MY LADY BOSS

CHAPTER 4: THE TRUTH

Mia’s POV

I walked into the kitchen and saw a very sexy CEO multitask with three dishes on the stove and cut the salad veggies in beautiful designs.

I realized that I was only in a long blue V-neck which fit me like a short dress and I was guessing that it was Andrew’s tee that I was wearing and he was the one who changed me.

I snaked my arms behind my love’s waist and leaned my head over his back.

“I love you, Andrew. Please don’t be mad at me. I am really sorry. I am so thankful to God that I met you”, I whispered as I hugged him even tighter to not let him go.

I heard him place down all the cutlery and dishes off the stove before he turned to me.

In a swift, graceful movement he gently placed me on the island table and stood in between my legs as he smiled at me and said, “I love you too, kitten. How can I be mad at my little sweet baby for so long ? Hm-mm ?”, he asked as he lightly kissed on my lips which soon turned into a deep, passionate making out session.

After we pulled apart, I give him a peck on his neck and slipped down the table to help him set the dishes.

“You should eat more, Mia. Look at yourself- you are getting weaker and weaker”, Andrew said with parental concern.

“I don’t want to get fat, daddy”, I pouted like a stubborn child.

If you tease me with those puppy eyes baby, then I will be forced to make you my dinner”, Andrew threatened with a grin on his face.

That totally shut me up and I allowed Andrew to serve me more.

“Mm-mm… Oh my God, Andrew ! The food is too good. Are you a secret Michelin Chef ?”, I asked as the food softly melted in my mouth, its taste overwhelming my taste buds.

“I am glad you liked it”, Andrew said modestly.

“LIKED IT ? I LOVED IT !”, I said as I licked my fingers like a messy kid and devoured the soup and food.

Despite having the best of chefs cook for me, I could never enjoy anything as I longed for my family’s home cooked food and the love that filled it.

However, Grandpa managed to light up my life with some joy as he would often bake and cook for me whenever I came to meet him in town.

But today, Andrew’s food made me nauseous for the golden days of my life when my mother used to cook and everyone would eat and laugh together.

Thoughts of the old days, suddenly brought tears to my eyes.

As a rule, no one had ever seen me cry except for Grandpa but Andrew was bringing out my older innocent self and tearing down all the walls I had built to keep others at bay.

“What happened, kitten ? Is the soup bad ? Are you finding the food spicy ? Are you allergic to something ?”, Andrew hurriedly asked in a worried voice, panic surfing up as I kept sobbing like a child without answering him.

“No Andrew. E-everything is just prefect”, I whispered between my sobs.

“Then why are you crying , Sweetheart ?”, Andrew hugged me and rubbed my back with one hand while caressing my head with his other palm.

“You make everything feel so homely like it used to be two decades back”, I sobbed. “You are changing me back to my old self, Andrew. I am so overwhelmed”, I somehow said as tears continued to stream down my face.

“Now now. Doesn’t that make me feel so special”, Andrew cooed me to calm me down.

He carried me in his arms bridal style and seated himself on the sofa while nestled me in his lap as I clung my hands around his neck and dug my head in his rock hard chest.

“How about you tell me everything from the very beginning, kitten and I will keep you warm”, Andrew said as he kissed me tenderly and I chuckled.

“You remember Callio Corp ?”, I asked Andrew.

“Yes, I do. No one can forget that famous global brand ! Its directors died in an unfortunate car crash and then the company was overtaken by someone else, as far as I remember. In any case, I was just a kid aged 9, I guess. Its been two decades since that incident, Mia ! But why do you ask ?’, he said as he snuggled his nose in my neck again.

This man is so obsessed with my neck. Gosh !

“They were my parents and they were murdered when I was only 8 years old”, I said quietly.

“What !? I am so sorry, Mia. I-I just tho-”, he stuttered nervously, aghast with what I just told him.

I knew Mr. Top-shot CEO never lost his cool but I could see him feel my pain.

I shut his lips with mine and let our lips dance in sync as he relaxed back to his normal self.

“It’s ok, Andrew. No one knows about this- except for Grandpa. Everyone thinks that their car lost control but actually I saw someone tamper with the brakes. I was too small to realize that at that time but later I understood the meaning of what that man did”, I said.

