Taming the Billionaire

#14 The VIP Commitee

Drake looked at the list of the VIP team. He rubbed his head, furrowing his brows.

Sara Denver.

The name was the new addition to the list at the behest of Nolan. When Drake told him about what happened in the garden, Nolan came up with the idea that Sara needed to stay in the hotel so that he could get some alone time with Elise to convince her. And what was better than offering her a position in the VIP team?

It wasn't like she was not deserving. When Drake looked at her previous applications, he had trouble understanding why they rejected her application. Probably it was another of the many gaps and malpractices followed in the Pristine group of the hotel.

The names on the VIP team were all close to Mike or his mother. His father stopped looking into the business after he fell sick, leaving his mother to make most of the decisions.

Drake looked at the profiles of the individuals on the team. There were three new entrants, including Sara. Mike must have lobbied for Helena. The other addition was a guy who wouldn't leave a stone unturned to butter up the asses of higher-ups. It was sad to see how the Pristine Hotel ran by unfair practices. No wonder Nolan started cleaning up the mess from this hotel.

Drake again looked at the team structure. It wouldn't be wise to disband the team as soon as they joined. He was going to supervise it personally and submit a report to Nolan. Then they could work on the team and revise it.

Sara Denver.

Drake couldn't overlook that name like others on the list without feeling anxious. The girl had a profound effect on him. Sometimes she was as fresh as a cherry blossom, and other times she was the dragon lady. It wouldn't be wrong to admit he felt intrigued and scared of her personality.

*Knock knock*

"Yes, come in," Drake offered, hiding the documents.

It was Sara. Drake let out a deep breath. Didn't they see each other half an hour before? What was her urgency to barge into his cabin? Technically, she didn't. But he felt like that when he met her suspicious eyes.

"I am on the team," Sara blurted out.

"Which team?" Drake acted as if he had no clue about what she was saying. He avoided her eyes, looking at his computer, even if it was the screensaver on display.

"Wah!" Sara scoffed, annoyed. At the back of the window mirror, she could see the screensaver.

She walked slowly but dangerously towards Drake, glaring at him. He swallowed hard, noticing she was an alarm for trouble.

"What? Don't you know I am your senior?" Drake groaned, widening his eyes to warn her. But she ignored him, bending to look at his screensaver.

"What? Is it illegal to see a screensaver?" Drake bloated.

"No. But it is suspicious to pretend to work looking at the screensaver." Sara blurted out, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What if I fire you?" Drake let out a deep breath. He couldn't slack off around her just because she was Elise's friend. It would be unfair. But was that the only reason he couldn't be strict around her? She was simply intimidating.

"It would be a lie if I told you that thought didn't cross my mind. I was so scared that I had to eat a whole tub of ice cream. I thought about it for a while. Then I realized I don't need to fear you. I did nothing wrong. Plus, I have an advantage, even if you are a brother. A man now in love is more inclined towards his girl than his brother," Sara scorned. She twisted her lips, challenging him.

"Wah! You are dangerous!" Drake scoffed, looking annoyed. She was not a regular woman.

"I am not here to threaten you. I want to know why I was suddenly added to the team at the last minute. The selection committee rejected my application earlier without giving any valid reason. Is it because of the advantage I have?" Sara questioned. She was suspicious that it wasn't because of her credibility. It infuriated her that the Miller brothers used her.

Drake's eyes popped out. He scratched his forehead, trying to look unaffected by her response. But his body wasn't that good at hiding it at that moment. He groaned a bit, trying to suppress his shock. Sara was fast at catching things. But that wasn't the only reason. They were looking to add someone whom they could trust to report them. She just happened to suit both cases.

"Hmm. That isn't the only reason." Drake replied, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her clearly.

"What do you mean?" Sara furrowed her eyes.

Drake got up to take out a pen drive from the wardrobe. He clutched onto it again, reanalyzing if he should trust Sara. There was no reason for him to rely on her. They just met. But Nolan said they could count on her. He took a deep breath and decided to follow his instincts.

"We added you to the team so that you could report to us about the event. The expenses for each event reported are way more than they should be. I am afraid some higher-ups will use this as an opportunity to add to their slush funds every time we organize a big-budget event." Drake told her in a grave voice. He was looking at her every reaction, trying to read her. He had some unexplainable questions about her. He felt the petite-looking girl might not have it in her to help them uncover such a big thing.

"And you think I can do that?" Sara was petrified. What kind of mission is that? Are they in a detective novel? Why would they bother to assign her such a ridiculous task? She wanted a promotion to live a better life. She didn't aspire to such an adventure.

"Mr. Miller believes it is you. I have my doubts." Drake didn't feel like sugarcoating his words.

"And why would he believe something ridiculous like that?" Sara puffed some hair, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I don't know. You can ask Mr. Miller." Drake replied. "The thing is, do you want to do it?" He asked.

"No!" Sara replied. She didn't want trouble.

"Glad to know. Then we will have to remove you from the team and add someone who can do it. It is important to us. But the moment you leave the room, you forget everything we spoke. Else!" Drake glared at her, warning him through his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was working, but seeing her body relax and her fingers fidgeting, he knew it did. On the inside, Drake laughed a devilish laugh. Finally, he had an edge.

"What do you mean? How can I be out of the team? You can't do it. I am already selected." Sara pouted. She knew with her raw attitude and, the unfair practices followed at the hotel, she might never get promoted to the VIP team. Perhaps it was her only chance. She was worried she was giving it away in haste.

"We need someone to work for us? The people on the team would never let us find out what they are doing with the money. I am afraid it won't be easy for you to find out, too. But once you are in the team, maybe you can find something." Drake raised his brows, offering her the position again.

