8 His Offer

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CHAPTER 8

Ariel's mind was in a frenzy, chanting, 'Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!' She desperately tried to gather her thoughts and make her brain function properly.

Meanwhile, Drax, taken aback by her reaction, found himself strangely unperturbed but given how things played out, who was he to complain? Despite the fact that she had ruined his outfit, he realized he needed her too much to hold any grudges.

Summoning his courage, Drax knocked on Ariel's door again, startling the life out of her poor soul as she jumped and blinked rapidly.

"I need to speak with you," his deep voice resonated through the door. When she hesitated, he added, "Please."

After a few moments, Ariel opened the door, surprise and wariness evident in her eyes and right now he could not blame her.

"Hello, Ariel," Drax greeted her casually, attempting to put her at ease.

Stammering, she asked, "S-sir… What are you doing here?" Her cheeks flushed at her earlier reaction and memories of their first encounter flooded back.

The two times they met, she kept on doing something stupid. If only a fairy godmother could whisk her away.

"May I come in?" Drax asked, his deep voice resonating with sincerity, pulling her from her reverie. Ariel raised an eyebrow, intrigued yet cautious.

First of all, she wondered how he knew her name, found her and if he was here to cause trouble. But given who he was, it was easy for him to get access to her files. She doubted whether she should trust him and give him a listening ear, given their recent experiences.

However, there was something about him that compelled her to listen. She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding and stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

As Drax entered her modest yet tidy house, he couldn't help but notice the absence of luxury or wealth. However, Ariel's beauty was as captivating as ever. Turning to face her, he took a deep breath before speaking.

"Ariel, I wanted to talk to you about your job."

He paused, waiting for a response that didn't immediately come. Undeterred, he continued, "I know we did not have a good start, and I am sorry for what happened. It is my fault you lost your position because I never stood up to Theo. Please forgive me."

Ariel couldn't believe her ears. She blinked and instinctively rubbed her ears, trying to process what she had just heard. Drax should be angry with her for her actions and her behaviour towards his business partner, but here he was, apologizing.

Drax's eyes shifted downward and then back up to meet Ariel's gaze. "I think you're an excellent waitress, and I would like to offer you a position at my company."

Ariel's mouth dropped open, her eyes widening in disbelief. She had expected retribution from Leo Spark after losing her job, but instead, she was being offered another opportunity.

'This can only mean… Oh, God!' Excitement coursed through her veins, and her heart pounded loudly in her chest.

"And what is he doing here?"

Just as the weight of the situation began to settle, the door swung open. As if on cue, Drax and Ariel snapped their head towards the door to see an angry Isis standing there, glaring at Drax. She had returned home early from work and overheard his job offer to Ariel.

Without fully comprehending the situation, Isis's protective instincts kicked in. "Ariel, are you okay? Is he harassing you or something?" she questioned, stepping into the house.

Gulp!

Drax couldn't believe his ears. Accused of harassment? "Ariel?" Isis's voice grew colder as she shifted her gaze to Drax. "Fine, I will handle it myself."

Ariel quickly intervened, stepping in front of her friend. "Isis!" she exclaimed, before even realizing what she was saying. But it was enough for Isis to pause, narrowing her eyes as she redirected her gaze toward Ariel.

"It isn't what you think. He apologized," Ariel explained, hoping to ease Isis's concerns.

However, Isis remained steadfast, crossing her arms defensively.

"Umm, I'm sorry, but I think you've got this all wrong, Miss. I am here to offer her a job." Drax chimed in.

"The same job where she was treated poorly and fired for being herself?" Isis countered, her tone unyielding.

Drax raised an eyebrow, attempting to clarify the situation. "I don't know what you've heard, but I didn't fire her."

"Your employee did, which means you did," Isis shot back, frustration evident in her voice.

Drax sighed, feeling the weight of the misunderstanding. "I understand your concern. I'm here to apologize for the misunderstanding and offer her a job." Just as Isis was about to speak again, Drax raised his finger, silencing her.

The next words he uttered caught both women off guard, leaving them breathless. With a smirk on his face, Drax placed a hand in his pocket and announced, "Not as a waitress, but as the new Assistant Accounting Manager of my company, Jasiel Atlantic Corp." He extended a slender envelope towards Ariel.

Time seemed to stand still as both women stared in stunned silence. Drax's words sank in slowly, and the weight of the moment became tangible.

"You can think on it if you would like," Drax added, breaking the trance-like state they were in with his gentle yet unwavering voice.

Ariel hesitated, her gaze shifting between the envelope and the man standing before her, radiating power and success. With trembling hands, she reached out and accepted the envelope, opening it to reveal the details of the job offer.

Drax continued speaking, his voice laced with sincerity, "I know our first meeting was unexpected, but I see potential in you, Ariel. You have something special. Join my company, and I promise you a world of opportunities."

Ariel's eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and disbelief sweeping over her. Her fingers grazed the edge of the paper, and her gaze met Drax's. In that moment, she felt a spark of excitement and possibility ignite within her.

Isis couldn't contain her joy and excitement, her eyes dazzling as she turned to Ariel. "Oh my, Ariel!" she squealed, trying her best to contain herself.

Ariel swallowed, deeply moved by the gesture. Since her parents' unfortunate demise, this was the first time someone had gone out of their way to help her.

"So..." Isis looked up at Drax expectantly, while he stood there, his gaze fixed on Ariel, unsure of how she would react to this life-changing proposition. Ariel, overwhelmed and at a loss for words, wished she could run away and scream in delight, but she knew she owed them an explanation.

Remaining still and silent for several seconds, Ariel finally managed to speak, her voice shaking with both fear and gratitude. "I will have to give it some thought before making any decision," she said, her words punctuated by uncertainty.

Drax nodded, appreciating her cautious approach. "So, are we good now?" he asked, glancing at both women, who nodded simultaneously, their embarrassment evident.

"Good. I... No, an email should have been sent to you regarding your job offer. If you decide to accept, you can start immediately, and the HR team will discuss your salary and benefits with you."

"Alright."

"Okay then, I should get out of your hair." Drax nodded before walking past them towards the door. Ariel swiftly rushed to open it for him.

Once outside, Drax turned around to face her. "I hope you will give this serious thought. And just before you disagree, I want you to know that I did some investigating and found out that you were harassed, which led to our accident."

Ariel's gaze lowered, the weight of her actions pressing down on her. "I'm..." she began, but Drax raised his hand to stop her.

"No need. I have taken care of things. You don't have to worry about such incidents in the future."

Knowing how much of a shock this must all be, Drax waited patiently till she spoke. Gratitude filled Ariel's heart as she softly whispered, "Thank you," her head lowered in appreciation.

"You're welcome," Drax replied simply before leaving her house behind, feeling a sense of satisfaction. He knew this was just the beginning of a great partnership. And perhaps, something more.

His long-awaited wish would be met.

Once he was out of earshot, he reached into his suit pocket, retrieved his phone and dialled a familiar number. Adam's voice came through the line, "Sir."

"Make sure Blue Sky doesn't see another clear sky in the entertainment industry. Release all the dirt on them."

"As you wish, sir," Adam responded dutifully, ready to execute his orders.

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