Chapter 2 Flirting With The Big Boss

• "Oh, it hurts…" Allacia groaned.
• Early the next morning, she awoke to a body that felt like it had been through a blender. Last night, she had attended a dinner as Daniel's assistant, where a bald, pot-bellied boss had used a business deal as leverage to keep pouring drinks down her throat. Eventually, she retreated to her usual hotel to rest.
• However, something was off about the room's decor. A nagging sense of déjà vu crept over her as disjointed memories of a passionate encounter with a mysterious man danced at the edges of her consciousness.
• Heat crept into her cheeks, and her pulse quickened at the thought.
• Surely, it had all been a figment of her imagination, a bizarre dream concocted by her fatigued mind. She couldn't possibly have engaged in flirtatious antics with a stranger!
• Shaking off those absurd images, Allacia quickly freshened up. Her movements tinged with a sense of urgency as she gathered her belongings to depart. Just as she closed the door, she deliberately glanced at the room number. It was 8888!
• Oh no! She gasped inwardly in shock.
• Panic surged through her veins as realization dawned. She had unwittingly stumbled into the wrong room. Her designated room was 8808, not 8888. That meant she had indeed flirted with a man last night.
• Allacia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she fervently wished never to lay eyes on that man again in her entire life! Fleeing the hotel as if it were a disaster zone, she finally emerged into the open air where she gasped in the freshness that enveloped her. With each breath, she felt the tension slowly dissipating and allowing a sense of calm to gradually wash over her.
• While she waited for a cab by the roadside, she was startled to see a young boy, no more than five or six years old, stumble and collapse right at her feet. Despite his tender age, his features, though yet to fully mature, exuded an irresistible charm. Thus, drawing out a sense of endearment from anyone who laid eyes on him.
• With his soft and gentle demeanor, he resembled nothing short of a sleepy kitten, and his innocence and vulnerability tugged at her heartstrings.
• She initially dismissed the boy's collapse as mere playfulness but soon realized something was amiss when he remained motionless for quite some time.
• "Hey, little fella, what's going on?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
• She knelt down and gently lifted him into her arms. Immediately, she noticed the heat radiating from his skin. Thus, indicating a clear sign of his abnormal body temperature.
• As she cradled him close to offer reassurance and warmth, Levell slowly blinked open his heavy eyelids. The sight of the compassionate and beautiful woman before him filled him with a sense of security. Hence, evoking memories of a maternal figure...
• "Mommy..." he whispered before drifting into unconsciousness.
• The gentle murmur sent a chill down her spine, triggering memories of her two sons, who were taken six years ago. Those boys must be around the same age by now, she mused.
• "Sweetheart, I'll take you to the hospital," she said, pushing down the flutter in her heart as she picked up the child and stepped into the waiting car.
• ...
• In the president's office on the 88th floor of Lloyd Empire Tower.
• "What! Levell is missing?" The man's voice reverberated cold and menacingly in the expansive office.
• Zishan's handsome countenance was a portrait of icy fury as he wasted no time in unleashing his wrath upon those unfortunate enough to bear witness. "A bunch of inept bigots!" he thundered, his voice carrying the weight of impending doom. "Find him, and find him now! Failure is not an option, lest you wish to bid farewell to your own heads!"
• The secret guards trembled nervously, feeling the weight of their leader's wrath bearing down on them.
• Zishan not only held sway over the entire Lloyd Family but also commanded the world's top financial powerhouse, the Lloyd Group. His methods were ruthless, his demeanor cold and merciless, and he had a legion of shadowy guards at his disposal, numbering in the millions. In the empire and across Essos, his influence was second to none.
• Moreover, as the scion of the Lloyd Family, he was also the heir of the empire, a figure of unmatched prestige and power.
• Thus, If his son's whereabouts remained unknown, it wouldn't be long before the entire military apparatus—navy, army, and air force, was mobilized in a frantic search.
• The secret guards, having received their orders, hurriedly dispersed. Zishan stood alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, his tall, lean frame silhouetted against the city skyline. Worry creased his brow, tracing delicate lines of concern.
• During the period when he lay in a coma six years ago after the car accident, his grandfather, Calvin, swayed by the misguided diagnosis of a quack doctor, believed him to be in a comatose state. Fearing for the preservation of the family's billion-dollar fortune and the continuity of the Lloyd lineage, Calvin arranged for a young woman to bear two sons on his behalf.
• While Levell was known as the elder sibling, the second child was...
• Over the years, Zishan had fiercely protected Levell, yet now, adversity had once again knocked on his door.
• He reached for his phone with the intention of contacting one of his military connections when he was taken aback by an unfamiliar number flashing across the screen. His number was highly classified and to contact him required intricate decryption.
• This caller is clearly no ordinary individual, he thought.
• He answered the call and was greeted by a soft, melodious voice on the other end.
• "Hello? Your son is currently at Westview Hospital."
• The voice triggered a flicker of recognition within him.
• At that moment, he pieced it together. It's the woman from the previous night. The one who propositioned me with an offer to buy my virginity for 10 dollars!
