “If this is all you could come up with, I guess two heads are not better than one after all,” I said.

“You don’t like it, sir?” Antonio asked.

I drummed my fingers on the table, then looked him directly in the eye. “I don’t like it, Antonio. I hate it,” I said, then shot him a crooked smile.

“Sir, but this is the fifth time you are rejecting our proposal,” He said.

“Fifth time? Wow. That only means that I have given you all way too many chances. What am I to do now? I guess I have no other choice than to disband this team, lay off all the team members and employ new people who can actually do this job,” I said.

“You can’t do that sir,” Stanley said, looking very close to tears. He must have worked so hard for this presentation only for me to be cold towards it.

“What do you mean by that? I can do that, and even something worse. It’s my company, not so?” I asked, in a sarcastic tone.

“It sure is your company, but it’s still very much unfair for you to just do whatever you like with it...”

“Keep quiet!” Antonio said, trying to hush him up.

“I can’t. I mean, this is getting way too much. We’d work so hard and even extend the hours we have to spend here just to earn Mr Duke’s approval, and at the end of the day, what do we get in return? We get nothing but negative comments,” Stanley said, obviously annoyed, and probably stating what everyone present also had in mind.

“You see, Stanley, that is why I need you to work smart. Only fools work hard,” I told him, trying to maintain my cool.

“And how would you even know if I worked hard and smart at the same time? Apparently, you weren’t even listening to the presentation. Something was going on in your mind, and we had to call you severally before you heard. How then can you reject this proposal when you do not even know what it is about?” He asked, raising his voice at me slightly.

Garrett had been sitting close to me, and had been mute all this time just trying to focus on his own business. However, after hearing Stanley’s last statement, a sly smile crept up to his face, showing that he agreed with what he had said.

“Perhaps, you should focus on making your presentation more interesting and meaningful, so that I wouldn’t have to zone out next time. You started by giving a proposal which sounded like an advertisement for kids. Meanwhile, our product is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, irrespective of their ages. Of course, I couldn’t waste my time listening to that. You’re lucky I even let you finish. Do you have any other thing to say?” I inquired, with a smirk playing around my lips.

He looked really hurt, then shook his head slowly, in negativity. “No, I do not have anything else to say,” He responded.

“Good. Now, I will be giving you all one last chance to come up with a good advertisement in which we can use to promote and market our newest Smoothie products. If you should mess up again, you’d have no other choice than to be fired from this company,” I said, with a firm voice.

“Be rest assured, sir. We won’t let you down,” Antonio said.

“That is what you said the last five times. I sincerely hope you mean it this time. You may all leave,” I said.

“Thank you, sir,” They all chorused, packing their things as they prepared to leave the meeting room.

As they were about to leave, I heard Antonio whisper something to Stanley, but of course, I heard what he had to say; thanks to my supernatural hearing abilities.

“I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier on, sir,” Stanley suddenly said, with his head hung low.

“I don’t want your apology if you don’t mean it,” I said.

“Sir?” He said, looking surprised, as his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.

“If Antonio hadn’t whispered to you to apologise to me a few seconds ago, I bet you wouldn’t have rendered any apology,” I told him.

“How did you...”

“How was I able to hear exactly what he said?” I asked, helping him complete his statement at the cost of interrupting him.

He nodded his head, in the affirmative.

“Unfortunately for you, I certainly cannot answer that question. However, this should teach you not to say things you don’t want me to hear in my presence,” I said.

“I’m sorry. I would never do that again,” Stanley said.

“Just one more thing. I can not accept your apology, unless you wow me in the next presentation, which by the way, will take place in exactly a week from now. I very much hope that I have made myself clear. Do have a nice day,” I said, and went back to focusing on my phone.

“Okay, sir,” Stanley said, and they all left the office together.

There was silence in the room, and I could tell that something was definitely going on in Garrett’s head. I had been waiting for him to say something, but he kept mute, and soon, the silence became too unbearable for me to bear.

I dropped my phone on the table, noisily. “You know, if you are going to say something, just say it. Don’t criticise me silently, it’s making me uncomfortable,” I said.

“Oh. It’s making you uncomfortable? I guess I should remain silent then. At least, now, you get to experience the same discomfort your staff feel anytime you are around,” Garrett said.

“Is this an attempt to judge my actions?” I asked.

“I am not judging anything, Alistair. All I am saying is that you should stop being hard on these people. No single person owns a company, and without their hard work, diligence and commitment to this company, it would have hit rock bottom a long time ago,” Garrett said.

I rolled my eyes. “Garrett, you’re talking out of line here. There’s a difference between being hard on people and just simply guiding them towards the right path,” I said, in defence.

“Oh, really? How come you only discovered that six years ago? Admit it, Alistair. You are only being hard and strict because it’s the only way to get your mind off her,” He said.

“I sincerely have no idea about what you’re talking about,” I lied.

“You have to stop pretending. The sooner you begin to admit that you miss her and you feel guilty, and you just want to forget everything about her, the more quickly you’ll get over this. Yes, you made a mistake, but you’ve suffered enough guilt already. Like I always say almost everyday, just move on with your life,” He said.

I scoffed. “That’s easy to say for you, Garrett. You’re not the one who hurt the only woman you have ever loved. You’re not the one who sees her in your dreams. You’re not the one who can’t even bring yourself to delete her pictures. You’re not the one who has been carrying around guilt in your heart for the past six years. You’re not the one who faces the fear that something terrible could have happened to her all these years because of a silly mistake. Garrett, you’re not the one,” I said.

“I understand where you’re coming from, Alistair, but you must understand that matter how sad this is, you can not change what has already happened. No one can rewrite the stars, not even you. What’s done is done. You don’t have to take your anger out on teenagers trying to learn control, or on your staff.

“Look at what happened today. You didn’t even bother to listen to the rest of the guy's presentation. You just concluded that it wasn’t worth listening to. I’ve sat here throughout their five presentations, and if you join all the ideas together, you’ll get the country asking for more of your Smoothie products, trust me. Stop letting your past get in the way of your future and your happiness. Move on, Alistair,” He said.

Tears rolled down my eyes. “I don’t want to move on,” I said.

“And why is that?” He asked.

“Fear. I’m scared that if I seek happiness, I will let go of my guilt, and I don’t think that I deserve to live without guilt after all that I did to Eliana,” I explained.

He heaved a deep sigh. “You’ve repented, Alistair, and you deserve to live guilt-free,” He said.

“Are you sure?” I asked, seeking a kind of validation.

“Positive,” He responded.

It was time, I supposed. I had to move on, and I couldn’t spend my remaining days on earth thinking about what happened six years ago. I was going to move on with my life, and try to be a better person.

I knew I was never going to meet anyone like Eliana ever again, and I always thought that we were a match made in Heaven. Deep within me, there lay a diminishing flame, which still shone dimly with the hopes that I hadn’t been wrong to think like that.

If we were truly meant for each other, I needed to see her before I finally moved on with my life.