Shonee’s POV
Vincent attempted to snatch the phone but Michael was quick enough to pull it out of his reach.
He immediately tucked the device into the safety of his pants pocket, chuckling. “Whoa boss, you didn’t think I was going to hand it over that easily, did you?” His eyes gleamed in mockery.
I stood rooted in my spot, my heart sinking as I realized the gravity of the situation. Michael, the one person I greatly feared would find out about us, was now in possession of evidence that could destroy us both and end Vincent’s career as well.
“What?” He quipped, eyes landing on me.
“You sneaky, little bastard,” I sniped. “You were following me all this time. Even after I went into the bathroom!”
Michael didn’t even try to deny it. “Guilty as charged. I knew something was up with the way you behaved during the engagement party and my curiosity heightened when you tried avoiding me again tonight. So, imagine my delight when I decided to keep a close eye on you and stumbled upon this little rendezvous.” He flashed a smug grin, relishing in our discomfort.
My mind raced, searching for a way out of this mess, seeing as this was my fault. I wasn’t careful enough. Now we were at his mercy, and I was scared of what he might do with the incriminating evidence he held.
Vincent's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. “Give me the phone, Michael!”
“Or else what?” he derided.
“Or else risk losing your job!” Vincent yelled, taking a step closer and I quickly grabbed his hand before he could send a fist flying into Michael’s face.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be a good idea, boss,” Vincent’s assistant chuckled unperturbed, a cold glint in his eyes. “You see, if you go ahead to fire me without any genuine cause, that just gives me enough reason to do whatever I want with this recording. So, unless you want this video plastered all over the internet, along with a juicy story about the CEO of Beckham Incorporated caught in a scandalous affair with his daughter’s beloved nanny, you'll do exactly as I say.”
On cue, my stomach churned at the thought of our private moment being exposed for the world to see. Oh God! This could ruin everything.
“Trust me, this is the best deal you can get,” Michael bluntly stated, casually tucking his hands into his pocket.
The air around us was suddenly tense. I didn’t want us to accept, but we also didn’t have a choice. From the look on his face, Michael definitely wasn’t bluffing. If we annoyed him right now, nothing would stop him from releasing the video.
I tightened my grip on Vincent’s arm and he gazed at me. The worry, anger and concern were evident in those dark irises of his pulled at my heartstrings.
“C’mon people,” Michael whined. “I don’t have all day.”
“Fine!” Vincent snapped out of rage. “What do you want, Michael?”
And just like that, his grin widened, eyes glinting with malice. “Oh, nothing much. Just a few incentives, in case I ever need some... favours from the CEO of Beckham Incorporated.”
My heart pounded in my chest as the weight of his words settled over us like a suffocating blanket.
Blackmail.
Vincent's voice descended into another level of cold anger. “You're despicable.”
“You can call me whatever you want.” Michael shrugged, his smirk never faltering. “But the fact remains, you're both in a pretty tight spot right now. And I have the upper hand.”
“It won’t be like that for long.” I combated.
“Michael?”
The confrontation came to a sudden halt as our gazes veered towards the entrance to the gala.
At the sight of Vincent’s fiancée, I quickly let go of his arm.
Avril moved in our direction, eyebrows pulling into a frown. “What’s going on here?”
We all froze, caught off guard by her unexpected appearance until Vincent regained his composure first and cleared his throat. "It’s nothing, Avril. Just a minor misunderstanding," he replied smoothly, his tone betraying no hint of the tension simmering beneath the surface.
Avril's gaze flickered between us; her expression sceptical. "Are you sure?" she pressed; her tone tinged with suspicion.
"Oh absolutely," Michael jumped in, his voice ringing with false cheerfulness. "Just a momentary blip in an otherwise perfect evening."
How I wanted to smack that grin off his face.
Avril seemed to buy his explanation, though her eyes lingered on us for a moment longer before she finally relented with a nod. "Well, alright then," she conceded, her attention already drifting to something else. “Come with me Vincent, my father wants you to give the closing address.”
Reluctantly, Vincent left my side and moved towards Avril. She held out her hand so they could walk back into the party together. However, Vincent was so angry, that he brushed past the gesture, not even caring when Avril followed after him, mumbling obscenities under her breath.
Once they were out of earshot, Michael started laughing his ass off until I grabbed his forearm in a vice-like grip. My facial expression hardened with resolve. “You win for now, Michael. But mark my words, this isn’t over. And when the time comes, you’ll regret ever crossing us.”
Michael's smirk faltered for the briefest of moments, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a confident grin. "We'll see about that," he quipped, his tone dripping with arrogance as he sauntered away, leaving me alone in the hallway.