Chapter 82: Chapter 82: President Aoife: Hidden Price of Power
A/N: The next few chapters aren't for everyone, so read at your own risk. Or continue from Chapter 95 as we are back to the banquet in it or chapter 96 as we are back to Jash in it.
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Somewhere on an unknown planet.
A woman with striking red hair sat in a luxurious leather chair, her sharp yellow eyes glued to the computer screen.
—Click!
—Clack!
The continuous sounds of mouse clicks and clacking keys echoed in the silent room as she continued to work.
—Knock Knock!
"Come in," she permitted entrance, but didn't even glance at the newcomer.
—Clack!
The newcomer was a woman in her twenties, wearing a tight-fitting black coat and skirt over a white shirt, dressed like a typical secretary.
The secretary-like woman bowed and said, holding out a phone, "Miss President, it's your brother."
The woman on the chair finally had a change in her stature as she paused her actions and put her left hand in front of her secretary.
Yet her eyes were still on the monitor, unfazed by anything.
The secretary just nodded as if used to it and handed the phone over and stood up straight, fixing her long black hair.
"You may leave," the red-haired woman said calmly and the secretary complied.
—Click!
As soon as the door closed with a sound, she raised the phone to her ear and said, "Hello?"
"Miss President."
Hearing a different voice than she expected surprised her, but she maintained her calm demeanor.
It wasn't the first time her brother got caught up in some strange problem, so she knew how to deal with it.
"...What do you want?" she asked directly after a few moments of silence on both ends.
"I heard that you have a husband? Do your admirers know that?"
This time she couldn't maintain her composure.
No one was supposed to know about this. 'Did he blabber about it?'
As if sensing her thoughts the caller continued, "Did you forget you kept your brother in the dark too?"
A chill ran down her spine as the man on the other end of the phone seemed to know her deepest secrets.
"You must be quite curious-"
"Just state your demands," she strategically cut him off, not wanting to waste her time over such a matter.
"Hmm. My demands, huh?"
The voice on the other end turned contemplative before he said resolutely, "Resign."
"Impossible!" she replied instinctively.
"Then the deal is off," the man declared in a tone of finality.
It seemed he had no interest in riches and just wanted her downfall.
It was strange and rare, but that was it.
Her position attracted enemies for various reasons, from sexism to personal grudges, making the threat all the more repetitive.
However, she had remained steadfast and resolute in the face of all such challenges.
"Wait. Anything else? Just name it," she counter offered, unwilling to let her family get hurt.
That was the reason no one ought to know about her personal life.
Even her secretary only knew about her brother, not her husband.
"Anything, eh? Interesting," the voice turned playful as he continued, "I wonder if your husband would agree?"
Her face turned red with rage, yet she kept her emotions in check as she said gruffly, "Don't cross the line."
"Ahahahahahahahah"
The man laughed for a few seconds before his voice turned serious, "Look here, Miss President, you're the one who has to pay, not me."
"Don't misunderstand—I have no regard for you, your family, or the nation!"
His voice turned rough, bestial even as he continued his threat.
"And I repeat, do not think you'll have your revenge because that's impossible."
Then his voice seemed to contain anger hot enough to burst the entire world in its blistering flames.
"I am the one who will have his revenge."
With that he hung up the call, not giving her the time to reply or comprehend the words.
The next instant, she cursed loudly and crushed the phone, throwing it into the corner of the room.
—Beep!
A notification sound from her secured monitor caught her attention, and as she read its title, her hands clenched in anger.
"This b*stard dares!!" she shouted and slammed her mahogany desk.
—Bam!
However, her desk didn't even creak under all her might; instead, it was her pale hands that reddened.
Her face flushed red as she gritted her teeth and smashed her keyboard, unable to keep her calm after reading the entire mail.
"Just how dare he!!" She yelled, her frustration boiling over.
In the next second, she stood up, kicking the chair back to vent her emotions.
She closed the monitor displaying a mail with the title "Come here if you want them to live, Miss President."
It didn't contain anything else except an address and time, inviting her to a possible trap that she couldn't avoid.
'Just how did those idiots get caught?' she grumbled inwardly while taking deep breaths to calm her emotions.
No matter what, she was the president of a nation, and if photos of her emotional turmoil leaked, it would give her haters another chance to put her down.
Finally, she barely returned to her calm facade and left the room, turning to face her secretary a few meters away.
"Give me a spare phone," she demanded after walking elegantly to her table.
Hearing her voice, the secretary immediately stood up in respect and followed the orders, briskly opening a drawer.
The drawer was filled with the latest phones as if the president used to break them every now and then.
The familiarity with which the secretary set up the new phone and handed it over spoke volumes about the President's behavior.
"I'll be leaving for a while. Handle it," the president ordered and walked away, her heels striking hard against the marble floor.
"Yes, ma'am!" was all the secretary said and kept standing until the president was out of her sight.
"Phew..." She released her held breath and muttered inaudibly, "She seemed super pissed. Pity her brother."
On the other hand, the president didn't care about anyone's view of her as she walked briskly.
Her flawlessly draped sky-blue dress accentuated her curves, causing the men and women to turn their heads at her.
While women felt jealous of her figure, the men had a hard time controlling their thoughts.
Fortunately, none were stupid enough to approach her.
'Idiots,' she thought, used to the lascivious stares from old men and teens alike.
That was also a reason why she never revealed her marital status, keeping a shush over it.
After all, who would want to know that their dream woman was claimed by someone else?
Apparently, excluding some degenerates, no man would.
"I'll drive myself," she declared, exiting through a back door and ignoring the security protocols completely.
She was determined to keep the situation quiet, even driving a car with tinted windows and a unique registration number to avoid detection.
Thanks to the unique registration number on the car, no one dared to stop her on the way.
—Screech!
After a tense two-hour drive, she arrived at the address.
It was no small feat, as even the most experienced drivers might falter in the face of emotional instability.
Yet she didn't seem to feel anything about it.
Unperturbed by the emotional strain, she stepped out of the car and walked into the desolate area, scanning for any signs of danger.
'There are no cars excluding mine and nothing else in the area,' she observed.
Or at least, that's what she thought.
"Oh my, what a coincidence!"
A familiar voice echoed in the area, irking her to no end. 'That's him!' she thought in recognition before hearing the voice again.
"Well, well, how lovely! If it isn't the beloved President, Miss Aoife."