I am feeling rage. I am feeling rage on myself than on that Chuck Watson. How that easily I have been hoodwinked by him? He came to me and introduced himself so and so. Knowing me about fully anyone good in appearance can do that to get a hand on my wealth. How I have believed him without even a simple doubt? I thought myself an intelligent all these days but in fact I am a fool! I cannot manage the prestigious conglomerate that my father built up with his hard work.

"What is that call Dazzle?" Viola asked me.

Now I am feeling anger towards Viola. She always encouraged my relationship with Chuck. Why did not she caution me?

"Chuck neither divorced nor living separate from his wife." I said angrily.

"What? Who said that to you?" there are frowns again on her forehead.

"I talked direct with his wife."

"What is the guarantee that she is his wife?"

"Shut up Viola." I yelled. "There is no necessity to anyone to phone to me and tell all this. Chuck died and there is no difference now whatever might be my relationship with him. She forwarded all her details to me and she knows very well I can make further enquiries and know about the truth."

"First tell me whatever she talked with you. Then only I can make a comment."

Viola is listening carefully while I am saying whatever I have heard from that woman. Even before I finished she said "My god! I never have expected it like this!"

"The information is not troubling me. There are plenty of people like him around. What I cannot understand is: how I believed him that blindly? How I behaved that foolishly? Being the owner of a conglomerate like this why could not I notice the fact in what a precarious condition I am? Anyone can woo me with his looks, trap me and then .........."

"You are absolutely right. But it is not because only of your foolishness Dazzle. I am also encouraged you a lot to develop your relationship with him." Viola paused a second and then saying again. "I saw him in videos you shown to me and talked with him. I just could not think of him so. I am very sorry."

"There is no fault of you in this Ola. Don't unnecessarily blame yourself." I sighed heavily. What is the wrong of Viola in this? She did not know anything about him. I myself introduced Chuck to him and made her talk with him. No surprise Chuck has had an impression on her like that with his appearance and smooth talking as he has on me.

"It is not so Dazzle" Viola got off from the sofa. "You are right in what you have said. I have encouraged you in developing your relationship with him. He appeared so nice to me. He talked like that with me." There is regret in her eyes.

I am not interested in saying anything. There is no fault in her with respect to my relationship with Chuck.

"Thank god! You have severed all your connections with him a long time back itself."

I am also feeling like that. In fact something deep inside me always told me he was not correct for me.

"Alright. I am going to the office now. Would you come with me?" I asked her.

Viola yawned heavily and said "I am feeling like sleepy. I want to sleep some more time." She paused for a moment and then is asking me again "Is there anything new in the office matters?"

"Did I mention my newly appointed secretary?"

"You did. Nova Harrison. Husband expired. Having two children. You are very much satisfied with her."

"Then there is nothing new I can report to you now."

"Have a nice time in the office."

"Thank you. I am leaving now."

***

I shocked while I am going through the stock market section of the news paper. In that our Lipsom company's shares slumped on the fifth day also. It came down more than thirty percent than it was just one week or so before.

I impatiently throw the paper aside. I just don't know what to do. The sliding down of my company's shares like that is creating tension in me. If the sliding down is along with the market I would not have felt any tension at all. If the slump is because of any unfavorable circumstances in that particular sector I would have felt little easier. But except for one or two days, market is going up for the last one week. All the other companies which manufacture tyres like our Lipsom doing wonderfully in the market and that particular tyre making sector is in quite favorable condition then.

"Good morning madam." Nova entered into my cabin.

"Good morning. What George is doing?"

"His usual work I think. Busy in his cabin."

"I have asked you to prepare statements regarding the expenditure of our office here. Have you done it?"

"Yes, I did it. Here are those statements." Nova put some papers on the table and kept a paper weight on them.

"You do so for our other offices also. You can have necessary material form George. Go and tell him I have asked you to do that."

"Sure I do it so." Nova said. "May I go now?"

"You may please."

Nova turned back to go. "Ask George to come and meet me."

"Alright madam." Then Nova left.

***

"Want to talk anything with me?" just in five minutes or so Gorge came into my office and slumped himself in the chair opposite to me.

"Have you seen what is happening to our Lipsom shares for the last one week or so?" I asked him.

