Years Later
Two Years Later.
Romulus.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Romulus Villin," Mr. Logan Hawls held my hand firmly,
"It's a pleasure doing business with you," He said, too happy about the deal being finalised.
"You too," Was my plain reply.
I walked past him and my P. A Sasha followed me behind. As soon as I entered the elevator, my phone began to ring. Looking at the caller id, I rolled my eyes in anonymous.
"What is it, Klaus?" I asked, not hiding the annoyance in my tone.
"Hello there, Romulus, hope I'm disturbing you," His annoying voice came through the phone.
"Yes, you are," I replied,
"Well, You know how much pleasure I take in that," He chuckled,
"Come to the point, Klaus," I replied in anger,
"Okay, There is a party happing, You have to come," he said,
"No, I won't," I replied,
"Trust me, You have to"
"I have other important things to deal with, Klaus,"
"Your loss, some of the top businessmen are attending and your P. R manager insists you go there," he said,
Crap!
"Fine," I said, gritting my teeth and hanging up without listening to him.
***
I was sitting in my office, working on the latest project we just began. After my father stepped down as a Ceo of Villin Enterprises, I had to step in. His health was already not good but after he heard of that awful accident, it worsened.
Everything changed after that accident.
Every single time I remember that day, my head hurts as if it was hit by a baseball bat over and over again. I don't remember what happened but when I woke in the bed, I saw Mom and dad, sitting beside me, crying.
I just remember bits and pieces of what happened.
I remember, Clarissa, apollo and I, were going to benjamin's lab and that's it.
That accident changed our whole life.
I hate that date and day.
***
Big parties now made me claustrophobic, despite massive, lavish auditoriums like these. But standing here in the dark, smoke-filled ballroom with a host of zombies, clowns, and rabid animals, I couldn't help but compare it to the slammer. I even saw a guy in my old digs, in an orange jumpsuit.
I didn't fault J. R, one of the leading marketing research firms in Manchester and my new employer, for taking their Halloween bashes so seriously. Ghoulish DJs and undead go-go dancers of both the male and female persuasion were a nice touch. While the laser lights, free booze, and endless supply of finger foods with swanky French names I couldn't begin to pronounce gave them street cred.
And it let their staff blow off some well-earned steam. I'd only been here about a year, but the work hard, play hard motto had never been more fitting. I liked that. It showed I chose the right place to begin my career and start the hell over.
Being in London only reminded me of some nasty memories and I needed to move on. I needed to start in a completely new place and Manchester was perfect.
I've learned throughout my life that timing is everything and I can't allow anticipation to make me get ahead of myself.
It is one of the strategies I've employed in my approach to investments that have led to my being named as one of the top ten youngest and richest men in the country. I've always kept my cool and am known as a shrewd negotiator.
Publicly, I'm still Romulus Villin, Ceo of Villin enterprises. But privately I find that I have reverted to the shy and fearful boy. I never wanted to enter into business but I had to, the difference is striking and goes much further than appearances. My attitude has improved and my mind has been sharper.
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad," Klaus said to my right. "Would it kill you, Romulus to go down there and have a little bit of fun? Come on, God knows you need to let loose. Who knows? You might dislodge that stick that's up your ass."
I shot a glare at Klaus's way. He just grinned at me like a fucking fool. He knew he was the only one who could ever get away with talking to me that way.
"Besides," he went on, ribbing me even further, "What would a Halloween party be without an appearance from the popular and mysterious Villin?"
"You're trying my patience, motherfucker," I gritted out at him.
Klaus insists on throwing this huge Halloween party for all of our current and potential clients, and apparently half the college sector of the city, and I stayed up here in my office and glower down at the scene while he tried to lure me out to make an appearance.
I usually do walk in just long enough to appease the papers and whatever marketing scheme Klaus has going on. He swore it works, and maybe it does. I don't know. I don't read the papers. I don't give a rat's ass what they say about me. All I care about is the numbers.
That's what I'm good at. Numbers. Growing my company. Making so much money should be illegal. I make sure my company is completely on the up and up. There are no shady business deals here. Everything is done by the book.
Two years of hard work, Yes, money is nice and all, but that's not even what it's about for me. I crave the challenge. I like being busy. It gave me something to do and always got me out of my head.
Keeping my mind busy always helped, I want to stop those visions from rushing back to me, and feeling it all over again.
Plus, when you're successful and powerful, no one can step on you. If you've got enough money, you can rule the world, and while maybe I don't rule the world, I definitely rule my little kingdom here in the city.
"You would think people would have enough sense not to tangle with me," I grumbled.
Klaus threw his head back and laughed a big booming laugh that grated on my nerves. The fucker is as annoying as hell. He was always good at his job and that was the only reason, I keep him around.
Also, he's my best friend.
"Admit it though, Romulus. You do it to yourself, never saying anything just keeping to yourself so much. You had created this aura of mystery that the public loved. They thrived off that shit. Especially the women," He waggled his eyebrows at me.
My scowl deepened. That's the last thing that I'm interested in right now. I don't have time for women, especially ones who only see dollar signs when they look at me and run after me to get under me.
I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of doing all these things just to keep up with appearances and to indulge in Klaus's P. R schemes. I was about to tell him that I'm leaving when something on the floor below catch my attention.
No, not something. Someone.
I went completely still as I watched the tiny woman walk into the room. She was with a group of women, and they were all talking and laughing with each other the way girls do when they travel in a pack, but not her.
She smiled at them and glanced around the room. Something about her is set apart from them, and it's not just the way she's dressed more conservatively than them either. She looked strangely familiar to me but, I just can't pinpoint how I know her.
Where did I see her before?
Do I know her?
Who is she?