HER MOTHER'S DAUGHTER! Episode 8.

“Do you still want to take your time?” Sebastian asked Olivia at the backseat of his range rover sport. Her hands were shaking. Andy who drove them had gone out to give them some privacy. They were in the Empire’s Company and today happened to be their meeting.

She didn’t answer him.

Sebastian calmly placed his hand on her. “I know you are nervous. You are allowed to feel that way and I clearly understand. Just a deep breath and you will be fine. I will be there with you when you see them. I am never going to leave your side.”

She looked at him with her misty eyes and she inhaled in and out, and sighed out of relief.

He smiled faintly at her. “We are in this together. How do you feel now?”

“Better.”

“Can we go now? They are waiting.”

Olivia nodded her head. Sebastian opened the door to step out and when she proceeded to do the same, she quickly cleaned underneath her eyes. Sebastian was good to her and that made her emotional. Never judge a book by its cover.

Sebastian and Olivia stood beside each other and motioned side by side. They were on a mission to rule, conquer and win at the end. Time was their only obstacle.

Nelly was standing, waiting and when Olivia sighted him, she hesitated. Sebastian quickly grabbed her arm gently and whispered.

“He doesn’t know you. You have nothing to fear. He can’t hurt you or push you like he did before.” He released her.

She gave a nod and both approached Nelly who extended his hand and introduced himself as the CEO. Sebastian shook his hand first before Olivia did for a split second.

“Your hand is quite wet,” Nelly said to her and glanced back at Sebastian. “You are both welcome. You will be having the meeting with myself, the head of Admin and the chief accountant. The three of us are in charge of the Company notwithstanding our roles here.”

“We know and understand.” Sebastian said. “Kindly lead the way to the boardroom.”

“Okay.”

They followed him to the large room with Nelson and Naomi waiting for them. They stood to welcome them. Nelson introduced their guests as usual and Naomi couldn’t take her eyes off Sebastian as all sat down. Olivia tried to stay composed.

“Nice to meet everyone once again,” Sebastian spoke with Olivia beside him. “Working together will bring profits and I hope to have a working relationship with the three of you. I am going to go straight to why we are here…”

“Wait a minute,” Nelson spoke.

Their eyes went to his direction.

He looked at his brother. “I thought we haven’t finalized it yet. We still need to talk about the process we discussed about.”

“What process?” Olivia asked surprised.

Sebastian quickly spoke. “I thought this meeting is about finalizing the deal. All we need to do is sign the documents and fix a date for the tasting of the energy drink made by my team.”

“What my brother is trying to say is that we have made an adjustment.” Nelly said.

“Can you explain?”

“We can accept the deal if your partnership with the company will be renewed every year.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why should we be renewing our partnership every year? My partner and I choose this company based on your history for being competent and customer friendly. Your company is going to benefit from every product we decide to produce through your company. You have a percentage from the profit.”

“The profit we make from the energy drink will determine if we will renew our partnership deal with We don’t want to take any risk.”

“What risk are you talking about, Mr. Nelly?” Olivia questioned. She wasn’t scared anymore. The three of them especially Nelly was pissing her off, she felt he has never changed, always trying to prove smart. Dumb ass! “As the CEO of Empire Company you have nothing to lose. My partner and I should be the one to worry. We are the one bringing the money to invest in this company. We only want your name, the Empire’s name for it.”

“I know how many Companies will be willing to work with us without your adjustment.”
"We are disappointed."

“I cannot invest my millions for a Company that has no faith in our vision.” Sebastian said and rose. Olivia remained seated. Her eyes had turned red and she couldn’t take  off Nelly even when he noticed.

Sebastian added. “I am a businessman. I have other business ideas that I would invest in them later. Why shouldn’t our partnership be in a long run?”

Nelly spoke audibly. “We understand you but we want this Company to grow based on our family principles. This is a family business, you have to understand.”

“Did you say family?” Olivia asked in an annoyed tone.

Sebastian placed his hand gently on her shoulder. They made eye contact.

Olivia had to clear her throat before speaking. “Connecting with my partner and I makes us family. We don’t have to be related by blood. You just have to trust us.” She stood.

“We can’t be a part of the adjustment.” Sebastian said. "You have two days to think about it or we will give our deal to another Company. Good day!”

Sebastian grabbed his documents from the desk and walked away with Olivia without turning back.
******

“What do they take us for?” Nelson barked.

“Oh please shut up! You are the cause of this!” Naomi uttered. “Are you the CEO?”

“I am not but I am a part of this Company!”

“So am I!” Naomi stared at Nelly. “What made you change your mind? You didn’t discuss the adjustment with me.”

“He didn’t because you would have changed his mind.” Nelson said.