“Did you see that man’s face ?”, Andrew asked.

“Yes, I did see that man’s face clearly and I even made his portrait but it seems that, that man has vanished ! I get horrible nightmares about him even to this day”, I said as my voice crackled with grief.

“What do you mean by vanished ? With the resources you have, I am sure you can catch him even now from any corner of the world”, Andrew said.

“Yes, you are right but by “vanished” I mean that he is not physically present in any of the systems and there is no death certificate of him. In my view, if he is alive then, he has already got a plastic surgery or face transplant or he has hidden himself very well”, I replied.

“What about the evidences at the scene of crime ?”, he asked.

“Destroyed and well covered”, I said. “The brakes were destroyed to prevent attention to the murder and eventually, the verdict was accidental car crash”, I sobbed as I remembered the fateful day.

“Shush kitten. How about you tell me about what happened to you next ?”, Andrew soothed me down once again while kissing away my tears.

“I was orphaned when I was only 8 and Grandpa ran away with me to the States, leaving behind everything here. Callio Corp was auctioned off and I started life afresh”, I said.

“So what about any other relatives ?”, he asked.

“There was Grandma too but she didn’t survive the shock of my parents’ death for too long. Grandpa and I lost everyone suddenly. My family was limited to Grandpa as his was limited to me”, I said.

“How did you guys survive ?”, Andrew asked.

“That was not a problem actually. Grandpa had his own security business and he would let the clients hire his men for working as security guards”, I said. “But when you approached Grandpa personally for your company, Astrax, he knew he would be happy to serve you while making decent money’, I added.

“Yes, I remember approaching Mr. Cahill and he was really a cheerful, old man. I instantly liked him and requested him to personally work for me”, Andrew said with a fond smile on his face.

I knew how much he loved my Grandpa.

Grandpa would tell me often that his boss not only thought him as his own grandfather but also was a great friend to hangout at night when the two would sit on the roof top of the company together and drink !

No one saw the jolly side of Andrew as he would stay stern and serious with everyone else around him.

My Grandpa absolutely loved him and that was the reason why he never stayed with me.

Rather he preferred to work for not only a job that he was passionate about but also for a boss who was his greatest buddy.

“Since he became your personal entrance guard, he started to feel more alive and cheerful while I started Rovio the same time as you started Astrax”, I narrated.

“Soon I became so busy with my company that I could only stay one or two weekends with Grandpa and sometimes even that was not possible as I had to travel a lot”, I said.

“I never had any friends. I was home schooled and in Harvard, I was subjected to intense bullying because of my geeky looks and tom boy clothes. Everyone subjected me to hellish moments and sometimes, things would go as bad as getting beaten up by gangs”, I narrated woefully.

“It used to hurt a lot and when everyone started mocking at me and no one seemed to be my guardian angel, Grandpa came and picked me up”, I said.

“Since then, I decided to toughen up and start my own company. I finished my training and worked really hard to forget the past which haunted me and my work became my constant companion while Grandpa became my support system.”

“So what about last month ?”, Andrew asked.

“My health was not keeping up because of years of pressure and relentless work. So, Dane had started to worry and he forcefully sent me to Grandpa for a month. That was my first vacation ever. I have been hiding my identity as I knew that my life would be in danger just as it was with my parents. So, Dane became the face of the company while I managed the affairs of the company from behind the scenes.”

“What were you doing that night when we met each other for the first time ?”, he asked.

“Grandpa had some private business to attend and he wasn’t expecting you or anyone to come to the company at midnight ! So, he left me with the responsibility of the security gate.”

“I decided to kill time by listening to some music so that my parents’ memories did not haunt me when I was alone. Suddenly, I heard a loud crash at the boom barrier and saw your car crushed against it.”

“I had been careless enough to not hear your car approach and I went to you to apologize but the moment I unlocked your car, you instantly started shouting about how imbecile I was. I noticed that one of your temples was bleeding heavily due to the crash.”

“However, what stood out was the stench of alcohol coming from you. I realized that you were too drunk and out of your mind but you were being such a jerk to handle. So, after hearing numerous insults I punched you on the face and drove your unconscious body to Grandpa’s humble abode.”

