1 CHAPTER -1(The gaze that scratches the sanctitude without touching)
[DISCLAIMER: SMOKING/DRINKING OR USING ADDICTIVE DRUGS ARE EXTREMELY INJURIOUS TO HEALTH. AND THE HUMAN SPECIES WHO TEND TO HURT THEMSELVES ARE BRAINLESS STUPID...]
Luna glanced over the clock while sitting on the sofa that is placed outside of a conference room. She has just woken up and now this immeasurable waiting has fuelled her massively growing irritation. Even though it's not morning, it's almost at the last edge of noon. But she ignored her fault of coming late and shamelessly got annoyed with the fact of waiting long instead.
Although she has no choice but to tolerate it.
She's still feeling a bit sleepy. If it was any other day, then she would sleep right at the spot without giving a damn care about the surroundings. But today she's in a danger zone. Now she can't show her careless attitude at least for a time being.
Luna looked towards a fish bowl placed beside the sofa. She extended her right hand and put it into the bowl.
Her deep black lifeless cornea vibrated as the goldfish from the bowl started moving fast out of fear. She washed her face with that fishy water enjoying its frightening behavior.
"Yeakk, Miss Marino…. Behave yourself. The water is dirty. Last time I changed the water was two days ago. And you'll kill the fish as well!!" The manager scolded Luna in a formal but caring gesture.
Luna pretended as if she heard nothing. Noticing a little ink on her palm and she tried to remove it with the same water, maintaining a pale face.
"Oh… Luna… You always make things hard for me. Seat back to your position.Are you drunk or high!!" The manager gave her a tissue box.
Luna looked at the manager for once and took the tissue box without any expression. She randomly picked up a lot of tissues and wiped off her face.
"No I'm not…." She replied in a frustrated voice.
"Then I guess you're scared. Don't feel guilty, okay!!" The manager tapped her head.
Luna's cold eyes became gentle and calm with the touch of affection. Her frowning eyebrows got relaxed.
"Noh, it's not that…I'm just….. " She tried to reply softly, breaking the ice of her heart.
"Look!! Whatever you've done, of course it's a matter of guilt. But there's always an option of repent…Think positively. Even if you're feeling guilty, this feeling is a sign of virtue. Just correct the way you're living now. Then every sin can be forgiven."
The manager gave a gentle smile and went away. Luna slided some hair from her face that was covering most of the portion from the two sides of her cheeks and forehead, then she looked towards the door from where the manager passed by.
She again continued her waiting.
She's here to meet with the new CEO. But that's not the reason for her restlessness. She never cared about social status or rank let alone humans. Actually she is in big trouble and this is what she only cares about. And now suddenly the company changed the CEO. The previous CEO was a good man and has been covering all her messes successfully. But the new CEO is totally unfamiliar to her. And Luna doesn't like unknown things let alone an entire person.
She has been officially working in MILLERS for almost two years as a full time employee. Before that she used to work here as a trainee. It's a composition of corporate companies that is well known for making software and some of the electronic devices. But software is their main business along with manufacturing cell phones.
However,she's not an ordinary employee like others. Light is valued because there is the existence of dark…. Luna is also a part of the dark side of MILLERS Corporation and Companies.
She is actually working as a programmer in the IT department and also a black-hat-hacker who mainly helps all the software marketing departments in their every illegal action or promotional stunts.
MILLERS CORPORATION isn't any random company. Even in the past, it was within the top 10 rank in making the best softwares not only in Paris but also in all over France.
Then the chairman of MILLERS , Mr Brandon Miller came up with a brilliant idea. Actually he always wanted to be on top.
He made a separate department selection a group of intelligent hackers from the IT department and created another secret sector named "Vallée Sombre(VS)", under the ground of MILLERS' head office, hiding from the general mass. The head also office has its branch office in the same area. And it has been shown that the building of the HQ has only 22 floors. But it actually has 26 floors and the rest of the four floors are hidden underground.
And the "Vallée Sombre" has been working spontaneously in MILLERS for the last five years, veiling their identities from the world.
As a result, MILLERS goes on top 3 in rank within a few months after the establishment of that specific sector. And now it is spreading its range internationally.
And after Luna's graduation, she also joined this confidential sector of MILLERS although she was a part of this sector for a long time.
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The ticking sounds of the clock made Luna more apprehensive. She glanced over the door of the conference room.
This morning the chairman of MILLERS sent her an email and told her to meet with the new CEO who has joined recently.....She was sleeping at that time. After waking up she received the email. So she promptly came to the 20th floor of the head office directly from her bed.
She didn't even bother to change her informal clothes or tidy up her messy wavey-long hair.
Luna tied the laces of her sneakers more tightly and wiped them with tissue paper.
Half of her face is still hidden by her hair.But she didn't bother to slide it as she always feels comfortable in avoiding eye contact through this.
"It seems the meeting will take a long time to finish..." She said with an annoying voice ,seeing the manager entering the corridor again.
"You're to blame. You should have come before the conference started…I guess it'll take a few minutes more. Then you can meet with our new boss." The manager told her.
"What the heck... I'm stucking in a goddamn problem and this bloody newcomer is busy in his conference..." Luna shouted loudly and kicked on the corner of the mini table placed in front of her.