Nelly remained quiet.

“It seems you don’t want to pay the debts we owe.” Naomi said. “We need this partnership. The profits can cover the debts if we had signed the contract. Renewing it every year would change things. What if they find out and back out? We are the one that will lose!”

Nelly let out a disappointing sigh. “I should have thought about that. I should have discussed it with you.”

“They won’t find out.” Nelson said.

“No wonder your wife divorced you.” Naomi spoke with anger.

“What’s that supposed to mean?"
Naomi looked away from him.

“There’s something about that woman called Olivia King?” Nelly finally spoke.

Naomi asked him. “What about her? Have you met her before?”

“No. I don’t think so. Did you see the way she was looking at me?”

“Don’t tell me she’s into you.”

“No, not that. I felt she wanted to say other things to me but she was holding back.”

“Nelly, you have an amazing wife and a beautiful daughter. Don’t let Olivia King destroy your union.”

He shook his head. “You are mixing things up. You won’t understand. No doubt, Olivia is a beautiful woman but I am not into her.”

“I am into her.” Nelson said.

Nelly and Naomi stared at him shocked.

Naomi hissed and faced Nelly. “We are going to accept their deal. If we don’t pay our debt when the time comes we will lose this Company. I know you don’t want that.” She stood.

“Are you sure you came for the meeting to talk about the growth of the Company or see Sebastian Akande? I saw the look in your eyes when he walked in.” Nelson said to her.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I am not that desperate.” Naomi walked out of the boardroom.

Nelson rose to speak with Nelly. “See bro…”

“There is nothing to talk about,” he said while looking at the floor. “We will take the deal. I will speak with Mr. Sebastian tomorrow.”

He frowned. “I am not against the deal. It’s just the way you want to go about it.”

“Not only me. Naomi wants it too.”

“Well, I don’t have a choice. We are family. We will stand my each other.”

*****

Sebastian returned to his office and Andy drove Olivia back home. She was thinking deeply and had lost appetite even though Sebastian told her not to worry. She kept pacing around the living room.

What if they don’t call us back? What if they don’t want to have anything to do with us anymore? How do we execute my plan to take the Company? How am I going to do it? What if Sebastian back out?

“Olivia, you need to stop thinking like that,” she said to herself. “Sebastian would never back out. I have to trust him. He is a good man.”

She gazed at the large portrait of Sebastian on the wall.

*******

Samson was going through his phone in the bedroom when Naomi walked in. She didn’t greet him but pulled off her clothes and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came out with a pink towel around her body.

“You came quite early today,” Samson said. He had a fine face but not a tall person. “How was your day?”

Naomi went straight to grab one of her large bags and began to arrange some of her clothes inside. Samson raised his left eyebrow and dropped his phone on the bed. He rose on his feet and moved closer to her.

“Are you travelling?”

“No.”

“So what are you doing?”

“I am moving to the other room permanently.”

He went to stand in her front with his eyes wide opened. “What have I done again?”

“It’s what I haven’t done. I cannot continue to live like this.” 
He wanted to touch her hand but she pushed it away. “Naomi, I love you.”

“If you love me, you won’t be sitting at home doing nothing. I am tired of paying the bills.”

“I have not asked you have money for over a month. I know you are under pressure but I am trying to get a job.”

“How? By being in the house twenty fours of the day and pressing your phone?”

“You can check my phone. I was chatting with an old course mate of mine. He said there is only a vacancy for a security guard at his bank.”

“Then do it!”

Samson was obviously shocked with the look on his face. “A security guard?”

“I don’t care!”

“Have you forgotten who I was before I was scammed? You told me to go ahead and give those people my money and I never blamed you or curse you.”

“Are you not blaming me now?” Naomi asked.

“I am reminding you. Don’t act as if I decided to remain in this predicament. Why can’t you find a job for me at the Company? I am your husband.”

“You are a loser!” Naomi barked at him.

His mouth dropped. “I don’t need a loser in that Company. Be a winner without my help.”

He sniffed his nose. Samson was almost in tears. “Do you know you always insult me whenever you meet a wealthy man?”

“How can you know that?”

“Because I know you. You are my wife. I don’t want to give up on this marriage.”

“Find a job and be the man of this house. I am tired!” Naomi gathered the clothes, dumped them inside the luggage, and dragged it out of the room without observing the drop of tears from her husband eyes.

******

Sebastian returned home a bit late and met Olivia sleeping on the long couch. He suspected she slept off. He went to his room to shower before he came to wake her. She woke up with drowsy eyes and yawned.

“When did you return?” She asked him.

“Not too long ago. You look tired. I think you should go to bed.”

“What about you?”

“I will be going to bed too.”

“Have you heard from Nelly or his siblings?”

