~Aaron~
Her green eyes flared with anger while the lady sitting next to her clasped her hands together in excitement.
I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to look away as I focused on memorizing the faces of her coworkers. Up until now, I hadn’t fully understood why I decided to buy out the company.
It was for Joan. But I had never been the type to act on impulse. Yet the moment the thought crossed my mind, I acted. And now? I owned a company I had no real use for.
All to get the attention of a woman. Not just any woman-the one who had captured my heart.
The meeting ended earlier than expected, and as the employees filtered out, murmurs filled the air.
“Ms. Madison, can I talk to you for a second?” I called out, and everyone froze. Whispers buzzed through the room. The lady from yesterday nudged Joan, winking before walking off.
One by one, the others followed until we were the only ones left.
Joan crossed her arms, pressing her lips into a thin line. Her green eyes, once so expressive, now gave nothing away.
I tucked my hands into my pockets and closed the distance between us. She tipped her head slightly to meet my gaze.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. Just stared. And by God, she had grown even more beautiful.
“I doubt you called me back just to stare at me, sir,” she said, her tone dry, laced with something colder than before.
A dull ache spread through my chest.
It didn’t feel like the very first beginning-when sarcasm was our language, when we’d trade dry jokes and challenge each other at every turn.
This was different. Maybe because I had fallen in love with her. Or maybe because I knew who she really was beneath the guarded exterior.
And damn it, I wanted that woman back.
“It’s possible I called you back just to stare,” I admitted, watching her brows draw together. “But that’s not it. I want you to be my PA.”
Her frown deepened, eyes narrowing.
If it were possible, her brows would be touching.
“Not interested. You can find someone else.”
I sighed, raking a hand through my hair.
“I don’t know anyone here. And we’d work well together.”
“Oh?” Her lips twisted into something bitter. “Maybe you should have thought of that before buying the company.”
She took a step back, her expression unreadable.
“What is this, Aaron? Your way of reminding me you exist? Of making me miserable?”
A flicker of pain crossed her face before she masked it.
I stepped forward instinctively, but she lifted a hand.
“Don’t,” she warned. “Unless you want people talking about the new boss being a womanizer.” A ghost of a smirk touched her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Joan-”
“I’m not interested in being your PA,” she interrupted, her voice quieter now, but firm. “And even though you ignored my request to stay away, don’t make me regret staying here.”
She took another step back, her expression momentarily softening.
“It’s the only thing I have left.”
And with that, she turned and walked out, shutting the door behind her.
If kicking myself was an option, I would have.
My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pulled it from my pocket. Denzel.
“It’s ready,” he announced.
I exhaled slowly. “Everything’s in check?”
There was a brief pause.
“Yeah, but… I don’t think this is a good idea. She’s still hurt, Aaron. Doing this now might just make things worse.”
I clenched my jaw. “And who are you talking about?”
“Joan,” he muttered.
My grip tightened on the phone. I stared at the closed door, my thoughts racing.
“How do you know she’s hurt?”
He let out an awkward chuckle. “Ran into her at some cafe. Trust me, man, this isn’t the best move right now.”
“Did you say anything to her?” I asked, my tone.
Denzel was the one who had told me the truth about our fathers. The one thing I hadn’t told Joan yet.
The last thing I needed was for him to tell her before I did.
“No, God no. I said nothing,” he assured me, and strangely, I believed him. If she knew what had really happened between our families, she probably wouldn’t act this way.
“Then it’s up to me,” I said finally. “I’ll deal with the consequences-good or bad.”
I ended the call and stood there for a moment, staring into nothing before walking out of the room.
Then, I scrolled through my phone and dialed a number. It rang before going to voicemail. I tried again.
On the fourth ring, the person picked up.
“Rhoda?”
Silence stretched before her clipped response.
“What?”
I exhaled, bracing myself.
“We need to talk.”
She scoffed. “Oh? So you can screw over another one of my friends?”
I ran a hand down my face. “Rhoda, just… I’m sorry, okay? Let me explain. Let’s talk.”
Silence again. I pulled the phone back to check if the call had disconnected. It hadn’t.
“Just hear me out,” I added, voice softer now.
She let out a quiet breath. “Have you heard from her?”
I hesitated before answering. “Yeah. But she wants nothing to do with me.”
Rhoda laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“I’ll meet you,” she finally said. “But only because you asked. After that, I’ll make my decision, and you will respect it.”
“I will,” I promised.
As soon as we hung up, I felt it again-that desperation clawing at my chest, the feeling of grasping at straws.
Someone bumped into me.
“Oh, I’m sorry-”
She straightened, recognition flashing in her eyes.
“New boss,” she muttered, smiling.
I gave a small nod, scanning the room for any sign of Joan.
“I’m Brielle, by the way.” she introduced and an idea hit me.
“Aaron,” I said, glancing around. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”
She raised a brow. “If it’s within my power, sure.”
I nodded.
If I was lucky, this plan would work. If not…
Well, maybe things were already doomed from the start.