The Trillionaire They Taunted

The sound of footsteps emerging from the massive complex of Apex Ventures was accompanied by sighs of relief, smiles of anticipation, and contorted faces from hours of diligence and screen time.

The ambiance was no clearer than it was that morning.

Everyone was in a hurry to leave the building.

Everyone but one man.

A fine man.

Tall, slim like an athlete, and with the perfect jawline and golden eyes that always beckoned for a second stare.

The sun beamed on his face, his smile flourished even with the fatigue that had engulfed him, causing him to almost lumber.

His black uniform was drenched, clinging to his body and showing the sharp edges of his muscles.

He was Brian Regal- ordinary on the outside, but with a deep secret just like a man on a mission.

“Mr. Regal!” A commanding voice called out, impatient and irritated.

It belonged to a young man in a sleek black suit, his strong cologne way ahead of him.

“Where is that lousy security guard?” He scanned, eyes glowing with disdain.

“Here, Sir!” Brian ran to the corner, forgetting that he was tired.

The sleek tiles almost made him slip, but three years of working in that building had made his feet familiar with the floors.

“I am sorry, Mr. Jones. I was trying to make sure that everyone dropped their key card since it’s the weekend.” He explained, his voice drained of its grip.

Romeo Jones glared at Brian with condescending eyes, and then he tutted.

“You have refused to get rid of those horrible shoes…” He pointed in disgruntlement, almost forgetting the reason why he summoned the Chief security guard.

“I hope you don’t make our clients think we are all clowns in this Company…” Romeo mocked, his eyes still flashing with disdain.

Brian felt the urge to tell him that he didn’t pay him enough to be able to afford the luxury of a new pair of shoes.

But on a second thought, silence seemed like a better option.

So he stayed quiet, hands folded backward.

Romeo was the CEO of Apex Ventures, and in turn, Brian’s Boss.

Apart from his ego and wealth, his other possessions were women and alcohol, and he was always willing to flaunt them.

Brian swallowed everything in good faith, his evergreen smile an insinuation that nothing truly bothered him.

“You sent for me, Mr. Jones…” He broke the silence, his tone calm and polite.

“Yes…” Romeo grunted, and then he reached for his jacket pocket, taking out a hundred-dollar bill.

“Take this…” He flung the money at Brian, watching him struggle to catch it while it almost landed on the floor.

“I am expecting a package in the next hour. You are going to bring it to my apartment at Milton Street.”

Romeo’s instruction was direct and brief, but Brian stared as though he was bemused, still struggling to catch his breath.

“But, Sir…” He lifted a finger, seeking permission to speak.

“It’s way past closing hour, and I need to get back home. It’s my wedding anniversary...”

“I don’t care…” Romeo cut him off, his voice sharp and furious.

His visage contorted, anger brewing inside him.

“I need you to always know your place in this Company, Brian…” He warned, pointing Brian in the face.

“You will do as I have instructed. Is that clear?!”

Brian hesitated. But he knew the consequences of disobeying his boss.

“Ye… Yes, Sir.” He forced the words, clenching his right fist with the dollar bill in his palm.

“Good boy…” Romeo left him, his expensive brown shoes pattering as he sauntered through the hallway.

Frustrated, Brian grunted.

He scratched the back of his head, scattering his neatly combed brown hair.

Slowly, he took out his phone and sent a text to his wife.

“I AM SO SORRY, LOVE. I WILL BE LATE FOR DINNER. BUT I PROMISE TO BRING YOU SOMETHING TO MARK OUR LOVE. XOXO…”

He waited after pushing the ‘send’ button just to be certain that the message went through before he pocketed the device.

At least there was something to look forward to, something to brighten him up after that long day at his meager job that could barely pay the bills.

Brian waited outside the tall glass building, standing under the scorching sun until it began to set, allowing darkness to take over.

An hour turned to two, and yet there was no sign of the deliveryman.

His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he had only eaten a slice of a sandwich that morning.

After looking at his wristwatch for the umpteenth time, he lifted his face and sighted the middle-aged man riding casually on his motorbike with a box attached behind it.

His yellow helmet was brandished with the name of the delivery company he worked for.

Brian sighed in relief, walking to meet him halfway.

“Package for Mr. Jones.” The delivery man grabbed a parcel and handed it over to Brian.

“You are late…” Brian frowned, expressing his annoyance.

“Mr. Jones said you were going to be here in an hour. This is almost eight pm…”

“Tell that to the traffic. You are not the only ones I had to deliver something to.” The deliveryman responded rudely, and then he snatched the dollar bill from Brian. Turned on the engine of his bike and sped off.

“Great…” Brian exhaled sharply, holding onto the parcel with both hands.

It was a rectangular box, and he couldn’t tell what was inside.

With his remaining strength, Brian hopped into his rickety saloon car and drove straight to Romeo’s apartment.

That was Romeo’s usual routine during the weekends.

Pick up one or two girls and get them to do nasty things for him.

“I wonder which woman he is about to ram.” Brian thought on his way to the apartment.

He was surprised his boss didn’t ask him to deliver packs of condoms or even bottles of vodka, holding onto the box that seemed light and heavy at the same time.

His eyes couldn’t stop taking glances at his wristwatch, grunts escaping him as he thought of how much time he had wasted.

“Pearl is going to be so mad…” He thought, slamming the collapsing car door, severally until it came to its senses.

With the parcel carefully held onto with both hands, he hurried into the duplex, and then to one of the doors.

The moment he lifted his right hand to knock on the wooden door, his phone rang.

“That must be Pearl…” He quickly grabbed the phone and turned the screen to his face.

The name on the screen made him furrow, but he answered regardless.

“I know why you are calling, Diego. But the answer is still YES…” He whispered, looking sideways to be sure no one was around.

“Master Brian…” An old deep voice spoke from the other end, laced with so much respect and a lingering attempt at conviction.

“Giving your wife the third biggest company in this city as an anniversary gift is too much. Do you trust she will not betray you?”

“Never…” Brian gave a quick response, and then he cleared his throat.

“Three years is enough to know that she is worth it, Diego. My mind is already made up. Prepare the paperwork, I will sign them on my way home.”

“One more thing, Master Brian. Your Grandfather…”

Brian ended the call at once, grunting at the caller’s unsolicited remark.

He sighed heavily, but just when he was about to knock, he had to pause.

“Yes, Romeo! Deeper! I love it! Go faster!”

The sound of moaning and gasping made him grunt, strings of contempt lined up across his face.

He moved to cover his ears, but on second thought, he stopped.

“That voice…” He thought, pushing his ear closer to the wood.

“It sounds familiar…”