I stood there, staring at the door. Jo was droning on about how today's meeting was crucial for the future of the company, but my mind was elsewhere.
Jason Lincoln Cole.
The CEO of JLC limited. He was the top of the food chain. Rich. Handsome. Sexy bachelor. You may think he is a whore. Nope. He was loyal to one person and he was a total mystery. He doesn't like to show his face basically because he wanted his life to be private.
But there were news that he was a arrogant bastard.
He was rude. Didn't care about you or your feelings. Everything is suppose to be too quality. Get it done once, no chance for mistake.
Even while working in the lower subsidiary I have never met him.
I planned not to cross him. I don't think I am ready to add crossing big shots into my schedule.
"Kiara, you listening?"
Jo's voice pulled me out of my daydreams.
"Huh? Yeah, totally listening. Super important meeting. Got it."
Jo frowned, but he let it slide. Thank God. If he knew what was going on in my head, he'd probably have me committed. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, adjusting my blazer, feeling the sweat already gathering on my palms.
"We're meeting with Mr. Lincoln Cole today," Jo continued, glancing at his notes. "Don't know why he's decided to actually show his face today of all days. He usually stays behind the scenes, but apparently, this deal is personal for him."
Lincoln Cole. The name rang out like a death sentence. Jo and the rest of the staff called him "The Devil," which seemed fitting given the whispers around the office—about him being a hard-ass, a ruthless boss who drank too much, cursed too loudly, and fired people on a whim. But no one had ever mentioned that his full name was Jason Lincoln Cole.
Jason.
It couldn't be.
The door to the conference room creaked open. My heart sank into my stomach. The man who walked in was tall, lean, and confident. Dark hair styled to perfection, expensive suit, sharp jawline. His eyes scanned the room, taking in everything and everyone, and then they landed on me.
And that smirk. The one I remembered far too well.
Oh, hell no.
"Well, shit," I muttered under my breath, sinking lower in my chair.
Jo shot me a confused look, elbowing me sharply. "Stand up. Everyone stands when he enters."
Crap.
I scrambled to my feet, trying not to look too flustered, but it was impossible. My brain was already spiraling. He was the Jason fucking Cole. The devil everyone hated was the same guy I'd slept with a few months ago. The one I was stupidly rude to when I left his hotel room at 4 AM.
"I see you've all decided to join me," Jason's deep, annoyingly sexy voice filled the room. It was casual but authoritative, like he knew he owned every damn thing around him.
Everyone nodded and mumbled greetings, including Jo, who was practically vibrating with nervous energy. I, on the other hand, was busy trying to make myself invisible.
Don't look at me. Don't look at me. Just keep walking.
But, of course, he did. Jason's piercing gaze landed right on me again, and for a split second, I saw recognition flash in his eyes. His smirk widened—cocky, self-assured, like he was recalling the same night I was desperately trying to forget.
He unbuttoned his blazer with one smooth motion, tossing it over a chair like he was about to own this entire room. And he did.
"Shall we begin?" he asked, his eyes never leaving mine.
I gulped.
Jo was already pulling out the PowerPoint, babbling something about profits and market shares, but I couldn't hear any of it. Jason freaking Cole was right in front of me, looking like he was enjoying my misery.
I wanted to crawl under the table.
The wish of not wanting to offend a big shot, yeah, Santa is definitely throwing that one out.
I have fucking kicked his balls. I was even rude to him today.
He walked over to the head of the table, sitting down with that same swagger that got me into this mess in the first place. I tried to avoid his gaze, focusing on the chart in front of me, but it was impossible to ignore him.
Especially when he spoke again. "You."
I looked up, panicking for a second. "Me?"
"Yes, you," he said, leaning back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "What's your name?"
Shit. He was going to make me say it.
"Kiara," I muttered, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "Kiara William."
"Kiara Williams," he repeated, dragging out each syllable as if he didn't know the name. "You look familiar."
Oh, for the love of—
I could feel my entire body heat up, and it wasn't from the stuffy conference room. No, it was the memory of that night, of how smug he was, and how I'd sworn I'd never see him again.
Jo looked between us, frowning. "Have you two met?"
I opened my mouth, ready to deny it, but Jason beat me to it. "Not officially," he said, that damn smirk growing wider. "But I feel like we've crossed paths before. Haven't we, Kiara?"
If I could've smacked him, I would've. Right there in the middle of the meeting. Instead, I forced a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "Nope. Never."
"Hm." He wasn't buying it. The gleam in his eyes told me he remembered exactly where we'd met—and exactly what happened.
I cleared my throat, desperate to change the subject. "So, um, Mr. Cole, let's talk about the project. Jo has a presentation prepared."
Jason raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, I'm more interested in hearing what you think, Kiara. Why don't you tell me what your... take is?"
Kill me. Kill me now.
Get a shovel as well and bury me.
I glanced at Jo, who looked like he was about to faint. His eyes screamed don't screw this up.
Great. No pressure or anything.
I took a deep breath and straightened up in my seat, refusing to let Jason see how rattled I was. "Well," I began, flipping through the presentation notes, "I believe our team has developed a solid plan for the expansion. We're targeting a 10% growth rate within the next quarter, with a focus on—"
"You're rambling," Jason interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "Get to the point."
I clenched my fists under the table. This guy was the worst. How the hell did I ever find him attractive?
Oh wait his face.
But I couldn't back down. Not now. "The point," I said through gritted teeth, "is that our team is confident we can meet the expansion goals with the proper support and resources. We just need your approval to move forward."
Jason tilted his head, eyeing me like I was some sort of puzzle he was trying to solve. "Is that so?"
"Yes," I shot back, meeting his gaze head-on. "That's so."
The room went silent. Jo looked like he was about to pass out, but Jason just smiled. A slow, infuriating smile that made me want to punch him and kiss him all at once.
"Well then, Kiara," he said, standing up and adjusting his tie. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it."
And just like that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me sitting there, speechless.
Jo turned to me, wide-eyed. "What the hell was that?"
I exhaled sharply, trying to steady my racing heart. "That," I muttered, "was Jason fucking Cole."
"What?"
I wave my hand endlessly ending the conversation.
"Well that was the shortest meeting I have ever attended in this company."
Someone mentioned. Some of them looked relieved. It had ended without someone being fired.
"Aren't you surprised the new girl didn't get kicked out?"
"Yeah I am. Surprisingly. Her luck must be good."
"She should come to every meeting so that she can take the brunt of his heated stare."