"Be a little polite dear. He's your senior.....and you don't have to worry. The company won't abandon you… If you're in danger,then we're in danger!! Either we'll kill you or save you. And the Chairman doesn't have any intention to kill you." The manager tried to give her assurance.
Luna's normal gaze got sharpened again. She eschewed her eyes and looked at the goldfish subconsciously.
" I know that… I'm not worried. Brandon told me to do so…It's not my fault. He ordered me this.. Why should I worry? He's the chairman after all… I've just followed his order…you're just exaggerating by calling it a sin." Luna tried to put extra force on her words.
" Then why are you in a sad mood… Are you still feeling guilty…" the manager looked into Luna's eyes.
"Why should I?" She gave a mocking smile.
" You've destroyed a whole company. That wasn't even in the competition… you've leaked their highly confined information… the stock prices are decreasing… that company will never be able to raise its head again. So many employees will lose their jobs… After harming them at this point, I thought you're at least feeling guilty…LOOKS LIKE ALL MY CONSOLATION WORDS WERE GOOD FOR NOTHING.YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT."
"Why should I care about them!! They'll find other jobs anyway." Luna monotonously explained.
" You've broken someone's effort or even dream. I thought you're sad because of this. But all you care about is yourself!!" the manager strived to make her realize her mistake.
"Isn't it my priority to think about myself? And please don't talk to me like that. I'm used to your warm behavior. This harshness is hurting me.!!"
"We'll, You don't have to think about yourself. The chairman will save you this time also as he has been saving you every time. It's just me who always gets disappointed whenever I grow my expectations towards you. Forget it." The manager said in a rude tone.
"I just don't wanna go to jail. I really hate jails you know." Luna took out a cig*rette from her wallet and lit the ciga***te with her antique designed lighter to ignore the surroundings.
This lighter was a gift from Brandon. Her eyes vacantly stuck on the creepy design of a name carved on the lighter while smoking. It was written "Bran" in bold letters…After one stroke, Luna pressed her fingers on the name and absorbed into deep thought frowning her eyebrows as if she'll imprint that name on the flesh of her finger from the lighter.
"Oh... don't do this here. Can't you see the NO SMOKING board on the wall. Please stop it. I'll get into big trouble." The manager requested her.
Luna gave a lifeless smile with her pink but pale lips. The pinkish aura faded away from her lips a long ago. And also became colorless and light. But still has a little evidence of the past rosiness on those lips that make it more visual than her white-pale skin.
Luna implicitly walked towards the manager and puffed out a huge fumes on the face of the manager without any word.
"Oh .... what's this nonsense...Ahhu...Ahhu...''The manager got annoyed and also coughed due to the smoke.
"Hahahaha....." She laughed in an artificial way ,seeing the manager's nervous condition. And her laughing turned pathetically gloomy as she couldn't feel any better.
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After a while.....
A beautiful lady came out from the conference room in an elegant motion of walking.
"Hello, Miss Luna Marino. I'm Clara Smith, the personal secretary of our new Chief Executive Officer. The meeting is over. He has called you inside. You can come with me." The lady gave a polite smile.
Luna looked at the manager ignoring the lady.
"Hope Brandon already told this CEO about the situation...??" Luna asked the manager.
"Yeah....he knew everything. He's going to fully cooperate with you I guess." the manager focused on his paperwork and left the corridor.
Luna walked towards the entrance of the conference room.
She also ignored the secretary as if she doesn't exist here and went inside with her imbalanced walking style.
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The new CEO is adequately sitting in a flexible chair in front of a big round table in the conference room.
All the employees had just left the large room through the front door and in the meantime Luna entered the conference room from the back door.
"Nice to meet you sir . I'm ....!!??"Luna crossed the door without waiting for permission.
The new CEO gave a smile curling a corner of his mouth.
"It seems you're so desperate to meet me that you didn't even knock the door before entering." The new CEO looked at Luna while cutting her words.
"YOU....!!" Luna frowned her eyebrows and paused for a moment looking at him with sangfroid but confusing eyes.
She slided some hair from her forehead to eyes so that she could have a clear look over him. She felt the face somewhat familiar. But her brain refused to accept it.
"Long time no see....huh??" The CEO spoke up with a teasing voice.
"HOW COMES IT IS YOU!!"
Luna came back to reality as the man's voice thumped into her ears . Then she quickly threw down the ciga***te between her fingers and smashed it with the bottom of her sneakers.
She then checked her clothes .She is wearing a wrinkled shirt that isn't buttoned properly and the denim short jeans covering one-fourth of her long legs.
An upper button on her shirt was unbuttoned that isn't necessary to close. But she quickly buttoned it to cover her revealing neck and collar bone.
The man sitting in front of her smiled a little more and looked at her exposing long legs.
His eyes reflected with the crescent shape of her physique.
Luna looked at his eyes and followed his gaze...and her hair stood on with a strange feeling.
She felt so uncomfortable as if she can't indulge this gaze.
That pair of shining eyes started feeling like a brace of burning coal and ignited her body-skin and even reached up to the skeleton.
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To be continued.....
