SWNOVELS Chapter 17
Chapter 17 A Run-In with the CEO
Helene left Freya and Diego behind, one with a look of jealousy plastered on her face, and the other stricken with regret. Then, she went home with Carlisle to have lunch.
He returned to work shortly after, leaving Helene to spend the day off alone. She took off her blazer and was about to fold it
when she received a call from her brother.
On the phone, Zion told her about how he went to meet his girlfriend’s family a few days ago, and they gave him a watch worth thousands. He continued by explaining how it was his girlfriend’s birthday, and he wanted to repay their kindness and give her a nice present. The only problem was that he didn’t have any money since he was still in school, and he had called to see if he could borrow some.
Helene had heard Zion mention his girlfriend during earlier conversations. They’d been together for over a year at that point, and their relationship seemed to be okay. Though she wanted to help, Helene had sunk all her money into their grandmother’s operation fees, so she had no money to lend. to him even if she wanted to.
Suddenly, an idea came to mind as she looked at the blazer, still warm in her hand, and asked Zion about his girlfriend’s measurements. As it turned out, they were about the same size, so Helene told him her idea. She would give Zion the blazer she just bought to give to his girlfriend as a birthday. present.
At first, he disagreed, understanding that Helene was very
0.00%
Chapter 17 A Run–in with the CEO
788 Vouchers
tight on money, especially recently. The last thing he wanted was to take something she had bought with what little she had left. He instead asked if he could borrow some money from Diego, not expecting Helene to explain that the two had broken up.
Left with no other choice, Zion ultimately accepted Helene’s offer. The two quickly agreed on a time and place for Helene to give him the gift later that day, and at half past one in the afternoon, they met in front of the Bamford Group headquarters.
Zion’s girlfriend had just joined the company as an executive member of their front desk, so he had already planned to stop by. Now, he could also drop off her birthday present as well.
When Helene handed him the blazer and receipt, Zion was shocked to see how much it cost. He never expected his sister to buy something so expensive. Not wanting to explain how she’d managed to afford it, Helene quickly changed the topic, telling him to take care of himself and to visit their grandmother when he had time.
Meanwhile, Carlisle was returning from a lunch meeting with a client. Driving back to the company in his car, he noticed Helene standing outside the company building with a young
man.
She helped him straighten his collar, and the two looked very intimate. He watched as she gave him a small bag which looked very familiar.
Suddenly, he heard a loud bang. Carlisle was so distracted by Helene and this stranger that he rammed right into the car in front of him. A stylishly dressed girl got out of the driver’s
16.06%
Chapter 17 A Run–in with the CEO
11 288 Vouchers
seat to inspect the damage at once. Carlisle’s Rolls Royce was unscathed, but her car’s rear end was smashed in, and her anger was rising.
“Hey, you! You must be a big shot if you’re driving a car like this, right? C’mon, get out.”
Helene had turned around to see what the commotion was, so Carlisle was going to do no such thing. He rolled down his window and silently handed the woman a blank check.
Feeling insulted, the girl became indignant and started berating him louder and louder. That was when Zion took notice as well. Something felt especially wrong to him as he watched the scene. The car that had been hit looked just like the one his girlfriend owned.
He quickly walked over with Helene and called out, “Lavinia!”
She was angrily tapping on the window of the Rolls Royce at this point, screaming “Get out of the car! Do you hear me?!”
Carlisle sat in his car taking a call when he saw Helene coming over. Once she came into view, he quickly hung up and lay against the steering wheel to hide his face.
And as Zion neared, Lavinia was fueled with a newfound vengeance, becoming even more violent by the second.
“The driver doesn’t look like he’s doing too well. Do you think he’s hurt?” Helene asked.
“But he was just taking a call, wasn’t he?” Lavinia mused.
“We could call the police…” Zion proposed.
32
“No, don’t. This isn’t that big of a deal.”
Chapter 17 A Run–in with the CEO
11 788 Vouchers
Helene walked up to Carlisle’s car and knocked on the glass.
“Excuse me, sir! Could you come out so that we can settle this properly?”
ta
Carlisle’s window was tinted heavily, so Helene couldn’t get a clear view of what was inside. She could only see a man in sunglasses and was unable to make out any of his features.
