Chapter 525 - IN ANOTHER LEAGUE

The chauffeur opened the door to their car, and Akira stepped out first. Her face had become a little colder during the car ride. She knew things would not be simple when she discovered that the Minister had come to pick her up in person. 

She had a feeling that the meeting was a big trap. 

Aide Suzuki looked at the cold Akira, but she did not say anything. The pressure coming from the small pregnant woman was enough to make a feel a little chilly. As someone who revolved in the political scene, she was not unfamiliar with that oppression. 

The Minister stepped out with a cheery demeanour as if everything was going according to plan. 

"Taira, you can go ahead and handle other business. Ms Yamazaki and I will have our lunch in private." Minister Shimada said. 

She started walking toward the house with confident steps. Even at her age, she was a stylish and dignified woman. When she walked on her low heels, there was an appealing charm to it. 

"Minister Shimada, it would be best if I joined you for the meeting. After all, this is your first consultation with Ms Yamazaki." Taira followed quickly on her higher heels.

The implication was obvious. Akira was a stranger on the scene. Taira was concerned that Akira had some evil motives against the minister. But in the depth of her heart, she did not think the little pregnant lady could do anything to her iron boss. 

She just did not like being out of the loop. 

Plus, something about Akira made Taira antagonistic towards her from the moment she saw her paused at the door of the chartered plane. Her aura was like that of a person who did not care for the good things in the world, like private flights. 

She looked detached, like an immortal looking at foolish mortals. 

It irked Suzuki Taira, who was always running around and doing her best.

If she let the meeting take place while she was absent, it meant that the Minister was recognising Akira as an equal or a friend. She would not be a mere ȧssociate who was listening to orders. She would be speaking on equal ground. 

That thought caused something strange to burn in Suzuki's heart. 

Minister Shimada stopped and turned to the rushing Taira with cold eyes. "Have my instructions become too difficult for you to understand?" 

Aide Suzuki stopped cold in her tracks. Even though she was just a glorified ȧssistant to the Minister, she received great treatment. The minister also looked a little tough to outsiders, but she did not treat her staff poorly or too strictly.

Her only requirement was for people to do the job for which they were hired. 

At that moment, she realised that she had crossed a line. She let her jealousy for an unknown woman get to her. If she pushed further, she was sure that the Minister would not hesitate to take action against her. 

"I apologise, Minister Shimada." Aide Suzuki took a step back. 

The cold eyes of the woman rested on her for a while before she turned to Akira with a kind face. Akira was watching the scene like it was a drama show on TV. Her eyes lighting up with interest. 

"Come on." Minister Shimada beckoned. "I have instructed my cook to make some nourishing dishes from my hometown." 

As Akira passed by the petrified Suzuki Taira, she looked at her with amused eyes. She did not understand the unwarranted animosity. However, it felt good to see the aide being taken down a notch. Arrogance was not a good thing. 

She followed the Minister into the house with a lighter heart in comparison to when she stepped out of the car. 

"Who does that little b*tch think she is?" Taira could not help complaining after they disappeared into the white house. 

The Minister's chauffeur looked at his fellow worker with a bit of concern. "Taira, you should remain a little calmer in these situations. You have been beside the Minister for over five years. You must know her personality." 

"What do you mean? Of course, I know her best." Taira retorted while complaining that a mere driver was advising her. 

Although she often interacted with this driver, she looked down on him. Toher, he was a mere driver. As for her, she might be an ȧssistant, but she had great career prospects in the political scene. She also got to meet a lot of important people. 

"If you know her best, you must understand her limits. She already noticed the delay when you went to receive Ms Yamazaki. And based on her expression, Ms Yamazaki was not pleased. That was a strike against you." The driver said. 

"Now, you chose to ignore explicit instructions from the Minister. That was another strike. I will give you advice as my colleague, even though I cannot be specific. Ms Yamazaki is important to the Minister. Do not act wilfully if you want to keep your job." 

Suzuki turned to walk to her car without responding. She huffed as she thought about these words before scoffing. 

"He is just a driver. What does he know?" She said in a low tone. 

The chauffeur heard the complaint, and an ironic look appeared on his face. He always thought that Suzuki was a pretty good employee and ȧssistant. Her only weakness was that she wanted to rise higher and become more important. 

Instead of thinking of herself as an ȧssistant, she thought of herself as an apprentice to Minister Shimada. She wanted to use the position of being a personal ȧssistant and the connections she gained to become a more important figure. 

The chauffeur, who was also the Minister's bodyguard, could understand why Taira was jealous. As a trusted driver, he was privy to a lot of the Minister's secrets. If he had a good relationship with aide Suzuki, he might have been tempted to tell Taira that Akira was way out of her league.

They were not even playing the same game.