Jason's POV
After my 11 a.m. meeting, I went back to my office and began reviewing the client's file that Shelby's secretary had given me. Mr. Kolinsky seemed to be a big deal to Shelby, considering she entrusted me with handling this job for them since she couldn't. She must've known that I have excellent persuasive skills, which is probably why she gave me this small task to kick off our new partnership deal.
A knock came at the door, and I looked up as Sylvia entered.
"Mr. Cartwright?"
"Yes?"
"There was a call from Falcon Group. They want you at a 12:30 p.m. meeting to discuss their new cosmetic project deal." I frowned in confusion.
"I was just there, but they never mentioned a meeting."
"They said the new team manager for the foreign affairs department really wants you to be there."
Manager? Who could that be?
"Okay. Do I have any other appointments after this?" She glanced down at the large iPad in her hand and shook her head.
"No, just the 12:30 p.m. meeting." I nodded, and she quickly left the room to return to her work.
Since I'm always punctual, I arrived at Falcon Group on time. The front desk receptionist escorted me to one of their empty boardrooms and assured me that the manager would be with me shortly. I waited, and thirty minutes passed without anyone showing up. By 1:00 p.m., I was still sitting alone, getting more frustrated with each passing minute. No one had come in to inform me about any delays.
Two hours later, the door finally opened, and the receptionist entered with an apologetic look on her face.
"Um, the person in charge had to cancel the meeting because something urgent came up. I'm really sorry for the wait. We'll reschedule the meeting for another time."
You've got to be kidding me.
"I'm sorry, who requested this meeting?" I asked directly.
"Our foreign affairs strategy team manager, Miss Shay Falcon."
Of course. She would be the one to do this on purpose, probably because she's still angry with me and is doing this just to get back at me.
"Which floor is her office located?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
The receptionist hesitated, then quickly averted her gaze, looking uncomfortable.
"Um, sir, she's not in todayâ"
"That's not what I asked." I snapped.
She swallowed visibly, releasing a low sigh.
"Third floor."
I gave a curt nod, then walked out of the room, heading for the elevator. Once I reached the third floor, the doors opened, and I stepped out, immediately spotting her office at the end of the hallway. The words "FOREIGN AFFAIRS STRATEGY TEAM MANAGER" were crafted in bold letters on the side of her door.
I didn't bother to knock. After being kept waiting for two hours, I was already irritated. I pushed open the door and walked straight in.
Shay's POV
That was the first step to getting on his nerves. It was a small, meaningless move, but I knew that making him wait in that boardroom for hours would surely get under his skin. But this was just the beginning of the real plan I had for him.
This? Barely anything.
I started sorting out the request document that I needed to send to the San Francisco Food and Drug Administration for a new talc supply. I flinched in surprise when the door suddenly opened, and the last person I was expecting to see today marched in with an annoyed look on his face. I put down the papers in my hands and glared at him.
"Can I help you?"
He shoved his hands into his suit jacket pockets and braced himself in front of my desk.
"I'm not here to complain that you kept me waiting for two whole hours, but you really need to work on your excuses. I don't think anyone would believe you went out on a business trip when it's just your first day at work."
I smirked up at him, leaning back in my chair slowly.
"You're smart. Of course, you'd quickly put two and two together. But if you're expecting an apology, forget it."
His eyes wavered, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he visibly swallowed, uncomfortably.
"I don't expect you to apologize, which is why whatever you say or do, I'll accept it. Just don't use your anger against me for anything else."
I chuckled and stood up to face him.
"A cat worrying about a mouse. Whether I use my anger against you for anything else, why do you have to care?"
He looked down at the floor, his jaw setting in a hard line.
"Even after finding out the truth, why don't you ask the most important thing?"
My heart skipped a beat. Should I do it?
"Because it doesn't matter if I ask or not."
"What doesn't matter if you ask or not?" he pressed, his voice low.
I chuckled and gave him a cold stare. "You don't really like me."
