My husband, my enemy.

Tracy Hall lay in the comforting hands of her enormous bed. Well, not her bed particularly but it was hers in the meantime. She was lodged in the hotel the previous evening by the anchors of the conference she was expected to speak in. It was already a few minutes past mid-afternoon but she was still soundly asleep.

What would one expect?

Through the night she had been busy surfing from one file to the other both the soft copies and the hard copies that her secretary had dropped for her. In addition to her official duties ,she spent quality time trying to scale through what she was supposed to talk on . The conference was actually hosted by a certain foundation that was built to encourage entrepreneurial advances in the minds of the younger people. And she had been called on specifically because in the eyes of the populace, she was a very good example to look upon. At the age of twenty-eight , she was already a successful person , though entirely successful as most of the success she enjoyed were from her father , James Hall . Tracy however has always maintained a firm ground against this pattern of thought. Yes, her father might have been a major bedrock for the entrepreneurial success she had but that was not the reason she was where she was in the business circle. At the age of twenty-six, she took charge of their company's position of the Chief Executive Officer. Though at first, it seemed to have been an impossible journey, here she was , after two years of sitting in that position, basking in the rays of admirable triumph.

" Mmmh. " She winced on the bed , dragging the duvet closer to her .

The time for her to speak in the conference was less than an hour. But she was still.asleep with no worry about it. While still trying to trudge deeper in her sleep, the room's bell system began to ring loudly , tearing into the air and taking away from it every possible form of peace. The bell rang so loudly that Tracy's eyes flew open in a split second, her hands flying to her ears to keep them safe.

" Who the hell is that?!!" She yelled out her hands pressing harder against her ears .

Almost at the same time the question left her mouth, a voice spoke to her through the intercom system of the hotel room.

" Ma'am Tracy , " the voice of a lady said, " it is time to wake up. Your session is in less than an hour . "

The words flew through her ears and shit through her system like a bullet. She did not need a soothsayer to tell her who the voice that just spoke belonged to. It was her secretary trying to get her attention.

" Damn it!!" She shouted , energy suddenly flying through her system.

Without any sort of hesitation, her hands flew down from her ears and her feet began to find their way out of the bed.

" Oh my goodness. " She muttered. " Damn you , Tracy. "

She scurried out of the bed and strode to the table a couple of feet away from the bed. Her phone was there. Taking hold of it , she stared at the time. In that instant, her whole body sank deeper inside her.

12:05pm.

What the hell? How fast did the time now fly? Last she could recall, she was awake by fifteen minutes to eight in the morning. She had just concluded a few signings before finally trying to get a nap. At least , a nap would be more than helpful to keep her in her right frame of mind before the time for the conference which was scheduled by eleven in the morning. But a nap had turned to good sleep . And not only has she missed the starting time of the conference but that she was about to be late for her session too. On the screen of her phone were a series of calls that she had missed. She quickly checked. Most of them had come from her secretary.

How could she have heard the calls? Her phone was in the vibration mode . Since she wasn't with it, it would have been difficult to know. She dialed the secretary's line. In a few seconds, it connected.

" Hello, where are you? I need you in my room right now. "

" I am at your door, ma'am. " The voice replied.

" Perfect timing!"

She walked straight to the door, her phone still on her ear till she opened the door. At the door was a pretty young lady who was dressed corporately with her hands clasped right in front of her. That's her secretary , Fiona, who she had hired long ago. Fiona worked for her , even before she became the Chief Executive Officer of the business venture. After becoming the CEO, Tracy had decided to continue to keep her by her side. After all, she was competent enough.

" Good afternoon, ma'am." Fiona greeted her .

" Save the greeting for later." Tracy replied , striding back into the room towards the table. " You didn't knock."

" The rooms are soundproof. The intercom system had to be the only way to get to you. "

" Damn it. How long do we have?" She asked, pressing her palms against the table.

" From what I can see right now, " Fiona said, stealing a glance at her watch," it is already ten minutes past twelve. "

" Which means I have just fifty minutes to go."

" Yes, ma'am. "

" Do you think I can be ready before then?"

" Perhaps, if you were already getting ready, I would have agreed to that. "

" Give them a call. Tell them to delay the session by twenty minutes."

