The Withdrawal

<b>VINCENZO'S POV</b>

I got to the office before anyone hell-bent on solving the mystery of the stolen prototype. Matteo had filled me in on his run-in with the princess. That was already looking like a dead end. I didn't want him to be persistent. It'll only appear suspicious, so I told him to halt the plan for a while. He was still very much mad at me. I even offered for him to crash at my place, which was his favorite thing to do, but he turned me down.

I would have to come up with something extraordinary if I was ever going to get Matteo to stop being mad at me. I walked into the boardroom thinking back to the day I displayed the prototype to everyone. I tried to recall everyone present at that presentation.

I had ruled Priscilla out already. I didn't think she was stupid enough to cross me like that. Matteo may be mad at me now, but he was always going to be loyal.

Esteban and Lilly had been with me forever. It didn't mean they couldn't betray me, but I doubted it was them. Mr. Hudson Steel was present via zoom on that day. He wanted to see the design I went on and about to him.

The man may have been a fool for a son, but he loved me like a son. He would never betray me. That left just one person that I never really dwelled on, Simeon.

He was the new intern at the company. It was odd how quickly I embraced him. Maybe because he was the smartest kid I had ever seen. He was an asset to my company. He was just a boy trying to take care of his family. It would be foolish of him to cross me.

No, I didn't think it was him either. So then, who could it have been? The more I thought of it, and the more my head felt like it would explode. I decided to leave the boardroom and rest in my office before everyone began to troop in. Barely minutes after I stepped into my office, I heard a knock on my door.

"Oh God," I muttered, tired already. I checked the time and saw that it was already time for workers to resume.

"Come in" I watched Priscilla walk in with that sexy body. She looked good, and I was exhausted. I needed to be rejuvenated, and I was getting ideas.

"You look like you haven't slept for weeks," she said in that sultry, seductive voice she liked to use.

"How can I sleep when my enemies won't?" I replied, exhausted.

"Then you shouldn't be avoiding me. I told you to always come to me when you need to relieve whatever tension built up in you" I smiled. This was the thing about Priscilla.

It was just too easy. Maybe that was why I had gotten bored. I enjoyed the chase. She wasn't giving me much to chase after right now. She was a willing conquest. Who was I to judge, though? This was precisely what I needed.

"Come to me," I said and watched her face turn pink. I wondered why she was acting so coy now. It's not like this was the first time we'll be fooling around.

She strolled towards me, putting on a show. I would have loved just to slam her on the table and get it done. We didn't have all the time for theatrics.

"I knew you couldn't resist me for too long," she whispered, grabbing my tie.

"Hmmm," I replied, tapping my lap for her to sit on.

"You look dashing, Mr. Santoro," she whispered, rubbing my chest.

"We don't have time for all this. The staff would soon resume," I said, crushing her lips with mine. Things heated up from there as I cupped her breast through her blouse.

I just wanted to rip it off and take the real thing out. My hands went down, and I felt her panties. Shit!

"Take it off," I whispered, and she obliged. I bent her over the desk, ready to get it over and done with when a knock from the door interrupted.

"Now what?" I screamed inwardly.

"Ignore," she said, breathing heavily.

"We can't," I replied, watching my body lose its desire. Just a minute ago, I was ready to bury myself in the depths of Priscilla, but it was all just gone now. Whoever was on the door knocked again, and Priscilla hurriedly put her panties on.

Only when I was sure that everything seemed normal did I order her to open the door. As if the day could not worsen, Roy strolled in with that stupid smile on his face.

"Hello, Vincenzo,"

"What are you doing in my office this early?" I asked, seething.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asked, sitting on the sofa. I looked at Priscilla, who kept a straight face. Smart girl.

"What do you mean by that? I was having a meeting with my secretary. Now I'll ask for the last time, what are you doing in my office?"

"You're always so heated, Vincenzo. Calm down and enjoy life," he said, walking around.

I was getting sick and tired of Roy. It was bearable when he was over a thousand miles from me, and I only had to deal with his father, but now he was here and hell-bent on pissing me off.

"Leave us alone, Priscilla. I'll call you when I need you" she bowed and left.

"She is stunning," Roy said, going through my shelf.

"You like stunning women, don't you?"

"You know I've had it up to here with you. You will tell me what you want or leave my office this minute!"

"Patience isn't your strong suit, I see. Well then, I'll tell you," he said, sitting down again.

"Steel has decided to withdraw its support for your company" I laughed at the delusion. Indeed he was joking.

"What exactly do you mean by that," I asked, a deep breath. I couldn't afford to lose my temper until I heard the reasons that would come out of this idiot's mouth.

"It's simple. You had a vision, according to my dad. I have asked for this vision, but you've done nothing to make me see it. However, there is a new company in town that has shown us a groundbreaking prototype for a new ship. It is only right that we take our support to where it matters," he said.

Now I know Roy was a dick and all. I knew he was doing this to spite me, not really because he cared for that company, but I understood. It was only suitable to support a company that was showing real progress. Granted, the said company had stolen my ideas. I was getting too tired of all this. I needed to put an end to the games as soon as possible.

"Fine. Do what you have to do; I don't care" I shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, taken aback. "Are you saying you're ready to lose your biggest partners?" He questioned in disbelief.

"You've wanted to take me out for years. Now you have the chance. So do it. As I said, I don't care."

"I call bullshit! Your company will suffer major loss if we pull out of it. You're just acting indifferent so that I can change my mind."

"You overestimate your importance, Roy. You talk a big game, but you're still that foolish boy with low self-esteem that has continuously been a source of disappointment to your father. Your company is my significant support, but I did not come to this farby kissing ass. I worked damn hard for everything I own. If you leave today, I'll get a bigger and better offer. Because I am Vincenzo Santoro."

"Your pride will be the end of you; Vincenzo and I would take the front seat and watch as it unfolds," he replied and angrily walked out.

I drew a deep breath and tried to calm down. I was not going to waste my anger on Roy. Maria was the cause of all this. Since she obviously won't stop until she causes permanent damage, I wasn't going to until she came to me on her knees, begging for mercy. I placed a call to my mum.

"Hello, son. How have you been?" She asked.

"There's no time for pleasantries. Have you set a date for dinner with Maria?"

"Of course. I sent all the details to your secretary to show it to you."

Oh! Maybe that was why Priscilla was actually in my office that early.

"Okay, mum," I said, ending the call. I wasn't in the mood for any lengthy conversation.

I was only ready for one thing and one thing alone. To watch Maria suffer.