Chapter 11

Thea's Point of View

My heart was beating quite fast and my cheeks became red.

I have no memory of ever having met Craig, much alone any of the joyful times we had together. I am able to state that I am content. The statements made by his mother did not cause me to feel in any way intimidated by her. He showers me with affection and care... everyday.

He thinks highly of anything I accomplish. I am thankful and get the impression that I am valued.

“N-no! Stop! Stand up and get moving. It is the first day that you have been back.” I harped on him, "You shouldn't be late."

I can see his disappointment that led me to laugh. He pouted but I gestured like I shoo him.

After he had departed, I looked beneath the pillow where he had hidden the smartphone he had given to me. I do not have Mason's or Aunt Joana's phone numbers, but I did find Jackson's number in Craig's contact list.

The article claims that Jackson has been the company's intellectual leader ever since my parents were still alive. They also wrote on the site that my father and he had a very trustworthy relationship with one another.

After thinking, I decided to make a call to his number.

*ring*ring*ring*

The first phone call was not answered by anybody. I gave it another go for a second call, and this time he answered on the very first ring.

“Hello?”

Before I answered, all he could hear was the sound of my breath.

"Jackson."

“Hello? Who is this? How did you manage to get my private telephone number?”

“Ahm. Well…” Because I was at a loss for where to begin asking inquiries, it was the only thing that came out of my lips.

"I'm going to hang up on you if you don't say anything more," he angrily spat. “There are still many tasks that need to be completed by me. Don't contact me again if you're just trying to make a joke with people."

"I am Thea... Timothea Curtis H-Holden." I messed up the pronunciation of the last word. Despite the fact that I now go by that surname, I cannot shake the feeling of embarrassment.

“...”

I checked the screen to see whether the call was still going through and noticed that he hadn't cut the connection just yet even though he didn't react to what I said.

"Miss Thea...! What prompted you to give us a call? I-is there any problem?"

I'm not sure what caused him to stammer. My tone did not include the slightest bit of intimidation.

"Today, I have an appointment with the company. Send me a driver. There is already a car in the garage here, it is not necessary to bring a vehicle."

We have a driver here but it's only one and he's with Craig right now.

I gave him orders, but I made sure the tone was appropriate. Enough to demonstrate what and who I am.

“W-Wait. Why?”

“When did it become fashionable to ask the owner of a firm why she is going to her own building?”

“P-Pardon, ma'am.”

"Jackson. I am aware of how much of a contribution you made and how much you worked to ensure the success of the organization. You were also there to support my parents when they expanded their company, but you should still know where to stand yourself."

“It is not good to assume that I have lost interest in either the firm or my job just because I have been absent for a period of time."

"I sincerely apologize for the insulting tone that I used, Mrs. Holden. I will request for a driver and for the cleaning of your office as soon as possible."

"Since I was in an accident, could you also prepare the documents that they are going to submit? I'll give them a quick look."

"But, those initiatives already have Mr. Mason's approval. I'll simply give you the one that needs to be looked at," he offered as a solution.

"It makes no difference to me whether they already have a signature or a seal. I will continue to check them over."

"Yes, this instant, as you requested."

I finally got off the call and then clung to my chest with shaking hands. I summoned up every ounce of bravery I could conjure for that phone call.

A disagreement has arisen inside the business. It would be irresponsible of me to place my faith in just anyone. Who knows whether a monstrous snake ever made its way into the business that my parents established while I was in the hospital.

I cleaned up by taking a shower in the bathroom. As I was leaving, my phone started to ring.

And Craig's name flashed.

“Hi!”

Because of my cheerful tone, he laughed on the other end of the phone, "Are you done with your lunch yet?"

“Nope. Later. What about you?"

"No, not yet. My father lined up a number of employment opportunities for me and set up a number of interviews to promote the visibility of our company's union. Haaah! I'm exhausted, and I miss you more than I thought I would," he moaned.

I never thought that the words he let go would give too much impact on my system.

I accidentally dropped my phone, which fell on my bed, and I immediately covered my face with both of my hands. Throughout the day, he caused me to blush more than once. Because my phone had a loudspeaker, I was still able to hear what he had to say.

"Can I video call you?"

My pupils dilated, and I reflexively blew some air on my face and fan myself with my hand. Prior to giving a response, I helped myself to the lip gloss that was already sitting on the side table.

“Okay.”