"Emily as it is that I am unsure of the time I will return tonight, I have gone ahead and prepared the guest room in which you will stay until the morning. Yes?" I informed the young woman who vigorously nodded in understanding.

"And" I began adding the most essential bit of instruction before I left. "If by any chance there is a problem or you are in need of something. Do not double think before calling me. Yes?" Again she responded with a nod of the head.

"Goodnight Emily" I bade my goodbye and lovingly kissed my sleeping child's forehead. Even though it was not yet 7 my daughter had been asleep for the past hour. Earlier in the day we had gone to the beach with my friends and she had come home utterly exhausted.

"Have an extraordinary night miss. " smiled the young girl and I returned it. The blissful feeling from yesterday suddenly over whelming me, only this time it had returned with a strength ten times as strong.

****

"Goodnight ma'am." Bowed dutifully the well dressed English door man tipping his hat as I neared the entrance of the elegantly decorated ball room which oozed with soft low music. A feeling of absolute surprise washed over me when i entered and realised the amounts of people looking rather resplendent including the smartly dressed waiters graciously strolling around the room serving drinks they brought atop silver platters.

Initially, I had anticipated this evenings dinner to be a small gathering that is of the employers , employees and their partners and such. But as it was, it had been the entire opposite which led me to believe my first suspicions had been accurate. Wellington and Paul's had been purchased by a wealthy magnate. But what would such a person desire in such a small company and who was this man?

The heavy weight of hard eyes scorching my body as if attempting to set it ablaze ,like a reflex action caused me to immediately cock my head into the direction of the heated Stare, but before I could locate the set of eyes that pierced my very being. I heard s familiar voice speak.

"Miss Luca "

Irritated, I swiftly turned my head to acknowledge the person who had spoken.

"Hello Amy."

"Yes miss" she replied and judging from her tone I could already sense she was up to no good. "Have you heard the news? "

I shook my head before replying to her question. "Amy, I am not in the mood to partake in your idle chatter and Amy, you should know better, this is not the place or time for that kind of behavior."

"Mr Paul's has been arrested since the last few days miss"she spoke, ignoring my disinterest, her voice conspiratorial. "It was even on the midday news earlier today, that was how I had come to know. "

Hypocritically, the piece of news sparked a light of curiosity as well as rage, had he tried his nasty actions with another employee? If so and she had reported it well then, good for him.

Still, I paid the feeling little mind. Like I had said, this was neither the place or time.

Taking a glass of wine from the platter of a passing waiter, I addressed Amy who had also taken for her self a drink and was looking at me expectantly, awaiting my reply.

"Enjoy the party, Amy. "

*

Half hour into the party I still had not laid my eyes on Mr. Wellington or the new CEO.

I greeted a few employees and danced once with Jake, one of the guards men at Wellington and Paul's .

I would not deny it, I had wondered more than one time who could be the mystery boss, even more so when I began to catch words of the not so discreet whispers.

He is one of the world's wealthiest men.

He is a business tycoon.

He will no doubt transform Wellington and Paul's into Americas biggest and most successful car dealership companies.

But off all the gossiping I caught, there was no mention of the mans name. Which led me to again question myself. Who was this man? And why had he bought Wellington and Paul's?

Another song ended and I smiled softly at the man I had just danced with and got ready to sit down and rest my legs.

Ladies and gentle men a woman's curt voice came over the speakers. Dinner will be served in ten minutes, please transfer to the dining room. All the immediate employees of Wellington and Paul's along with their partners will be seated at the tables at the right of the room, your names are assigned at the places where you will be seated. The other guests will be seated at the left tables, your names too are stationed at the spaces where you will occupy. Thank you for your cooperation. Goodnight.

For a brief second, I closed my eyes tightly with the aim of lessening my confusion but also my anger. What was this? Dinner before the boss was introduced? Why was there so much secrecy? What with all the damn suspense? Would we even meet the man tonight?

Rising from the chair, I shook my head. Why had I been so infuriated?

Dialling Emily to check on them, I walked to the restroom. A minute had not passed since the woman had spoken. I would return and into the dining room before the dinner was served.

The feeling of a heated stare travelling across my body returned. Only this time, it was twice as strong.

In the darkest, most secluded section of the ballroom in a cushioned chair I sat downing my third bottle of water. Still, my thirst was unquenchable.

I eyed miss Luca much like a starved caveman would a piece of meat. Tonight she was even more gorgeous in the gown than I had imagined she would be. With all the self control I could muster, I held my own lest I pounce on her in the middle of the room and tear off her clothes as a wild beast would it's target. And God knows I was so damn close to doing that.

After another refreshing drink I removed the pure gold iPhone from my jacket pocket and dialled the head caterer reminding her once more miss Luca's place at the table should be directly next to mine.

I watched as the woman I loved still after all these years elegantly sipped her wine. God. She was breathtaking. Shaking my head, I viewed my iPhones home screen wallpaper background, a photo of her holding our beautiful daughter the day before at the beach, and wondered what her reaction would be if she had come to know that for the last two years, even more than transferring a hundred thousand dollars into her bank account every month end although I was fully aware she never used it, I had stalked them day and night. Or when she found I had purchased the company merely because I had wanted to commence my plan of winning them back.

I knew it would not be achieved easily as she was not the woman she was years ago but neither was I the same man.

And God knows, i would rather be damned than losing my family a second time.