"He was one of our most significant clients—the kind that could make or break a company. And at the time, I had just been thrust into the role of CEO, barely finding my footing in my father's empire."
"At first, investing in his company seemed like a golden opportunity, a perfect business move. But as time unraveled, we uncovered something far more sinister—fake products, manufactured under my own roof. Worse yet, those very products ended up in his hands." Tryson's voice was laced with regret, his confession hanging thick in the air like a storm cloud.
Angel felt her breath hitch. Silence wrapped around her like a suffocating shroud as she absorbed his words.
"Believe me, I never intended for any harm to come of it," Tryson continued, his voice carrying an edge of desperation.
"It was sabotage. Some of my own employees—paid off by those who despised me—worked behind my back. They wanted to see me fall because they couldn't stand the idea of someone young taking the reins of my father's company."
His eyes searched hers, pleading for understanding. But Angel couldn't shake the unease twisting inside her.
Why was he trying so hard to justify himself?
"What did you do to those workers, Tryson?" Her voice came out steady, but her heart pounded like a war drum.
Tryson parted his lips to answer—
But before he could speak, another voice sliced through the tension.
"What any competent CEO would do."
The words sent a chill down Angel's spine. She turned sharply, her gaze locking onto the doorway where a figure had just stepped in.
The moment her eyes landed on him, a jolt of shock rippled through her veins.
Jude Cooper?
At that moment, Angel subconsciously shifted on her bed, her body tense with unease. Slowly, she sat down, her gaze locking onto the man who had just spoken.
"Jude Cooper?" Her voice wavered, a stammer slipping through as recognition sent a jolt of shock through her.
A low chuckle escaped Jude's lips, dark amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Ah, so you do know me already," he mused, his tone calm yet unsettling.
"How could I not?" Angel breathed, still struggling to process his sudden appearance. "You're one of the key investors in Arthur's company… practically the CEO of Cee Limited Enterprise."
The weight of her words hung in the air, and Jude merely offered a small nod, confirming what she already knew.
But curiosity gnawed at her. She turned to Tryson, her gaze sharp with suspicion.
"And how do you know him?" she asked, her voice lower now, laced with wariness.
Tryson barely opened his mouth before Jude smirked and answered first.
"We go way back—old buddies, you could say." His smirk deepened as he leaned against the doorway. "But it seems like you're the one pushing him further than he ever intended to go."
Angel frowned, confusion etching into her features.
Tryson, on the other hand, stiffened.
His entire demeanor shifted, his jaw clenching as he shot Jude a sharp, warning glare. A silent message.
Shut up.
But Jude merely chuckled again, ignoring the silent plea. His eyes glinted with something unreadable—something dangerous.
And in that moment, Angel realized one thing.
Jude Cooper wasn't here for casual conversation
"What do you mean by further than he's meant to be?" Angel asked, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with an uncertain stammer.
Jude tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering. "Whatever Tryson told you… he was telling the truth. And do you know why?" His voice dropped lower, thick with something that sent a chill through the air.
Tryson's breath hitched.
A flicker of panic crossed his face as he shot up from his seat. He knew Jude all too well—he wasn't one to keep things bottled up, especially when he had the upper hand.
"You know what, Jude?" Tryson cut in abruptly, gripping Jude's arm a little too tightly. "I think it's time for you to go." His voice was firm, but Angel didn't miss the slight shake in it.
Jude raised a brow, feigning innocence. "But—"
Before he could finish, Tryson was already ushering him toward the door, his movements tense, desperate.
"Maybe another time," Tryson muttered, gripping the door handle.
But just as he was about to shut it, Jude slyly slipped his foot between the frame, blocking it.
Tryson shot him a warning glare, but Jude only smirked. Then, leaning in, he lowered his voice to a teasing whisper.
"Man, just tell her. Confess already. You've been whining like a lovesick fool because you're head over heels for her."
Tryson stiffened, his grip tightening on the door. His jaw clenched as he exhaled sharply.
"I heard you, Jude," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Just… let me do it on my own, alright?"
What had come over Tryson all of a sudden?
He was the bad boy—the menacing king who thrived on danger, who collected exotic experiences with women like trophies.
He had lost count of how many times he'd heard I love you whispered in the dark, how many lips he had kissed, how many bodies he had claimed—yet never once had it meant a thing.
But with just one woman…
Something in his chest twisted, foreign and unsettling. What the hell was happening to him?
"Alright then, good luck confessing your feelings," Jude teased, his voice dripping with amusement.
Tryson shot him a glare, but Jude only smirked before stepping back, finally letting him close the door.
The moment the lock clicked into place, Tryson exhaled sharply and turned back to the room. His pulse hammered as his eyes met Angel's—God—those eyes.
Deep, searching, brimming with a silent intensity that made his throat tighten. She had been watching, observing every detail of what had just transpired.
And she wasn't about to let it slide.
"What was he going to say?" Angel asked, her voice calm, yet laced with an undercurrent of curiosity.
Tryson's breath hitched as he took a slow step toward her.
Angel, on the other hand, sat frozen, her heart betraying her with its relentless pounding.
Say it, Tryson, she screamed inwardly. Just say it.
She loved him—God—she loved him more than she should.
But she also knew the cruel weight of unrequited love, the agony of falling for someone who might never catch you. And yet, a reckless part of her still hoped.
Just three words. That's all she needed.
But instead—
Tryson parted his lips, his expression unreadable. And then—
"Jude?" He scoffed, forcing a casual shrug. "I don't know what he was trying to say. He was just being silly. Don't waste your thoughts on it."
Angel felt something inside her sink.