"Hello Vincent, how may I be of Service to you?" Jason said without looking up from his tab at his assistant who had just entered his office.
Vincent frowned, "Shouldn't it be the other way round, sir?"
"Speak Vincent, I don't have all day."
Jason eyes were fixed on the photo of a beautiful girl with a beautiful smile on his phone.
He stared at the photo of Kiara on her socials. She looked beautiful with long hair; he couldn't help but wonder why she cut them to a short. Looking at her hair, he couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if he pulled them back, whispered into her ear...
"Sir?"
"Oh, for Godsake Vincent, you have the floor, speak!"
Vincent was taken aback by his boss harsh attitude this morning; he was so different from yesterday when he was much more nicer. He cleared his throat and presented a photo to him.
Jason frowned as he stared at the blurry photo from last night.
"Trouble in paradise, did supermodel Joselle just got cheated?"
"Who was the mystery girl that had caught The JLC eyes?"
Jason's grip tightened on his tablet as he stared at the headline and the blurry photo beneath it. The image, captured from last night, showed him caught between Joselle and Kiara, his lips pressed to Kiara's while Joselle watched on with fury in her eyes.
Vincent hesitated, standing there, unsure of how to proceed. "Sir, there's a lot of heat on social media. Fans are going crazy over this photo. Joselle's followers are accusing you of cheating, while your supporters are...well, they're attacking Joselle's fanbase. And then there's the mystery girl—"
Jason cut him off, his tone casual despite the chaos, "Can you frame this?"
Vincent's jaw dropped, eyes wide in disbelief. "Sir, what?"
Jason finally glanced up with a soft smile on his lips. "The photo. Of me kissing her," he said, motioning to the image on his screen. "I think it would look good framed. Maybe I'll hang it in my office."
Vincent blinked in shock. "With all due respect, sir, shouldn't we be focusing on damage control? This is bad for business. People are talking, speculating about you and Joselle, and this...mystery girl."
Jason rolled his eyes, waving his hand dismissively. "Vincent, I don't care about what people are saying. Joselle's fans are always dramatic. Not just that I don't remember being involve in the fashion business. This will blow over."
"But the media is already digging into the identity of the mystery girl. They're bound to figure out it's Kiara Williams sooner or later."
Jason's lips curled into a grin. The thought of Kiara being dragged into this amused him. He wondered how she'd react to being in the spotlight, knowing her desire to stay under the radar. "Let them figure it out, if they can."
Vincent sighed, frustrated. "Sir, this isn't just about gossip. Your reputation—"
"My reputation is fine, Vincent." Jason interrupted. "Besides, I quite enjoyed that kiss."
Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "But sir, your image as a businessman—"
"Will survive," Jason cut in smoothly, leaning back in his chair. His gaze drifted back to Kiara's social media photo. Her smile, her eyes, the way she used to be so carefree before life seemed to weigh her down. He felt a strange possessiveness when he thought about her.
"And Kiara... she's not just any girl," Jason mused aloud, almost as if forgetting Vincent was still in the room. He didn't know why he was obsessed over her, whether it was because she was the first person he slept with when he woke up or it was that sharp mouth and sassy attitude. He just can't get her out of his head.
"Sir?"
"Forget it, Vincent." Jason's eyes darkened, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. "Handle the media fallout. Say whatever needs to be said to keep them at bay."
Vincent straightened, a look of concern crossing his face. "And Joselle?"
Jason's lips pressed into a thin line. "She's not my concern anymore."
Vincent's eyes widened, but before he could respond, Jason continued, "Oh, and Vincent?"
"Yes, sir?"
Jason smirked, eyes never leaving his tablet. "Get that photo framed. I want it on my desk by the end of the day."
Vincent hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Understood, sir."
Jason leaned back in his chair, his fingers idly tracing the image of Kiara on his screen. He could still feel the heat of that kiss from last night, the way she had looked at him, frustrated and vulnerable all at once. He had kissed her to make Joselle jealous, but there was something more to it. Something he hadn't expected.
A challenge.
Kiara was different. She wasn't the type to swoon over power or money. She wouldn't be easy to win over, and that intrigued him more than he cared to admit.
Vincent watched his boss being head over heels over a woman who clearly didn't want his attention. Especially from what he noticed last night from her reaction. Yet, here Jason was smiling at a single photo and stalking her socials, when he clearly had a business to run.
Indeed Kiara Williams was beautiful, but there was nothing to obsess over. If a woman like that told him no, he would have accepted it one hand.
"Anything else, Vincent?"
Vincent cleared his throat, straightening the papers in his hands nervously. "There's also the matter of Ryan, sir. He's not doing well. They say he's on the verge of slipping into a coma—"
Jason waved his hand dismissively, "I don't care about Ryan, Vincent. He dug his own grave. He'll either wake up or he won't. Best we can do is take advantage of this situation and come in to save his company by acquiring it."
Vincent's brows furrowed at the coldness in Jason's tone, but before he could say anything, Jason's eyes narrowed as he scrolled past another headline: Who is this girl between Jason Lincoln Cole and Lucian Hartford."
He frowned and tapped the article, expanding the image that clearly showed Lucian's car and Kiara standing right next to him and Lucian.
Vincent nodded, "Yes, sir. That's from last night. When Miss Williams almost got hit—"
"Yeah, I know, I was there."
He had forgotten about this situation. Though he had expected, that the almighty Lucian who hated having his photo taken would have brought this photo down by now so he didn't think that it would be reported. He zoomed in on Kiara face, whose eyes beneath that mask was looking at Lucian as if she was infatuated by his looks.
Did she like men like this? Looking all broody and unhappy and with glasses?
She looked intrigued by Lucian. Jason's jaw clenched. Of all people, why was Lucian getting that look from her? He slammed the tablet down on his desk, his voice tight. "Mafia Groot."
Vincent raised an eyebrow, wondering if he had misheard. "Pardon, sir?"
"That's what Lucian is—Mafia Groot. Tall, brooding, and annoying," Jason muttered, his irritation evident. Then, snapping back to the task at hand, he shot Vincent a look. "Remove that photo. I don't want to see it anywhere."
Vincent blinked, confused. "But, sir, it's already circulating—"
"I said, remove it," Jason repeated, more forcefully this time, glaring at the image as if it personally offended him. "I hate it."
Vincent watched his boss, internally baffled. This man is acting like a prissy princess over a woman who clearly doesn't want his attention, Vincent thought.
"Your wish is my command."