Adrian stared at the closed door, then back at the folder. The past he had fought so hard to bury was back, and it wasn't leaving quietly.
His grip on the leather-bound folder tightened as if he could crush the memories sealed within. But they didn't need to be opened; they were already whispering in his mind. Charlotte Meyers—a name he hadn't dared utter for years. The woman he once trusted, the woman who betrayed him.
"Sir, is everything alright?" Ella's soft voice broke through the storm of his thoughts. His assistant was standing just outside the threshold, her face etched with concern.
Adrian cleared his throat and placed the folder on the table with deliberate care, his mask of professionalism sliding back into place. "I'm fine, Ella. I'll review this later. Reschedule my afternoon meetings—I need some time."
Ella hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to the folder. It wasn't often that Adrian Kingsley, the unshakable CEO, requested solitude. But she nodded and quietly left the room.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Adrian's fingers brushed over the folder's surface, tracing the embossed seal of Meyers Corporation. Memories flashed—Charlotte's sharp wit, her intoxicating confidence, and the betrayal that left him with nothing but ashes of trust.
He exhaled sharply. "Damn it, Charlotte. Why now?"
Unable to resist, he opened the folder.
Inside was a proposal for a merger between Kingsley Enterprises and Meyers Corporation. Strategic alliances, profit margins, and projected growth figures were all laid out meticulously. And yet, none of it mattered.
What mattered was the handwritten note clipped to the first page.
*Adrian,
We need to talk.
– Charlotte*
His jaw tightened. The audacity of her to approach him after all these years, to act as if their history was nothing more than a footnote.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, his eyes drifting to the skyline outside his window. The city was bathed in a golden glow, a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside him.
He thought he'd moved on. Built walls so high and so thick that nothing could reach him. But Charlotte's reappearance was like a sledgehammer to those walls.
---
Later that evening, Adrian found himself at his penthouse, a glass of whiskey in hand. The warm amber liquid swirled lazily as he stared at the untouched dinner Ella had sent up. His mind was far from food.
The folder lay open on the marble counter, mocking him with its presence. He'd skimmed through it a dozen times, each word tugging at the frayed edges of his resolve.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Frowning, Adrian placed the glass down and walked over. Visitors at this hour were rare.
He opened the door to find Charlotte Meyers herself standing there, the last person he expected—or wanted—to see.
She hadn't changed much. Her striking green eyes met his, holding the same unshakable confidence she always carried. She was dressed impeccably, as always, in a tailored black dress that hinted at both power and elegance.
"Adrian," she said, her voice as smooth as silk but laced with something unspoken.
"What the hell are you doing here, Charlotte?" His tone was cold, calculated, and meant to keep her at arm's length.
She smiled faintly, the kind of smile that once disarmed him but now only fueled his distrust. "I didn't think you'd take my call, so I thought I'd come in person."
"You shouldn't have."
She stepped past him into the penthouse without waiting for an invitation, her heels clicking softly against the floor. Adrian closed the door, his expression hardening as he turned to face her.
"You've got some nerve," he said, crossing his arms. "Walking into my life again like this. What do you want, Charlotte?"
She turned to him, her eyes searching his face. For a moment, she looked almost vulnerable, but he didn't let himself believe it.
"I need your help," she said simply.
Adrian laughed—a bitter, humorless sound. "Help? From me? After everything you did? You've got to be kidding."
"It's about my company," she began, but he cut her off.
"Your company? Don't tell me you've run it into the ground and now you need me to save it."
"It's not that simple," Charlotte said, her voice firm. "This merger isn't just about business, Adrian. It's... personal."
"Personal?" He took a step closer, his gaze piercing. "Don't you dare try to make this personal after what you did. You burned that bridge, Charlotte. Hell, you didn't just burn it—you obliterated it."
Charlotte flinched, a crack in her composed facade. "I made mistakes," she admitted softly. "But I didn't come here to dredge up the past. This is about the future—your future and mine."
Adrian shook his head, a mirthless smile on his lips. "You don't get to decide my future, Charlotte. Not anymore."
For a moment, they stood there in silence, the weight of their history pressing down on them.
Finally, Charlotte spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "You can hate me all you want, Adrian. But if you don't agree to this merger, we're both going to lose everything."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"There's more at play here than just us," she said cryptically. "If you want answers, meet me tomorrow at my office. You owe me that much."
"I don't owe you a damn thing," Adrian snapped.
But she was already walking toward the door, her heels echoing in the silence. She paused before leaving, turning back to him with a look he couldn't quite decipher.
"For what it's worth," she said quietly, "I'm sorry."
The door closed behind her, leaving Adrian alone once more.
He stared at the spot where she'd stood, his mind racing. Her words lingered, as much as he hated to admit it. There was something she wasn't telling him—something bigger than their past.
Adrian downed the rest of his whiskey, the burn doing little to quiet the storm within him.
Whatever game Charlotte was playing, he wasn't about to lose.
---