Her Corporate Takedown: Entangled with a Billionaire

*CHAPTER 5: HIS TAUNTING*

It took some time to adjust to my surroundings. I remembered that I was going up to Andrei's apartment and then I passed out in the elevator. What happened since then? Why are we in this position? What did he do to me?

'Let me go!' The words I wanted to say weren't coming out.

My mind was awake, but I couldn't command my body. I couldn't move my hands and I couldn't speak. I've never experienced any situation so frightening.

I felt scared. This day couldn't get any worse. To think he was the kind of person to take advantage of someone like that.

I could feel myself trembling. He also seemed to notice that I was pathetically trembling in his arms.

He laughed softly while he said, "Leiya. You passed out in the elevator and I carried you inside my apartment. I'm placing you on the sofa now, so don't move suddenly. Also, from your point of view, it might look like I'm trying to do something to you, but I promise I'm not."

For some reason, the trembling stopped. He was able to calm me down, although I know better than to trust a man in this kind of situation.

I was being lowered onto the sofa and he placed my head on a cushion. As he did, his face was directly above mine, separated by just a few inches. I couldn't see him clearly in the dark but I could hear his breathing, which I still felt on my lips. I could tell he was trying to be careful, like handling a treasured glass figurine. I hoped I wasn't showing any kind of happy expression on my face though.

After placing me down, he felt my forehead with the back of his right hand; I suppose to check if I had a fever. His hand stayed there for a while, even though he realized I didn't have a fever. All this time, I was just staring at him, watching his every expression. His eyes softened while he slowly removed his hand from my forehead but used the opportunity to brush his fingers against the left side of my cheek and neck, and then he moved his hand to the sofa beside me.

He had his left knee on the edge of the sofa, and now both of his hands were on either side of me extended while he looked at me intensely. We both stayed in this position, motionless, for about thirty seconds, as if he was searching for another excuse to stay like this.

But there was no excuse.

I was awake and clearly fine. Although I was calm, I couldn't let my guard down. I still don't know if I can trust him. If he at least turns on the light, that would make things less awkward.

He laughed.

'What now?' she thought.

"If I at least turn on the light, you think I won't try to do anything to you," he said while chuckling.

'How does he keep doing this?'

"Since you passed out, you probably woke up with a headache." He continued, "It might get worse if I turn on the light."

True enough, I did wake up with a terrible headache. I was paying more attention to his face than the headache though.

"Are you okay?" Andrei asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "I don't know why you passed out but I'll bring some water just in case you're dehydrated."

"Thanks," she replied with a smile.

He finally got up off the sofa and went to the refrigerator for a few bottles of water. As soon as he moved, a glaring migraine hit with full force. I turned to my right side and nestled into the cushion hoping it would suck the pain out of my head.

Andrei returned with 3 bottles of water and placed them on the centre table in front of the sofa that was barely out of reach for Leiya. He gave her a bottle and she kept it on the sofa beside her.

Andrei sat on the ground in front of Leiya and rested his back against the sofa.

"I'm happy you remembered me. I really thought you forgot about me," he said.

'I did completely forget and I only just remembered,' she thought with an expression of mild dread. But I was lying on my right side so he couldn't see my face.

"With everything you've been through, I thought it must be really bad and you could use a friend. You even moved to a new city after all."

'Is he really going to let me relive all of that again?'

"Some form of debriefing won't hurt. It might help you to move on faster."

'I'm not saying any of this out loud, am I?'

"No, I can't hear your thoughts at all."

Leiya jumps up surprised but then slumps back into the cushion after aggravating her headache.

"I appreciate your concern but I don't want to talk about it," she said in a weary voice.

"I know it's been a long day but you really should talk about it. You even quit school."

After a moment of silence, Andrei asked, "Why did you quit school? You could have just taken a break for a while."

"Did you know that I was engaged to Daniel?" Leiya asks.

"Yea, I knew."