" Okay, ma'am. " Fiona replied. " I will do that. "

" Good. " Tracy said and turned , leaning on the table. " You will have to organize these papers into different files. "

Fiona eyed the table. It was very disorganized. There were different papers and books all over the place.

" Will it be difficult to do now?" Tracy asked, taking notice of the secretary's look.

" No. No. " Fiona replied ." Not at all. "

" Good enough. I will go and take a bath right now. Be quick with arranging everything. Get the one I might be needing for the conference ready, okay?"

" Yes, ma'am. " Fiona replied with a nod.

Tracy took a few steps towards the bathroom before stopping .

" And ," she turned," remember to give them the call. Don't forget that. If you can do it now, do it. " She turned and walked to the bathroom.

Many minutes later, Miss Tracy Hall was sitting before a rectangular mirror on the makeup table. Her hands moved from one item to the other. Soon, she was done. Grabbing the lip gloss, she applied it gently and rolled the lips partly, making the gloss even on both lips . Fiona stood by the side while she got ready to leave.

" What is the time now?" She asked, her hands fiddling with the brush.

" Uhm. It is just three minutes before it is the appointed time. "

" What?" Tracy asked,turning her focus to her. " Three minutes? You mean I spent that much time . The extra twenty minutes I requested have been used to get ready. "

" No. No. Not at all. I.made a mistake, ma'am. I meant three minutes to one. "

" Hmm. " Tracy exhaled , relieved that there was still time. " We should be right on time. The venue is a ten minute drive. "

" That's if we are leaving now. "

" Definitely. "

Tracy shot up from the chair and threw her hair in both directions before moving it over to her back. She stood for a while assessing her dress sense. She was quite corporate, as she's supposed to . But then, the clothes were not just picked from any boutique. Everything she was putting on her body was a part of the shipment that arrived three nights ago from Italy except for her shoes which came from Australia. Everything was new including her handbag. Yes, she looks good for this session. A black long sleeve shirt that matched with her red pair of pants , a black shoe that went with the blackness of her hair and her shirt definitely gave her the stunning aura of an ecstatic personality. After all, she was one, a Chief Executive Officer at her age.

" How do I look?" She asked Fiona.

Fiona smiled. " Well, you always look good. This too looks really good . "

Tracy smiled. " Are the documents all intact?"

" Yes. I have arranged them all.the way they should be. "

" Good enough. It is time to leave. I won't be returning here again. So, later , you should come and check if there is any item we are leaving behind, okay? "

" Yes, ma'am. "

" Call the conference. Let them know I will be arriving soon and that they should not be worried . "

With that, the two ladies were out of the room. After a few more minutes, she was driving into the premises of the scheduled venue for the conference.

" Will you really be needing any file for this session?"

" What do you think? " Tracy asked ,throwing a glance at Fiona while speeding straight to the garage.

Fiona cleared her throat. " Actually, ma'am, if you were to ask me that question, of which you are already asking me, I would be very honest , just like I am now, to tell you that you won't need it. At least, the last time I can remember you making use of a paper, you ended up.making a mess of the situation."

Tracy eyed her. " Nearly ended up and not ended up."

" Yes. That's true. But the fact remains that you perform better without it. "

Tracy smiled vaguely. Well , that was true. Without having to go through what she was supposed to say over and over , she could spill it all out in a fashion that was very luring.

In the next three minutes, she was standing at the VIP's entrance of the hall into the stage. Fiona had given them the signal that miss Tracy Hall had arrived. The whole auditorium was filled with people, young and old. The event was actually supposed to be for the younger people. That's what the foundation was for, to help them advance more in the business world.

" Ladies and gentlemen," the moderator said on the stage," please, allow me to present to you the long awaited presence . This is no other person than the Chief Executive Officer of the Hall group of companies. "

Tracy's lips parted in a smile, a smile of joy and fulfillment. She began her elegant and majestic walk into the stage , before everyone. Looking at the faces, she continued to smile. The people were all on their feet, cheering and clapping as she assumed the stage and straight to the microphone, bending her head lightly in a bow to other people on the stage.

" Good afternoon, everyone." She said, her voice soft and strikingly lovely.

On the faces of everyone, was the smile of a century. They longer to hear her speak before them. And here she was finally.