Zion took out his phone and insisted on calling the police, but he was stopped by a man who had come to see what was going on. They were so close to the Bamford Group building that Vice President himself wanted to check up on them.
“What’s this about calling the police?” he asked.
“Duke!” Lavinia exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Lavinia had just been referred to the company by Duke as the two were related.
Duke cursed bitterly.
Was he not coming after all? The CEO had called him while he was in the bathroom earlier, instructing Duke to meet him in front of headquarters in exactly three minutes. If he was late, his bonus for the month would be withheld.
Duke fixed his belt and smoothed out his suit, fidgeting the entire time. He was so anxious that he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. He had already had a few poor
encounters with the CEO, and if he ran into any more
problems, there was a chance his retirement plans would fall
apart.
“Lavinia, don’t worry about any of this. You can get your car
47.69%
Chapter 17 A Run-in with the CEO
repaired on the company’s dime. We’ll reimburse you.””
11 788 Vouchers
“Oh, please! You think I can’t afford that? This isn’t about my car anymore. Just look at this guy! He hasn’t apologized or even gotten out of his car!”
“You want him to give you an apology?” he hissed seethingly. “Girl, I’m warning you one time, and one time only. If you don’t leave quickly, it won’t just be your head on the chopping
block! Do you know who’s sitting in the car?”
“What? Who?!”
The vice president gritted his teeth so hard that he could hear them grinding. How ungrateful!
“Do you know how much he paid for this car?”
“It’s just a shitty Rolls–Royce! What’s the big deal?” Lavinia scoffed, thinking of the old model that she had at her family home. They didn’t have it anymore, however, having to sell it once her father’s business went under.
“A shitty Rolls–Royce? You wouldn’t be able to get your hands on this even if you had millions!” Mr. Duke exclaimed, waving his hands angrily. “Now listen to me! Get out of here. Now! Anywhere but here! Do you understand?!”
Lavinia was beginning to panic as the realization set in. There was only one person in the entire company who would be able to afford a car like this and call the vice president out of the building. He must have been at the very top of the chain.
Without saying another word, she rushed back into her car with Zion and Helene in tow, and the three drove away. They entered an underground garage, and Carlisle followed,
62 46%
Chapter 17 A Run–in with the CEO
keeping his distance.
11 788 Vouchers
At the entrance of the basement floor, Lavinia was stopped by a security guard posted out front. He pointed to a sign next to him that read, “Reserved for CEO.”
Feeling even more terrified now, Lavinia quickly turned
around and drove to the next floor. Once she parked, she sat inside her car still shaken.
“That car must have belonged to the president,” Lavinia said irritably as she got out. “I can’t believe it! I pissed off the CEO on my first day. What should I do?”
“If he’s that powerful, then I doubt he’d be so petty. Don’t worry about it,” Helene comforted her.
Lavinia looked over at Helene. Given everything that had happened, she didn’t give the woman a good look. But now, she realized that Helene was different. She didn’t look like a white–collar worker in a senior position, as Zion described her. She could have been a cashier for all Lavinia knew. Her clothes were too cheap and unassuming.
“Zion, is this… your sister?” Lavinia asked, disdain written all over her face, “You said so many good things about her, so I
“What’s wrong with Helene? If you were half as sensible as her, you wouldn’t have gotten on the CEO’s bad side on your very first day here,” he shot back coldly.
“Don’t you talk to me about being sensible! You were about to call the police over this!”
“And why do you think that is?! I only did it because you were
78.47%
Chapter 17 A Run–in with the CEO
raising hell?”
11 288 Vouchers
The two were bickering as if Helene wasn’t there at all. Having heard enough, she stopped them.
“Both of you cut it out!” First, she pointed at Zion and chided, “You’re a man, aren’t you? Couldn’t you be a bit more understanding with your partner?”
She took the bag in Zion’s hand and handed it to Lavinia.
“Zion bought you this for your birthday. I picked it out and he paid for it. All better?”
Lavinia’s eyes lit up when she saw the brand on the bag. “This place isn’t cheap! Where’d you get the money to buy this?!” Lavinia squealed happily, clinging to his arm.
93.55%