CHAPTER 53: OUR BUSINESS

Tension seemed to surround us as silence filled the elevator. I felt so nervous and aware of Raphael’s presence, but my mind was also shifting to think of even more troubling thoughts. Sam’s words of warning came back to me, and I wondered if anything about that was true. Once again, I told myself that rumors were rumors, but I couldn’t stop myself from fearing the worst. I would have told my mother about this had she told me about the identity of the man she had been dating beforehand. I guess it was partly my fault for not suspecting at all that my future stepfather could be the head of the Hayes family. I mean, up until lately, I felt like we belonged in different worlds. Perhaps we still belonged in different worlds, and my mother and I were just fishes out of the water.

My mind wandered even further as I looked out of the glass elevator at the view passing us by rapidly. I told myself once again that it couldn’t possibly be true; the rumors were probably not true. There were rumors that the Hayes Corporation was involved in illegal business, but that wasn’t the worst of all rumors. There had been rumors for years now, circulating without stop, that the Hayes Corporation was actually a mafia syndicate in disguise. If that were true, then that meant that the Hayes family was also a mafia family. I glanced over at Raphael, who was dressed in a very expensive suit with his clean-shaven face, and I told myself that that couldn’t possibly be the truth.

"What are you thinking about? It seems like you can’t stop staring at my face," Raphael said as he caught me staring at him while I was lost in thought.

"Nothing," I replied before quickly looking away. The door of the elevator opened just in time to save me from any further interrogation or teasing.

"Is this your floor?" I asked as I stepped out of the elevator.

"This elevator only stops at one floor," Raphael replied before pulling my hand slightly for me to follow him, and that was when I realized that he had been holding my hand all the way. True to his words, Raphael had the entire floor to himself, although I had no idea why anyone would need such a large space.

"This is my office, and this floor is basically split in half. One half is for work, so it has the meeting rooms and all that," he explained as he took me around as if we were on a house tour.

"What about the other half?" I asked.

"Would you like to see?" he replied with a smile. I thought that his smile looked too charming and too sweet for it to be any good for my heart. That’s why I couldn’t reply to him right away; Raphael wrapped an arm around the small of my back before urging me forward.

"Do you live here?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

However, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering because the other half of the floor was pretty much like a very luxurious condominium unit.

"I don’t live here, but I do spend some time here when I want to get away for a bit or when work is busy," Raphael replied casually.

"I see," I murmured as I continued looking around. I wondered if work got busy often and if he spent a lot of time here. At least, since I moved into Bennett’s mansion, Raphael had always been there.

"You can come and sleep over here if you want," Raphael said invitingly before he flashed me a teasing smile.

"I think I’m going to have to turn down your offer," I replied without missing a beat. My rapid answer drew an amused laugh from Raphael, and I had to say that I felt my heart skip a beat. He always looked years younger and more lively whenever he laughed.

"Well, that’s enough about this floor. What about I take you walking around some key divisions of the company?" Raphael suggested before he took my hand into his again.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting based on the rumors that I have heard, although noting that there was still no proof that any of the rumors are true, but the normal office that I witnessed on that day didn’t quite fit my expectations. I didn’t know much about the Hayes Corporation, but given the numerous trophies and awards that were gallantly displayed in the Human Resources department, I figured that the company had an outstanding record for their work culture and employee benefits. The office spaces were neat and filled with employees diligently working.

I looked around and found, without much surprise, that there was a pretty good balance between men and women. That was to be expected, but I couldn’t help but take note that that didn’t match with what those men that I met during the wedding talked about. I remembered with certainty that they mentioned that the people working in the business were all men. Looking around at the many women that I could see, that was truly inaccurate. All in all, there was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary from what I had seen. If anything, the active vibe in the office along with the well-decorated interior made the entire place feel like a very productive and encouraging workplace.

"Do you like what you’re seeing?" Raphael asked softly from close to me. I could feel the eyes of a few people looking at us, and I figured that that must have been because I was with Raphael.

"This office seems nice," I told him my honest opinion without going through all the compliments that I wanted to voice about the place.

"So, what about working here?" Raphael asked suggestively.

"Me? Work here?" I asked as my eyes widened at his unexpected invitation.

"Why not? You’re still looking for a job right?" he asked knowingly before he grinned at me.

–To be continued...