Reid Prescott was a psychopath.
It was one of the many things he had heard about himself.
Not that he agreed. Being a psychopath meant he had delusions of grandeur. What was the use of delusions when it was true? Driven was a more suitable word as far as he was concerned.
Reid was always among the most powerful men in any room he stepped into, he had made it so. Worked hard for it.
He was not used to feeling powerless. But since Sophia Evergreen had entered his life, it was fast becoming a regular occurrence and he hated it.
“Sophia Evergreen didn’t touch the payment.” His accountant informed him.
Reid was silent, the continuous clicking of his pen the only sound in his office.
Of course, she didn’t touch it. Damn stubborn woman.
Her backbone was one of the things Nana liked about her. Nana who would no longer speak to him.
The slap had been unexpected.
“What do you mean you are divorcing Sophia?” Nana had demanded.
“Divorced,” He corrected. “We are already divorced. The marriage didn’t work out.”
Reid hated messes. He had never planned for Nana to find out about the marriage in the first place but it had happened.
To his surprise, tears gathered in Nana’s eyes. He’d only seen Nana cry twice in his life. When he lost his mother and when his grandfather died.
“Oh, you foolish boy. That girl loved you and you ruined it.”
Reid reclined in his chair without a care for the ongoing meeting at the boardroom.
Against his will, his mind was focused on a certain woman. A woman with wide innocent brown eyes, pouty lips that he had studied unhealthy, chocolate brown hair that fell to her ass in the most luscious waves and a body that he found almost as attractive as her mind.
Stunning.
That was the first word that popped into his head when he saw her at her wedding with Jerry.
He hadn’t been invited to the event but when he heard Jerry was getting married to some maid, how could he not go?
Then he saw her. Her face flushed, her pupils dilated, her breathing rapid as though she was a minute from a panic attack. She was the perfect mix of jaded and innocent. Reid decided he would have her then.
He would ruin her for Jerry. Jerry, his stepsibling, who was too immature to realize the depth of his emotions for his unwanted wife. Jerry who had taken Penelope from him.
Their marriage lasted far longer than Reud anticipated but if there was one thing Reid Prescott was, it was patient.
Then Sophia refused his proposal. Maybe if she hadn’t, it wouldn’t have fueled the… fascination he had with her.
Against his will, Reid found himself opening up more to her than he’d ever planned. Found himself watching her for no damn reason. Then he found out about the one night stand.
Right. He’d only been fascinated with her because he subconsciously remembered that night.
Then why did he feel so hollow despite the fact that his revenge had played out even better than he’d anticipated?
Maybe because of her confession.
He’d replayed it in his head so many times like a masochist running a naked blade across his skin.
“I love you,” She was flushed, tears twinkling like stars in those beautiful eyes. “I know when we signed the contract you said we weren’t allowed to fall for each other. But it happened and I know it wasn’t just me. You felt it too.”
She was right even though he would never admit it out loud.
Sophia Evergreen made him feel things and Reid hadn’t felt anything in so long. Not since Penelope.
He was insanely attracted to Sophia but that was it. Reid had never been a slave to his baser emotions and he wasn’t about to start now.
So he pushed her away.
That was easier than feeling.
Yet despite the fact that she was gone, she was never far from his mind.
Reid found himself thinking of her a lot. Thinking of her reluctant smiles. The way her eyes followed him everywhere and her soft blushes. How her breath hitched at his touch. How taunt she felt until she yielded to him.
He found that he missed even her yelling and ineffectual punches. He missed the way she folded into herself and pouted when she fell asleep, her hand cradling the soft swell of her belly.
Resentment suddenly filled Reid. If there was one thing he envied about Jerry, it was the fact that Jerry would always be linked to Sophia with those children.
“Mr Prescott, what do you think about the proposal?” Darrin asked.
The board room was silent and Reid was certain it wasn’t the first time Darrin had asked him that question.
The meeting was over but he hadn’t heard a damn word. All because of her.
Reid stood.
“Let’s reschedule this meeting.” He announced.
The board members exchanged frantic looks. A quick decision was supposed to be made to minimize the losses from Baxter Corporation’s fall.
“But a decision was supposed to be made today-”
Reid was already out of the room before Darrren could finish speaking, his buzzing phone in his hand.
“Where is Miss Evergreen?” He asked his private investigator.
“She is almost at the airport, sir.”
Reid paused, his hold on his phone tightening.
“And what is she going to do there?” He asked calmly.
“Leaving the country, sir.”
Sophia wanted to leave?
“Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?” Reid demanded.
“I apologise, sir. It seems to be a last minute decision. I will send over the flight details.”
Reid ended the call, his entire body tense as the message containing Sophia’s flight details entered a few seconds later.
Sophia didn’t matter to him. She didn’t matter. She didn’t-
Reid Prescott ran to his car.
He had never driven so fast in his entire life without regard for a speed limit or a ticket.
He didn’t know what he was going to do when reached there. He didn’t know what he was doing now but he stepped on the accelerator anyway.
This panic was familiar. It was the same panic he’d felt when he couldn’t reach her at the police station. The same panic that made him realize that it was time to end this deal before things got too serious with Sophia.
But it was too late for that, wasn’t it?
He pulled up at the airport without giving two cents where he left his car parked. It was almost time for Sophia’s flight takeoff.
He ran towards the gate bumping into strangers, his mind ablaze with more emotion than he knew what to do with.
Then Reid saw Sophia.
She was about to go through the boarding gate and as though she could feel his gaze on her, she turned, their gazes locking for what felt like infinity. And for the first time, Reid Prescott failed to read Sophia.
Sophia turned away from him and walked through the boarding gate.
“That girl loved you and you ruined it.”
Nana’s words suddenly had a ring of truth to them.
It was at that moment Reid Prescott realized he had won the battle and lost the war.