The Slumdog Billionaire

7. The Secret Young Master

Chapter Seven

Stella’s eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to fire back, but Stefan quickly placed a hand on her arm, squeezing it gently.

“Don’t,” he whispered, his voice tight with warning. “We need this contract with Hexagon. Don’t mess this up.”

Stella bit her tongue, glaring at the receptionist, but she stayed silent.

Stefan continued to whisper urgently, “If we don’t get this contract, all our investments will be ruined. We’ll go bankrupt.

My father assured me that Hexagon is one of his partners for electricity supply, so we should have an advantage. Don’t blow it.”

Stella, still fuming, nodded reluctantly. Her bratty, spoiled nature made it hard for her to stay quiet, but she understood how high the stakes were.

Without Hexagon, their entire financial future was in jeopardy.

Two hours dragged by, and no one had attended to them. Stella’s patience finally snapped. She stood up abruptly and marched over to the receptionist’s desk, her face twisted with anger.

“Where is the vice president? I’ve had enough of this! I demand to see her now!” she yelled, her voice echoing through the lobby.

The receptionist, remaining professional despite Stella’s outburst, calmly replied,

“The vice president is currently busy with a very important guest. You’ll need to wait or kindly reschedule your appointment. However, our next available slot is in six months.”

That was the last straw. Stella’s face contorted in fury as she raised her hand and slapped the receptionist across the face.

*smack!*

The sound echoed through the lobby, and everyone around them went silent, shocked at Stella’s outrageous behaviour.

The receptionist stumbled back, holding her cheek in disbelief, tears welling in her eyes.

The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Before Stella could say another word, a voice interrupted from behind her.

“Who gave you the audacity to slap and harass my staff?” Zara, the vice president of Hexagon, strode into the lobby, her sharp gaze locked on Stella.

She had been watching the entire incident unfold from the corner, her arms crossed, her expression ice cold.

Stella, who had no idea who Zara was, turned to face her with a sneer.

“Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? I’ll slap you too if you don’t mind your own business!” Stella snapped, her arrogance blinding her to the situation.

Zara’s eyes darkened, and she took a step closer.

“Watch your mouth and your filthy attitude,” she said sharply.

“This is my building, and I won’t tolerate your behavior.”

Stella was about to lunge at Zara when two security guards stepped in, grabbing Stella’s arms and holding her back. They looked at her with disdain.

“How dare you attempt to harass our vice president?” one of them said sternly, his voice dripping with authority.

Stella’s body went cold. She suddenly realized what she had done. Her legs began to shake, and her confidence vanished in an instant.

“No… no, it can’t be,” she stammered, her voice weak and trembling. “She can’t be the vice president. She looks like an office whore!”

Zara’s expression didn’t change, but her voice was calm and cutting as she replied,

“Just because you don’t have the brain to recognize power when you see it, doesn’t mean others don’t. And with this disgusting attitude of yours, I’m afraid Hexagon won’t be working with your family’s company. Ever.”

Stella’s face was drained of all colours. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her body felt like it was shutting down. In a matter of seconds, she had ruined everything.

Stefan, sensing the gravity of the situation, quickly stepped forward, his voice desperate.

“Miss Zara, please, this is a personal matter. Stella was out of line, yes, but we’ve prepared an excellent proposal for the consortium. Could you at least review it before making a final decision?”

Zara didn’t even look at him as she waved him off. “It doesn’t matter. The president isn’t interested in working with your companies anymore. Congratulations, you just lost over half a billion dollars in a matter of seconds.”

Stella gasped, and her body went rigid. The blood drained from her face, and she felt lightheaded.

“What?” she whispered, disbelief washing over her.

Stefan, now visibly angry, turned on her. His face was red, his veins bulging as he shouted,

“Shut the hell up, Stella! Can’t you see what you’ve done? You ruined everything! Not just for you, but for my family too! You’ve destroyed everything we worked for!”

His voice shook with rage as he glared at her, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Stella’s lip trembled & she looked like she might cry, but Stefan’s harsh words hit her harder than any slap could. She had gone too far, & now they had lost everything.

Zara watched them both with cool indifference.

“Security,” she called, “please escort them out of the building. And don’t let them back in.”

Stella and Stefan were led out of the building, their heads hanging in defeat.

*****

Stella and Stefan entered their home. Faces pale filled with dread.

When they stepped inside the mansion, they were met with their furious parents, who were pacing up and down the living room like caged animals. The air was thick with tension, & it was clear that a storm was about to break.

Stefan’s father, Mr. Claxton, was the first to explode. His face was red with anger, his hands trembling as he pointed at the two of them.

“What did you two idiots do?!” he shouted, his voice booming through the grand hall.

“Do you know how long it took me to build my relationship with Hexagon? Years! And in a matter of minutes, you fools crumbled all my hard work!”