A sleek black vehicle was parked across the road.
The man driving the vehicle came down, and approached Anthony.
“Mr Anthony?” The driver asked.
Anthony hesitated.
“Mr Anthony?” The man asked again.
This time almost like a whisper.
Anthony nodded.
“Your ride from Lekki tech dynamics”
The man bowed.
He opened the door for Anthony.
The ride through Lagos was surreal.
Places he used to walked past in exhaustion now blur in seconds.
The traffic parted like it recognized the authority of the car.
The ride was blissful and unreal.
Then he saw it.
The Glass Tower.
A towering structure of steel and mirrored walls.
The building shimmer under the morning sun.
WEALTH…
And DOMINANCE.
Anthony swallowed.
He had walked past building like this before.
Never inside.
The car stopped.
Before he could react, the driver was already opening his car door again.
“We’ve arrived sir”
Sir.
Well that’s sound nice.
“_”
Anthony stepped out slowly.
The ground felt different here_ Cleaner, quieter.
Security guards stood at attention near the entrance, their sharp eyes scanning him instantly.
And then_
A shift.
One of them stepped forward.
“Good morning, sir.”
Anthony paused.
He had started getting used to it.
He smile.
Th guard bowed slightly and gestured towards the entrance.
Respect.
Inside the air was cool.
Not just temperature_ Presence.
Everything scream money!.
He walked in confidently, but his clothes looks out of place.
But it was.
The stares.
Some curious.
Some confused.
Some…
Dismissive.
He knew that look.
He could bet, their faces was even full of disdain without looking at them.
He had either served or worked under people like this.
Been ignored by people like this.
But today_
Today was different.
“Excuse me,”
A sharp voice called out.
A woman in tailored suit approached him.
“Can I help you?, this area was restricted.”
There it was.
The judgement.
Anthony opened his mouth slightly, but before he could responded_
“Step aside.” A man in black suit.
Flanked by two others.
His presence alone silence the space around him
“Sir!” The woman straightened.
The man ignore her
He bowed.
Not slightly.
Deeply.
” Welcome, Mr.
Anthony.”
Silence hung in the air.
Deafening.
The entire lobby froze.
The woman’s face drained of color.
Her grip tightened around the helm of her suit.
She was nervous.
Anthony blinked.
This is not how the script supposed to be!.
Actually Anthony was expecting some dramas.
” Take me to my office.” Said Anthony calmly.
“Yes sir.” The man lead him toward the elevator.
” Sorry for the earlier situation sir” the man bowed after they got to the elevator.
Silence.
The man stepped forward, pressing the floor number of Anthony’s office.
The elevator open.
“She did nothing wrong, nothing to be sorry about.” He enter the elevator first.
The elevator stopped
Anthony stepped out.
The man and his henchmen flanked him on both side.
“Your office sir. The shareholder meetings had been postponed due to some unforeseen circumstances…” Anthony was already in the office.
And the man followed.
Intending to continue…
“Unforeseen circumstances? Interesting.” Anthony chuckled.
He knew everything will not go through smoothly.
He had expected it.
Not everybody will accept his sudden acquired shares.
” Your name?” Anthony asked
“Kelvin, Mr. Anthony” the man responded calmly.
“You did great, will see you around.” He walked to the desk.
He let out a slow breath.
From getting beaten and thrown out…
To standing at the top of a glass tower.
Anthony walked to the office window and saw the beautiful side of Lagos.
A city with a clear distinction about the elites and the commoner’s, the rich and the poor, the top one percent of the very elites.
The same city that had watch him been in despair.
The same city that saw him suffer.
The same city that ignored the old him.
Now_
It would learn of his very name.
A smile tug at his lips.
Then_
Knock.
Door opened abruptly.
Anthony eyes glinted dangerously.
A man in his 30s, sharp jaw, pointy nose.
Stepped in without waiting.
“Mr. Anthony” he said, glancing around the office before settling his gaze back on him.
” Settling in nicely, I see.”
Anthony didn’t answer immediately.
He walked behind the desk and sat down, deliberately slow.
“Who are you?”
A flickered of emotion pass through the man’s eyes_ annoyance.
“Daniel Adebayo. Head of strategic operations.”
Anthony leaned back slowly.
“Then you should know how to knock properly before entering a shareholder’s office ”
Silence.
Daniel smiled.
There was no warmth in it.
“My apologies,” he said.
“I wasn’t aware we were already playing power games ”
Daniel was about to continued…
Anthony raised his gaze, placidly.
“I don’t play. ”
Another pause.
“For you to act so arrogant in my presence means, either you had a powerful backing among the shareholders, or you are been stupid.”
Daniel was infuriated.
He smile.
“You appeared out of no where,” he said.
“No prior record in our investment circles. No known affiliations. Yet somehow. You hold a significant percentage of this company shares.”
Anthony finally faced him fully.
“It sounds like it raises questions for you, or the man behind you.”
Daniel adjusted his sleeve.
” Ownership doesn’t automatically mean control.
Sir” he said the sir in sarcasm.
Anthony didn’t spare him another glance.
He shifted his focus on the file on his desk.
“Help yourself out of my office, and a warning, if you thrown or show me this kind of disrespect again.”
He paused.
“The man backing you won’t be able to save you.”
He opened the file.
Not sparing Daniel another glance.
” We will see.” Daniel storm out of his office.
Anthony go through the file.
He stood up.
Looking at his office once again.
This is luxury.
This is power.
Thinking.
The room was quiet.
Too empty.
His gaze drifted towards the door again.
If this was his new world.
Then he couldn’t navigate it alone.
He needed someone_ Someone sharp.
Loyal.
Efficient.
Someone who understand this level without questioning his place in it.
A personal assistant.
He smiled, at least things won’t be so boring, while playing the game of power.
“Yeah..” he muttered.
have a great read!.