Jason's P. O. V.
"God damn it, Willow, how could you be so naive?" my scream is heard from across the office.
Just one thing. One assignment and a human being can't do it right!
"You think I run Lion Empire on craps like this?!" Willow shakes in fear as I throw his papers on the floor.
His team stands behind, heads lowered.
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't lose it entirely.... "
This prick doesn't even try to hide the annoyance in his voice. He's annoyed? Well I'm his freaking boss and he just almost ruined a whole lot of business for me if Emil hadn't brought it down to my notice!
"That's the same fucking thing! How is lion Empire supposed to keep up its social media appearance if you can't update regularly? Do I need to start doing this myself or do I need to get another righteous person?!"
"I'm sorry, we'll do our best from now on sir" his voice shivered.
"Come on, Garrix, " Kane calls me from the desk " y'all can go"
"Now listen, "I stop them " I wanna see your updates in the next 24 hours"
"Yes sir" Willow replies before scurrying out of my office with his tail of a team.
Every nook and corners of my empire must be up and functioning. We couldn't afford to lose any more followers especially now that my father was up to no good again.
"Chill Jase, and give the guy some rest" Kane says but I ignore him, sitting on my seat.
I exhale sharply, closing my eyes for a while. I needed to cool off.
Suddenly a thought occurred to me and I jerked from my seat, Kanel giving me a surprised look.
"Um.... What are you about to tell me now?" he asks.
"I was just thinking. How about we hit the delicious pub?"
He gives me a look like I'd said the wrongest thing any man could say.
"To torment that lady again? Come on Jase can't you see she's not into you?"
"That's not true" I give him a smile, thinking back at all the glares the waitress at the restaurant had thrown at me yesterday.
"Dude," he laughs "I've never seen you freeze like you did yesterday when talking to a woman before. And a waitress at that? I say damn, she got you good. I mean, 'I didn't catch your name?' What the hell was that?"
"Okay enough"
"You have got to work on your flirting skills, Man," he continues laughing " what happened man?"
I only smile, an image of the waitress appearing everywhere around me.
"Tell you what? I'm leaving early today" I stand up, picking my suit.
"Where you going?"
"Just home. I'm working on a project"
"If you say so" he shrugs before standing up, walking out before me.
**
I walk towards the lobby of the hotel where I was spending the night, throwing a smile at the fair receptionist lady before proceeding towards the elevator.
After getting to my floor, I face the door, contemplating whether its time to just let go and turn back, never to come back to this particular hotel with so much memories again.
So many things happened here, in this room that after the August 7th, I've had the hotel seal the room off from booking. I pay for the room every year since the last three years. I know Kane has told me countless times to let that day go but even he doesn't know I still come here. He'd cut off the pay once he finds out.
I only visited here every night of August 7th except for yesterday.
Yesterday I'd seen something different for the first time. Something different that felt like a reset to my thinking. Like a powering source through darkness. And for that first time in every August 7th for the past three years, I hadn't visited this room.
But today, I woke up feeling like I should be here. They were memories that hurt in the end but it was worth the happiness from the beginning and I always managed to smile at the end.
I drop my hand to my side, shutting my eyes as the image of pure sapphire eyes peered at me, slim lips smiling at me, the clump of blond hairs waving over the delicate face. August 7 is indeed a day I would never move on from.
I push the door open and stepped into the rugged floor of the wide room. I walk further inside, the king sized bed coming into view.
But I stop immediately, my hairs rising as I felt the presence of somebody in the room. It was an unmistakable scent of somebody I would recognize even in a crowd full of millions.
Floral white gown appears before I stop, just at the foot of the bed.
Leave, Jason.
But no, I walk right into the bedroom to confirm the presence of the person I knew it was.
Caroline.
She has her back to me, her face peering at the dresser's mirror.
I felt my throat dry and my limbs go numb as I just stand there,watching her back. Her white dress is completely shoulderless and her golden blond hair spiraling down her slender back. But the tantalizing view was the least of my concern. My prior concern was what the hell she was doing here.
She turns around, the unforgettable smile creeping into her delicate pale lips. I thought I'd be pleased to see her but the frown contorting my face as soon as I saw her evil little face proved me wrong .
"Jason?" Her voice was always a music to my ears and they voiced the most beautiful words.
I tried to snap out of my shock and spoke matter of factly "What are you doing here?"
"I.... Wanted to come see you?" she spoke with uncertainty. Such a hideously evil little thing.
"Get out," I point out to the door "now"
"Jase, I just wanna talk "
Yes, that's who you are Caroline.
"There's absolutely nothing to talk about" I walk towards the far side of the room and pulled off my suit, flung it on the bed and pulled at my neck tie. It suddenly choked so much.
I turn to the wall table and start to pour myself a drink.
"I miss you, Jase"
Her voice invades my balance and I stop, the glass half way to my mouth. I stay still for a minute then turn to see her. She stood like a vulnerable little woman and for a second I wanted to do nothing but to walk up to her, sweep her off her feet and show her how much I loved her but.....
I drop the glass and put up a smirk, hiding my emotions and replied "Isn't that lovely to hear?"
She tries to speak but I stop her "you're so perfect with your acts, you lost your true self in the run of it"
"Jason, I..... "
"I don't wanna hear any of it, Caroline. Now why don't you go back to wherever it is you crawled out from, hm?"
"Why do you still come here?"
Again, her question stops me from taking a sip from my glass. This time I'm rather speechless.
"The manager told me you paid for the room. I waited here yesterday cause you always came but you didn't. You still miss me, Jason"
"Well. Isn't that a huge revelation. Feel free to jubilate on your high horses " I sip my drink.
