It's Love That Blinds Him
It’s Love That Blinds Him – Chapter 4

After returning to town S, Lucia slept all day. She didn’t want to remember that crazy night in Town X. However, she couldn’t get the image of Malcolm, the man with the deep, dark eyes, out of her head.

Yes, she wanted to do something crazy, but not the kind of thing where she’d go with a stranger that night on a whim. She didn’t even know how she’d ended up in his room that night. Everything that had happened in her room seemed beyond her wildest dreams.

It was rush hour, and the subway was packed. She felt nauseous from the mix of smells from women’s perfume, food and sweat. As Lucia watched the crowded subway, she suddenly had the urge to get off. However, this was a very important day for her. If she was late, she’d be fired by her boss, Lloyd.

She headed for the company after following the crowd to the nearest subway exit.

DZ Media’s office building was located in the central business district. However, they didn’t occupy the whole building. It was certainly a well-known company, but it was only medium-sized. It was a company that piloted many plans and projects well known to the public.

And Lucia worked there as a planning manager. She was twenty-six years old. She’d already been working there for five years. In fact, she had been in charge of many important projects. However, Groupe Evans was a very different kind of client. Although Lucia had already worked with a number of international companies, this was her first encounter with the Evans Group, which was demanding down to the last detail.

Every detail of the project had to be managed by an extremely competent person assigned to it. And they were sticklers for punctuality. The Evans Group had asked for an advertising synopsis that included not only an introduction to the script, but also very detailed cutaways. Although these elements were not part of Lucia’s team’s work, the Evans Group stated that a planner must be aware of every aspect for the plan to be considered solid.

For almost two months now, Lucia had been working on the Evans Group project plan. She’d submitted it and modified it several times now. She’d worked hard for the past two months. And after Lloyd had approved her plan, she’d taken a weekend off and gone to City X.

Her vacation, however, had not gone as planned.

Although Lloyd had approved her plan, it wasn’t enough. Today’s meeting would decide whether his plan would be validated by the client or not. If his efforts were in vain, his team would be very frustrated.

This was the Evans Group’s first foray into the perfume industry. They had created a new perfume and called it “Lure”. Lucia was a remarkable planner, so she didn’t want to be defeated by a simple perfume project. She had no choice but to come up with a successful plan for the perfume launch.

She greeted her colleagues and stuffed herself with the breakfast she’d just bought at the café on the first floor after arriving at work.

“Lucia, all the documents you requested are on your desk. You’re due to meet the Evans Group at 10:00 a.m. . And before that, you need to go to the meeting room. Lloyd has scheduled a meeting at 9:00 a.m. with the Evans project team.” Lucia’s assistant, Mae, briefed her on the day’s schedule.

“Thank you, Mae. What would I do without you?” replied Lucia in a choked voice as she chewed her bread.

She quickly finished her breakfast and started going through the documents Mae had prepared for her. She double-checked to make sure they had all the documents they needed for the meeting. Just before 9:00 a.m., she entered the meeting room.

“You are all the best planners DZ Media has ever had the honor of having. This is the best opportunity for us to enter the international arena. We are going to cooperate with the Evans Group and compete with other famous planning companies in the world. You’re aware how beneficial that would be for us, aren’t you?” said Lloyd excitedly.

Such meetings were a tradition at DZ Media. It was a mobilization meeting before they executed the actual plan.

Lloyd was a middle-aged man.

He was chubby with an early bald spot. His eyes weren’t very big, but they were bright. Although he looked quite harmless, anyone who judged him by his appearance was a fool. Lloyd went from a young man with no experience in advertising to one of the world’s best-known planners. When he founded DZ Media, he intended to create a casual, easygoing company that paid its employees well. He had built his empire solely on his own hard work.

“And what would be our reward if we won this, sir?” asked Meade with a smile.

“Well, the company will pay for a trip to Europe for your vacation!” said Lloyd generously.

“Oh my goodness! That’s incredible, sir! So, wait for our good news!”

There was a smile on everyone’s lips. Although these meetings often don’t last long, they are very stimulating for the employees. Money talks loudest, it always does. Incentivized by the reward, employees will do their utmost for a prosperous life.

“Lucia, if you wear sexy makeup, we’ll win the project for sure!” joked Meade, turning to the only woman present.

