One Night With Mr Braxton

” How was your stay by the garbage? I never pinned you as one who was that dumb. You think you could escape us?”

The man said looking into her scared eyes. Emma was dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe her ears. If she were to properly dissect his words, it meant that all the while, when she was desperately trying to hide herself and escape from their claws, they were aware of her hideout.

They knew where she was and decided to let her think she had gotten away. They let her delude herself into thinking she had an option, like she was in control of her options. Meanwhile, they were in control ever since. They had the original control she’d thought she held.

Once again, Emma felt deceived. She had once again gone out of her way to prove how stupid she was. At that moment, she remembered the exact time she stopped hearing their footsteps just a few meters away from her. How they’d receded in their steps and she’d thanked God they didn’t come any further.

Meanwhile it wasn’t like they didn’t come any further but they chose not to come any further. She wondered what prompted them to indulge in her stupidity for so long but soon enough, the answer dawned on her.

She was playing to their benefit. It was very dark out now and if she had a little chance of escaping their hold previously, now she didn’t have even the slightest chance of escaping them.

It was too late out now and every sort of aid she could get was totally neutralized. She was now on her own. It all boiled down to this moment. The moment she either brought them down or was brought down.

With how feeble and weak she felt, something told her the possibility of the latter happening was a hundred percent. Regardless, she wasn’t going to make it easy. She was going to make sure they worked for it. Even if it was the last thing they did.

She wasn’t going down easy.

” Listen girl. As you can see, you are all caught up, tired and probably hungry. Do yourself a favour and gently walk over here. You are smart enough to know that this is the end of the road. No need to make it harder than it should be.” Another voice said, surprising her.

Emma turned around and saw the other man coming by her left. He held a burning cigar and before getting close to her, he threw it on the floor and stomped it out.

” Be smart and come with us. That way, no one gets hurt. And by no one, I mean you.” He said again, laughing at his words.

” What do you want from me?! Leave me alone!” She screamed, looking for a way out from between them.

” I already warned you. We’ve been patient with you while you had your beauty sleep. My man over here has been up all the while, watching you sleep in. He can be temperamental when he doesn’t get his way.” The browned eyed man said, referring to his colleague.

Emma observed the men for a second. They were obviously two times stronger and faster than her. Coupled with how weak and hungry she felt, one would multiply that by a hundred and it still wouldn’t explain how disadvantaged she was at the moment.

Notwithstanding, Emma took the bait and ran for it. following her right, Emma ran for it with every strength she could muster. The only downside being that there wasn’t any strength left and what she proposed to be a sprint turned out to be a pitiful hastened stride.

Emma’s mind was doused in dopamine but her body failed her. There was only so much she could do. Only so far she could push her human body. She was a mortal in need of rest and couldn’t help herself.

The men watched with laughing eyes as Emma struggled and her steps reduced into a crawl. Somewhere along the line, she fell and couldn’t for the life of her get up.

On her way down, she hit her head on the firm concrete and everything blurred. With hazy eyes, she watched the men approach her and the last thing she remembered was a white handkerchief coming over her face.

She lost.

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” We need to talk. ” Jason said immediately he entered Asher’s office.

” I don’t have time. As you can see, I’m busy.”

” You would want to hear this. The hotels in Europe have been put under siege. According to reports, until the rumours pertaining the management of the company is resolved, the workers would not be resuming.”

” What?! Place me on the line with the overseer in Europe. Now!”

Asher was losing it. Day after day, things were getting worse with the general management. A lot of people have been relieved of their duties. The worst part was that every time spent that he was unable to come up with something in solution, more people joined the bandwagon.

” I’m afraid we can’t. The fool turned in his resignation this morning and started as the head of affairs for the ColTae group in Europe.”

Jason was seething. Ever since he touched down New York, a lot of things kept coming up. The Braxton Empire was being threatened by a measly ColTae.

He was sure of that fact because of just how fast the news seemed to be spreading. Braxton international was losing money by the day and despite having a firm grip on the media publicizing the events, the rumours were neverending.

Almost as though someone was fuelling it behind bars, causing people to doubt Braxton’s ability to deliver. Everything was falling apart and there was so much he could do about it.

” ColTae? ” Asher laughed. In between his laughter, he’d pause and as though rethinking the events, he’d burst out in another round of maniacal laughter.

Jason was scared. This was the side of Asher he’d hoped to help reel in by coming but even this situation was proving hard to handle. The mad CEO was coming out and there was nothing he could do to help.

The only solution out of this was the Steele lady but even that option had been exhausted. He didn’t have the ability to even mention the lady in such a situation.

” Book me a meeting with Emma Steele. It’s long overdue don’t you think?” Asher said, almost causing Jason to double over in shock.

” W-what did you say? E-emma?” He asked, feeling unsure of what he heard.

Jason expected him to go as far as having a meeting with the European Union or some government but his request for the same lady he’d thrown out came by surprise.

” I don’t have time to repeat myself. Send a delegate to Europe. Make sure everything is in place before the next forty eight hours. I’ll pull my weight from here.”

” Yes sir! ” Jason said with all seriousness. Although they had more than an ordinary boss and employee relationship, he was currently back to their usual dynamic.

Asher and Jason were the powerful duo which were instrumental in the greatness of Braxton international. Back in the days, they fought side by side, tooth and nail to ensure the advancement and permanent first position which they were enjoying today.

It was only natural to fall back into that dynamic when the situation called for it. Jason was Asher’s Balance. Although Asher was fine and perfectly holding his own in the corporate world, one could tell that with Jason by his side, he was even more formidable.

Jason was not only a friend and in-law. He was the ying to his yang! Both of them did wonders when together even more than they did apart.

*****

Mrs Steele was all smiles in her office. She had gotten a signal that kept her mind at rest. Everything was going just according to plans. She thoroughly enjoyed when her messy and crafty ideas being put together became a solid and fool proof plan utilized for her maximum benefit.

After receiving that signal, she picked up her phone and wired some money into an account. This was her most recent project. After conversing with Mrs Braxton, she had taken time out to check on the current state of their company.

With proper research, she figured out that maybe, just maybe she could in some way help push them to the brim of desperation in order to thoroughly utilize them.

Like a disguised enemy, she helped fuel the rumours going round, believing that it would only mount pressure and force them into accepting her demands when the time came. She deemed it sowing seeds of desperation and hoped it yielded a bountiful harvest.

Satisfied with everything, Mrs Steele ordered for a bottle of red wine to be brought and that very night, had a few cups of wine in celebration of a brighter future. She had worked for it after all.

Meanwhile, inside an abandoned factory, in an empty office space, an unconscious girl was sprawled on the cold floor.