"Hey Ana, we need Sir Ares' signature on this Galvez contract," Nikki said to me.
I glanced up at Nikki and acknowledged with a nod, taking the papers from her.
"Why weren't you here yesterday? Sir seemed off without you," she commented, making me cringe.
"There was a family emergency. I'll get this to him ASAP. He's still in a meeting, right?" I shifted the conversation and nodded at her. She seemed like she wanted to say more but left instead.
I peeked at Ares's office. He wasn't there; he was still in the conference room. I had just arrived and really wanted to avoid crossing paths with him. Even though I knew I couldn't escape once he confronted me, I was trying to steer clear for now. I was afraid he might see something in my eyes.
I let out a tired sigh and went back to what I was doing. A little later, I tensed up and straightened in my seat when I saw Ares walk into his office. He didn't seem to notice me. Following him was Lorraine. I wasn't sure if I should follow or not.
"Have you two spoken? I don't think he saw you," Elena remarked, then glanced at my cubicle. I avoided her gaze and shrugged.
"Later. Who's the new guy?" I changed the subject, which she picked up on but didn't press on the matter between Ares and me.
"Guy named Jack. He's in our department," she whispered to me, causing me to furrow my brow.
"Why are we whispering?"
"He's right in the cubicle next to mine," she whispered again, almost making me laugh.
Before I could say anything, Elena and I exchanged glances as my intercom buzzed. I pressed it, and Ares' deep, irate voice immediately filled the room.
"Are you there? I need coffee," he demanded with his cold, baritone tone. I nervously bit my lower lip.
"I'm c-coming, sir..." I stammered and stood up. Elena laughed at the situation.
"Boss seems quite upset. Ma'am Lorraine is in there too. Wonder what's going on..." She teased, and I just stared at her.
I hurried to his office. Upon entering, I made a beeline for the mini pantry, trying not to pay attention to what was happening. I could hear Lorraine speaking and felt my hands trembling as I brewed the coffee. Once done, I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down before finally approaching Ares' desk.
"H-here's your coffee, sir..." I almost whispered, making sure he heard me. Placing the coffee on his desk, I nearly jumped in panic when he suddenly grabbed my hand tightly.
"Stay here. Let's talk," he said coldly, and I met his gaze.
I gasped when I saw his icy eyes and dark expression. I knew that look. It was anger. Was it because of me? Did he already find out? Damn!
"We're done talking here, Lorraine. You can leave. I still have important matters to attend to," he told the woman in front of him while still holding onto my hand.
"Really? What's so important that it can't wait, even more important than the proposal I'm presenting?" Lorraine asked incredulously.
I bit my lower lip and looked away from them. I knew these two would argue again, and it would be because of me.
"Just leave, Lorry. I don't want to talk about it right now. Please," Ares said firmly, maintaining his grip on me.
The room fell silent for a moment. Later, I heard Lorraine's frustrated sigh, and then she left. As the two of us remained, my heart pounded faster because Ares still wouldn't release my hand. I wanted to look at him, but I couldn't. My guilt was consuming me slowly.
"What's troubling you, Anastacia? Why won't you talk to me?"
His serious, deep voice sent shivers down my spine, and I could sense the resentment in it, leaving me even more unsure of how to respond.
"Did something happen that night? What's going on in your mind? Did I make a mistake? Why won't you speak to me? Are you angry with me?" His voice wavered.
I let out a heavy sigh and held his hand. Looking up at him, I saw the pain in his eyes as he gazed at me. He looked exhausted.
"I'm not mad, Ares. I just wanted... some time to myself that day. I'm sorry for causing you worry." Damn liar, Ana!
A furrow appeared on his forehead, his gaze piercing through me. It felt like he was peering into my soul, so I looked away once more.
"Are you certain?" He asked, a hint of a threat in his tone.
I tried to meet his eyes again, and I did, deciding to hug him as I felt something inside me. That feeling that told me I might cave in and tell him the truth at any moment. But I didn't want to destroy us over an accident. Just why... screw it!
"Y-yes... I'm sorry... I truly am," I whispered to him and hugged him even tighter.
He pulled me to sit on his lap. As I looked at him again, his expression softened, allowing me to breathe more easily. He brushed aside the hair obscuring my eyes and gently kissed them.
"It's alright. You know how much I trust you... and I missed you. Let's move our wedding up. I can't wait to be your husband," he said softly to me.
In those moments, I found myself lost for words. Each time he brought up this topic, I used to be thrilled, but now it felt different. The excitement in my heart seemed to have dwindled. I did want to speed up our wedding, to be honest, but after what happened, I wasn't sure if I could go through with it.
-
"I heard another son of Don Damien just arrived. Didn't Ares mention anything to you?" Riley asked me, and I looked at her, shaking my head.
"He's not well-known here because he operates mainly in Las Vegas. Word is he's Ares' biggest rival," Via added.
For some unknown reason, fear crept in when I heard the place she mentioned. My gaze remained fixed on the coffee in front of me as I struggled to recall why that place sounded familiar. It was as if I'd heard it from someone before.
"I think that's what they were discussing in the conference room earlier, Ana. He's going to oversee the family's other businesses. Galvez even offered him a partnership," Elena mentioned.
My eyes widened at her words. I looked up at them. Riley and Via had dropped by this afternoon and were still here. Elena mentioned they'd be staying in her condo for a vacation.
"Where did you hear that? Are you sure?" I asked, surprised because, to my knowledge, the Galvez family rarely extended partnership offers, even to close associates.
"I overheard Don Damien talking about it in the conference room earlier. You weren't there, which is probably why you're unaware. Maybe that's why Sir Ares was in a foul mood," she responded.
"Hey, what really happened to you, girl? Where were you that night?" Riley inquired, and I blinked rapidly, realizing they didn't seem to know yet.
When I glanced at Elena, she subtly shook her head at me.
"I just headed home early because I needed a break," I lied once more.
"Really? Without informing Ares? That's out of character," she added, catching me off guard.
I sipped my coffee and winced at its bitterness. Getting up, I headed to the coffee shop counter to ask for some sugar. As I turned to return, a man bumped into my shoulder. When I looked back, he had his back to me, seemingly choosing his order. I glanced over at him. He wore a white polo with sleeves rolled up, and his hair was tied in a bun. Was he not going to apologize?
I considered leaving, but then I caught a familiar scent. I glanced down at his arm. Confusion knitted my brow when I noticed a partially visible dragon tattoo. Only half of it showed, with the head likely on his arm.
When he tilted his head, I saw his sharp nose. He had Ray-Bans on, so I couldn't make out his features, but he definitely had an air of arrogance about him.
"Ana, Via was supposed to be first—what's going on?"
Elena's sudden appearance startled me. I watched her gaze at the man I had been observing, a grin spreading across her face.
"Who's that? He's attractive, isn't he? The charisma is off the charts!" She commented, and I quickly pulled her away from there.
But before we could get too far, my eyes widened as I saw him remove his glasses and lock eyes with me. He grinned and waved. What... Why is he here?!
When Elena and I returned to our table, my phone chimed with a text, and I read it immediately.
I wish I hadn't done it...
Unknown Number
Where's your ring? Who told you to take our wedding ring off your finger?