" May we all be seated....and quiet. " She giggled.

In a jiffy the auditorium had gone absolutely tranquil.

" I can see all of you guys enjoying laughing and smiling. " She paused and giggled. " But I do have a simple question for you. Uhm... " she stroked her hair. " How much cash have you made smiling and laughing? Or are you all wasting the smiles on these cute faces and your voices each time you smile and laugh?"

To this ,there was another round of laughter.

" You know, I could employ some of you to laugh by my side all day long. "

At this point, everyone in the auditorium, including the moderator and the rest of the VIPs that were on the stage were all laughing because of the words she said. She too was grinning broadly.

" Okay. Okay. Okay. " She says, gesturing that they should calm down. " As you all know already, my name is Tracy Hall. And I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Hall group of companies. Today, I will be taking you guys through a short trip on the topic-"

Her next line of words were cut off by the noise coming from the entrance of the auditorium. For a while, there was a little bit of distraction. Reporters were trying to force their way through the security people.

What the hell was going on?

As quickly as the question came, murmurs began to go round the whole auditorium. Looking at the faces of the people, she could tell something was completely off. It didn't seem like the reporters were trying to get a casual session with her.

What's going on? She thought.

Her answers came at the right time. Through the surging reporters, Fiona broke through and rushed to her.

" What's going on?" Tracy asked, curiosity all over tone.

Fiona cleared her throat and glanced at the VIPs who might want to hear her. Drawing her mouth closer to Tracy's left ear, she turned her voice down to a whisper.

" Ma'am, Mr James Hall has just been hospitalized."

The words resounded through her thoughts.

Mr James Hall. That was no other person than her father!

In less than twenty minutes since Tracy got the news, she was already about five minutes away from the first class hospital where her father , James Hall, was being taken care of. It made no sense.

Why would her father be in the hospital?

Damn it. When she saw him the previous day, the man was in perfect health. So, it was very odd for him to be in the hospital by now. In their family, it was a sort of custom for everyone to get medical check-ups at very good intervals . It had been so from the time she was little. As a matter of fact, her father had had his check-up just the previous week and his health had been said to be very fine.

Or could it be that the doctor had lied to them?

Could he have made a mistake ?

Perhaps, her father might have had a health challenge without letting any of his family members know. There were just the three of them. Her father and mother in addition to her. There was definitely no one else . Driving with one hand, she scrolled through her phone with the other. She found the contact.

" Dad, please. " She muttered as she hit the contact.

One ring....two rings....three rings.

The call connected.

" Hello, Tracy. Where are you?" A desperate voice asked her.

" Mom, what is going on? What happened to dad?" She asked , her voice trying as much as possible to be calm.

" Your ... your father. "

" What happened to my father? Mom! "

" Come to the hospital. He suddenly collapsed . "

" Good lord. What the hell is this? I will be there soon. "

Her hand hit the decline icon. Her anxiety was already on the increase. The conference that she had been invited to was one she really looked forward to . Tracy was always passionate about anything that had to do with the younger ones. In fact, she was still young . By virtue of that, she always tried to make sure that more young people learn the way. Her schedule had been very busy . But she still did well to be there. And in what seemed like a twinkle of an eye, everything had gone under the bridge. Her phone began to vibrate. Multiple vibrations at a time. Notifications were pouring in.

" What the...?" She muttered , glancing at the screen of her phone.

The top notification read, " Founder and chairman of Hall group of companies, Mr James Hall, feared dead as he collapses ."

" Oh my God. " She muttered.

The media had a way of always painting everything to look terrible. Though she knew this, she still wouldn't deny the fact that this one got to her . In the next couple of minutes, the tires of her car were screeching in the premises of the hospital. Speeding further to the main complex, she hit the brake pads without warning , releasing the screeching sound. People cursed at her but she was less concerned. She got out and dashed into the building.

When she got to the doctor's office, she could see her mother , Kathryn , seated there alone.

" Mom!" She called out, walking to her.

" Tracy. " Kathryn rose from the chair and turned to her daughter.

" What happened to dad?"

" I was at home when I got the call . He collapsed. "

" What the hell is that? How is that even possible? Our doctor checked his system just last week . How is it that he collapsed?"

