YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FROM ME

THE MEETING WAS A SUCCESS

Bella’s P.O.V.

If I could curse someone, I wanted to send that freaking crazy Mr Sinclair into hell. My ankle and toe were hurting so badly. My boss was actually a good person when it came to taking care of anyone. The same went with me. He took care of me as if I was a porcelain doll. I was not but I was in pain and didn’t mind taking him care of me.

I was pissed when the doctor told me that I might have a fracture in my toe. I knew that Mr Sinclair hurt me on purpose but there was no way that I was going to make his move. Not on my watch. So, I requested My Boss, Mr Lockwood to conduct the meeting at the same time in the evening. He then later informed me that the meeting was going to be held in one of the hotel commercial meeting room downstairs that was a relief for me. It was his father who did this arrangement and  I was happy that I had to bear less pain as the doctor had strictly advised me not to move much.

“Are you ready?” I looked up and saw Mr Lockwood coming out of the bedroom. I was working on the presentation that we needed to present this evening. It was a little different from what we showed to Sinclair’s. I had made some changes according to the information about Patrick’s that I got from Mr Lockwood Sr.

“Give me five minutes more, Sir”, I asked him and started wrapping my work. “Did you make those changes?” he asked me and sat down near me on the couch. I nodded and resumed my work. He looked at the screen and suggested some changes that I made immediately. We both worked together for a while and then finished the presentation and other works.

We both heard a knock on the door and he stood up from the couch and opened the door. A server came inside and bowed in respect. “I am here to help you get your things in the meeting room, Sir”, he told Mr Lockwood and he nodded. He then gave him my laptop and other things that we required today. “Let’s go, Bella”, he said to me and I nodded. He leaned down towards me and I wrapped my hands around his neck.

My boss called me by my first name only in private. It was just a mutual understanding between me and him. I rarely took his first name only when I needed to calm him down and made him realize that he was with me. He took me in the bridal style. I winced immediately as it made a little movement in my ankle. “I am sorry”, he immediately apologized. I passed a weak smile to him throwing my tears back in my eyes. “Rest your head on my chest, Bella”, he ordered again and I did what he asked.

The server closed the door behind us and we all went towards the elevator. We talked nothing as I was preparing myself for the meeting. Since the beginning of this project, Mr Lockwood had assigned me to present that presentation and explain the benefits and other things related to the project to the other party. I needed to do this today also as Mr Lockwood tried to explain to me but failed miserably a few hours ago.

We reached the meeting room and I was glad that Patrick’s hadn’t had reached yet. Mr Lockwood put me down gently on a chair and then placed my ankle on a lower table placed under the table near my chair. The manager of the hotel did all these arrangements for me. The server put down everything on the table and I watched Mr Lockwood arranging everything with the help of that server. I smiled and watched him doing everything with full concentration. He had taken his lower lip in between his teeth while connecting the laptop with the projector. He had a sharp jawline that made him more attractive.

“Do you staring at a man while working is rude, huh?” he commented and winked at me with a small smile on his lips. I blushed and looked away while smiling widely. A server knocked on the door and came inside. “Sir, the guests are here”, he informed Mr Lockwood and he nodded. “I will be back”, he said to me and I nodded.

He then went out to bring the guests here. I opened my laptop and checked the presentation one more time. The door again opened and I looked back. Mr Lockwood entered the room with five tall men all in professional suits. “This is my assistant Ms Bella Pierce who will help me in today’s presentation. Please don’t mind her manners today, she is injured actually”, he explained my condition briefly that made one of them that I assumed was the CEO of Patrick”s Enterprises raise his brow.

“What happened to her?” he asked with a little concern in his voice while walking towards me. He was a man in his early mid-thirties if I am assuming correctly. “She was tripped when we were about to leave Mr Sinclair’s office this morning. Her right toe and ankle are hurt… ummm… maybe a fracture”, Mr Lockwood pursed his lips while looking at me.

Mr Patrick offered his hands towards me and I immediately shook his hand. “Good evening, Sir… I am really sorry for my manners”, I said in a polite tone and he smiled while looking towards the lower table where I was resting my injured ankle wrapped in bandages to give support.

“It’s okay, Ms Pierce… I wish your good health”, he said with a smile and seemed genuine. Then he looked back and Mr Lockwood who took him to his seat. The server who was assigned to help us then placed the files in front of them when I signalled him. He then went back into the meeting room and brought the water bottles for them and placed each bottle near them.

Mr Patrick looked at me once and then opened his file. Mr Lockwood came near to me and sat down. I then started the presentation and explained every term with ease as I had learnt everything by my heart now. Mr Patrick asked some questions in between the change in the slides and I answered him honestly and with an ease that impressed him. He looked at the person sitting beside him who was the COO of his company. They had a kind of silent conversation that I expected.

