Chapter 31
LILY’S POV
I was momentarily rebuffed from what Miley said. Relocating to this part of the country, my only intentions were to start a new away from my ugly past and take care of my children. I didn’t want to be considered a threat to anybody neither did I want to make anybody feel angry or jealous.
I always knew Noah had feelings for me, but I have always been beating around the bush with him, never giving in to the feelings. And I didn’t even know Cassandra liked him. The last thing I want is to fight over a man with another woman. That was what got me into the mess with Scarlett. Cassandra can have Noah for all I cared. I wasn’t interested in him. I wasn’t interested in falling in love again.
“Poor thing,” Miley looked at me with a pitiful gaze. “Don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault Boss Noah likes you. I won’t blame him either. You’re very pretty. Any man will like you at first sight.”
She reached across the table for my hands, trying to rub them and make me feel better. But I gently withdrew, still shocked and conflicted with my thoughts and feelings. “I can’t believe her. She hates me just because her crush likes me? That’s a very childish thing to do. What is she? Fifteen? Good thing I didn’t come to this company for romance or to snatch another person’s love interest. If she wants him, she can have him for all I care. He’s all hers.”
“Ouuuu…” Miley gave me a knowing look, gliding her shoulders playfully. I found it rather disturbing as I looked at her with my brows furrowed. “Don’t tell you don’t at least have a spark for Boss Noah. Every female in this company does. They just don’t make it so obvious like Cassandra. He’s tall, hot, rich, successful and has been a single man for years now. Who wouldn’t want to jump on that opportunity?”
“Certainly not me,” I made it known to her but she was still doubtful.
“Come on, Lily. I notice every little thing that goes on in this company. I have seen the way you look at him sometimes. It’s not a crime to like someone okay, and Boss Noah is very likeable. You’re simply just lying to yourself and trying to hide your feelings for him because of something…”
“No, I’m not…”
“Yes, you are,” she taunted further, causing me to give up. “Are you perhaps afraid of what people in the company will say if you two got together?”
Even though Noah seemed like the perfect man for every woman, he wasn’t the one for me. Or rather, I wasn’t the one for him. I’ll only thrust him into my complicated and ugly past and hurt him even more than his ex-wife. I just want to have peace of mind, watching my babies grow and live the kind of life I wanted for them. Is that too much to ask? Certainly not.
“Can we just change the topic?” I huffed out in defeat.
“Gladly,” she smiled benignly.
Adjusting on her seat, she dimmed her shielded eyes curiously and asked, “So…why do always work so hard? You literally work harder than anyone else in the company. You are always locked in your office doing one thing or the other. You rarely come out for breaks or chat and you’re always the first to leave once the shift is over. You know there is no harm in coming out to have a little chat with your colleagues or waiting a bit so we can go together. I’d really like to know where you stay so I could come to visit and learn about the secret world you’re keeping from us,” she finished, giving me a sly look.
She was a sharpshooter. Her question caught me off guard, leaving me awkward and unable to give a straight answer.
“Did something perhaps happen to you in the past that made you this way or is it just part of your nature?”
My chest tightened, and my breathing became heavy. Her questions were threatening to invoke past thoughts, claw at my healing wounds and make them bleed again. Doing my best not to let that happen, I quickly gave her a half-hearted answer. “I’m a single mum. I have twins. It’s not easy. That’s why I work this hard to make sure they live their best life.”
“Ohhh…” she muttered in guilt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay, I understand. Thanks for your concern.”
She wasn’t wrong though. Lately, I hardly had time for fun or anyone in my life. I believed they were all distractions and a waste of time. I was only focused on my kids and career. Giving my kids a good life wasn’t the only reason I was working this hard. I also wanted to prove to Robert that I could live my life without him. That I could be somebody without him. For years, I’d clung to him like a lifeline-financially, emotionally, in every way, making him believe he had ultimate control over me. But not anymore. He was dead wrong and so was I for thinking that way. Though I didn’t want to see him ever again, a part of me wished he was here to see how well I was doing without him.
“So what do you think the boss will do to Cassandra?” Hiding my nervousness, I changed the topic of discussion before Miley could notice or ask me another awkward question.
“I don’t really know,” she shrugged. “Boss Noah is like the kindest person I have ever met. Surely, he’ll forgive her…”
Suddenly, the door to my office flung open, startling us as Cassandra stormed in. She was fuming like a warrior ready to take on her worst enemy. Her eyes darted from Miley to me and I saw fire blazing in their depths.
“Excuse me,” I said in a sharp tone, raising a brow, “Didn’t your mother teach you how to knock on doors before…”
Flouncing forward, she cut me off by slamming her hands on the table, causing the things on top to rattle.
“You…!” she bared her gritted teeth, pointing an accusing finger at me. “Because of you, I have been suspended indefinitely from work. You’ll so regret this.”
Standing from my seat and facing her head-on, I couldn’t help but laugh at her mockingly. “You brought this upon yourself so don’t blame me. If you weren’t so senseless as to challenge your boss in front of everyone maybe you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
My words and expressions only got her angrier. She snarled like an angry Rottweiler and the next thing I knew, she sliced a hand through the air, about to slap me but instincts made me catch her wrist in the nick of time.
Miley let out a gasp from where she was seated, her hands rushing up her mouth.
“Don’t even think about it, or I swear I’ll break every bone in your hand,” I warned, my voice cold as I flung her hand aside, causing her brows to shoot up in surprise.
I wasn’t the same Lily from nine years back everyone could walk all over on. Spending all that time in prison has toughened me up. I could fight and do things I never thought I could in a thousand years to come now. I even knew how to use some dangerous weapons. But no one in the company knows I got out of prison. Not even Noah. If this self-entitled bitch tries any shit with me, I’ll show her I wasn’t one to be trifled with anymore. I only let her have her way in the boardroom because I didn’t want to make a scene in front of Noah and everyone at that party.
“You think you can just come here and take everything that belongs to me,” she slashed out a sharp defiant breath, her lips twisting to an evil smirk. “Not under my watch. Congratulations Lily Jones, you just earned yourself an enemy. A dangerous one at that. So you better watch your back because I’m going to make sure to hit you where it hurts the most.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Bring it on. After all, I’ve dealt with worse than you,” I challenged smugly.
She growled, her blood boiling to the point her face turned scarlet red. She wanted to say something else but instead huffed out angrily and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her with a resounding bang.
That door was company property. Goodness knows she’ll pay and be held accountable if it breaks.