CHAPTER THREE

"Uchiha Itachi"


11:50 A.M. | Saturday | At the Hyūga Corporations


SAMANTHA

Eric opens the door at the back of the van I was in. He thrusts out his hand and I take it. He helps me climb out of the vehicle. I straighten my slightly crease black coat and stare at the huge building in front of me. I watch as a few people enter and exit the building. Huh, the employees of the Hyūga's must be really busy.

"Wait me for at the parking lot, Eric," I order and he nods wordlessly.

I grab my bag from inside the van and walk towards the building with my head held high and an aura of confidence lingering around me. The people that pass by me, stare at me a little bit longer and give way to me. As soon as I enter inside the building, I was met with an extravagant interior designs. The floor was made with pure gold, I think, and it was a sight to see. All the employees wore a fabric made from golden silk and none of them wore a different colored outfits. From the ceiling, there was an enormous chandelier with smaller versions of the chandelier surrounding the huge one.

The counter was in the middle of the floor and two red carpets were on the sides of the counter. There was one word I could say on this interior design. It was expensive. Though what should I expect from one of the top richest companies, they would flaunt their riches everywhere. And it would make me a hypocrite.

I walk over to the counter where a woman was talking with someone over the phone. She seemed to be so busy with her conversation because she hadn't notice me yet. I know it's rude to interrupt someone else's conversation, but I am going to have a meeting with her boss, therefore she should prioritize me first. So, I clear my throat to get her attention. She looks up and puts her conversation on hold. "Yes? How may I help you, miss?"

"I have an appointment with your CEO. Our meeting is supposed to be at 12 in the afternoon in the conference room; however I am not informed of the room number or which floor it was located," I said.

"Oh, give me a second, miss," she grabs the record book and starts flipping it. While she's doing that, I look around, observing the other employees. From what I could see, they are all very responsible and dedicated at their tasks. This is what I need if the partnership contract is going to be successful.

"Miss, may I get your name?" the woman from the counter asks.

"Samantha Sullivan," I reply, immediately.

She gasps and accidentally let the record book slips out from her hands. I raise an eyebrow at her clumsiness and she apologizes profusely before fumbling to get the book on the floor. Before I could ask her if she was okay, someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn around and meet the ever-smiling face of the CEO of Namikaze Entertainment — Namikaze Minato — and the kind face of the COO of the Namikaze Entertainment — Namikaze nee Uzumaki Kushina.

"Namikaze-san, ah, I mean Minato-san, it's a pleasure to see you again. You as well, Kushina-san, you look lovely as ever," I smile slightly at them. I hold back the urge to tell them what their son did to my little sister, but I did not want to cause any tension between our companies, so I remained tight lip.

"You as well, Samantha-san," Minato said with a grin.

"Whenever I look at you, I am always amazed at the fact that you have taken over your parents' company at such a young age. You're like Mikoto's eldest son, Itachi!" Kushina praises.

"Why thank you, Kushina-san. I am quite flattered with your praises," I said.

"Why don't you join with us in going to the conference room? I am quite sure that everyone is already there and just waiting for us."

"Thank you for the offer."


12:05 P.M. | Saturday | At the Hyūga Corporations


SASUKE

"Quit clinging to me, Sarumi," I said with an annoyed tone. As usual, she ignores what I have said and continued to cling to me. I sigh and keep the irritated feeling to myself. If only Mebuki-bā-san or Kizashi-jī-san was here, they could pry Sarumi off of me.

Haruno Sarumi, the older sister of Sakura. She is the one who manipulated everything, who made me believe her lies and hurt my precious Sakura. She's the reason why Sakura hadn't come back and had been missing for four years. We kept from the media that she was missing. If they knew that her parents chased her out, I left her, our friends shunned her, and got framed by her sister, it would cause a huge ruckus and it would be a pain to deal with. We asked the police for their assistance, but in secret.

But even though I wanted to pin everything to Sarumi, I knew to myself that I was at fault as well. I did not believe her and replaced her instantly with her older sister. I am such a bad boyfriend. I am easily swayed by other people. I am easy to be manipulated. However, I have changed for the better, I would get her back. I would bring her back. When I find her, she won't be getting out of my sight. I will locked her up if I had to. I would do anything to make her forgive me.

"This is the first time that a foreign company wants to form ties with our alliance," Uzumaki Nagato, the president of the Uzumaki Financial Group, said.