"What if I don't find anything after trying?" Sara quacked her brows, reevaluating her options.

Drake let out a deep breath and smiled at her. "If you try earnestly and still find nothing, it is alright. You can continue working in the team. But I hope you will find something." Drake smiled, encouraging her a little.

Sara narrowed her eyes, looking at him suspiciously. Why was he suddenly acting sweeter? Was it because he saw how greedy she was for the position? She scoffed. What were her options? It was better to grab the opportunity when it knocked on the door.

"Let me think about it." Sara didn't want to give him the satisfaction of winning. So she pretended to buy some time.

Drake sighed. The girl wasn't easy to deal with, no matter how crafty he became. He knew she would agree. But she was just goofing around. "Alright! Irrespective of the decision, you cannot talk about it to anyone, including Elise." Drake warned her. It was confidential.

Sara nodded, understanding her and Drake's situation. She was loyal.

"You may leave now. But by evening, you have to answer. Otherwise, I will look for someone else," Drake said.

Sara hissed. But when Drake glowered at her, she sighed. "I will let you know." She nodded her head, leaving the room.

As soon as she left, she glared at the room, doing some karate moves, imagining that she was beating Drake red and blue. Drake, who could see all that on the CCTV, chuckled. She was an interesting character! And suddenly, he felt like his heart skipped a beat.

Drake grabbed onto his chest, looking surprised. What was that thing he felt just now? Wah!

Sara texted Elise about the offer. She still had to ensure that Elise would be alright to stay alone in that big house after the last night incident. If Elise had said no, she wouldn't have thought twice before declining the opportunity. But Elise immediately encouraged her to take on the task.

It was almost the end of Sara's shift, and she had given no formal response to Drake. He had a rough idea that she was doing it to irk him. What bothered him more was that it was working. He was pissed and restless. He was pacing through his room when he heard a knock on the door. He quickly moved to his seat. He didn't want to look like he was waiting for her. But it was Mike.

"Hey! Little Brother." Mike greeted him.

"You haven't gone home?" Drake asked, feeling disappointed. He looked at the watch. Only fifteen minutes were there before Sara's shift would end.

"I was about to when I saw the new VIP team list. It seems there is a mistake." Mike smiled gently. He had always pretended to be affectionate towards Drake since he was his aunt, Clarence's son, making them blood relatives.

"I don't think so. The CEO approved the list." Drake ignored him. He didn't like Mike. He knew all about his sly tricks and how he used his mother for unwanted favors. If not for the connections, Mike would never have become the director general of a five-star hotel group with his qualifications.

"Is it? Why is Nolan looking at such trivial matters? After proper verification, I passed two names since only two spots were open. Adding another resource would be a waste of our money and workforce." Mike tried to appeal to him with logic and reasoning. But Drake knew better. When they were children, he had often fallen for those tricks. But now he could see right through them.

"Umm... Let me check." Drake replied, looking through the profiles of the new candidates.

"I think Miss Helena should be ousted if that is the case. She is a recent joiner and does not have much experience handling VIPs." Drake smiled, looking into Mike's eyes with confidence and determination.

Mike was left flabbergasted. He hadn't thought that Drake would really oppose him. Before Drake left for his studies, he had never objected to him. But now, Drake was retaliating against him? Was it just a random thing, or was he a changed man now? If it was later, it was a matter of concern. He had doubted Drake's intentions when he joined as Nolan's secretary rather than take over some other business owned by the Millers. Why follow the older stepbrother when he could rule the entire empire?

"She has passed from an elite institute," Mike defended after a long pause.

"Is it? Then I am sure we have plenty more suitable profiles who have experience in the field and are from elite institutes." Drake again gave him a poker face, smiling formally.

"Should I remove the name?" Drake probed, taunting Mike.

"What? I was just thinking-" Mike was unable to find the proper words when they heard someone knocking on the door.

"Yes, come in." Drake's lips spread into a genuine smile when he saw Sara on the screen. It was an excellent idea to have the camera installed outside his room and configure it in his system.

Sara had expected them to be alone. But when she saw Mike, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. It wasn't how a junior employee should treat the director general. But they both shared a secret. They were still in a staring competition when Drake intervened.

"What is your decision?" Drake asked with a poker face. He had waited for this moment for the entire day. If it were not for Mike's unwanted presence, Drake would have cherished the time by mocking Sara. But now, he had to pretend indifferently.

"I will do it," Sara replied, still glaring at Mike.

"Great. For the next week, you stay at the hotel for the arrangements. Your team leader, Mr. Argus will explain more about it," Drake informed. He called Javier Argus to apprise him about the progress as well. Drake knew the news would anguish Javier, but who was he to object to the CEO's orders?

"Alright," Sara replied, leaving the two of them together.

Mike sighed. He, too, was about to leave when Drake stopped him. "Should I remove Miss Helena?"

It startled Mike. Drake had successfully trapped him in his plan. He forced a smile on his face, trying to look as natural and normal as he could in that unfavorable situation. "It wouldn't be necessary. From earlier, it seems like the team has already started working."

"Right," Drake returned Mike, a fake smile with equal vigor.

As soon as Mike left, Drake called Nolan to give the update. But Nolan was not in the mood to hear about it in detail. Apparently, Elise had hurt herself, and they were at the hospital.

Drake lets out a deep breath. He had to inform Sara about it as Nolan had asked. It was like even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to prevent getting involved in her matters. He rang Sara to inform her about Elise.

"Hello?" Sara said, looking at the unknown number.

As Sara answered on the other side of the phone, Drake dropped the phone, feeling something unfamiliar. He felt like his heart skipped a beat. It was the second time. What was happening to him? And why?