Valentine couldn't believe what she had heard, she couldn't just bring herself to the realization that the rude, Jerky flirtatious Big bad boy is the CEO of BOND HOLDINGS, and the only one who could get her back to Liege College.
She was almost consumed by fear that she had overstepped, but was it her fault totally? No one told her that she was messing with the Big Boss. They were just little whispers, moving around the ear.
She gulped. "No, it can't be…" she stammered.
"What do you mean, Valentine, sit, please…" Palemo advised. And she sat down like a wave of wind compelled her.
She was angry to see Josef Bond satisfied with her cooperation.
"Please sir, we are seek—"
"No, don't call him sir, save your breath" Valentine struck in.
"Val! Why being so rude!?" Palemo scolded her, but it was needless. "Please I'm sorry, please forgive my daughter's—"
"I know. You see Valentine here is both rude, annoying, careless, and many more…"
"Sir, you talk as if you know her?"
"Of course, I do. And we have become more than just strangers and acquaintances…"
Palemo looked at Valentine with an enstranged face. "I'm so sorry, please, she needs to resume her studies"
"She has a mouth, don't she? She would talk for herself"
Palemo looked at her and pinched her from under the chair, she trudged, slipped her lips.
Silence horrified the moment as their eyes rested on her. Palemo mostly prayed within his heart that his desires be met, if only, and only if Valentine was really going to beg the annoying jerk.
A Couple of minutes were killed, saving the moment for some heartwarming speech, that would never survive the cold lips of Valentine.
"In your dreams…" were the words that managed to escape from her mouth while her eyes stayed glued to Josef. Josef chuckled, and turned to Palemo.
"Excuse us for a moment, please"
"Sure…" he stood up, a step was made by his leg, and a hand rested on Valentine's shoulder, with a whisper "Please, Val. Please" and the door saw his disappearance out of the office.
"You know what I feel like doing right now?!" Valentine fumed red once the door locked her father's absence.
A pathetic shaking of the head was observed by Josef. "Go on?"
"I feel like punching you in the face and breaking your cute face! …" She said out loud.
Her eyes widened as her brain recoiled what she had just let out from her mouth again. She didn't just say cute, did she?
Josef was flattered, and another sip from his wine glass paved the way for a chuckled speech. "Do you regret saying that I'm cute? Am I —"
"I didn't say that" she cut in.
Josef hissed. "Valentine, we should get straight to the point, because I have…" a glance at his watch halted his speech. "Meetings and presentations in about thirty minutes or so"
"You never smile, but here you are, smiling to my pain"
"I never thought you would have so much pride…"
"I don't."
"As you can see, I'm the only one that can get you back to Liege College. Just say the words, Val. Kneel and beg for your salvation, you naughty girl"
"Like I said, in your dreams" she snarled.
"At least, give it a thought, will you?"
"You did this, just so that I can kneel and beg you? …" Her heart rate grew steady. The realization that she would never kneel to him and beg him made her quite breezy and at the same time troubled.
She would be losing something that her father had long waited for eighteen years, just because of Josef.
Though her voice was quite shaky and weak Her will was strong and she was ready to ride the wheel. But, just maybe, he was right, she was full of pride.
She had never been so much challenged in her life before, and though it might be coming as it was easy, her heart was all the same heavy and in pains already because of her decision.
“Is this pride or strength?” She wondered simultaneously through the lenses of her heart and her mind.
And she hoped, that it would only be the latter, and nothing less, or more. "You're even worse than I thought, Josef " she concluded.
Josef looked at her with a raised eye lash. But he wouldn't think of reconsideration even for a second.
And if he was being honest with his reasoning, Valentine was really a strong woman, she was different from other girls, and he could only wonder why.
"Is that your final decision?" The girl had just surprised him. Anyone would kill to attend Liege College, and there she was, throwing it away like it was nothing. Amazed, he went for the final call.
Valentine nodded her head, her eyes were reddened, and her heart pleaded. If she was really not meant to be at Liege College, so be it.
She had, since the moment she refused to beg, given fate the role of the final Judge. Mote it be.
Josef reached for his telephone and brought the phone to his ear while his gaze remained unmoved from Valentine. "Let the man in" he said into the phone and brought it back to it's holder.
The door's opening had Palemo coming in with a delighted face. He though that everything had gone well, so Josef asked him back.
But once he locked eyes with Valentine, a mixture of sorrow, disappointment and betrayal played through his face.
"Mr Palemo, right?"
"Ye-yes sir" he stammered.
"You see, I'm not a bad person…"
"Yes, yes, you are not, Sir"
"Your daughter here seems to have a strong detest for me…"
Palemo looked at Valentine and she removed her face. He gulped, has she done the worst?
"So, she refused to say with her mouth, what she wants for me to do for her…" he shrugged. "There is no salvation for those who won't try to save themselves"
Palemo trembled. How can he just lose everything in just some minutes, how can he lose what he had been waiting for since the past eighteen years just under one hour?
"Sir, I , I swear I don't understand what's really going on between you two, please, this is between us, ok let's talk man to man, let's reason able Sir, please, she is just a young girl, she doesn't—"
"Oh please! Save your speech for the judges. Well, if you don't understand, why don't you ask her? I'm sure she has enough to fill you in on. But…" he stood. "Don't believe everything she say about me, she is just a young girl as you say…" he chuckled. "And am amazed" he muttered.
Palemo fell on his knees. "Patera!" Valentine yelled at him. But he had turned deaf ear to her.
"Please, Sir. I'm begging you, please…" his eyes were ready to push out tears. Valentine's heart palpitated, look at what she had done.
Her father was humiliating himself because of her. Only if she could kneel and beg Josef. Some little tears dropped from her eyes.
Josef sighed. Made well his suit. "Drama, Drama, drama. Please stand, there's no need for that. It should be your daughter on her knees, stop doing that to yourself, old man"
He went to the door. "When you are done. You can leave my office." He smiled out.