"We were all still together as a group even in high school - Daniel, Michelle, Carlos and I. They mostly treated me like an outcast whenever it came to their business projects though. And Michelle…she was still interested in Daniel even in high school. But I trusted him with every fibre of my being. I thought we could overcome any obstacles together. But they…"

The words started to become swallowed in her sobs and tears began to stream down her face and on to the sofa.

"Behind my back, they got together. I can't even tell how much of it was real anymore." The sporadic sobs turned into a full crying episode. Andrei sat in silence, looking at the night sky through the window while she cried.

"Becoming a doctor while he was an entrepreneur was all part of the big dream we had planned together. It was too painful for me to go back to school after he destroyed my dreams. I feel bad for letting my parents and friends down, but it just felt meaningless at that point."

After another minute of silence, I stopped crying. Even my headache had stopped. I felt much better but at the same time extremely embarrassed. I turned on my stomach to completely bury my face in the cushion so he couldn't see how red it was, but I also wanted to see his face. To my surprise, he had a rather serious expression as he turned from looking out the window to looking at the table in front of him.

"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked sullenly.

"I don't know what exactly, but I need to get a job while I work on building a business far superior to theirs and crush them in their own entrepreneurial world," she replied while clenching her small fists.

"Well, if you have no ideas about a job, why don't you go to this company on Monday for an interview," he said as he handed her a business card.

"Interview? What about the job application?"

"I already put in an application and a good word, of course. You just need to show up."

"What? I can't accept that."

"I may have connections with the company, but it's not like you'll be hired into an elusive position. You'll probably end up doing as much grunt work as every other new hire. It's just that this company isn't in hiring season now, so this is the only way to get an interview there now." He paused for a moment then said, "besides, working at this company will definitely help you to acquire the skills you need for your revenge quest."

'Really, now?'

"Yes, really," he replied with a smile.

"You need to stop doing that," she said with a stern tone. "Thank you, though," she continued in a softer voice.

"No problem. I want you to get back on your feet as soon as possible. Plus, I also have my own reasons for helping with your revenge plot."

"Does that have something to do with approaching a lady you're interested in right after she broke up with her fiancé?" she asked with a slightly cunning expression.

He smiled in response. "Well, that's part of it," he said while tilting his head back to the left. By this point, I had forgotten about hiding my face and was sitting up on the couch on my legs and he turned to the left to face me with his hands propping him up behind him.

"That's only part of the reason you said you were waiting for me? What's the rest of it?"

"Sorry, but I can't explain that right now," he said as he reached for a folder on the centre table and took it up with his right hand.

"How do you expect me to work with you if you won't share information? I'm sure it's important too," she said angrily.

'How can I trust you?!'

"I know it's a bit hard to trust people now with all that has happened to you, but this path for revenge you chose is far more complicated than just building a multi-billion dollar business and laughing at Daniel and Michelle from your high horse."

"Then just tell me."

"I'll tell you once you've fully decided that this is what you want to do. It's better not to tell you unnecessary information that puts you in danger. Honestly, I would rather you go back and finish med school or find another completely unrelated passion."

"I won't go back and I will crush them. It's clear, though, that we can't work together," I said while shifting into a sitting position.

"Wait. Let me drive you home," he said while handing her the folder he took off the table. "This is information about the company I just mentioned."

"Thanks." As I took the folder from him, I felt annoyed and confused. He walked back into my life and behaved as if we were always friends. Due to that, I let my guard down, and it didn't help that I collapsed in the elevator and he took care of me. I really should forget about him and do my own thing, but he came immediately as I quit school and recommended a job that will fast-track my revenge…hopefully.

I can't trust that he's hiding things from me, but I will find out what it is he's not telling me. If I don't do this, it's like admitting defeat for allowing them to make a fool of me all these years. That's why I've decided. And I will use anything and anyone to fulfil this mission.

"By the way," I just remembered something very concerning he said earlier. "Didn't you say my house was bugged?!"