The Royal Contract

“I will see you tomorrow.” He talked to his lawyer, who had a full plate to accomplish. “Make sure that the contracts are all prepared so that we can present them to the board without any problems.”

He waved his hand to his companion as they went in their separate ways. He continued on his path towards the lobby and out the main door.

He was not expecting to see a familiar female face waiting for him at the doorsteps. It was a face that he found adorable at their first meeting. But lately, he was finding the intrusion in his privacy annoying.

“Hey, Mr. Wellington, you have been ignoring my calls.” It was more an accusation than anything else.

She had been waiting for him to come out of the building almost half of the day. Because he would not give her the time of day to even answer her calls.

She had tried to make an appointment with his secretary, but she kept telling her that he was fully booked for the month. She did not believe it one bit. It was just a ploy to get rid of her.

.....

“I am not. I am just busy.” Lance finally answered her as he rushed outside the building towards his waiting car, parked out front.

But in reality, he was actually avoiding her. He had no time to deal with nosy reporters. He already gave her the official statement of the palace. He had no intention to add more.

Besides, he was not the one in charge of the public relations of the kingdom, his cousin, or his wife. That was not his obligation and definitely not his problem. He had better things to do than to answer her questions.

“No. You are not.” Eida spoke up in a higher tone, matching his stride step by step. Although she was almost running and leaping just to catch up with him.

But she was not letting him get away with disregarding her right for the full story, just like they promised her when she helped them with the abduction case.

She believed that what was released to her and the press was not the entire story but a limited version. She wanted the exclusive due to her and not the generic version.

“How would you know? Have you seen my schedule?” He challenged her, unlocking the doors of his car with one-clicked of his key.

As he entered his car through the driver’s side, the passenger side door suddenly opened. His unwanted company joined him, sitting by his side without his permission.

“Yes, I have. Well, a friend of mine asked your secretary.” She quickly corrected her statement. “But that is not the point.” But before she could continue.

“What are you doing, Ms. Harlowe? Get out of my car.” He asked calmly, not wanting to shout at a media personality.

He had no idea if he wanted to be amused with this woman or irritated by her persistence. However, he was starting to believe that getting rid of her would not be that easy.

He had to think fast because he still had things to do, and she was a distraction he did not need at the moment. He just did not get why she was targetting him when she could stalk someone else about the story.

“Not until you give me an appointment and a time to talk about my situation. I clearly remembered that we signed a deal.” She wanted to deal with him since he was the one who convinced her to sign that damn Non-disclosure agreement.

Although her agreement about getting the exclusive story was just a verbal understanding, she was not letting him back down from his word.

“Fine.” He finally answered her, knowing that she was not going anywhere. “Let us make an appointment for next week. I will ask my secretary...”

“Definitely not next week.” She started to buckle up the seatbelt around her body, not planning to leave his car until she got a better offer. “What about now?”

She demanded since she was done chasing after him. It was a better idea if she could start getting information from him at the moment when he had no more choice.

“I can’t now.” He said, looking at his watch, ticking every second he argued with her. “I still have a meeting.” He said, lying through his teeth. “And I am already running late.”

He just could not deal with her at the moment. Besides, he had to evaluate first if he should share any information with her. He could not just tell her everything.

“Fine.” She would at least bargain for something closer. “What about tomorrow? It is a weekend.” She added the last part, emphasizing that he was working, giving him no excuse to refuse.

She believed that her interview did not need to be official yet. They could just have a casual question-and-answer portion, so she could build a better story for her piece.

He looked at her, thinking of her suggestion. He was not working, but he already had a prior engagement. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

“I guess you have a date for tomorrow.” He said casually, smiling at her, giving her that boyish grin he was famous for.

He could squeeze her into his busy schedule the next day. He already had a plan in mind for their interview. That was if she would agree to what he would propose.

“Sure, I am in.” She agreed, extending her hand to him to seal their deal. “So, where are we going to do the interview?”

She felt excited, knowing that she had finally made him agree with her interview. She could finally get the facts she needed for her new story.

Lance grabbed her bag sitting on her lap and took out her phone. She tried to protest, but he shoved the phone toward her. “Unlock it, please.”

She had no idea what he was planning, but she did what she was told. She pressed her index finger on the recognition button, and the phone opened. “What are you doing?” Eida asked, but he ignored her question.

He started pressing some numbers, and a phone suddenly rang. He pulled out his phone and unlocked it. Then, he started typing on it.

“Wait for my call.” He told her, returning the phone to her bag and handing it back to her. “Now, can you go home?” He asked her. “Or, do you need a ride?”

He noticed that it was dark and getting late, and he could not leave her in a place with barely any people around. He might as well give her a lift.

“No, that is ok. My car is just over there.” She pointed at the sleek sports car parked a few meters away from him. “But thanks for offering. Then, I will wait for your call.”

She unbuckled her seatbelt and quickly unlocked the door, moving out of his car. She waved him goodbye before moving away from him without waiting for his reply.

He watched her stride towards her car, shaking his head from left to right. He just realized that he was wrong about reporters or specifically her. She was not just anybody he could get rid of.