• His knuckles tightened around the phone, and his jaw clenched in determination. "I'm on my way! Don't you dare move!"
• This woman's cunning knows no bounds; thwarted in her attempts to approach me, she now aims for Levell.
• Levell has always been protected, so how could she have possibly taken him away? He wondered.
• Without hesitation, Zishan immediately ordered the mobilization of a helicopter. He aimed to arrive at his destination within five minutes.
• …
• At the hospital, inside the ward.
• Levell lay nestled in Allacia's arms while receiving an IV drip. His wide eyes which were blinking rapidly, brimmed with a mixture of yearning and affection, remained fixed on her face.
• "Mommy... are you my mommy?"
• The soft murmur of the child's voice stirred a tender warmth within her heart.
• She gently ran her fingers through his silky hair and said soothingly, "Sweetheart, are you feeling a bit feverish? I'm not your mommy, okay? When your daddy comes, let him take you to find your mommy, alright?"
• Levell blinked innocently, his lower lip caught between his teeth as a shadow of sadness crossed his features. "But I don't have a mommy. Will you be my mommy? I really like you!"
• Allacia's features froze, her heart wrenching at the realization that the young child was left without a mother…
• No wonder he had wandered off with no one to care for him even when he fell ill...
• She pulled him close to envelope him in a comforting embrace as her heart swelled with empathy and compassion.
• "Sweetheart, I might not be able to be your mommy because I already have a fiancé. Though it's been six years, and we still haven't tied the knot..."
• Levell's demeanor deflated, his head hung low as tears welled up in his reddened eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.
• Bang!
• The door burst open, and a swarm of black-clad figures poured into the hospital room and encircled them. Among them strode a tall, imposing figure.
• Allacia was paralyzed with fear at the sight before her.
• "You've got some nerve, woman, to dare to snatch my son, Levell!" The man's voice sounded through the room, and it sent shivers down her spine with its cold and menacing tone. His words were sharp enough to cut through steel.
• She raised her gaze to take in the appearance of the newcomer.
• Despite his striking and handsome appearance, the words that escaped his lips cut through the air like sharp blades.
• Allacia steadied her nerves and spoke up, for she attempted to address the tense situation. "Sir, is there perhaps a misunderstanding? Your son..."
• "Misunderstanding?" Zishan strode menacingly toward her, his gaze piercing and oppressive.
• "I saw who you truly are last night! A woman who stops at nothing for power and gain! You... have no right to be with me! Let alone aspire to be part of the Lloyd Family."
• The Lloyd Family has been a prestigious family in Tralis for over a century, wielding absolute authority in the realms of military, politics, and commerce. And Zishan Lloyd stands as an un-crowned king in Tralis, a figure of unmatched influence. Hence, could this man before me be...? she wondered.
• Truly, it seemed like a twist of fate!
• Last night, she had brazenly flirted with him, and today, she saved his child.
• Allacia gently placed Levell on the bed. Then, she squared her shoulders with determination blazing in her eyes as she approached him, her backpack clutching tightly in hand.
• She lifted her chin and met his icy gaze head-on. "Sir, I must apologize for last night's events, but today, I saved your son's life. You owe me your gratitude. And you also owe me an apology for falsely accusing me of kidnapping your child."
• Zishan emitted a derisive chuckle. "Is that so? And who exactly do you think you are to make such demands?"
• This woman seemed intent on seizing his attention by any means necessary.
• Regrettably, for her, she had severely underestimated him.
• "I'll give you one minute to get out of this room, or don't blame me for having someone throw you out of the window!" he declared with an air of finality.
• "You!!" Allacia seethed with indignation, her chest rising and falling with each agitated breath.
• "Your arrogance knows no bounds. Despite your looks, your personality is terrible! Who in their right mind would tolerate your insolence? I'll leave if you want to! Your inflated sense of self-importance is entirely unwarranted!"
• She drew 10 dollars from her purse and cast it at him before hastily making her exit.
• Zishan's chiseled features darkened as he eyed the money at his feet.
• Once again, this infuriating woman had degraded him with a mere 10 dollars!
• Just as he was about to dispatch men to chase after her, a soft, pleading voice reached his ears. Thus, melting his resolve like warm honey. "Mommy! Mommy, don't leave!"
• Zishan's heart clenched painfully. Ever since the incident with Jeffery, his other son, Levell, had not uttered a single word. Doctors had diagnosed him with severe psychological barriers and suggested he might never speak again.
• Yet now, here he was, speaking because of an encounter with a mysterious woman.
• Caught between shock and elation, Zishan wasted no time in arranging for Levell to undergo an examination.
• As they awaited the doctor's arrival, Levell clung desperately to the fabric of his suit, his tear-streaked face wearing an expression of anguish and accusation. "You're mean! You're not my daddy! You made Mommy leave, waaaah... you're mean…"
• With all the gentleness Zishan could summon, he responded, his voice laced with a tender sincerity, "That woman is not your mommy, Levell. She harbors ill intentions and is unworthy of being your mother!"
• "No! She is my mommy! I want her to be my mommy!" Levell's defiance rang out, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and determination.