Elsey.

Chapter 5.

Elsey.

GERALD'S POV.

I was a little bit late for the interviews of the models and to finalize the contract with the five lucky models out of the numerous that would be working with us in the newly established company.

I entered the opened space with different demarcated areas and everyone stopped what they were doing to focus on me and to acknowledge me.

I ignored all their greetings and focused on my inspecting, trying to see if everything was in place and whether the models were in good order.

"Boss," Stray came forward to me with her iPad in hand.

I still couldn't believe she could work with me this far into the years, but she was capable, that was why I was managing her.

"What's it, Stray?" I questioned her with my eyes all on the models and with each one I passed by, they would bow to me in greeting.

It felt so good to have such power over them. Damn good!

I must acquire this company too. I mentally noted.

"It's Stella, boss, not Stray." She corrected me.

I threw her a bad glare that got her talking and got her answering the nice name I gave to her.

"The models are almost ready. Should we go on with the different outfit as the board members suggested, or should we go with the all-one outfit as you suggested?"

"I want perfect bodies, so one outfit is the best, and it should be with our required measurements. If anyone can't fit into the measurements, then the 'one' will be out. 

"Choosing will be easier that way."

"Okay, boss."

She walked away from me, gathering the models together to address them, and my eyes caught a familiar face from among them.

The dumb woman.

I smirked and a little kind of hatred rose in my heart. 

I wanted to move closer to her but stopped myself. Instead, I accessed her from head to toe, judging from the short gown on her and the high heels, and took a chill pill immediately, I realized.

She's one of the models that are applying to my company.

Cool.

I glanced at her one more time before walking away from her.

I would like to see the shock on her face when she sees me. Maybe she would faint this time.

I entered the company's auditorium, which was built for the customers, and when the new fashion models were to be displayed, customers could see what they wanted to buy.

I sat on a seat very close to the stage, where I would be seeing everything unfolding and in less than five minutes, the door opened and the first person entered.

I assessed her confidence, and it was okay, and the dress, too, was good for her. She did her thing, and the cat walked away.

I turned to one of my guards, "Mark her number."

"Done, boss."

The next came on the stage and I rolled my eyes. Is Stray blind now? How would she allow someone like this to do, thereby wasting my time? I thought in anger.

The second managed to ruin my mood, and I must say that she made everything better because the next twenty ladies took my bad side.

"Get out!"

"Who let you in? You're ugly!"

"Why do you have a body so frail? Are you that old?!"

"Why so fat?"

"Do you want to tear that dress out of your size?"

"You tore it! Can your wretched family avoid it?!"

"Get out!"

"Too fake!"

"You will scare our customers away with your makeup!"

"You're disqualified!"

"Leave!"

After all the yelling and shouting, almost shaking off the foundation of the company, I was frustrated, and my throat was sore.

"Grab me a bottle of water."

One of my guards walked away.

I turned to another, "Tell Stray that it's enough. I'm tired of shouting."

"Okay, boss."

He was about to walk away when another of the models walked onto the stage. 

No, that was not walking, that was cat walking and speaking of a seductress, she should be awarded.

What the…. I couldn't do it, my mouth was wide open as I watched her, especially her hips, which got me glued to my spot.

"Oh my!" I gasped out with my hands tightening on the rest of the chair I was sitting on.

I'm choosing this lady so, she's going nowhere. I told myself.

My eyes suddenly went to her face, and my mouth shut on its own, and my brows furrowed as a glare crept onto my face.

She was the dumb woman who bumped into me in the hotel.

Damn! Why can the perfect one be hers of all people? I groaned and got out of my seat.

She was done with her freestyle. She turned back to walk away, but my voice halted her, "Stop!"

She turned to me, and I climbed to the stage to meet her, "Who would it be if not the woman that couldn't tame her little dog?"

I was expecting her to burst out and trash me, or to gush about my face like she did before, but instead, she folded her arms together under her boobs.

"If you are not a man who knows nothing about handling a child, I'm still wondering if you have one." She spoke with a smirk like she knew me more than I knew myself.

I squinted my eyes at her and watched her closely.

Staring intensely at her, she looked like someone from my past, like the mother of my child, but she was not her.

I was very sure of it.

The mother of my child was not that hot, and even as years went by, I was sure she would still be how she was. 

So ugly and too chubby for my liking, I was only glad that her daughter turned into a beauty. She was nothing like her mother.

"My life is nothing of your concern. You should leave immediately. You're disqualified."

She chuckled and moved closer to me daringly, "I'm glad you disqualified me because I don't see myself working with you, but let me inform you that you will be missing a big fish."