" I have no idea. " The woman replied with her hands rubbing against each other. " The doctor will be here soon. "

" I think I have to go and see father right this instant. Where is he?"

" The doctor said he doesn't need to be bothered. He has to be left to get as much rest as he can get. "

" Damn it. " She muttered and let out a very long sigh.

Her thoughts were already running around .

What if her father really had a very terrible health challenge that no one knew about?

If it was just a mere case of collapsing, by now, he would have been able to see his family. But this was a different case . Tracy drew out the chair and sat down , dropping her phone right on the table. Just in time, the door opened and a man wearing a doctor's suit walked in. It was the doctor.

" Doctor."

" Doctor."

Both ladies said almost at the same time.

" Good afternoon." The doctor said, " You must be Miss Tracy Hall. "

Tracy nodded her head. " Yes, I am. The man you are treating is my father. What is going on?"

" What happened to my husband!" Kathryn asked, worried, showing very well in her voice.

" Please, calm down." The doctor said, taking a walk around the table to assume his seat.

" What is wrong with my father?" Tracy asked again.

" Hmm." The doctor exhaled. " He has no health challenges. Nothing is actually wrong with him."

" Can you listen to yourself, doctor?" Kathryn asked, anger coursing through her tone. " How can a very normal person just collapse?"

" Mr James Hall, like I said, is very okay. He just needs rest. From what I can say as his doctor at the moment, he reacted to shock. He has refused to say what it is to anyone. "

" I need to see my husband now. " Kathryn said.

" I'm sorry, ma. However, he just requested to see his daughter first. He has something to say. "

" He has something to say to me. " Tracy said calmly.

" Yes. "

" Mom, please hold on . Get yourself together. I will see him first. " She turned to the doctor. " Where is he right now?"

" VIP room number ten. " The doctor replied. " Take the elevator at the extreme on your left and move to the ninth floor. "

Tracy's phone began to ring. She snatched it from the table and strode out of the office , not looking back as she took the call, her feet and gaze trudging closer to the elevator. .

" Fiona, this is a bad time to call me. "

" Sorry, ma'am. " Fiona apologized over the phone. " But-"

She was cut short by a weary Tracy.

" Cancel every other appointment I have for today. I won't be available. "

" Okay, ma'am. "

" Fine. " Tracy replied and was about to put an end to the call when Fiona spoke again.

" Ma'am. "

" What is it , Fiona?"

" The stock value has dropped drastically in the market. "

Tracy felt a chain lock her feet together. Her motion at this point was completely ceased by what she had heard. No way ! There was definitely no damn way she had heard the correct thing.

" What..what did you just say?" She managed to ask. " What did you say happened to our stock value in the market?"

" Ma'am, it has dropped drastically."

" Be specific with your words. " She said , trying to calm her nerves. It was probably a small issue. " By drastically, " she asked slowly," what do you mean?"

There was a little pause before Fiona dropped the bomb.

" Forty-five percent. "

" What?!!!" Tracy shouted in the hallway, drawing the attention of people to her.

Damn it. She began her stride again towards the elevator.

" What do you mean by that?"

" Yes, ma'am. It just happened. "

" Damn it. "

" What do I do , ma'am? So many calls are coming to your office line. "

" Hmm." She exhaled and stopped in her tracks. " Send out a letter to the board members. We have a meeting tomorrow. "

" Okay, ma'am. I will do that now. "

" And one more thing."

" I'm listening."

" Keep your eyes on the market . Keep your eyes everywhere. Find out all you need to find out about this mess. Have I made myself clear?"

" Yes, ma'am."

The call came to an end . She walked to the elevator and entered. Luckily for her, she was the only one in it. Her heart began to beat faster and faster. The group was at stake here. Her father had made her the Chief Executive Officer of the group of companies while he still retained the position of the chairman. But at the moment, everything seemed to be going south.

Forty-five percent?

That was too much. Everything could easily go down in a split second at this rate. At this point, she could beat her chest and say that the only reason her father who did not test positive for any health check just the previous week would have to collapse all of a sudden. From what he had heard from her father, it took him sweat and blood to build the business the way it was already. Now, it is going down. The elevator clicked and she strode into the floor space before her. She walked into a hallway right ahead of her with her eyes scanning the numbers on every door her eyes could reach.

