HIS TIME

CHAPTER 7

A certain advanced man wearing a red stylish suit alighted from the car and ambled into the hall. Without further words, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that red is billionaire Marshall Roland's favorite color.

The atmosphere was triggered into a state of awe. No one knew him and never expected the next COO to be as advanced in age as the man standing befall them.

"Good morning—Sir…" all the staff sputtered, struggling to break their voices into stable words. Silent indistinct mutterings unfolded in the atmosphere.

Lord Marshall calmly cleared his throat and inhaled calmly. "Can I have your attention," his face switched from jovial to serious expression? "Many of y'all here don't know me and I duly understand."

"Many of you haven't known much about Honeywell except the intricacies behind your designated duties. But in terms of its root, many have no single idea."

The anticipation amidst the staff arose deeply, their hearts yawning to grasp all the necessary information, their eardrums in tune at what the strange advanced man was spilling to their faces.

He drew a deep breath to garner more mastery of words. "I'm the founder and CEO of Honeywell Real Estate Ltd," his tone was firm and unsubtle. "My name is Lord Marshall Roland."

The indistinct chatter amidst the hall intensified, no one ever saw such a stunt coming.

Mr. Wilfred and Rihanna's spines quivered in shock, their hands hastily thudding on their thighs as the words of their overall billionaire boss hit their body like an earthquake.

"Can I still have your attention?" he inquired with a slight beam on his face, enjoying how confused his staff seemed. "It's of great honor to introduce to y'all the new COO of this prestigious establishment…"

He pointed his right finger toward the back door, in a quick response all eyes gazed at the second white Range Rover sports car and stared at a man wearing a navy blue suit, with a white torture neck top and accompanied by two bodyguards behind him.

The chief gatekeepers hastened towards the car as Julian alighted. "Good morning Sir, I'm Shirley, it's an honor to finally meet you.'' Her words were polite and respectful.

Gerald beamed at her and nodded his head. "Chief gatekeeper right?" He quickly inquired, still staring at her.

"Yes, Yes Sir, always at your service," she responded, still parting a beam from her tender cheeks.

He majestically ambled into the hall like a billionaire that he is. His shoulders were slightly up and chest out in profound confidence.

He intentionally stood beside his father with a palpable beam written all over his face.

Rihanna's heart skipped a million times in shock, from the entrance she had seen someone familiar to her ex-husband but couldn't believe any of it even in her wildest dreams.

She blinked her eyelid profusely to be certain that she wasn't having any sort of nightmare.

"Hey, isn't… that your ex-husband, huh?" Mr. Wilfred quickly asked, his breath trembling with nervousness. "Rihanna, tell me this is a joke?" his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ladies and Gentleman, please arise and behold your new COO, my biological billionaire son…" Lord Marshall's voice was firm and well-felt without any form of ambiguity.

Rihanna and Mr. Wilfred's knees buckled in goosebumps and lifting to their feet was one of the most difficult tasks to do but they had no choice.

The atmosphere fell into loud clapping accompanied by indistinct and distinct chattering with slight beaming on different faces but still engrossed in a state tinge of awe and confusion.

The whole staff was thrown into a world of bewilderment; first was the impromptu meeting to announce a new COO, when they were still striving to get a hint of what was unfolding, boom, their eyes entangled with the founder and CEO whom they had never met.

And to crown it all, their new COO is his biological son. Their hands folded together in disbelief, their hearts screaming. "What more should we expect?"

"Rihanna… your ex-husband is a billionaire?" Wilfred's tone filled with disbelief, his eyes widened like a moron. "The overall billionaire boss is his father?…"

Her body was engrossed with sweat which gradually dripped off her head down to her ear.

No matter how she strived to put her emotions in check; she couldn't stop her hands from shaking in fear.

Her eyes suddenly met with her ex-husband— Julian who was busy beaming at her in contempt.

He softly chuckled at his father and took two steps further toward his staff position.

He calmly cleared his throat and breathed out gently in relief. "Thank y'all for having me and for your utmost recognition," his eyes glanced through the whole staff in the hall.

He intentionally paused for a few seconds, stared at Rihanna and Wilfred, soft chuckled, and continued. "But it's time to embrace change, time for reformation, it's time to lay off the bad eggs that intend to ruin us."

Instantly Rihanna and Wilfred abruptly held each other's hands unsettled. Their blood ran cold in fear. The sound of laying off bad eggs sent shivers down their spines. They swallowed hard in shock. 

"Let's have our former COO; Mr. Wilfred, on the stage," Julian's words, filled with calmness but tricky. His eyes glanced at Wilfred with his cheeks still unleashing a soft chuckle.

"Oh...gosh," Wilfred whispered to Rihanna whilst standing to his feet. His voice and eyes blazed in dismay. "Rihanna, he just called me out on stage?… "

"Rihanna?..."