After observing the kid's gesture, She released the iPad back. "Thank you." He replied firmly but Winny gawked at him with curiosity forming furrowed brows.
"There must be something else to entice this lad." She mused but was called out of it as soon as Silas spoke up.
"Haven't you had enough Winny?" Silas voiced out, checking his head sideways as he took his hands off the laptop.
"Silas, I'm not here for you ok, why don't you just concentrate on your work while I have my time with the young lad." She replied, rolling her eyes against Silas, who only smirked in return, curving a smile across his lips and turning his attention back to the laptop.
He knew Winny wasn't the kid or generous kind of lady, but being here she was with cake cuts for the lad, meaning she had an interior motive that she was yet to reveal.
"I'll be here to see what she's up to?..
Winny leaned forward again, curving a smile across her lips. " Little cutie, how about I take you out to have fun at the park." Bernard jolts on his seat and put away his iPad after Bianca mentioned taking him out.
"Aunt are you sure?" He asked, receiving a positive nod from Winny. "Yes, aunty, aunty. Take me, so when are we going?" Bernard popped his eye in excitement.
Winny was so pleased to have won the little lad over, smiling triumphantly at Silas. it was time to spill her request.
"Not so fast little cutie, I have a request for you, you will do it for me right?" Silas was attentive, he needed to discover her next line of action.
"Go on auntie, I'll do anything, provided you fulfill your promise. My mummy says we shouldn't make vain promises."
"I promise," she replied, crossing her pinky with him. Bernard was overjoyed, he did want to have fun with other kids as he had never been opportune for such before since their mum was always occupied with work.
"Aunty, I'm listening." Takes a sip from the warm milk prepared for him.
"Alright cutie, would you ask Mr. Dawson to have dinner with me?"
Silas turns towards Winny in surprise. "Winny you are so despicable and shameless. How would you think of using a kid to get close to Mr. Dawson? He has a judicial mind, so don't ever think you could do anything because you are the daughter of an important shareholder in the corporation." Silas scolded severally, smashing his lips.
"It's none of your business Silas, asking Mr. Dawson to have dinner with me isn't a crime at all and I don't see how that should concern you at all. It's improper to stop two birds from falling in love." She rolled her eyes at Silas and returned to intimidating the young lad.
Bernard who had been watching the argument all this while voiced out. "Aunty, is it Uncle Brant you are referring to?"
She answered him nodding her head. "Yes cutie, uncle Brant."
Bernard remembered Brant emphasizing who his mummy was. Moreover, the five of them had always wanted a father and gradually, he also was beginning to like Brant. He noted his head in refusal. "No aunty, I'm not following you to the park anymore. Don't bother, uncle Brant will take me together with my mommy, you can't go to dinner with uncle Brant." He pouted his lips.
"Your mummy, who are you referring to?" Winny furrowed her brows and changed her tone to a more blunt one and as a result, Bernard got intimidated and his eyes turned red like a little mouse ready to be devoured.
Yet Winny was too blindfolded by her emotions to notice all of this, she grabbed his small wrist and asked angrily. "Who is your mommy?"
"Let go of me, you are hurting me," the young lad shrieked in fear. Silas took long studies towards them, pulling Winny off Bernard, causing her to jolt off hitting her head against the wall and sending pains into her head.
"Get your lazy ass off the kid!" He yelled, carrying weeping Bernard into his arm.
"Ouch," she whined in pain, rubbing the affected place which was beginning to swell and her face formerly decorated with exquisite makeup had suddenly changed to reddish color. After she gets her balance, she yells at Silas. "Why would you push me that hard because of an ordinary kid!"
"You are shameless Winny, so shameless. The minor suddenly becomes your target to bully right? You know if this should get to the boss, then you are In for trouble." Silas voiced out, pacifying Bernard with a pat on his back.
Winny took a few steps closer. "You wouldn't want to inform the boss right? I guess you still love your job." She whispers softly but audibly. Then the door flings open.
Brant walks in. "You wouldn't want to tell the boss what?" Brant inquires with curiosity and an authoritative voice. She choked and ran into the arms of Brant. "Boss, look here I only offered the little lad cake but Silas took it as an offense, throwing me against the wall." Feigning tears as she showed him the affected spot.
She bit her lips and was about to cry as she was a perfect example of an angelic b***h.
Brant pursed for a while, shifting his gaze towards Silas. "You now mishandle women?" Little Bernard burst into tears pulling out of Silas' embrace towards Brant to defend Silas.
"Uncle Brant, it's not true. This woman here tried bullying me by making me cry a lot, but uncle Silas came to my rescue." He voiced out pointing at Winny. Sunny felt like tearing him into pieces.
"Little cutie, when did I bully you? Didn't I come here just to offer you cake cuts? Has this entity here succeeded in intimidating you to tell lies against me?" Winny asked wrongfully and stared at Brant.
"Mr. Dawson, you've got to believe me. This boy here is nothing but a young chap, you cannot trust his words over mine.
Brant did give Winny a second glance. " Silas, I would love to watch the surveillance video." He ordered walking out with the kid on his shoulder.
