The Heir's Redemption

Chapter six

“I’ll be back soon. I want to use the restroom.” Anna said to Carter and quickly hurried off to the bathroom.

She was frustrated enough to head off to the bathroom. The moment she stood before the mirror, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked dejected and distraught.

The evening wasn't going as planned. All her big clients whom she was in partnership with had called her just this evening, a few minutes in succession, to pause their contract.

What she didn't know was that they all partnered with her due to Chris's influence. The news of their divorce was spreading and the companies had to pause their partnership with her. They weren't sure where they stood in the recent news of their failed marriage.

Tears escaped her eyes and she sobbed for a few minutes. When she looked up, her face was soaked from the tears. She’d never imagined everything would crumble so soon.

Her fingers found their way to her hair and gripped the curly mass in trepidation.

"What am I going to do?" She whispered. Tears filled her eyes again, as she turned on the tap. Her mascara was coming off and she wondered if she should just take the whole makeup off.

How she hated herself right now for being so unlucky. She wiped the tears from her face. And splashed some water on her face. Her makeup was all smudged and she proceeded to wash it all off. 

When she was done, she headed back to the ballroom. She ran into Carter.

"Carter," she said with a forced smile, "It seems there have been some unexpected developments in my company. I apologize for the interruption."

"Oh, it's okay. The call sounded urgent like there was a problem. Is there a problem?"

She remembered Carter once mentioned being familiar with the CEO of the Swan Group of companies, and in her desperation, she decided to ask him for help.

"Carter," she whispered urgently, "you mentioned that you were familiar with the CEO of Swan Group?"

Carter hesitated, his eyes darting around the room. He had indeed made that claim earlier to impress her, but the truth was he had no personal connection with the CEO.

He tried to maintain his composure and replied, "Of course, Anna, I can certainly try to reach out to the CEO and discuss the situation. Let me make a call."

She was relieved as she watched Carter pull out his phone and pretend to dial a number. 

Carter decided to make a phone call to his father, a prominent businessman in the city. The ringing of the phone felt like a lifeline as he waited for his father to answer.

"Hello?" came the authoritative voice on the other end.

"Hello. It's Carter," he said.

His father's tone was curt and businesslike. "Carter, what's the matter? Is there a problem?."

He knew his father wasn’t going to like what he intended to ask him. 

“Not really. I just wanted to ask you a question."

“Okay…” he said, waiting at the other end for the other shoe to drop.

"Do you have direct contact with the CEO of Swan Group? I would like to have a meeting with the CEO?"

He sighed, "Why do you need to meet the CEO? Do you have a business with Swan Group?"

"Not really. A friend has an urgent situation and would like to go directly to the CEO."

The response from his father was exactly what he expected. There was a coldness in his voice as he admonished, "You should stay out of anything to do with Swan Group. You should consult me before getting involved with them. Now, you need to stay away from that company and its dealings. It's not worth risking our family's reputation."

"But, Dad, I just thought—"

His father interrupted. "You don't know the whole truth. The company you've been involved with has a mysterious background, and I've heard rumors about their connections. It's not something to be trifled with, son. I don't even know who exactly owns it."

"Alright, Dad." The call ended and he turned to Anna, smiling.

"Don't worry Anna, I couldn't get through to him tonight. I had to speak to his assistant. But I'll be sure to talk to him later tonight." He lied.

"Oh, alright. Thank you."

"Do you mind letting me know exactly what the problem is? So I know exactly what to discuss with him."

Anna hesitated for a few seconds. She wondered if she could trust Carter with her company's business. He wasn't a saint but at least, he was a guru in the business world and she needed his help and influence.

"Well... I got a call today and the manager of Swan Group announced that their partnership with my company is being put on hold till further notice. We haven't had prior disagreements whatsoever. It was all so sudden. And what's more, two other clients called and they all said the same thing, they were putting all our collaboration and projects on hold. I don't even know what's going on."

She lifted her gaze to face him, her cheeks flushed. She could also tell from his gaze that he seemed surprised at how much information she shared. Maybe she had said too much. 

"Don't worry Anna. It may be a misunderstanding. It'll all be sorted out."

Carter's thoughts, however, were a whirlwind. He had hoped to flirt with Anna, make her fall in love with him, and then marry her. He had eyes on her company. It was growing so fast and he just wanted to incorporate it into his. Apart from the fact that he wanted her company, he also did like her. He had always wanted a successful woman as his wife and Anna seemed like the best partner.

He was elated when she told him about her plans to divorce her husband. Hence, he gave her more attention. He knew she would probably be vulnerable during the divorce process and would need emotional support.

However, the sudden development in her company made him instantly rethink. Maybe he would forget about getting married to her. Maybe until she sorts out her dilemma. 

He didn't want to shoot himself in the foot by making a bad business decision, and it would be more excruciating if he married her and her company only for it to crumble later.

And by then, it would be too late to turn back. His family wouldn't want the scandal of divorce tainting their public image. 

Suddenly, he knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to get her in his bed. He knew he would have her soon. She was already warming up to him and that was enough inclination he needed. But it may not be as soon as he wanted. He wanted her tonight. And he would have her tonight.

"I'll be right back to Carter. I want to go say hi to those ladies." Anna said and walked off to a group of women standing in the distance.

He spotted a passing waiter carrying a tray of cocktails and beckoned to the waiter. He took two glasses of the beverage. He looked around, making sure no one was watching, he slipped a small, white pill into one of the glasses and watched as the drink fizzled for a few seconds.

He glanced up and saw Anna approaching and flashed a brilliant smile across to her.

"Alright, Anna. This one's for you," he muttered and handed her the spiked glass of cocktail.