"Jason" she starts walking closer and I watched her. She stops in front of me. I wanted to yell at her. I wanted to hurt her so bad. I wanted to make her regret coming here. I wanted to shun her. But I also wanted to mould her delicate body into my arms and show her what hurts. But I also know better. I'm not that kind man.
"I never meant for all that to happen"
"Cut the crap, Caroline, " I meet her eyes "you and I know who you truly are and your full capabilities"
"Why won't you listen to me, Jason? I just told you I miss you"
"So what do you wanna do about it?"
She takes me by surprise, her lips crashing into mine with a surge of energy, want and a clear urgency.
I feel my heart flutter for a second as she kissed me slowly, my hands itching to grab her body but they remain in place as her own hands rummaged the depths of my chest.
My breath gets cut and I open my eyes, with a realization of what I was doing.
I abruptly push her away ,whipping my lips with the back of my forearm.
"Jase...." there's surprise in her voice.
"No more, Caroline. I'm not gonna be your play thing anymore," I go closer to her, capturing her gaze in mine "if you think when you come running back I'll take you into my bed like a moron then you must've forgotten who Jason Garrix truly is. And if you even for a second think I'll believe anything that comes out of that lying mouth of yours then you are in for a lot of surprises. After all," I whisper into her ear "I am Jason Garrix. The bad side of me is hideous, Caroline. You'd be a fool to forget that"
I move away from her and picked my suit.
"You're mistaking, Jase"
"Don't ever show up again, Carole. But That's gonna be hard. After all, "I give her a small smile "we're family"
I start walking out.
"You're gonna regret this, Jason" was the last thing I heard of her voice as I walked out.
Yes, that's just who you are, Caroline.
My mind felt foggy and it was like strings to my heart had been pulled severally. My vision clouded as i drove out of the hotel and zoned into the dark night.
I meet my reflection on my mirror and each time, I get more upset. I wanted to make this pain go away.
Leaving my car for Kevin outside my garage, I walk into my mansion and took the elevator.
Stepping down along my bedroom floor, the quietness pierced through me.
My maid was on a short leave to attend to a family matter. She at least kept the house lively at all times and made coming home a bit better.
'I miss you'
Caroline. Her voice won't keep resounding in my head, every memory of what had happened in that hotel room causing me anger on the inside.
As I slid my bedroom card into the door slot,the door slid apart, welcoming me into my wide brightly lit somebody
A man stood at the far side of my bed, facing my glass walls and probably watching outside.
There was no mistaking his tall figure and his standing posture and the imposing aura around him like every other.
There was no mistaking that sly smile when he turned to face me too, his bleached ashes hair standing out well.
There was no mistaking Michael, my supposed father.
"What are you doing here?" I speak first.
"Hello, Son" he replied, his two arms now behind him as he faced me.
"Don't you call me that" my brows deepened as my hatred for the monster in human form rolled off my tongue with every word.
"I see you changed your house" he replied, looking around the room.
"Well," I smirk at him "don't you just love this place? And the arts,"I point to the paintings hanging off my walls "beautiful. Feel free to admire them"
"I'd have considered your courtesy out of the ordinary if I hadn't come here particularly to have a chat with you"
"Then it wouldn't hurt to spare some little time to admire my art frames. You can make time for that among other things,right?"
"By all means, yes, Son"
"Don't you call me that. Now," Why don't you start by telling me what you want?"
"Can't I have a talk with you?"
"Oh you don't have talks with cast outs, Michael, or," I shrug "bastards. You only want what you need from them"
"Then you must feel so good about yourself, isn't it? You finally have something you can be so proud of"
"You wish you knew how that feeling is right?," I mock him with my smile "Because you have nothing except your coward of a son to be proud of"
"The world knows I have two sons, you know"
"Well, then you know which son I'm talking about. After all, we both know you have just one son"
"Enough with the pleasantries,Jason. How about we go down to business?"
"Well, be my guest" I open my mini wine reserve and pull out a bottle and helped myself with a glass.
"Netherlands needs proper nurturing and it is not safe in your hands, Jason. I've had the necessary meetings and concluded that you leave it to us"
Glass in hand, I turn to face him and replied "isn't it a bit our of the ordinary that you would deliver that message to me yourself, father?"
"When desperate times arise, you deal with it with desperate measures" he gives me a small smile.
I laugh to his amusement before replying "aren't you just as foolish too. Now you need the company that I built?"
"Now you let go while am being nice"
"Nice?," I close the space between us, looming him in the eye "you didn't teach me to be nice,Michael, why expect me to play nice?,"I start moving back, arms spread apart "well, I'd love to see this show go down. Why don't we do this the hard way? Let's see you get the Netherlands "
The look on his wrinkled face was priceless.
I turn around, gulped the contents in my glass and turn towards my bathroom when his voice stopped me.
"Jordan is back,you know that?"
There it is. He wouldn't come all the way here to have a talk about some company. He'd come to deliver a message himself.
"Your perfect son, is back, "I turn to face him "well this fight should be fun then"
I start walking into my bathroom.
"Caroline is back too. I just thought you'd wanna know"
I could feel his smile growing at the mention of her name. I cursed myself for getting stiff at the mention of her name.
I don't turn back to reply him "I get very irritated when I see your face twice a day so you better leave before I get back out"
And I disappeared into my bathroom, the day seeming to be the worst so far. My anger resurfaced and I felt the urge to punch something.
Maybe Michael's face if I find him back there again. Oh God help him.