"You can not possibly deny that our forces will be stronger by then. The Sullivan Enterprises is one of the top richest companies in the world and its notorious reputation for being the lone wolf. They don't easily accept partnership with other companies, so it's quite shocking that the new CEO is willing to form an alliance with us," Senju Tsunade, the president of the Senju Company, stated.

"Oh? I have heard from my sources that the current CEO only agreed to create ties with us was because her father was good friends with Hashirama-san," Hyūga Hiashi, the CEO of the Hyūga Corporations, states.

"What do you think of this sudden development, Itachi?" Pein Yahiko, the CEO of the Akatsuki Syndicate, asked with curiosity swimming in his eyes. I look at my brother beside me that has been flipping through the document he was holding for a long time. He looks up and closes the folder with a single snap.

"As long as she's capable and an efficient leader, then I won't have any problem," he replies monotonely yet politely. His face was like a blank canvas, I couldn't tell his emotions.

" I can very well assure you that I am a capable and an efficient leader," an unfamiliar voice speaks, out of the blue.

We snap our heads toward the direction of the sound and we are face to face with the cold expression of a black haired woman with light green colored eyes. She wore an all black formal outfit with a medium-sized hand bag. She walks with grace and swiftness as she enters inside the room with the dobe's parents. I raise an eyebrow. I think she's around the same age as my older brother. She must be a prodigy then. She carried herself the way aniki carried himself when other people were present. In addition to that, she had a certain aura surrounding her figure and it demands respect and good manners. I must admit, she's a force to be reckoned with.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all once more. Allow me to introduce myself formally, I am Samantha Sullivan and the current CEO of the Sullivan Enterprises. I am looking forward in having a good business transactions with all of you, that is, if we had all agreed on a contract," she gives a sharp and calculating look over aniki who in turned, gave her a slightly amused smirk.

I was dumbfounded. "Is aniki being playful around her?"


2:25 P.M. | Saturday | At the Hyūga Corporations


SAMANTHA

The meeting ended well, but for me, it was not a satisfying meeting. That Uchiha Itachi! He was so annoying. Unlike his younger brother who was quiet throughout the whole meeting, he kept on being an annoyance. I do not care what others said that he was usually a quiet and a gentleman. He is annoying. Gah! He asked questions randomly even though he knew that it was not related to the discussion. Prodigy my foot. His parents must have picked a wrong heir. Tsk.

After freshening myself up in the bathroom, I head out and walk over to the elevator. I press the down arrow and look at the red light from above the elevator doors. The elevator is descending and when it reaches my floor, the doors open and I enter inside. When I face my other side, I was quite startled at seeing the CEO of the Uchiha Group, Inc. standing just a meter away from me. I hold back an irritated sigh and merely roll my eyes. I press the button to the ground floor and the doors close.

There is silence between us.

"I find you quite interesting, Sullivan-san," he suddenly speaks which ignites my dislike towards him.

"Well, I find you quite not interesting to me, Uchiha-san," I stated blandly. I hope he notice that I do not want to talk to him.

He chuckles deeply. "You're the first woman who said that me. I find it quite appealing."

Honestly, can he not keep his opinions to himself? Why must he insist on having a one-sided conversation. Tsk. He's so annoying.

As soon as the elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open, I flee out of it and walk in a fast pace towards the exit of the building. I push the glass doors open and I step out. I immediately go to the private parking lot where Eric was waiting. I pull out my phone from inside my bag.

"Hello? Eric, I am here," I said before hanging up.

"You know, it is quite rude to walk away just like that from a conversation," I turn around and meet again the annoying CEO of the Uchiha Group, Inc. "It makes me have different perception of you. Do you normally walk away from a conversation? I would say that it was quite a bad image."

"I have thought that you must have heard in my tone earlier that I am not interested in having a conversation. I am a very busy woman. If you wanted to have a conversation, make an appointment," I said, then rolled my eyes at him.

"I am merely trying to get to know more of our new member in our alliance. Is that so wrong?" he asks rather mockingly which annoys me.

"I made it clear before that my only purpose in joining the alliance was because it was my father's wishes and also because having an allies would benefit my company. There's no need to know about my personal life," I said coldly. Then, I hear the familiar honk of my van. I turn my head around to look at it and it stops right beside me. Eric comes out of the driver's seat and opens the door for me at the back seat. I turn my head back to the CEO.

"Now, if you would excuse me, Uchiha-san, I have somewhere else to be," I climb inside the van and Eric closes the door.

I did not turn to look at him once more.