“Yeah. That house was the greatest deception of your true identity. Even when you did all the domestic duties and cooking for us to such perfection, I thought you really lived with your Grandpa and looked after him. The simplicity and modesty in every action of yours and your grandfather’s totally threw me off”, Andrew said.

“Grandpa wanted everything to be simple and decent, and I took after him but due to my hectic schedules and official meetings and parties, I had to build better residences for myself in the cities that I had to work. However, I never overloaded my domestic workers with my personal work. I cook for myself whenever I can as other’s food does not seem to satisfy me. I have never had any men in my life before you, so I usually stay lonely or accompanied with my work”, I sighed.

“You mean to say you are a pure, golden girl ?”, Andrew asked bewildered.

“Yes, you are my first everything and I am still a virgin”, I said sheepishly.

“Do you realize how pure and perfect you are, kitten ?”, he said as he kissed me tenderly.

“No, you are the perfect one”, I giggled.

“What happened after I was knocked out that night ?”, he questioned as he snuggled into my neck again and tenderly nibbled my skin behind my shoulder.

I could feel the tingles in my body due to his innocent, loving touches.

“After taking care of you the whole night, I guess I dozed off beside you and you found me sleeping in the chair with my head on your bed”, I said.

“When I saw you, it was love at first sight for me”, Andrew hugged me closer to himself and smiled.

“Really !? It was for me too. Grandpa had always told me about you and despite the fact that our first encounter involved abuses and punches, I really felt different and at ease with you. It seemed like you were the first one who appreciated me, other than my Grandpa. At college, I had been mistreated immensely when I used to be like the way I was for the last one month. Part of the reason that I didn’t tell you anything was that I wanted to savor every moment with you being just me and not bring up my other side of the personality. I felt so loved and wanted just because of you”, I said with a big smile on my face and twinkle in my eyes.

“I am so glad you opened up to me then. I believe we both have been hurting for a long time then”, he said.

“What do you mean, Andrew ? Who hurt you ?”, I asked with shock all over my face.

Who had the guts to hurt the powerful and charming Boss of the business empire ?

“My life has been hell for the last 10 years. Ellene was my first everything and childhood sweetheart. We were inseparable best friends and I was engaged to her. However one day, in my bid to surprise her, I reached home early and caught her cheating on me with another man.”

“I was disgusted but I worshipped the ground she walked. However, it seemed she had got bored of me and had been cheating on me for a long time. I begged and did what not to get her back. But she was cruel to me.”

“She told me how worthless I was and how despicable too. Slowly and slowly, I lost confidence in myself and the whisky bottle became my confidante while the vodka bottle knew all my secrets.”

“I lived like s**t all this time. But last month, I saw you when I sobered up and couldn’t help but admire your beauty, simplicity, love and devotion towards me. Even my parents had not bothered about me for the last ten years and this was not surprising as they had been neglecting me since I was a child.”

“However, you were an angel sent from heaven and my saviour. I started to believe in love again. Heck, I started believing in myself and the values I stood for again. No one knew how much I was hurting but last one month was pure bliss as I got an innocent kitten who showed me what respect, love and family meant.”

“I fell hard for you and started enjoying the simple hospitality of your Grandpa’s house. I knew you were the only one who admired me in my raw and natural form- not for what I represented”, he said as he gave a squeeze to my waist.

“The same is applicable for me too, Andrew. I got someone who loved me for who I was and not some nasty gold digger who only wanted my power or riches”, I said as I kissed his nose tip. “But what about last night ? Why does she want to come back to you ?”, I asked with a frown developing on my face on thinking about Ellene and last night at the Gala.

“Well last night happened just out of the blue. I am guessing that Ellene got insecure and when she saw that I’d moved on from her and had a sweet little kitten who was so much better than her in every department, she abused you ruthlessly in front of everyone”, he said as he shrugged his shoulders.

“What about Ellene’s partner ? Do you know who is she with ?”, I asked with curiosity.