"I am observing. They are coming down. They slumped down more than thirty percent in the last one week itself." George said just casually while looking into my eyes.

"George, I am feeling tension. How much they do go down like that?"

"Let them come down as much as they do. Why do you worry like that? We need not worry about it even the least."

"How it would be? It is our company's share price and coming down of it like that gives an inference to public that our company is in difficulties. They do start selling their shares and our company's share price comes down even more." I cannot keep my anxiousness off my voice.

"Then what happens? We don't pledge our company's shares anywhere. Therefore, however much down it may come we would not get any loss. All our companies are in all respects healthy and we are making good profits."

I convinced some extent by George's saying like this. I leaned back relaxingly and covered George's face in my focus. "But why it is happening like this George? Is there any conspiracy? Is someone doing something to make our share price to come down like this?"

"It appears so. Someone is short selling the shares to buy them at a very cheap rate." He paused for a moment and then said. "We may better do something."

"What it is?" I am feeling curiosity now. George does have a solution to every problem.

"I am thinking that this company's share price comes down even more in the next one or two days. Then we do start buying our company's shares. You are having eighty percent share holding in other companies but only sixty in this. You can make your share holding eighty in this also then."

I am feeling amazement at this idea! I can take advantage out of a negative situation also. "But from where we can get the funds? Taking loans from the bank? Of course too many banks are always willing to lend us loans if we want."

"Our companies' financial health condition always lures banks to lend us loans. But that is not necessary at all. We are having too many unnecessary reserves. We exhaust them. We just wait one or two days more and start buying."

"Alright, we do so." I nodded my head and feeling jubilant again. "I have entrusted a work to Nova and directed her to approach you for the necessary material."

"She got them from me and already in that work." George is smiling. "It seems that you are satisfied with Nova."

"Yes I am." I smiled. "Nova is indeed very efficient."

"I am happy that I have selected a good person for you."

"And I am quite thankful to you for that." I am feeling surprise now. I used to feel lot of animosity towards this George. In the last one week or so quite surprisingly it evaporated. How it has happened I cannot understand but it is good.

I am now completely involved in discussing other business matters with him.

***

I am walking happily into my house and Viola came across me. "How your day passed in the office?" she asked me.

"Just wonderful." I said while looking into her face. "How is yours in the home?"

"Just the same." Viola smiled. "Just take your bath and relax yourself. It seems that you have spent all your energy in the office itself."

"Yes. It is just like that." Dashing myself from there into my room I said. First I have to take a bath and only then I can feel comfortable. When I am relaxed and happy I do take even more time to finish my bathing.

After closing the bathroom doors I started undressing myself. I threw all of them into the corner. I am observing my naked figure in the mirror there with a satisfying smile on my lips. After few seconds of that observation, I turned on the shower and now small cool water is pouring on my head. I took the soap there and now I am enjoying rubbing all over my body with it.

Now I am started feeling a strange touch on my back and I just stopped what I am doing. It is just life like as if someone is really pressing his hands strongly there. Those hands are rough and I can say for sure that they are not any female person's. But whose hands they are? Nathaniel or Chuck or someone else? Or is it is just my imagination?

My heart is beating speedily as the hands are now moving on my body. Their movement is steady on my body and making me intensely shameful as they are travelling all over my body. I am trying to move my body and threw the hands away but my body is immobile. I am feeling as if I am tied with ropes and my feet are transfixed to the floor there as if stuck with glue. Am I dreaming while taking the bath? No, I am looking at the reflection in the mirror. I can see no one else in it except me.

All the time I am trying to move my body giving strong signals to each organ to move. I am putting all my strength to move them but my feeling continued that I have been tied with strong ropes. I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes, tightened my face muscles and am using the last ounce of strength in my body also to free myself. Snap! My face suddenly lit with pleasure as my body at once became free. The water from the shower is still pouring on me but I cannot wait for long. I am taking the water from a bucket nearby and started pouring it on me with a jug there. I am feeling numb, still devoid of any thought, while toweling myself to dry. I ran to the wardrobe in my room in which I keep all my dresses.

(..........to be continued)

(I hope you enjoyed it so far. Please don't forget to rate and review it. I update the next chapter as early as possible.)