*BRAN'S POV*
I walked into my office after a heated meeting with some partners for the Grecka project, and the outcome wasn't favourable.
"Get me a total analysis on what exactly we are to achieve within the space of two months with this Grecka project asap!" I said to Pierre and found my way to my seat as I twirled it to the front desk.
"Yes sir," Pierre said and exited my office.
I pulled and loosened my tie as I opened up my laptop and went through a couple of emails in my inbox.
Just then I heard a knock on the door and opening it was my office secretary, Jo.
"Sir, there is a Miss Henna here to see you"
"Do I have an appointment with her?"
"No sir, but she says to tell you if you don't see her now, she would spill" Jo said, quite confused and oblivious to what that message meant.
"Let her in," I said.
"Okay sir"
"And get me an iced Americano" I added.
"Yes sir"
Jo left the office and shortly after, Henna opened the door and walked right in.
"Bran" she called out as she approached my table.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, not taking notice of her presence.
"That is not how to react to a woman you had history with, Bran" she said, took her seat right opposite me with her legs crossed and placed her handbag on the table.
"There was no such thing between us" I defended.
"Are you sure about that? Do you think Sophia would think the same?" she asked and fiddled with her hair.
"There is no reason to bring her into this" I shut my laptop
and said.
"Why not? She is the main character in all of this, isn't she?" she leaned on the table, closer to me and asked.
"Why are you here, Henna?"
"Do I have to have a reason to come see my man?"
"If there is nothing you are here for then I suggest you find your way out the way you came in...…and, I am not your man" I said, dissatisfied.
"You keep denying the fact that we were and are still meant to be together...if only that little bitch didn't get in the picture!"
"There wasn't and there isn't anything meant to be between us Henna"
"How can you say such a thing after the pain I went through Bran! The pain of losing a child! The one thing that could have brought us together, don't you feel guilty that I lost our baby in all this?" she asked, as she hoped to guilt trip me and it worked.
"Stop! Stop doing that, Henna!"
"Stop what exactly? I lost our baby because you weren't firm in your decisions, you lost your one true heir, Bran!"
"I had no idea you'd be kidnapped and forced to have an abortion, I live with the guilt that I couldn't protect my child," I said and held my head in my hands.
"Then make things right Bran! If you truly felt guilty then you wouldn't have gotten married to my sister but to me!" she pushed on.
"No, you don't understand. Even though you forced yourself on me that night and claimed you were pregnant with my child, I loved and still love Sophia." I defended.
"Sophia! Sophia! Sophia! It is always about Sophia!" she yelled and stood from her seat.
"You came to me that night Bran, don't you remember?" she asked as she came close to me.
"My memories from that night haven't been clear but fuzzy"
"Then why don't you let me remind you, hmmm?" she said and was finally in front of me, where I sat.
Henna bent towards me, her hands on my chest as she tried to caress me and kiss me but I pushed her away.
"Enough of this Henna! I am married to your younger sister now, you need to come to terms with that and accept it" I said and adjusted my suit.
"Fine.... I will come to terms with that piece of information and solely focus on getting back my family's company" she said and withdrew back to her seat but this time, she didn't sit.
"My father and I don't trust you well enough to hand over our company in one piece, not after the trick you pulled on us"
"What is it you intend to do Henna? Your father still owes me a great debt"
"Move into the Garner's residence"
"What??"
"You heard me loud and clear Bran, I will be moving into the Garners residence. That way, I can fully monitor the successful handover of my family's company after the debts have been paid off" she said.
"That is not happening, there is no way I am having you in the residence"
"Well, Sophia doesn't think so"
"What?"
"I spoke to her about it and she is fine with it... I guess she doesn't love you enough as much as you love her"
"There is no way she would agree to you moving in with us"
"News flash lover boy, she did…..it seems you are the only one who is still stuck on loving her, she has moved on and left you behind Bran, she isn't worth it"
"By the way, if she had been against it, I am sure you wouldn't be against it. I mean, you wouldn't want me spilling a lot of things would you?"
"When does this end Henna?"
"Oops, I am sorry, I don't think it will end anytime soon….Sophia still doesn't know I was the girlfriend you shattered her heart over for does she?" she said and picked up her handbag.
"I'll see you back at home, Bran" she said and walked out of the office with a wave at me.
I lost my cool, I could not understand why Sophia would allow her sister to come live with us, was that how much she had fallen out of love with me?
I picked up the office phone and dialled my secretary, Jo.
"Where the hell is my iced americano!?" I asked angrily over the phone and hung up.
Jo quickly rushed into the office with my drink.
"I am sorry sir, I just didn't want to interrupt your conversation sir" she apologized.
"Just go"
"Yes sir" she said and walked out, and as she was about to walk out the door, she met with Pierre who was coming in to the office.
"Here is the analysis sir," Pierre said and placed the documents on the table.
"Okay thanks....Have you been able to get any lead on the the private matter I asked of you?"
"I'm afraid not sir, there has been no trace of the two men who supposedly kidnapped Miss Henna that day," Pierre said.
I let out a deep sigh as I collected the documents.
"What about that fateful night? Any idea what really happened that night?" I asked with a little hope.
"Nothing sir, the CCTVs were wiped clean, as though someone did it on purpose"
"Okay, keep digging and keep me updated"
"But sir, it seems you are still yet to fully believe Miss Henna's words about that day" Pierre risked his job to speak.
I looked up at Pierre and wondered what made him say this but what he said was actually true.
"I don't believe any word she says but evidences prove otherwise, I need to be certain"
"I understand sir, I will continue digging sir," Pierre said and exited the office.
I picked up the office phone again and made a call.
"Bring the reports from Halo Hems brand to my office now," I said to Jo over the phone.
After a while, Jo stepped into the office with the files from Halo Hems and handed them over to me.
"Here sir"
I collected the files and looked through them.
"How many times a week has the staff been reporting to work? Or were the staff laid off without my approval?"
"They were initially laid off sir but now just a few staff from different departments report to work twice a week"
"Do we have any staff wanting to quit the brand?"
"Not that I am aware of sir nor in the report"
"There will be drastic changes at the Halo Hems as from next week, inform the departmental staff and let them be prepared as well"
"Alright sir"
"One more thing, where did you get this iced americano from?"
"Oh, just at the cafe on the other side of the street sir"
"Change the location and get me a much better one," I said and threw the cup of iced americano into the bin in my office.
"I am sorry sir" Jo apologized and left the office.
I pulled off my suit, rested my back and head on the chair I sat on and twirled around for a while.
I twirled for a while and the vibration that came from my phone called back my attention and I picked up the call.