"Damn it! I forgot the monitoring here." For a moment, the smile on her face disappeared as she tried apologizing to Silas but it was in vain as her apologies were rejected.
After some minutes…
Silas arrived in Brant's office with a drive containing the video he requested with Winny closely following behind. The video was played and Brant saw all the atrocities Winny committed back there, how she tried intimidating the little boy and when he didn't bulge she tried passing her anger on him.
"All this is abominable for an adult to do to a young chap," Brant commented, putting a stop to the video. Winny stood with a pale and fallen expression as her guard had been broken, she could no longer defend her actions or falsify them.
"Mr. Dawson, I only wanted to get closer to you because you seemed cold. I'm not somebody like this can you just forgive me this time " Trying to attract Brant's emotion by looking weak.
Brant didn't give her attention but instead a look of disgust and adding to her penalty, he raised his eyeball pointing at her.
"Listen to here Winny, from today onwards, you cease to be a staff here." He announced.
"What! T- - that's impossible Mr. Dawson, you would never want to punish me so much for a child right?" She questioned Brant as she could hardly imagine him delivering such judgment all because of a child without considering the high status of her father in the company. She had always thought she could get away with anything she does in the company if not her father would withdraw all the benefits offered to them as a result of his shares, but this time she was wrong, as Brant fired her without mincing his word.
She felt overpowered and then decided to apologize, seeing that it doesn't speak well of her being the daughter of an important person but yet caught with such an act. "Mr. Dawson, I'm sorry, please forgive me this time, none of such would transpire henceforth.
Brant paid no attention to her pleas, he had sent out an order and that was all, nothing could stop the order. He instead pacified the young lad, wiping his tears off with a towel after which he dismissed Silas and Winny.
***
Annie was trying to finalize her work for the day when Andrew, the head of her department walked in. " Annie," Andrew called as he made his way towards her. And she put a stop to all she was doing to respect Andrew's presence.
"Good Day sir," she greeted her seat.
"That's great Annie, I can see you are so engrossed in your work, and I doubt if you went for lunch," Andrew formed furrowed brows but Annie was speechless instead. She hadn't left her seat all this while. "Well that's great to hear, many employees try doing this same thing immediately after they get a job offer. Anyways, every new staff must report to the CEO on their first day at work, and I would love you to do that now, as I hear he's currently free.
" Alright, I will, thanks, Andrew." She curved a smile across her lips. One which soon disappeared as soon as she felt his hand massaging her exposed shoulder.
"You are such a beautiful lady," he complimented, licking his lips. She returned his compliment with a stern look and yanked his hand off her shoulder.
"With due, respect Andrew, let this not repeat itself or else… she warned.
"Or else what Annie, you are my subordinate remember, so there's nothing you can do to me, except I do to you." He whispered but she shrugged off her shoulders.
"Time will tell," he laughed sarcastically and left, jamming the door behind. Annie sighed, taking a glance at her wristwatch, but widened her eyes in shock. All this while, she had been working; she never knew it was almost closing hours. Moreover, she didn't remember to check on the little boy she brought along with her.
She smashed her lips, adjusting her short off shouldered blue gown that gave the asshole some opportunity to massage her exposed shoulders.
She adjusted herself again and left. "That asshole, never remembered giving direction to the CEO's office instead she remembered to act pervert." She murmured moving towards the receptionist cubicle for directions.
She entered the elevator with her heart thumping hard. She wondered what the CEO looked like yet she silently prayed not to have issues with him. She arrived at the front of his office, inhaling and exhaling, and was about to place a knock on the door when the door slid open, she was surprised herself yet she walked in with confidence. The office was so large and she stylishly admired it until she walked in until a childish voice mentioned her name.
"Aunt Annie," Bernard voiced out happily and for a while, she was startled before Brant, she wondered what the boy had come to do in the CEO's office.
"Aunt Annie! You know her?" Brant questioned Bernard, and he responded with a nod.
"Yes, that's my aunt." He replied again with a smile. Annie couldn't help but blush at Bernard's reaction and for some moments she stole glances at Brant, somehow she kind of felt some connection within her. On the other hand, Brant also stole glances at her. Bernard observed them for a while after noticing the unusual silence and decided to break it.
"Uncle Brant, I want some ice cream." He asked, pouting his lips.
"Bernard, just stop now ok, we will be on our way home soon," Annie warned.
Brant cleared his throat and spoke up. "Annie, it's great having you as one of our workers, I hope to have a good working relationship with you," Brant concluded.
Annie shied for a while before voicing out. "I'll do my best to satisfy the company's needs." She could no longer hold her breath before Brant any longer she had to excuse herself.
"Bernard, let's be on our way," she announced, picking him up from the seat.
He smiled even though he felt a little resistant, he opened his arm to get carried by Annie. "Aunt Annie, you will bring me along tomorrow right?" He asked, pouting his lips while they walked out.
"Maybe or maybe not.". She replied entering the elevator.
Brant smiled, heaving a slight sigh and for the first time, he seemed to remember the lady he loved back then but couldn't own up to it. Bianca.