" Number ten." She muttered. " Yes. "

She walked to the door and pressed the bell button. Almost at the same time she pressed the button, the door clicked and slid open. It was digitally controlled. Her father must have seen her through the camera . She walked into the supposed hospital room which looked more like an exquisite suite . Her father sat on a couch just in another part of the room , his eyes rightly fixed on the large television screen hung on the wall.

" Dad!" Tracy called ,walking briskly to that part of the room .

" Have a seat , Tracy. " Mr James Hall said softly , gesturing that she should sit down .

Tracy took her seat on one of the couches . Her attention was yet to reach the television.

" What happened to you ? I heard you collapsed. "

" Have you seen the news?"

It was at this moment that her focus got to the television screen. Right there was the news about the status of their group.

"... The stock market of the Hall group of companies according to reports has been plummeting since a couple of moments ago. And at the moment, as can be shown on the screen, through the chart , it has gone way down and is at fifty-one percent currently."

" What?" Tracy rose to her feet. " Four percent extra has gone just now. What the hell is going on?"

Mr James Hall sighed and exhaled tiredly, dropping the remote in his hand.

" I have a favor to ask, Tracy. I made an error. "

Tracy turned to her father. " What do you mean by an error?"

" I signed a contract with Holt . "

" Holt empire?"

" Yes. I am sorry to be telling you this. But that contract is the reason what's happening to our group is happening."

" What are you talking about? We have nothing to do with the Holt Empire . "

" Tracy, I need you to sort this out. " His voice turned shaky. "

" What's this , dad? Holt Empire is merely six months old. What contract are you talking about?"

" No, Tracy. " He smiled. " Holt Empire didn't change its owner. It only resurrected from the ruins of its predecessor, Knox incorporations."

Tracy staggered back. The name registered somewhere. There was only one person in her mind...

Greg. Gregory Knox.

The next day had come as quickly as could not be imagined by Tracy. The level of anxiety over her had risen to a level where she too was very concerned about it. The group was under serious strain and could end up pulling apart , eventually. From the previous day till this very moment, her phone had not rested at all . Though she had set up a meeting with the board, there was a great doubt if she would be able to uphold that meeting. Just the previous day, she was at the hospital with her father and heard to her surprise that the Holy Empire was a resurrected Knox incorporation.

Knox incorporations?

The name Gregory Knox was one she would never forget in a jiffy . Greg was his classmate back then in school . He was the notorious one in the class. Everyone in the school knew him to be the casanova . However, it was more terrible to even conceive in his heart that he could add Tracy to one of his lists if conquests. Well, unfortunately for him, Tracy was not any of the casual ladies he could just go through and go. All his attempts to have had Tracy right by his side as his own were without any fruits . And to crown it all, every attempt of his was netted with a shocking rebuff that he was made fun of in school . But at the same time, he never stopped scaring Tracy. Greg Knox was a bully . That's the main problem.

But there was something strange that happened back then. Gregory Knox disappeared all of a sudden without trace after the collapse of his father's company , Knox incorporations. Ever since that moment, no one had heard any news about him . In fact, Tracy was happy to know that a mega rich person was taking over the company and even changing its name . Now, she seems to have conflicting ideas on what she should believe. If Holt Empire was the same incorporation she knew had fallen all of a sudden a couple of years back, then it only meant that her path would be crossing with that if Greg one more time. Anyways, there was no reason for her to be sad or joyful about it. After all, Greg was an old time school classmate. But for a reason she was yet to understand, she felt uneasy about this move.

What contract could her father have signed with the young man ? A contract that was now tearing their own group apart . And has equally pushed her to schedule a meeting with someone who she had bowed seriously to never have anything to do with.

" Open the gate!" She fired as she stormed out of the house and marched to her car.

Today, she's dressed in her normal corporate attire but with a suit this time around. Her phone began to ring.

" Hello, mom. " She said, pushing the phone to her ear .

" Tracy, we need to talk. " Kathryn's voice saud over the phone.

" Hmm." Tracy exhaled tiredly. " Mom, this is not the right time for this. I am already heading out . Today will be a busy day for me . "

" I am aware of that , Tracy. But we still need to talk . "

She settled into the car and slammed the door, pushing her hair off her shoulder.

