Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sterling glanced at Sebastian who was sitting in between two of the business men he went to see the other day.

He chuckled inside, ignoring the look Sebastian was giving him.

He didn’t mind since he knew his actress was going to win the vote.

Who wouldn’t want Vivienne to return back to the industry? Unless that person was her enemy.

“The vote starts now.”

The president announced, bringing back Sterling and Sebastian’s attention to him. They both turned their eyes to the president as soon as he said that.

The president gestured to two of the employees that were standing by the door and they came in carrying two boxes of papers.

Sterling raised a brow, he thought the vote would be the one where they were going to raise their hands or something different.

“The papers would be passed down to everyone and you’ll see two options there. Kindly tick one of the boxes and pass your paper to the box on the desk over there.” he pointed at the desk in front of the hall.

Everyone got their papers including Sterling and his assistants. No one was left out as that was the most hardest decision to be made.

“Kindly write your names on the papers too so we would know those in support and those that doesn’t support.” the president added.

In no time, everyone was done with their papers and passed it to the boxes on the desk.

“Mr. Hawthorn, ill take it to the box.” Assistant Mike said. But before he could take it from Sterling, Assistant Li has already taken it.

Sebastian was still staring at Sterling and he has that mischievous smile on his face. Sterling ignored him, he knew why he was looking at him that way.

His eyes travelled to the business men sitting there and they bowed to him with a smile. That smile they gave him convinced him that Vivienne was going to win the vote.

Sterling chuckled inside, he didn’t know Vivienne would have enemies inside the industry. But Sebastian being among the people that doesn’t what he back in the industry didn’t surprise him.

After all, the jerk doesn’t even value his wife. Had it been he has an atom of respect for women, then he wouldn’t have acted that way towards his own wife.

“If I’m to see that woman, I’ll make Sebastian regret what he did to her,” Sterling said under his breath.

“Mr. Hawthorn, thank you for coming here. I really appreciate it.” the president shook hands with Sterling.

Sterling nodded his head and left the hall. He was walking so fast that the assistants couldn’t caught up with him until he tried to stop at the reception to nod at the receptionists greeting him.

The business men followed them out of the reception too and waited by the cars to get their contracts from Sterling. They have already done what he requested of them and it was his turn to fulfil his promise.

“Mr. Hawthorn will soon be here.” Assistant Mike announced.

They looked so happy to be working with Sterling. Some of them have even start to imagine how their companies will change from nothing to something in just a day.

“This is so huge for me.” one of the business men said after he was given his own copy of the contract.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Hawthorn.” they bowed their heads.

But deep down in his mind, he knew he should be the one thanking them for helping him vote for Vivienne.

[The result]

It has already been two days after the vote, Sterling was so eager to see the result of his favorite actress winning the vote. He already signed the contract with those men and they’ve started working together already.

He didn’t know why the result of the vote was taking so long to be announced. He sighed inside and rested his head on the desk.

All through out the night, he didn’t sleep. He was checking his phone to see if the result was already out and was emailed to him.

He knew the president wouldn’t play the risk of inviting everyone back to the industry to announce the result, hell rather send it through their emails to avoid destruction.

But it was taking so long for him to announce. Maybe he dint want to announce that yet because Vivienne won the vote and Sabrina’s men wouldn’t be happy about that.

Suddenly, both of the assistants barged inside the office startling him. Sterling raised his head up from the desk and frowned at them.

They composed themselves and bowed their heads, apologizing to him.

“We are so sorry for entering your office this way, Mr. Hawthorn.” Assistant Mike apologized again.

He raised his brown asking them what was wrong because of the way they were behaving but none of them say anything.

Sterling shook his head. His mind already told him they were arguing about something again and wanted him to be their judge.

“You speak.” Assistant Li said to Assistant Mike.

“No, you speak.” Assistant Mike said to him to. But none of them was willing to say anything.

“Are you going to speak now or till I make you two!” Sterling commanded. His voice resonated through their blood vessels like a thunder.

“We…” they chorused and went silent for one person to speak. But none of them say anything again which angered Sterling. He stood on his feet looking at them in anger.

But what he didn’t know was, they were both afraid to break the news to him. They wouldn’t want him to be mad at them which they already knew would happen.

But they made a mistake by going to the office when they saw it. They should have waited for him to see it by himself. But how was he going to see it? The message was sent to them personally.

“Uhm…” Assistant Mike gulped down.

“Mr. Hawthorn I… I mean we… we just received a message from PURE HEART ENTERTAINMENT right now and…” he glanced at Assistant Li who was getting ready to leave the office.

