365 days as a Billionaire

Business

Martinez POV

I can't believe I just slept with a hot lady without having to ask her out. That was crazy man. Riccardo isn't getting this body any time soon.

"Get Christabelle for me " I said to my secretary or whoever it was. She hurried off to get her.

I didn't know how I became careless and let go of the cellphone. It was after my call with that fraudster, I hadn't even enjoyed this to the fullest and he was asking for a share.

Christabelle came in, she wouldn't look me in the face, she still hadn't processed what she saw, how was I to know that she had never seen him in that state?

"How may I help you sir" she finally struggled to say. Acting like a boss, I am. "Call me Sebastian.I left my phone in the car."

I lied but that was the only way I could get her to believe me.

"Yes sir" she said, still avoiding me, "why are you still here?" I asked because she was still there. "I don't know if you'd like to see them but they are here saying you called for them."

Without wasting time, I told her to send them in

Two men walked in. One was Mr Riccardo's age while the other one looked older.

I stretched out my hand to offer them a handshake. "We don't have to pretend, Martinez; we all know why we're here, so let's get straight to the point". It was the young man. It seemed he had issues with Mr Riccardo. The older man proceeded to accept my handshake.

"Let's be seated gentlemen" aggressively, the man with the younger appearance sat down.

I knew the best thing was to keep quiet without saying a word.

"If you have nothing to say I will take my leave, I have no time for this" the young man said in a rather harsh tone.

"I will go ahead, Riccardo wasn't the one that called for this meeting, I was". The younger man was annoyed and stood up from his seat about to head for the door .

"Come back here Cruz! " He shouted, his hands were vibrating as he smashed his hands on the table.

" This is important to the three of us, the organization is not on our side and we have to decide now! If you let your stupid little issue get hold of us, we'll all go down."

The words got to the young man. At least I knew his name. It was Mr Cruz. I couldn't but wonder what might have gone wrong between the two.

He came back to his seat, with his face arched with anger.

"What do you say we do, leave the organization or just go with the flow" he asked after sitting.

"What do you say we do, Riccardo? You have been silent since the start."

"It's not Riccardo here, I'm Martinez and I have no idea who you are or what you want me to say" I said to myself.

" By going with the flow, what do you mean?" I asked both of them.

"We all know what it means, stop the unnecessary questions" Mr Cruz said, rolling up his sleeve.

"Control yourself, Mr Cruz, that's enough, but he's right Riccardo, we all know this, we are taking a whooping 10% cut off all our income for the organization. We all saw the memo. We were there when it happened." The older man said.

I am a con artist. I asked that question just to know what we were to discuss.

"But that's too much, way more than we gave up before."

It's simple. I did quick math, 10% of a billionaire's money is a whopping amount of money. What I couldn't tell was if it was gotten through illegal means. If not, why would you give up that much on your hard-earned money?

"Now you think it's too much you coward, you had the opportunity to bring the power to us and what did you do? You could have just handed me your vote? But your arrogance and selfish desires won't let you play fair."

" I am not a coward" I just said that. I guess that was what Mr Riccardo would have said if he were here.

"Then leave the organization if you truly aren't a coward!" Mr Cruz was someone who couldn't keep to his emotions. They drove him, he was up on his feet pacing like a hunter about to shoot his game.

"No one is leaving the organization ! We'll all work together to solve the problem."

"And how do we want to do that, lick Sandrino's feet? Over my dead body! I was high up in the sky before he was born and you fool gave him power to him on a platter of Gold", he was pointing to me.

I was tired of their unending drama, I needed to get Mr Riccardo's phone and probably head home. I told that girl to drop by later.

I might just change the location though. Sebastian stopped me earlier in the car to ask if I was OK.

He thought my actions and routines changed because I was diagnosed with an incurable illness. I almost burst into laughter.

"Riccardo ? Being honest, this is partially your fault too. You let your past with Cruz mislead you"

"What!?" I asked. I had zoned out of their discussion.

"You don't have to insult me, I am leaving!" They both stared at me like they had seen a ghost.

The older man started laughing uncontrollably, "You said what?" He asked, still immersed in his laughter.

Mr Cruz was also laughing but he was still mildly angry. They actually misunderstood me. What I meant was that I was leaving the office and not the organization. But their laughter got to me. I'm not a coward if I could face Adrain and his lapdogs, I could face whoever it was that ran their own organization.

"Yes I am leaving the organization!" I said with a firm expression on my face.

They stopped laughing and were filled with doubt and disbelief.

"Tell me you're joking Riccardo!" The old man asked, holding my hands like I was going to change my mind.

"Let him be Senator; we should never have been here. First he suggested we work with them on changing the system and now he's stepping out? Why not just commit suicide?"

Cruz said furiously, the old man seemed to be in support this time.

Cruz left angrily, slamming the door really hard. If it were at my house, the door would have fallen off.

I was left with the old man. I also heard Cruz call him senator.

I knew that wasn't his name but I'll make do with that.

"That's my decision, senator, I'm leaving the organization" the old man watched me incredulously.

"Going against Cruz was forgiven, but going against the organization? You will pay with your life Riccardo"! He spilled with wrath. It sounded more like a threat than advice to me.

He left also, but slowly. Was he expecting me to say a word?

Senator walked towards the door, he took a glance at me once more before leaving my office.

"I've had enough for the day, just in one day, I started it well and now this???"

The woman I ordered to call Christabelle walked inside immediately, Cruz and the senator left.

"What is it again? What do you want?"

"Sebastian is here. Should I send him in?" Now I could tell she wasn't another secretary, neither a receptionist, she was just a manual worker, just like the one I fired in the morning.

"Send him in!" I was eager to get Sir Riccardo's phone from him.

Sebastian came in but he was empty-handed. "Where is the phone ? I told you to come along with it, didn't I ?"

Sebastian dipped his hands into his pockets and I was instantly calmed.

He handed over the phone to me. I got busy with it immediately.

"Excuse me sir, I need to see you urgently". It was a woman's voice, "come back later, I'm not in the mood."

"I have submitted my resignation letter, I just wanted to let you know!"

Engrossed with Mr Riccardo's phone, I had done a few things on it, but with Emiliano's frequent calls I needed to use some money.

I ignored whoever it was that tendered a resignation letter.

"Do you need anything sir?" Sebastian asked keenly. "Nothing I can't do myself, just some money."

"Should I get the car ready?" "What for ?"I asked, almost immediately.

"I thought we would be visiting the bank?" "No, I can't find my ATM." I don't know why I said that but it was fast and now I can't take it back.

"They are inside the drawer, sir, and the other ones you keep at home. I'd suggest we see the doctor, Sir"

"I beg your pardon? Why should I see the doctor?" Sebastian was calm all through, it's really hard playing another person's role. I had forgotten Sir Riccardo was a sick man, but I don't feel anything like that.

I pulled open the drawer, he told me about several times, but it wouldn't be forced open.

"Your finger print sir", Sebastian corrected me again.

"Thank you, it skipped my mind". I placed my thumb right on the handle and it opened automatically.

That was easy and crazy.

I took the ATMs. There was more than one there.

I stood up to leave for the bank. Suddenly, my eyes became dim and I couldn't see a thing. I could feel my body getting really heavy and I couldn't stand on my feet.

Suddenly, I fell really hard on the floor. I felt no pain.

"Sir Riccardo!!! Sir Riccardo!!! Sir Riccardo" the echoes I heard in my ears until I couldn't hear a thing anymore