Chapter 23

Ivory gazed at the photo on her desk, her mouth as dry as the desert. She didn't know how to react or even if she should. She couldn't help but feel something, something she didn't want to explore. It was Raiden, on the cover of a tabloid, clearly having dinner with Naomi Bradford and his mother. This news stirred up numerous controversies, setting Raiden in an unfavourable light, especially since Naomi Bradford was recently widowed.
Ivory inhaled, she had been staring at the picture for ten minutes and while her rational mind urged her to dispose of it, her eyes were glued. Her mind was so transfixed by the photo that she hadn't noticed Felix storming into the office. He immediately grabbed the paper from her sight, crumbling the material in his hands.

"Don't look at that." he urged, suddenly serious. Ivory plastered on a smile as if she hadn't the slightest idea what he was referring to.

"Why not?" she questioned, her cheeks hurting.

"You'll just upset yourself," he said, noting the hurt in her eyes. They had dulled.
Ivory rolled her eyes and answered with more enthusiasm than she felt. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would that upset me?" She questioned, hoping he didn't attempt to answer. Felix looked over at Raiden's desk. It was empty. Felix gazed at his wristwatch, Ivory experiencing every bit of intensity. Raiden was always the first to be in at work and the fact that his desk stood abandoned unnerved her. She knew she shouldn't jump to conclusions but it was her nature to think the worst.

She wondered if he had gone home with Naomi. She wondered if that was the reason he didn't see her the night before. She shook her head, there was no other explanation, he had to have deliberately chosen to see Naomi. She laughed at herself.
Felix's gaze returned to her. "What's funny?" he seemed genuinely concerned.

Ivory shook her head, the laughter chronic. She'd laughed until her eyes filled with liquid. She dabbed at her eyes as her laughter faded.

"This can't be what it seems." Felix tried to assure her.
Ivory smiled. She had no right to question Raiden's choices. He owed her nothing, that was what she had agreed to and she made it a point to never compete for a man's attention. After all, the familiarity and comfort of a past lover was something she could not compete with.

"That's none of my business," she replied, absently tapping her fingers against her desk as she perused work documents. "I just hope this scandal doesn't cause any setbacks," she muttered to herself, Felix wasn't meant to hear but he did and it convinced him all the more of her feelings.
Ivory eased back from her chair and rose. "I'm going down to the first floor to collect some scripts." and without another word, she was gone. Felix pulled the tabloid in front of him smoothing out the picture so he could have a better view. Perhaps, Ivory was right. Perhaps it wasn't any of their business who Raiden decided to see. But on the flip side, it was notable if other people ended up getting hurt because of it.
Raiden walked into the room then, making his way directly to his desk. Felix took the opportunity. He stormed over to Raiden's desk and dropped the photo in his line of sight.

"What's this?" Raiden questioned before he could recognize his own face. The paper was thoroughly crumpled that it was a miracle he was even able to discover what Felix was attempting to show him.

"While Mrs Bradford is not my cup of tea, it's unfair if you continue to string Ivory along." Felix had stepped over the invisible boundary.
Raiden leaned into his chair and gazed up at Felix. "What are we talking about?" he questioned, his mind unable to deal with trivialities. He had spent his entire morning receiving panicked calls from his investors and board of directors. His night out last night had turned into a full-blown scandal, regardless of the fact that he had no interest in 'whisking away the Bradford widow' as the tabloid had put it.

"I am just asking you to consider the effect of your actions on Ivory," Felix responded calmly.
Raiden hadn't thought of Ivory he had to admit he didn't think she would be affected. "Ivory?" Raiden questioned, ignoring the informal way Felix referred to her.

"I may be overstepping but it's pretty obvious that you have something going on," Felix commented. "Things such as this is very easy to misunderstand, hell, even I don't know what to think." Felix divulged.
Raiden swallowed past an unfamiliar feeling swelling up from within him. He resisted the urge, despite his unknown source of irritation, to coldly respond to Felix. His employees care and attention for each other a source of discomfort.

"You know me better than most," Raiden responded. " Naomi and I are water under the bridge." he confessed, however, he couldn't help himself, "As for Ivory...our relationship is our own. I trust you won't interfere."
Felix scoffed. "That's one task I can't promise." Raiden struggled to contain his emotions, his hands forming fists, his knuckles as white as snow.

***
Raiden's mother didn't mean to eavesdrop, but from the time the conversation between Raiden and his employee revolved around a third-person her mind had done the unthinkable. Her blood simmered at the mere mention of that girl and her mind congratulated her. Her suspicions had been grounded. She heard Felix mention that this Ivory character had gone to the first floor, so she had backed away from the door and made her way to the elevator stopping on the first floor. As the doors open, before she moved to step out, Ivory was in front of her.

Ivory hated taking the elevator, but it was better than walking up countless stairs with weight like scripts. She waited impatiently for the elevator's door to open, but when it did her heart's pace quickened. She hadn't expected to see Raiden's mother again, nor she had to admit did she want to see her. She was instantly reminded of the photo and of the fact that Raiden would rather spend his time with another woman, a woman, she had to accept, who was clearly accepted by his mother.
His mother didn't move, she retained her position in the elevator raising a quizzical brow at Ivory. Ivory lowered her head and stepped into the confined space. "Good Morning," Ivory muttered out of civility. She had always learned to be respectful to her elders, although she had to admit she hadn't always done so when it came to her own parents. Raiden's mother dared not respond, it was as if Ivory never spoke. Like mother like son.

"What's your relationship with my son?" She spoke words that Ivory didn't want to hear.

"Uh, I am Mr. De Ville's temporary assistant." Ivory responded amicably, adding it a smile. His mother scoffed, knocking the smile off Ivory's face.

"I am not a fool." her temper instantly altered. "I know you've seduced my son." she accused, her eyes as red and dangerous as hell's flames.

"Seduced?" Ivory echoed, the word leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "With all due respect, I hardly believe that I could seduce anyone, not to mention Mr. De Ville." Ivory countered. It was ridiculous for anyone to think that she was capable of making a man of Raiden's calibre fall for her.

"I won't argue with you. I just want you to stay away from my son. He has already promised his love to another woman." Ivory felt her heart sink, but she couldn't respond. She barely noticed Raiden's mother rummaging through her bag and pulling out something.

The sound of paper ripping apart drew Ivory's attention, right before she felt hands shoving something into her chest. It was a loose piece of paper. Before Ivory could determine what it was the elevator dinged and his mother exited. Raiden was standing at Felix's counter, he noted his mother walking towards him, but even more visible was the fact that she had exited an elevator that also housed Ivory. Her expression was distant, cold even. She barely looked at and made her way into the office.

Ivory placed the paper on her desk for observation. She couldn't help but feel enraged, little did she know that Raiden's mother would offer her money to stay away from her son as if she really were a proper gold digger. Ivory began gathering up her belongings while Raiden entered, making long strides to his desk. Ivory pulled her handbag over her shoulder and walked to the front of his desk. He looked at her blankly.

"I'm not feeling well, although, I know we have a lot of deadlines, I would like to work on them at home today." she requested.

"Is everything alright?" she didn't look sick but who was he to make assumptions.

"I am fine," she muttered, pausing for a few seconds, unsure of her next step. She inhaled deeply. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure." Raiden was becoming more and more startled by the second. Her behaviour was uniquely strange. "Help me return this." she slid a slip on his desk and without waiting for a response she was out the door.

He studied the slip. It was a check...in his mother's name. Raiden sighed, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.