“Yes, I do know who he is- it’s my father’s best friend’s son, Jack, CEO of Krata Inc. Ellene and I never liked him in college and he was always challenging me in everything I did but he would end up not only losing to me but also increasing his hatred and malice towards me. Eventually, he got me when he snatched away Ellene. I still can’t believe it that she left me for my archenemy”, he said as his tone got sadder.

“It’s ok, Andrew. Don’t stress yourself, baby”, I said while digging my head to his chest even deeper.

“I believe she has either left Jack or any other partners she has and is trying to get back with me. If you won’t have come into my life, I would have still have accepted her foolishly. But when I saw her hurt you and abuse you, then I knew that I couldn’t stay without you. I love you, Mia and I want to marry you eventually. So, something in me snapped last night and I totally lost it with Ellene. I publicly announced that you were my love and no one could take your place”, he said earnestly.

“But I know my mom. She is the living embodiment of a devil. She will try to formalize her business deal with Torio Inc. by forcing me to marry the rich heiress Ellene”, he continued.

“But isn’t your company the most powerful ? Why does she even have to resort to all this ?”, I asked, sensing that there was more to the story.

“Just like you were orphaned at eight years, I too was going through a similar pain except that my parents didn’t die. Instead they divorced when I was 10 years old and no one wanted to take care of me. Eventually, my grandmother took me in and brought me up at the country side. So, my parents know that I would never let them lay a finger on my money or business”, he said.

“No wonder you cook so well”, I teased to lighten up the mood.

He chuckled and said, “Not as well as you, kitten”.

“So who financed you and what about your parent’s companies ?”, I asked.

“Grandmother never let anyone know about us and I helped her in the farms and her dairy business. So, we were able to live decently. Then I obtained a scholarship from Yale and met Ellene again”, he said.

“So what about your grandmother and parents ?”, I asked.

“Grandma died when I was in my sophomore year of college and her death hit me hard. The only person who had loved me was gone and hence, I started going into depression. Ellene must have got tired of my crying and must have worked out that I was on my own now so, I was not rich enough for her. So she started cheating on me. I was so clouded with my Grandma’s death that I never noticed her shallow antics. Later my parents decided to show that they were my parents only when they set my engagement with Ellene. I was happy to get engaged to the love of my life but she showed me her dark side and left me completely alone”, he recounted.

“Gosh ! This really sucks”, I said as I now understood Andrew’s unruly behaviour the night we first met. No wonder he was hurting for so long.

“So, what about your parents now ? Will they give up pursuing you for marrying Ellene ?”, I asked cautiously.

“Not at all ! You don’t know about my cunning parents. They will surely entrap me to marry Ellene”, he said sadly while pulling out his sexy hair.

No no no ! I couldn’t let that happen. I loved him so much !

I wanted him to stay only with me.

The very thought of another woman having him shattered my soul to the core. I will never let that happen NEVER !

That’s when I had a crazy idea.

“Andrew ?”, I said softly.

“Yes kitten”, he said as he kissed me on my ear.

“How about we get legally married tomorrow and keep it a secret to not only safeguard you from your parents’ and Ellene’s nefarious designs but also cement our love for each other ? I want to marry the man I love and I can’t wait any longer, baby”, I said nervously.

Oh my God ! Was I proposing Andrew !?

Did I just mention marrying someone I loved and had known for only a month ?

Way to go, Mia, way to go !

And marriage was something that I regarded as sacred.

Not even a business deal went by without probing into it thoroughly and here I was proposing marriage only after knowing him for only a month !

We did not even date properly !!

However, I trusted him and my gut was ruthlessly right every time so I believed in my intuition and love, and waited nervously for his reply.

“I love you, Mia and I would love to marry you but are you sure ? I can wait for you, kitten”, he said as he kissed me on the top of my head.

“Yes Andrew, I have never been surer in my life. I want you to complete me and my lonely, miserable life. You make me happy and I trust you a lot. I can’t bear you to go away with that gold digger or anyone else, baby- I will die again otherwise”, I said meekly.

“Oh kitten”, he chuckled. “We will go to the town hall then. Let’s get you some beauty sleep for the big day tomorrow”, he said with a wide smile on his face.

I squealed in delight and hugged him hard while he carried me to his bedroom in his arms.

Sigh ! He is so perfect, I thought.