“So… this is all about our project and if you have anything that you want to ask… we are here and all the details are also present in the files in front of you”, I finished with a smile on my face. I looked at Mr Lockwood and he gave me an assuring smile. “I don’t see any fault here, Mr Lockwood then what happened with Mr Sinclair”, the third person I assumed his financial advisor asked this time.

“They changed the agreement after I signed and it began the dispute. They added some more clauses benefitting them more without my knowledge”, Mr Lockwood answered them honestly and Mr Patrick raised his brows in surprise. “What are you saying?” he asked immediately and surprise was evident in his tone. “I am telling you what happened with us. They changed the agreement, forged my signatures on newly added pages and when I demanded an explanation, they tried to prove me wrong. The new clauses that they added later have seemed a trap for us. In fact, they are now demanding compensation for breaching the contracts when they were at fault here and I can prove this easily”, Mr Lockwood told them everything honestly. We expected this question. He then told them how Mr Sinclair tripped me only to stop this meeting. They all looked at each other and I could say that they were pissed. It was clear that Mr Sinclair approached them and tried to manipulate the facts.

“If you don’t mind, can I have a look at those documents that you said they forged?” Mr Patrick made a request. Mr Lockwood looked at me and I brought the copies of both the agreements that I had with me. I was expecting this demand and also Mr Lockwood Sr asked us to play fair here. “Here are both the agreements. This one in green is the original agreement that I signed here a few days ago and the one in blue is the scanned copy of the agreement that they sent us through the mail”, Mr Lockwood explained and passed the files to Mr Patrick’s financial advisor. He and COO both looked at both the files and then looked at Mr Patrick.

“Well…. I guess we can work on this project together. I will be in your city next week for attending a seminar there. I guess we can have our next meeting there”, Mr Patrick passed a genuine smile to us and Mr Lockwood stood up with him. “I am looking forward to working with you, Sir”, Mr Lockwood shook his hand with Mr Patrick and he also nodded. “We will take our leave now, Mr Lockwood… please take her to the hospital first”, Mr Patrick looked at me and I passed a thankful smile to him. “Let me know about her injuries and if you need our help. My father and your father are good friends and I will be glad to help you”, Mr Patrick told us and I took a breath of relief now.

“Thanks for everything, Mr Patrick and I surely will call you if we need any help”, Mr Lockwood then took them out of the room after bidding our farewell with them. I slumped down on the chair and threw my head on the backrest. I winced in pain and the server immediately came near to me. “Are you alright, mam?” he asked me with concern. I looked down at my ankle. “It’s really hurting”, I winced and he sat down. “I… I… think… we should remove this wrap bandage now, Ma’am… your leg has swollen”, his words alarmed me and I looked down at my leg. “What happened?” I heard Mr Lockwood and I didn’t know why but tears started building up in my eyes. “I think, Sir, her leg has swollen much… we should loosen the bandage around her ankle so that the pain can reduce”, the server gave his theory but he was right.

“Okay”, Mr Lockwood said and then signalled him to move the small table with his movements. They both carefully took my leg out under the table. Mr Lockwood carefully unwrapped my legs and I yelped in pain when he gently put my leg down on the cushion. “Sir…it’s hurting”, tears dropped from my eyes this time.

“O My… this is … this is really bad”, we all snapped our heads and found Mr Patrick and his assistant standing stunned at the door. He came forward and looked at my now swollen ankle and toe. I immediately wiped my tears and he looked at me with pity. “Are you going to take her to the hospital?” he asked Mr Lockwood and Mr Lockwood stood up as he was sitting on his knees near me.

“Yes, Mr Patrick… the doctor who examined her before suspected a fracture in her toe and (he scratched his forehead)… it’s looking worse now”, the worry was evident on his face now. I lowered my head while clenching the armrest hard. I was biting my lower lip to muffle my cry. “I will bring everything back to your room, Sir”, the server offered. I didn’t see up to see the reactions as I was now dying due to pain.

“Let’s go, Bella”, Mr Lockwood said and I just nodded. He took me again in the bridal style and I almost screamed in pain when my leg suddenly moved again. “Be careful”, I heard Mr Patrick’s warning tone and at the same time, someone held my hurt foot in the air giving support. My whole face flushed in embarrassment and I buried my face in the crook of Mr Lockwood’s neck to hide my face. “I am bringing the car out”, I heard someone else voice but didn’t see up. “You will be okay, Bella”, I heard my boss again and some tears again dropped down from my now closed eyes.