Sophia’s POV
My heart raced in my chest.
No. This was not good.
I needed to talk to Mr Prescott.
I would tell him this was a kind gesture and all but maybe we needed to save the romance till after our arrangement was over and the contract fulfilled.
I tried to return to my assignments but I couldn’t barely focus, my anticipation building uncontrollably.
After managing to slug through my work, I left the study and headed to our room, placing the roses in a vase on our bed stand before heading into the bathroom to get a shower.
The moment I stepped out of the shower in my robe and my towel wrapped around my hair, Mr Prescott entered our room.
“Mr Prescott.” I said, my cheeks flushing both from the fact that the contents of the note were playing rent free in my head and because I felt so exposed.
Although Mr Prescott couldn’t see it, I was completely naked beneath the robe and the thought that I was one wardrobe malfunction from being naked in front of him after getting that note from him was crazy.
“Miss Evergreen, I-” Mr Prescott began to speak only for his gaze to settle on the roses by our bedstand.
Mr Prescott walked towards the beds and, picked up the vase of roses, the note balanced between his fingers.
I swallowed hard, all my carefully thought-out words suddenly leaving me.
Stop staring and speak up, Sophia.
“I thought the roses looked pretty there.” I blurted out and felt immediately embarrassed. Was this really the best time to talk about flowers?
Mr Prescott’s thumb went over the note again before he looked at the roses again.
“They are pretty.” He admitted, his tone indecipherable.
Why on earth were we talking about roses of all things?
“Mr Prescott, I have something to say.” I said finally.
In my time waiting, I had decided. Indulging whatever feelings we had now would be premature. Both of us had a lot to work through personally before we could be able to fully commit to any relationship. So why was voicing it out so hard?
The expression on Mr Prescott’s face shifted.
“I have something to say as well, two things in fact,” Mr Prescott said, his gray eyes meeting mine then he let the vase fall from his hand, the glass shattering and the roses scattering across the marble floor.
My mouth fell open as Mr Prescott stepped over the roses closing the distance between us.
Then he looked down at me with the coldest most forbidding expression on his face.
“Firstly, Miss Evergreen, keep your interactions with Jerry Baxter out of my bedroom.”
“My interactions with Jerry Baxter?” I gaped, unable to comprehend Mr Prescott’s words. “What are you talking about?”
Mr Prescott pointed at the roses on the floor. “You brought his flowers into my room and placed them on my bed stand. I think you understand what I’m talking about.”
What? Did that mean Jerry had been the one to send the flowers and that note, not Mr Prescott?
I thought of the note again in a new light.
The apology about him lashing out had been referring to Jerry’s outburst at the board meeting. And the part about him being unable to see me with someone else… had Kate’s suspicions been right?
Did Jerry want something more from me?
And why did none of that matter compared to the anger I could now recognise on Mr Prescott’s face?
My lips parted as I tried to explain this misunderstanding but Mr Prescott didn’t let me speak.
“Secondly, Miss Evergreen, I need you to get your act together. Your feelings for Jerry Baxter must not affect my plans.”
With that said, Mr Prescott walked out of the room without a backward glance at me.
What the heck just happened?
A day later at the product launch, I still hadn’t fully understood what had happened.
How one moment I had been sure this thing between Mr Prescott and I would turn into something and the next he wasn’t speaking to me.
Last night, he slept in the study. And even when he wanted to inform me of the project launch event we were to attend as a couple this evening, Mr Prescott merely dropped the invite in front of me with a clipped ‘Don’t be late.’
So here we were at the event celebrating Jerry Baxter’s product launch in Asia, smiles plastered across our faces and our act as a happy couple firmly in place.
There was an ongoing presentation explaining the basics of the new technology with the press voraciously covering everything but I found that I couldn’t help stealing glances at Mr Prescott.
He was dashing in his double-breasted navy suit and his hair was already growing out of its buzzcut.
As I stared at him, I wondered why I had been unable to clear his misunderstanding about those flowers even when I’d had the opportunity to on the way here.
Maybe it was because I still didn’t understand Mr Prescott. If he didn’t send me those flowers and didn’t feel anything for me then why did it feel like he was jealous right now?
Mr Prescott turned, his gray gaze catching me in the act of staring at him. I didn’t look away and he outstretched his hand to me.
I stared at his hand for a second before my brain caught up. The presentation was already over and couples were already moving on the dance floor.
“You want us to dance?” I asked, unable to keep my disbelief out of my voice and Mr Prescott lifted a questioning eyebrow in response.
“What’s the problem Miss Evergreen? Are you bothered about Jerry Baxter seeing us close?”