“Get lost! You think I’m an 18-year-old girl? Hurry up and get your stuff! We have to be there by 10:00. Hayes, you drive today, okay?” Lucia gave them orders and arranged everything else.

“No problem. We’ll meet you in the parking lot.” After that, Hayes left the room to get ready for the meeting.

At exactly 9:50 a.m., Lucia and three others arrived at the Evans Group building.

In the first round, the other S-town media companies were all eliminated, leaving only DZ Media. Their competitors were all famous advertising companies from Europe, the USA and Singapore. The atmosphere in the room was a little tense.

All the teams present were adjusting their equipment and checking their final projects for errors. It was Lucia who was supposed to present their plan. Despite the fact that she had learned every aspect of the plan, her heart was pounding when she noticed how tense everyone was.

Once the Evans Group spokesman had finished his introductory speech, the contest officially began. DZ Media was to present its plan in the third slot. They were competing against nine other companies. Lucia and her colleagues sat quietly, watching the other companies talk about their plans.

Each of their plans had its own advantages, and all were unique.

“Lucia, this is so stressful. The last time I was this nervous was when I was taking my A-levels,” Hayes said in a low voice, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

“How can you be so nervous, Hayes? You’re the most experienced one here after all!” joked Meade. Everyone could see he was just trying to lighten the mood.

“Lucia, Hayes, Meade, what are our chances of winning this competition today?” asked Chester, the youngest among them, in a low voice.

“For the trip to Europe and the big bonus, so we have to win this. How can you be such a killjoy?” Meade gently smacked Chester on the forehead.

It was taboo to cheer the victory of others while doubting his own team. Little did Chester know, however, as he’d only been in the industry for a little over a year now. And this was definitely his first time taking part in an intense competition like this. So it was natural for him to be nervous.

“But do I trust myself?” wondered Lucia silently. Whatever the outcome, this was a good learning opportunity for her team and the company. Since they entered the final phase, their reputation has already reached a whole new level.

So she told herself that everything would be fine and that she shouldn’t stress. After all, she had to encourage herself to hang in there.

“Now, let’s welcome the DZ Media representative to the stage.”

After the host’s introduction, Lucia gave her team a nod of encouragement. She then straightened up before taking the stage. She was dressed in a tailored black suit. The skirt was just above her knee, showing off her beautiful slender legs. Her high-heeled shoes made her look very elegant and tall.

Once on stage, she introduced herself. Turning on the Power Point presentation, she slowly and carefully explained their plan. Her diction was clear and simple. And her tone was full of confidence, encouraging people to listen attentively. Over time, she shed her nervousness and explained everything in a simple but focused tone.

She had worked very hard over the previous two months, and she didn’t want to appear weak in front of these people.

Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was stressful, and the situation outside the room was just as serious. The weekly meeting held every Monday at the Evans Group had just ended. All the executives left the meeting room with nervous expressions. Despite having been through a lot and having a lot of experience, the weekly meetings were making them uncomfortable.

The CEO of the Evans Group, Malcolm Evans, attended every weekly meeting. He didn’t chair the meeting. He simply listened to everything the board members had to say. And there was always a slight smile on his handsome face. However, people were genuinely scared when they saw him smile. That’s because the more discreet his smile, the more displeased he was with them.

Malcolm was a man who valued his privacy above all else. The media were not allowed to take photos of him. The only ones lucky enough to see him were the senior executives present at the meeting. But then, they all wished they’d never seen their powerful young CEO.

He said nothing during the meeting, but within thirty minutes of its end, he was giving everyone orders. And, in most cases, those receiving such orders from him were so stressed that they were on the verge of collapse.

After leaving the meeting room, Malcolm wanted to enter his private elevator. But unexpectedly, he looked through the glass door into the next room, and saw a familiar face. He didn’t know why he still remembered her.

“What’s going on over there?” asked Malcolm in a pleasant voice.

“Sir, we’re in the process of selecting the most appropriate advertising company for the launch of our new fragrance, and that’s why these companies are competing in this room,” Malcolm’s assistant Bob explained briefly.

“I want information on the woman on stage in less than thirty minutes,” ordered Malcolm. He then turned, entered the elevator and went to his office.

“Did we meet in Town X by chance? Or was that his plan?

This game’s getting interesting,” Malcolm thought with a smile.