"And who is the big fish? Also, how big is the fish? Because what I'm seeing right now is a bone-filled fish."

She moved closer to me, and I almost shivered with her confidence. She nailed it in the confidence area. It was a hundred and one.

"Great Elsey, you must have heard of that name somewhere," She raised her index finger to my face and began to trace it softly so that I was lost in her charm.

"Thank you for disqualifying me. Now, I can inform my PA about the contract with Gladys." She smiled at me and turned to leave.

My eyes rose in alert, and my hands. They acted before my brain, they reached out to her and grabbed her arms, turning her to me.

"I will forgive all your mistakes and will also forgive those of your son, and in exchange, you will work with me." 

I spoke calmly, way as calm as I've ever been. I almost didn't recognize my voice.

"Nope, I'd love to keep you as an enemy rather than a business partner."

"Then I'll hunt up your son and hold him captive!" I threatened her.

I don't want you to sound desperate in front of the bitch, but she was making that seem impossible. 'I will so deal with her later, how dare she get me so tight?'

I couldn't let her go, at least not to Gladys. Gladys was the O'Reillys every time enemy and rivals and every time, they would prove to be wealthier than us, which was only a fantasy.

But I know if this damn woman could slip into their grip, they would use her against us and would steal all our customers.

We should steal all their customers before they do that to us.

"I dare you to do that to me, and you will be so sorry." She jerked her arm from me. "You'll be so sorry, Gerald O'Reillys."

And with that, she walked away, swaying her butt towards me as she walked on.

I need that woman, she's going nowhere!

I moved in the same direction she passed and met a model coming out.

My anger took the best of me and I pushed her away, "You're fired!"

I haven't even employed her yet, and I was firing her, dammit!

I got to the open space and saw her leaving with a guy beside her.

"Book me an appointment with Gladys. Tell them Elsey is ready to sign the contract with them." She told the guy and they both walked away.

"Stray!" I yelled out the name, putting all my frustration into my call.

She came running to me, "Boss."

"Find me everything you can about that woman that just walked away and who the hell is Elsey?"

"Oh! Elsey is the leading model all around. She's a natural, and everyone always fights for a contract with her. 

"She can't always be seen around our boss. If she comes to our company as a model, we have to treat her well and give her no reason to choose another company over ours. 

"She has some connections, and all she has to do to win a case is to thrill her body. She's a walking seductress."

No wonder she got me trapped.

Then I realized I'd chased her off. I shivered, "If she's offended, what is she capable of doing?"

"She's capable of destroying bosses. Very swift at destruction and her hit is always venomous."

I squeaked.

What have I done? Grandfather must not hear this, else, I would be done for.

"Prepare a private meeting with her immediately, I heard her saying she was going to Gladys."

"Heard her? Was she her boss?" Stray's excitement irritated me.

"Just do as you are told and stop questioning me!" I snapped at her.

"Sorry sir."

She turned to walk away but stopped and turned to me, "The doctor called, he said he has to see you."

I roughed my hair with a sigh, 'What have I gotten myself into?'

"I'll see him in the hospital, while you focus on what I sent you. Make sure to find everything about that woman. I want everything tomorrow."

I walked away from her immediately. I related my mind to her.

I was so confused when I sat in the car. Should I be happy or sad?

"Take me to the hospital," I told my driver.

"Okay, boss."

I sat there with my eyes fixed on the window and I let my mind go off to things that happened in the past.

I stole someone's child.

Showed the child to my family as mine after doing a fake DNA test.

Lied about her mother dying after birth.

My family believed me and handed all the inheritance to me, thereby leaving my uncle with nothing.

With treated the child nicely til she was diagnosed from fever to a mystical sickness.

I dumped her in the hospital for years all in the name of treating her.

And now, returning to the hospital to check on her and to know the day she would be dying.

She is useless now anyway.

I know I did badly, but it was just not fair to me to take care of another man's child. That was like a slap on my face.

A big one.

And it was also a reminder of my mystery that I would never have a child of mine.

We got to the hospital, and I went straight to the doctor's office. I entered without knocking and went straight to a seat.

"Mr O'Reillys, I called you here to see this." He stretched a sheet to me.

"What's in it?" I questioned him but took the sheet anyway.

I opened it and glanced into it without a clue. Maybe I was not so clueless. Maybe I was just finding the content hard to believe.

"Doc, what's this?" I questioned him in a slim voice.

"The girl is dying." He told me but I shook my head,

"No, not that one, the other part."

"She's your real daughter."

"How? I'm impotent." I almost cried the response out.

"Through the real DNA that was conducted, the girl in that ward is your real daughter."

"No!"