Chapter 4

Ophelia's POV

I love summer—warm and vibrant, bringing life to everything. I love the cool breeze that follows rain, refreshing and calming. But what I love the most is the expression on their faces—the shock, the disbelief, and the despair.

"THE CEO OF WESTBROOK LIMITED"

Fuck, the introduction sounds even better than I had expected. I waited three years—three fucking years—to see this look on their faces.

It’s been three years since I left New York. One year of wallowing in self-pity and agony, and two years of meticulously planning my revenge.

And it was all worth it.

Ryan!

He hasn’t changed a bit. He still has those captivating green eyes. His eyes darkened as he stared at me. Their eyes both did.

I shifted my gaze to Vivian, who looked petrified like she had just seen a ghost.

We all stood. I had a subtle smile on my face. I was enjoying every bit of this moment.

“I am Anna. You’re welcome, ma’am. You can have your seat.”

A young lady, who I guessed to be Ryan’s assistant, ushered me in.

“Sure,” I said, giving her a sweet smile, which she returned.

“The atmosphere here is so weird, ma’am,” Sophia, my personal assistant, whispered to me. She had no idea what was at play here. No one did, except the three of us, which made it more interesting.

“Well, we kept ourselves anonymous. Of course, they are shocked.”

I replied as I took my seat. Everyone did too.

“Uhm, Mrs. Ophelia…” Anna started, but I interrupted her almost immediately.

“Ms. Ophelia.”

I corrected her, earning glances from Ryan and Vivian.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I wasn’t sure what it was. I wasn’t even expecting you to—”

She trailed off, realizing what she was about to imply.

“To be what?” I questioned. “A woman?” I added almost immediately.

“No, ma’am, I didn’t…”

“Don’t worry, I understand. This industry is filled with men.”

I replied, flashing her my signature smile.

Silence settled in.

“Did you happen to get married to a rich old man who died, leaving you with all his wealth?” Vivian spoke, breaking the silence. This was the first word she had uttered, and she sounded so pathetic.

“Vivian,” Ryan cautioned, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You are thinking the same; might as well just let it out,” she replied with an eye roll. I could see her eyes twitching, her plump lips about to burst out in flames.

I drew in a long breath.

“Well, Mrs. Gray,” I said, deliberately addressing her formally. “I came here for business, and I would appreciate it if we kept it strictly business. My personal life is out of this.”

Her eyes fell. I’d pay a thousand bucks to see the look on her face again.

“Yes, sure, Ms. Ophelia. I apologize for her outburst,” Ryan spoke, his gaze still fixed on me. He hadn’t stopped staring at me ever since my arrival.

“Don’t apologize on my behalf,” Vivian snapped. She was losing her mind. Of course, she would. Her little sister disappeared for three years and just re-appeared as a CEO.

“Shut it, Vivian,” Ryan whispered to her, but it was loud enough for me to hear. Vivian glared at me…hard. She was evidently furious and wasn’t even hiding it.

“Don’t tell me to shut it,” she said loudly, earning gasps from the two assistants.

They must be shocked beyond words at the scene unfolding before them.

“I’m not going to sit here and pretend this isn’t her sick attempt to crawl back into your life,” she declared and stormed out of the room immediately.

It’s just Ryan, Anna, and Sophia now.

“I’ll get the legal paperwork for you now,” Anna said, and I really appreciated her attempt to shift the atmosphere back to professional.

“Sure, my assistant will collect it.”

“Follow me, please,” she gestured to Sophia, and she nodded as she trailed behind her.

Well, it’s just me and Ryan now.

Damn!

“Ophelia,” he called, and I felt flutters in my tummy. Flutters which I had promised to keep away once I saw him.

I hate him.

I hate him.

He ruined me.

He ruined my entire life.

I chanted in my head as I glared at him.

I couldn’t bring myself to reply to him, so I averted my gaze and just stared at my phone instead, vehemently wishing my assistant would come back soon with the paperwork.

Well, my wish came true as the door flung open and Sophia returned with Anna, the papers in her hands.

“Here are the legal paperwork, Ms. Ophelia. You will find all the documents you requested properly filled,” Anna said as she took her seat back.

“Thank you,” I replied, collecting the papers from Sophia.

Time to drop another bombshell.

“Well…” I started. “I was able to converse with other shareholders. Although represented by my legal team, I assure you Westbrook Limited is looking forward to the expansion. We were able to acquire more shares from the other shareholders and now hold 40% shares in GrayCorp.”

I smiled victoriously as I ended the announcement. When I reached out to other investors, I did it silently. I didn’t want to return as just a shareholder but a major one at that.

Ryan’s expression was priceless. This is just the beginning, and I haven’t even started yet. He’ll pay for everything he did to me. Every ruin he caused me, he’ll pay for it.