One Night With Mr Braxton

” What nonsense is this?!” Colton yelled from his chair, throwing the paper presented to him.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

” I apologize sir, we are currently trying to reach out to them, it has to be a mistake.” The project manager tried to conceal his fear but failed woefully. How could he explain the fact that they were suddenly blacklisted without context or reason?

” A mistake? A mistake?! What sort of mistake-” Colton got on his feet, unable to speak from the growing pain in his forehead. ” Just get out! Don’t come back until you have reasonable feedback and if you don’t, be sure to clear your desk.”

The project manager stilled, he knew in his guts that this was the end of the road for him. He prided himself on his capabilities and connections but when it came to the Braxton’s, there was only so much he could do.

” Thank you.” He bowed his head, and with a sullen look, left the office, headed to clear his table.

Colton paced around, ” That woman thinks she’s special, huh? She wouldn’t know what hit her. I will get back at her, even if it’s the last thing I do!” He picked up his phone, made some calls which all led to a dead end. He felt even more furious.

He couldn’t lose this deal. So much was riding on his ability to secure the contract, including his supposed whirlwind wedding to Talia. Until he found an alternative solution to get into the graces of Asher Braxton, they were going to push the wedding.

*****

” Pick up!” Talia yelled into her phone after calling him for the nth time. On her way to the company, she received a text from Colton, informing her of the recent changes made to their wedding plans.

She called, trying to reason with him and find out the reason behind his change of mind but it didn’t take long for her to realize he was going through a crisis of his own.

Apparently, his company recently joined the list of Braxton International’ blacklisted companies. The news filled with speculations on what breached the otherwise good relationship the mega companies shared but that wasn’t her problem.

Talia sensed the hands of Emma in the entire fiasco and her fiance’ refusal to pick up her calls or inform her his whereabouts left a bitter taste in her mouth.

That wench better not be getting her dirty hands on him!

The car parked in front of her mother’s house and she hurried inside with a frightening countenance. Mrs Steele, having expected her, wasn’t surprised when she barged into the home office.

” It’s her! I know it’s her! She’s so jealous of our relationship and impending wedding so she pulled this stunt!” Talia slapped a newspaper on the table, pointing with fiery eyes as she laid accusations. ” We have to do something, Colton isn’t picking my calls and I can’t find him anywhere. He sent a message, postponing the wedding indefinitely. I can’t get to him, mother, I can’t..”

Mrs Steele watched her daughter fall apart, her heart filled with anger towards her stupid fiance and Emma.

” Calm down. I’ve got this handled. Just relax, while I do what I know best.” She said calmly.

” Calm down?! Don’t tell me to calm down, mother! For all we know, he could be in the arms of that witch, working towards getting his name off that list.” She sucked in a breath, and her body shivered at the thought, ” I don’t know what I’d do if he betrays me… I can’t lose him to her, mom. Not now, not ever.” Talia looked up to her mother in distraught, ” What do we do?”

Mrs Steele got up, ” I thought you’d never ask.” She took a short walk towards her, then placed her palm on her shoulder, ” It’s about time we make use of our secret weapon.”

*****

Emma sat in her home studio, trying and failing to create anything of value due to her scattered thoughts. With the delayed feedback on the situation, she grew just about seven strands of gray hair from anxiety. She checked her phone every minute, expecting news from both Chara and her husband’s end but nothing seemed to be happening.

Her phone beeped and with a jolt she reached for it, opening its contents without hesitation. She read the message and confusion clouded face,

” Come home or the picture goes live.”

The message was sent along with a picture and only then did she realize that it was from an unknown number. She opened the picture and her eyes nearly dropped from its sockets.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she took in her shameful and naked self, on the bed and out of consciousness. She recognized that night so well. The night of her birthday.

The night they’d gotten engaged, and she, humiliated. Emma let out a deranged laugh. Of course, her step-mother never ceased an opportunity to carry out her wicked acts.

There she was, heart broken, drugged and unconscious while they took pictures of her modesty. By now, her face was stained with tears. She picked up her phone, ready to end things once and for all.

Ten minutes later, Emma sped out of the mansion with Benny on the wheels. Her facial expression was unreadable and her palm covered in a tight fist. She finally sent off a text, informing them of her impending visit and seconds later, a text came into her phone, detailing Talia’s visit to Soul-Shoes; she got even angrier.

A familiar car entered her line of sight, two familiar cars parked opposite each other. ” Slow down.” She ordered, ” It’s Asher,” her features were clouded in confusion, ” Colton?”

‘Asher and Colton, outside a restaurant, and having a conversation?’ she thought aloud, unable to make sense of the sight before her. As soon as the car slowed to a stop, she got out of the car and both their heads turned towards her, as though sensing her presence.

Asher’s face grew poorer upon sighting his wife. His gaze flickered between her and colton. His jaws tightened. ” Escort her into the car,” his voice rang out and his bodyguards naturally complied.

Surprise flicked Colton’s gaze upon sighting Emma but he masked it with a smirk, ” I’ve never had a married woman stalk me, Mr Braxton.” He tutted, ” Very flattering, I must say.”

Asher’s face turned rigid and his muscles flexed. ” Stay away from Soul-Shoes, my company and Wife.” He warned, ” and try not to see my face again, the next time, it wouldn’t be a blacklist. You have till midnight.”

Colton swallowed as he watched Asher walk away from him. He knew defying Asher was synonymous to digging his own grave, so he went for the next best thing.

After encountering them together, his suspicions on their whirlwind marriage were confirmed. What better way to get back at Emma than widen the gap between them?

Emma waited anxiously for Asher to enter the car. From his countenance, she knew his thoughts were a mess about her sudden appearance despite his orders and ached to straighten things out immediately. Her hopes were flushed down the toilets when she watched him take another car while she was driven back towards the route she came.

*****

Asher returned to work in a pissy mood. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact she’d chosen that over him. What made him so irresistible that his wife was willing to betray him by secretly meeting up with a man that ran off with her step-sister? The atmosphere of Braxton International mirrored Asher’s mood and that made for a tense working environment throughout the day.

The next morning, Soul-Shoes splattered the news and their reputation was wiped clean. The news came a bit too late, seeing that Colton’s company shares took a hit and sustained serious damage, courtesy, Asher. Through the night, Colton slaved over in the office, trying to salvage the intense situation which boiled over to the morning.

On the other hand, Mrs. Steele received news of Soul-Shoe’s cleansed reputation.

” How did this happen?!” She yelled from her table, watching the events on the news. Apparently, the lady who accused Soul-Shoes retracted her statement, apologized to the people involved and accepted whatever the repercussions of her actions may be.

Her assistant who stood with her day’s schedule remained silent, unable to navigate the storm that was her boss. Her attempts to be inconspicuous failed woefully following the angered words of Mrs. Steele;

” Don’t just stand there like some fool! Get me answers immediately!” She bellowed and her assistant scuffled out of the office.

Mrs. Steele returned to her seat with bulging veins, thinking on the backing behind Soul-Shoes. Whoever it was, one thing was certain; to produce such results, they weren’t an ordinary figure.