“No.”

“Maybe we should take the deal.”

“No. We gave them two days. We will wait.”

Olivia yawned again.

“Go to bed Olivia. See you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She rose. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Sebastian headed to the bar section the moment she started to walk away.

*******

The following day, Sebastian left to the office without seeing Olivia. He later sent her a text that Andy would pick her in the afternoon to have lunch with him. She was happy to hear that. Being at home was boring and tiring.

At noon, Olivia met with Sebastian. He was already eating.

“You couldn’t even wait for me.” She said jokingly.

“I was hungry, don’t blame me.”

A waiter came to take her order and left.

Sebastian paused eating and looked at her. “Nelly called me. They are ready to work with us.”

“Are you serious?” She asked in a surprised tone.

“Yes. We will meet with them tomorrow if that is okay with you.”

“It’s very okay but why did they change their mind?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they thought of the debts they owe.”

“Are you sure your source is right? Are you sure they are in debts?”

“It’s a rumor but I believe it is true.”

Olivia order came and she began to eat. After a short while, she stopped eating and started to think. Sebastian took note of her demeanor as he ate.

“What are you thinking?” He asked.

“I am thinking about playing a game.”

“A game?”

“Yes. Do you trust me to handle the deal when we meet them again?”

“I know you don’t want to jeopardize our mission, your mission especially. I trust you to handle it if even though I don’t want to hear your plan now. I want you to surprise me tomorrow.”

Olivia smiled. “I am definitely going to surprise you.”

“I can’t wait.” Sebastian said with a smile.

******

The five of them sat around the table in the boardroom. Nelson shifted their documents towards Olivia and Sebastian to read and sign.

“The deal is off.” Olivia said.

“What!” the siblings exclaimed.

Sebastian turned to her confused. He whispered. “What do you think you are doing?”

“I thought you trusted me to handle this?”

He gazed at her for a moment without getting to read her mind. He gave a nod. “Proceed.”

“I don’t understand Miss Olivia King.” Nelly said. “I thought you came to finalize the deal?”

“You had your chance and you blew it. We will take your deal. We are ready to renew our partnership every year.”

Sebastian was shocked but stayed silent. He had to trust her completely. He hoped she was doing the right thing.

“We don’t understand. Why take the deal now?” Naomi inquired.

“My business partner Sebastian is willing to bring the money for the new product. In addition to that, I will give the company one hundred million naira for any product the three of you decide to invest. It will be none of my business on how you spend the money but you have to make at least one hundred million for a year. If you can do that, we will not only renew our partnership, I personally will pay the debts all of you owe.”

Naomi, Nelly and Nelson looked at each other stunned. They faced her.

“We don’t owe anybody,” Nelson spoke. “We are not in debts.”

“Are you sure?” Sebastian asked.

“Wait,” Naomi said despite being edgy. She stared at Olivia. “Are you sure of what you just said?”

“Naomi!” Her brothers called her.

“Shut up and let me talk!”

“Yes.” Olivia replied.

“What if we don’t make one hundred million after a year?”

“You will sell the Company to me for one dollar. The Company becomes mine.”

Nelly and Naomi appeared speechless. Nelson exploded into laughter.

“Do you think this is a joke?” Nelson asked Naomi.

“No. It’s a game. One of us will lose.”

Sebastian wore a thick smile.

“Can we think about it?” Nelly asked.

“We are not thinking about it,” Naomi said. “We are taking it. Get your lawyers to prepare the documents, we will sign them. I don’t see it as a game. I see it as a challenge. We are going to invest with the money wisely and make one hundred million. Do you want to know how much we owe?”

“No.” Olivia said. “When that time comes, let me know.”

“In addition to what my partner said,” Sebastian said. “Miss King will need an office at the Company.”

It was a surprise to all of them and Olivia.

“What about you?” Naomi asked.

“I have my office in my Company but I will always keep in touch and attend meetings.”

“We have a deal.” Nelson said.

Nelly and Naomi were clearly dazed by their brother’s response.

“The documents would be sent to you soon.” Olivia said and stood with Sebastian.

The siblings rose and Naomi extended her hand towards them. “We can’t wait to work with both of you.”

They shook her hands and Olivia responded, “We can’t wait to work with all of you.”

When they stepped out, Nelly had a questionable look on his face. He felt there was something about Olivia but he couldn’t place it.

When Sebastian and Olivia entered his car, he said to her. “I am proud of you.”

“Thank you. They can’t eat their cake and have it. I won’t be quiet anymore. I won’t be intimidated by them.”

“Well, it’s game on.”

“But do I need to have an office here?” Olivia asked him.

“Yes.” Sebastian responded. “Keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer.”

********

To be continued on Sunday!