" Right now, I'm heading out. I will talk with you later on when I am in a better position to do so. "

" If you say so,I don't think I can stop you right now. "

" How is dad?"

" Your father is doing well. "

" Please, do what you have to to make sure the media is kept away from him. "

The little call came to an end in a very quick fashion. Tracy had business to do. And when it came to that , there was every damn reason to stick to it , especially now that the group.was already shaking.

After a couple of moments of an active drive, she was speeding into the premises of the Holt Empire. No doubt, the premises had the strange aura that no other enterprise in the city could ever boast of having. In fact, it seemed to be a sort of small city. Buildings towered on both sides of the long driveway, giving it a look like whoever was driving through was being guarded on both sides . Tracy too would not dare deny the fact that she was trapped in the magnificence of the whole place. But then, she was not there to do a sort of appraisal for the structures her eyes were seeing. After making a round bend, she drove into the parking lot and killed the engines. Grabbing her phone, she dialed Fiona and stepped out of the car , slamming the door taking elegant strides .

One ring... two rings.. three rings...

" Hello . " Fiona's voice crept into her ears. " Good morning, ma'am. "

" Good morning, Fiona. How is the office?"

" Rowdy . Not relaxed. There is a little bit of tension among the network of the staff. "

" Hmm." Tracy exhaled and sighed. " What time have you fixed for the board meeting?"

" This morning, ma'am. I fixed it by ten . "

Tracy stopped short and eyed her wristwatch. The time was already a couple of minutes past nine.

" Fiona."

" Yes, ma'am. "

" Cancel the meeting. "

" What?" Fiona asked , surprised in her tone. " You mean I should cancel the meeting. I should abort it completely."

" No, Fiona. Shift it to tomorrow. I must attend to something now. "

Without uttering any other word, she put an end to the call and took quick strides towards the main entrance of the building.

After a couple of moments, she found herself stepping out of an elevator that led straight to the eighty-first floor . The floor ,as beautiful as it seemed to be, had very few people. In fact, there was just a notable office there. And it belonged to no other person than the owner of the enterprise. On arrival, she walked straight to the table of the secretary.

" Excuse me. " She said in a polite tone .

" Good morning, ma'am." The lady said as she rose to her feet.

" I am Miss Tracy Hall. And I am-"

The lady cut her completely off.

" You can go in. He's waiting. " The secretary said , a grin on her face.

He's waiting? What's that supposed to mean?

" What do you mean to say?" Tracy asked, trying to get a hold of the situation.

" We got a notification that someone from the Hall group will be coming here. Never knew it would be you. " The lady grinned. " I'm a fan of yours. "

Tracy smiled vaguely. She would have been happy about the compliment. But right now, it meant not much to her.

She heaved a deep breath before walking to the door a few feet away from her. It's a high-tech electronic door . On getting to the door, it slid open on its own. With every step, Tracy could feel her breath leaving her. She got in. Standing right by the window was a man whose perfume could make its way to her nose . Her heart beat faster. Behind her , the door clicked. It felt like she had entered a lion's den. Oh yes. Greg was a lion.

" Welcome to my Empire. " Greg said creepily but softly , turning at the same time.

His curly hair, deep eyes and an intimidating height that marched with his bodybuild gave him the air no one would resist. But no! Tracy was not one to be intimidated. She braced her shoulders.

" Good morning, Greg Knox. " She greeted him , maintaining her pose.

Greg grinned vaguely. " My name is Trevor Holt. And I am the emperor of this empire."

Tracy was shaken. Was she mistaking him for someone else?

He walked to his swivel chair and sat down.

" You are here to save your group. " He giggled.

" What contract has my father signed with you?" Tracy asked, her tone depicting seriousness.

" You should have asked your father that. " He grinned. " There's only one way out ,miss Tracy. "

" Spill it and let's bring this to an end. "

Greg giggled and rose to his feet , turning to her with a condescending gaze.

" Marry me. "

The words hit Tracy off her stance . What the hell was this? Looking deep into those deep eyes of Greg, she could see the bully from years ago staring back at her.

Damn it! One thing was certain...... she really walked into a lion's den!