His jaw visibly tightened, and he stared right back at me, eyes fierce.
"Then I'll ask you one thing." He said suddenly.
"What?"
"Do you still have feelings for me?"
I swallowed the tight knot in my throat and forced myself to remain calm and expressionless.
He knew exactly what he was doing. All he wanted was for me to say yes, and that would be like falling right back into his trap. I couldn't let myself do that againâhe'd broken my heart too badly for it to be mended.
"No."
He took a step closer to me, but I stood my ground, refusing to move an inch.
"When I hid the truth from you and asked you to go out with me, did you really like me?" He pressed further.
"I did."
I walked past him, heading toward the door, planning to ask him to leave. But barely two steps forward, he suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pushed me against the wall, trapping me with his arm pressed beside my head. My heart started beating faster, knowing I was losing control of the situation, and I couldn't do anything to escape.
The proximity of his body to mine made all the emotions I'd been trying to bury rise to the surface. Being this close to him, I realized it was going to be difficult to keep it all in check.
"What are you doing?" I managed to ask, my voice shaky.
He gazed deeply into my eyes, and the look in his eyes made me feel uneasy. Anything could happen in this position, and it wasn't just a thought anymoreâit was a possibility.
"I know you still feel the same way about me, even now. I'm sorry I lied to you and treated you the way I did. I never meant to take your feelings for granted. I'm truly sorry, Shay. I just need a second chance to make things right again. That's all I ask, I promise."
This was the first time I'd ever seen him look so... hurt and defeated. At first, I thought this was still part of his act to manipulate me again. But looking into his eyes, seeing the raw emotion thereâemotion he was only showing meâmade me feel a whirlwind of conflicting feelings.
"Let me ask you one thing," I said softly. "Why didn't you lie? Why did you honestly tell me everything?"
He quietly looked down at the floor. I waited. When he finally looked up at me, I was shocked to see tears in his eyes. My heart ached, and my throat went dry.
"Because I loved you and I couldn't keep lying to you."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. His words cut through me, and suddenly fear hit me like a wrecking ball. I started to feel scaredâscared to believe him. I wasn't ready to open my heart to him again after everything he'd done. I couldn't just accept his feelings for me now and pretend like everything was fine between us.
No. This... this was too much for me to handle right now.
"I came to love you. Not because of anything else, but because of the real you. Everything you've shared with me about your life, everything we've done together, everything you've saidâthose moments meant something to me, Shay. But... I was a fool for not realizing that sooner."
His hand slowly slipped away from the wall, and he took a step back. I was too shocked to move, still pressed against the wall, trying so hard to keep the tears from appearing. But I couldn't stop them. All I could do was avoid meeting his eyes, or I'd lose it completely.
"I'm sorry... for saying you were that kind of person. But you're actually different."
He started moving toward the door, and I pushed myself off the wall, glaring daggers at his back.
"In this field, I'm not going to let you step in," I quickly changed the subject.
He slowly turned back around, giving me a half-smile.
"It's too late now. I've already signed a new partnership deal with Falcon Group, so I'll be stepping in every now and then. A normal person wouldn't have approached your sister with a contract offer because of you, but I did. You're more important to me now. I can't let my grudge get in the way of my feelings for you again. I don't want to live like that anymore."
I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to control my emotions.
"What's done is done, Jason. You can't expect me to just let you back in my life. You've already done enough damage. I can't let you do that to me again."
His eyes softened as he nodded.
"I know, and you have no idea how much it hurts my heart whenever I think of that."
I scoffed in disbelief.
"Do you even have a heart?"
"Why wouldn't I?" he replied weakly.
"Get out. Don't try to weaken me as one of your twisted methods by telling me your real feelings because this doesn't change anything. This is just the beginning. You'll see how easily I can pay you backâjust like you love to do. Soon, you'll know what it feels like."
He forced a smile, nodded, and then walked out.
Once the door closed behind him, I let out a deep breath. The rest of the afternoon was spent locked in my office... crying.