“And?” Sterling asked him as he was so eager to know what they want to say.

Speaking of PURE HEART ENTERTAINMENT, they were the ones he was thinking of. Was it about the vote? And why were they acting that way? Sterling was confused.

“The president sent a message to us about the vote.” Assistant Li who was scared at first became bold and started speaking.

Oh, the vote. Sterling nodded his head. He was already waiting for that.

“And what did the message say?” he asked them, sitting down on the swivel chair.

“After counting the vote for Vivienne Montague, I regret to inform you that she didn’t win the vote.” Assistant Li gulped down.

Sterling’s heart skipped a beat. Vivienne didn’t win the vote? How was that possible? Those business men he went to see where more than the employees in that company that casted their votes too.

Unless the president was playing tricks with him. How could Vivienne not win the vote? He must be playing with his life.

“Vivienne didn’t win the vote!” Sterling sprang up as if he was just hearing that for the first time.

“It isn’t our fault, Mr. Hawthorn, that was what he sent to us.” they tried to show him the message but Sterling was so angry that he threw the phone away from Mike’s hand.

“How dare he!” he gnarled at them. Both of them ran out of the office before Sterling would unleash his anger on them.

Sterling couldn’t believe that just happened. His actress didn’t win the vote? That was impossible. Vivienne won that vote, they were only playing tricks on him.

He picked his phone from the desk to call the president so that he would hear that from him directly.

But the president’s phone was turned off. He did that because he knew he would get lot of calls to question him about the result. And he knew the first person that would call him would be Sterling.

“That shit isn’t answering my calls. I’ll go get him by myself.” he dropped his phone on the desk in anger and stormed out of the office.

Assistant Mike and Li were both outside the office contemplating if they should go inside or not. And when Sterling came out, they wanted to run again seeing how angry he was.

“We are going to that idiot’s company right now.” he announced. But they didn’t know the idiot he was talking about.

Was it Sebastian or who? Assistant Mike thought. But what business does his boss has with Sebastian regarding the actress? Nothing. Then he mean the industry.

They hurried after him as he was already ahead of them going to the parking lot.

Seeing their boss in anger, everyone got out of the way as Sterling was passing by. They didn’t know why he was angry and they didn’t want to know as they thought it was because of them.

Sterling left the company with his car while the assistants left in the other car.

When they arrived at the industry, Sterling got out of the car without waiting for the body guard to get the door for him.

He went straight to the president’s office which was on the fourth floor but he wasn’t in the office but he sat down on the sofa waiting for him to return.

“Do you think we should go in?” Assistant Li asked Mike. “No, that’s a bad idea,” Mike said. They sighed deeply. What a bad day for all of them.

“But how did this happen?” Assistant Mike was confused. With all the votes from the men they visited, he too knew that vote would surely go to Vivienne.

As they were still talking, they saw the president coming out from the elevator.

Assistant Mike and Li exchanged glances and hurried away from there. They didn’t want the president to see them there because he would know Sterling was in his office.

As soon as he stepped inside the office, he was shocked to see Sterling sitting on the sofa waiting for him. Fears gripped him and his heart beat increased.

One of the people he didn’t want to see was Sterling because he already knew Sterling was interested in bringing back the actress to the industry.

“M…M…Mr. Hawthorn?” he stammered.

Sterling stood up from the sofa, looking straight at the president in anger. He had tried to calm himself down but couldn’t.

“Mr. Hawthorn, I didn’t know you will be coming to the industry.” he laughed nervously.

“The result?” Sterling asked him.

“I swear Mr. Hawthorn, I didn’t tamper with the result. I personally counted the vote papers without involving anyone. I’m so sorry Mr. Hawthorn for the result. I know you are so disappointed. I also would be happy if Vivienne would return back to this industry but I have no power over this.”

Sterling scoffed. If he really wants Vivienne to come back, he would have done what he could to announce that she won even though she didn’t win.

“Because of this, I’m no longer interested in this industry.” Sterling announced.

“But… but Mr. Hawthorn?” the president went on his knee.

“Bring the contract termination now!” Sterling yelled at him.

[Upset]

As soon as he stepped out of the office, he found Marcus sitting on the floor sobbing. He heard when the president was pleading with Mr. Hawthorn not to cancel the contract with that industry.

Mr. Hawthorn already promised he was going to be Vivienne’s sponsor which was a good thing for them. But if he leave, who is going to bring back Vivienne to the industry? Absolutely no one.

“Mr. Hawthorn, please do not go. I really need you. Vivienne need you to come back please.” he pleaded.

But Sterling ignored him. If she would only come back to the industry with his power, then that was the end of her career.