One Night With The Billionaire

Heads turned in the direction of the voice. The tone of the words “I do” made everyone puzzled. When they saw the figure standing up on his feet, everyone was dazed.

CEO Jace Hudson was there all along? He is known for his quiet nature. But no one expected that such an important dignitary was there, seated at the far back of the auditorium.

Why wasn’t he brought to the VIP section?

Somer Tony’s forehead was covered in beads of sweat. It is no news that anyone who stepped on the toes of Jace Hudson, will have a sad story to tell.

It wasn’t intentional. He had never crossed his boundary with Jace Hudson before. And on the other hand, Jace Hudson is known to live quietly like a sleeping Lion.

Don’t wake him up otherwise that fellow will be severely devoured. Everyone watched as he made his way through the podium and came to the podium.

At this time, Arianna had returned to her seat. Once the issue with Lily Ambrose and the Skyblue cooperation is ended, the second and third stages of the contest would continue.

“Jace is ruthless whenever he chooses to be” Richard mumbled to his father. Adrian Delmark nodded, that’s just the kind of man he wants around his daughter.

CEO Jace Hudson looked at the organisers of the contest and said “I was seated there and waited to see how it was going to end.

If my employee had walked away from this stage because of your false conclusion, everyone of you would have me to contend with.

If she hadn’t stood up to defend herself and Hudson’s holding, you would have tagged her a plagiarist and awarded the real criminal an award for hard work, right?” Jace bellowed, glaring at them one after the other.

Everyone was quiet. He was right. Miss Jason would have been blacklisted despite being the real owner. But thank goodness that she was able to stand up for herself.

The organisers were quiet. None of them was able to say a word to Jace Hudson’s question?

Turning to Somer Tony, he asked “It’s unfortunate that we all fall victim to terrible and toxic employees like this woman Lily Ambrose. She was fired from Hudson’s holding recently by me.

I didn’t know she had gotten a comfortable rocking chair in your company. But alas, a leopard can never change his colour.

I would have asked for a compensation that would almost swallow up the entire income of the Skyblue cooperation and bring them to a zero level.

But I chose to be lenient, you will compensate my employee with 25% of your company’s shares or pay $100 billion to her” Jace declared.

There was a cold shiver that ran through everyone’s spine. Did he just say he wants to be lenient? What would he have requested for, if he wasn’t lenient?

Even Arianna cannot imagine how the weight of the compensation would land on Somer Tony’s shoulders.

The man glared at CEO Jace Hudson in confusion. It seemed his soul had flown away from his body and he was standing like a brainless man.NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

“And if you think my being nice is not fair enough, I will send your company to extinction in a couple of hours’ ‘ Jace declared.

He glared at Lily Ambrose, the latter bowed her head and looked dejected like a hen who had been beaten heavily by a storm.

“Being barred from your career is not good enough. You of all people should know that no one messes around with the Hudson’s holding and get away with it.

Plagiarism is a crime punishable by the law. And I will have the law take its full course. You would be jailed. But before then, you will make a public speech telling the world what you’ve done and you’ll tender a public apology as well to Miss Jason.

And when you’ve done that and returned from your jail term, you will never get a decent job in Hilton City. No one would be interested in hiring an ex-convict and a filthy woman like you,”Jace Hudson declared and bowed slightly before the prime minister and then took long strides from the stage.

At this time, Eduardo was busy investigating how the draft got leaked. They needed to give the CEO answers before the contest would be over.

CEO Jace Hudson’s words left everyone in a hot seat. The next two stages went by quickly but the Skyblue cooperation was completely removed.

Only nine contestants were left. Soon the second and third stages of the contest ended and two winners emerged.

Arianna Jason and Luke Gregory. The two seemed to be at each other’s toes. No one could judge who the overall winner would be.

They were given a ten minute break and Arianna stepped out of the stage. Richard just lifted her off her feet and swirled her around.

“Dad said I should give you this note,” Richard said, handing over a folded paper to her. “Today I knew the greatest gift the world can ever have is to have a daughter like you. Remember, bring home the trophy”

Arianna turned back and glared at Senator Adrian, their eyes met and the latter nodded. He couldn’t leave his feet not to appear to favour a contestant.

Genesis went to Arianna and kissed her chin. “You are a genius, Hun. I am so proud of you. You made me happy today” Genesis chimed.

Richard and Genesis held hands. They hadn’t seen each other before Richard went to Spain with his mother. Tessa squeezed her way through and went with them.

Arianna excused herself and went to the restroom. “I haven’t forgiven you yet for allowing your ex to accompany you to Spain” Genesis mumbled.

“I told you that I will not cheat on you. Tessa and I have no relationship. She’s my ex and that’s where she’s going to belong” Richard assured her.

Now, the contest is going to continue. Two canvases were set up. Painting is the final line of determination. Who wins the trophy?

“You are both to create a touchy emotional painting that would ignite our emotional being. You have one hour to do so” the organiser declared and their time started.

They were the only ones on the stage now. Arianna is a female and Luke Gregory a male. Their canvases were erected back to back, that way, the other would not see what his/her opponent was painting.

While they were painting, Arianna requested music, and inserted her Bluetooth. Luke wire his ear piece and they both were lost in their work.

The audience were being entertained by dancers. Besides the contestants, everyone else was carried away with the lively atmosphere of the auditorium.

Arianna was painting but was staring at her wristwatch at every interval. Ten minutes to the time they would be requested to stop, she glanced at her work to be sure it’s exactly how she wanted the painting and she was pleased with it. But something had happened to her.

Arianna’s eyes had gone red and puffy. She sniffled and cleaned her tears. By the time the clock ticked, indicating the end of the contest, Arianna’s facial expression changed to that of a broken and dejected woman.

“Aria” Genesis exclaimed when she saw her friend. Being emotional is about the painting not for her to turn everything personal.

Luke Gregory painted an image of a man who looked poor and wounded but after stages of life, he became a rich, fulfilled man.

Everyone smiled and applauded him. He was asked to step aside. When Arianna’s painting was turned over, the auditorium went Palely quiet.

There was a picture of a woman who looked lonely and alone with her little daughter. After some time, the woman became very sickly and she left her daughter’s hand and ascended to the sky.

A star was drawn in the sky and in the middle of the star was a painting of the beautiful mother. The clouds were in between and below was a painting of a little girl of six years who looked up with tears in her eyes.

The girl was separated from her mother and the clouds hid her mother away from her. She grew and the star shines brighter and then one day she became a grown up and a hand stretched out to her.

When she looked, it’s the hands of her father. He reached out to her and she couldn’t take it but broke down in tears.