Date The CEO.com

Chapter 168: Voices Have Power

Ambryan prepared for a conference call. 

Several members of the Board were overseas. To keep up with the schedule, they had decided to accomplish the meeting virtually. He tested the camera and the microphone. The reports had already been forwarded. That way the presentation would proceed faster.

The ringing of a telephone interrupted the silence.

"Sir Hathaway."

"Yes, Eve?" Ambryan replied. He reread the presentation, checking if the data was accurate. It contained projections for their upcoming movie releases. It should boost their profit just before the year ended. 

"Chairman is here to see you."

Ambryan paused. He glanced over at the telephone. What would his father be doing here at a time like this? An unsettling feeling washed over him. He frowned, saying, "Send him in."

The door opened almost immediately. Teal almond-shaped eyes landed on the desk—as if Jackson Hathaway had been waiting right in front of the door. He stepped inside the office with his arms firmly on his sides. 

His jaw was locked, giving off a stern expression. 

"Yan." He stopped halfway. The rays of daylight glowed on his tan skin. 

"Why are you here when we're about to have a meeting in half an hour?" Ambryan stood up, walking around his desk. He narrowed his eyes at his father. The chairman was an important presence during board meetings. 

If he was here then, it couldn't be for a good reason.

"I'm travelling again." Jackson sighed. There was an opportunity to collaborate with an overseas company. He would be bidding and pitching like their other competitors. If they wanted a higher chance at getting it, he needed a head start.

Ambryan turned his head and stared at the floor. His mind raced on the list of things that he would need to do with his father's absence. "Does mother know?"

"Of course."

"Did you take her out?"

"She wouldn't forgive me if I don't." Jackson snorted. Avery hadn't taken the news lightly. Although he had always travelled a lot and she had become used to it, that wasn't enough reason for her to be okay with it.

So they spent time together before he would board his flight.

Ambryan spun on his heel and sat back on his chair. "Is that all?"

Jackson pressed his lips together. There was one thing he liked about this chance. The taste of freedom was within his reach. It wouldn't be long but he looked forward to every minute of it. He forced his face to remain impassive, unable to be read. 

"About that bet we had when we bowled..."

"Right." Ambryan crossed his legs. It had been a while since he met those two business partners. It would be a lie to say he hoped to never see them alone again. He should condition himself.

"You'll be handling both while I'm gone."

Jackson headed for the door. His footwork was unstable. He looked around the room, spotting the small counter for tea. The container for the leaves was filled up to the rim. He wondered if it ever goes down or did Eve refill it each time tea was brewed?

"I got it. Anything else?" Ambryan followed his father's every move. There was something the man was evading. It was apparent in his behavior. Stalling wasn't a technique Jackson had mastered.

Ambryan prepared for the worst. 

"I promised Mr. Wilson that we'd have lunch at his house on Wednesday." Jackson waved and pulled the door open—hastily making his escape, until his head was the only one left in his son's line of sight. A cheeky smile spread across his face."That's everything. Take care of yourself, son!"

Closing his eyes, Ambryan pinched the bridge of his nose. He reached for the telephone while remaining in this position. His fingers easily dialled the last number that went through the calls. It rang once before the receiver picked up.

"Eve," he said as he released his nose. 

"Yes, Sir Hathaway?"

"What's my schedule on Wednesday?"

He could feel a headache coming in. Wilson's house? That was his least favorite meeting place. How could his father agree to such a thing? Since it was a private residence, Stuart had free reign on what could happen. 

Ambryan hoped it would be bearable.

"You have morning meetings with the producers for the next movie release," Eve narrated. "Afternoon is left empty so you can catch up on mid-week work since today and tomorrow are packed."

He took a deep breath. "Contact my father about the details of his appointment with Stuart Wilson. Work my schedule around it since I will be taking his place."

"U-Understood."

Eve put the handset down. She pinched her lips between two knuckles. Ambryan didn't seem to be in a good mood. Not that he was ever happy while they were at work but his tone was sharper than usual. 

She scratched her cheek.josei

Grabbing her phone, she opened the DTC app. Their chat window popped on her screen. Their last messages were their morning greetings. She even added a smiley face so it would sound energetic and happy.

Was the Chairman's absence stressing him that much?

It was at this point where Eve noticed the send button. It had a different icon compared to her usual messaging app. Her thumb hovered above it, contemplating if she should use it. What would she even say?

Her gaze flickered towards the door.

At the other side, Ambryan skimmed through the rest of his presentation. There was no need to stress about another day. His focus should be on what lies ahead for the next few hours. Otherwise, he would underperform during this meeting.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. 

He fished it out, following his new habits.

The DTC logo appeared on his lock screen. He swiped it to the side so it would lead straight to the app. It took a few moments to load. Then, a melodic voice flowed out of the speaker.

```

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout~

Down came the rain and washed the spider out~

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain~

Now, the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again~

```

Eve leaned back on her chair. Her bottom hung over the edge of the cushion, her legs and feet supporting half of her weight. She hid her face under her phone. Impulsive actions were dangerous! She had meant to cancel that voice memo but she failed to execute it correctly.

In the end, the app recognized her gesture as an approval to send it.

The screen lit up behind her closed eyelids. She popped an eye open and unlocked it. Then, her other one also opened up. She blinked. Her first glance turned out to be right. Ambryan had sent the same type of message back.

Would his tone still be the same?

His voice echoed around the floor. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

The phone fell off her grip and landed on the floor. 

Eve reached for it. It took a bit of stretch before she could succeed. Then, she hid it under the table. Her gaze scanned the room from left to right. No one had heard it, right? Her head stayed low as she peeked at the mobile screen again. She lowered the volume just in case another similar incident would happen.

Her thumbs fumbled to type out a reply.

.

``Lin: The skies looked gray today. Doesn't the song have such a beautiful message? It reminds us that there is light at the end of the tunnel. ``

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Ambryan spun his chair. 

The sun shined outside his floor-length windows. He arched an eyebrow and pressed the same button again. "Are you in another country without my prior knowledge? Or have you gone color blind?"

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``Lin: It was a joke! I was being humorous! It seems like you have dark clouds around you though. You sound as gloomy as stormy weathers.``

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Turning back around, he leaned forward and folded his arm over his desk. "Back to typing out messages? Why? Cat got your tongue?"

He watched the chat window. Three dots appeared at the bottom. A smirk stretched his lips. Beside the symbols were the words: ``Evangline is recording a voice message``

"Ah, Ambee," her voice played through. "If you wanted to hear my voice again, you could have just said so. Do you want another nursery rhyme? I think there's about a tomato crying because this tall and handsome guy doesn't like her."

"You think I'm handsome?"

Another moment of silence came from Evangeline. The checkmarks had simply turned blue, implying that she heard it. Ambryan kept his smug smile. That was she got for disturbing his work with a nursery rhyme.

"D-Doesn't everybody?" She coughed after a minute. 

"But I think it's the first time I heard you say it."

"I'm sure I've said it before."

"Then, there's no trouble with you saying it again, right?" 

Eve gaped at the door. Had her boss always been this shameless? He never displayed a reaction whenever the media spoke about it. People had also said it to his face. 

"Sure. Why not?" She scoffed. There was no way she'd let him win this game. 

"Ambee… you are…" Eve paused, cutting the voice memo there. She needed to think of something fast. But what? A grin slowly emerged on her face. "So cute! Gotta go. Bye!"

Ambryan grimaced. Now, she was just mocking him. 

Shaking his head, he returned to his work. 

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A small smile teased at the corner of his lips.