Chapter 4

Emma's POV 

I would have to move to another city and change my profession again. I was still earning a lot from fashion designing, working from here with the help of my reliable and talented assistant, my team, and my PA. I was sending them designs, and they were making and marketing them under my brand, but I wasn’t there. So, financial issues didn’t worry me.

Only five minutes had passed when the doorbell rang.

Who could it be?

I dragged myself out of bed and went to open the door. But as soon as I did, I was shocked to the core.

Ryan??

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted me with that familiar, infuriating smirk.

“What are you doing here? How did you get my address?” I demanded.

“Oh, come on, do I need to answer that?”

“From office records?” I answered my question. He simply smirked.

“What are you here for?” I asked, though I already knew.

He looked me over from head to toe, making me acutely aware of the very short crop top and shorts I was wearing. His eyes darkened when they met mine again.

“Do I need to answer that? Isn’t it obvious?” He took a step closer to me, and though I hadn’t intended to let him in, I found myself moving back as he advanced. He walked in and closed the door behind him.

“You left abruptly. We still need to talk. But that can wait. I can’t.” The next moment, he pulled me into his arms and claimed my lips in a hard, possessive kiss. Shocked, I pushed at his chest, trying to escape, but he didn’t loosen his grip. Determined to resist, I kept my lips tightly closed, but the damn man caressed my bare midriff, slipping his hand under my top and touching the tight bud of my breast, making me gasp.

Oh, hell!

That small opening was all he needed to slip his tongue into my mouth, deepening the kiss. Desperate, I stomped on his foot, but he only smiled and then I bit his tongue hard and finally, he broke the kiss.

“Missed you, my love,” he murmured, looking into my eyes before his expression hardened.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding all these years? Did you really think I wouldn’t find you again?” he asked raising an eyebrow. 

Oh, he can't be here, what if he see something that belongs to James? How would I explain everything. He would not even need a DNA test to know that James is his son. What do I do now?? 

“You can’t be here... Get out, or I’ll call the police.” I said. 

“And what will you tell them?”

“That you forced your way into my house without my consent.”

“I didn’t! You invited me in... And call whoever you want; I’m here to stay. I’m here to have you back in my life.”

“No, I’ve moved on... Leave me alone.”

“Not in this lifetime, sweetheart, I swear, if there is anyone in your life, I will kill him. ” he said, caressing my face. I swatted his hand away.

“What do you want?”

“You.”

“I don’t want you. I talked to Henry, and I know you offered him a good price—almost double what the business was worth. I didn’t expect that from you.”

“That’s because you don’t know me well.”

“How could I, when you pretended to be something else?”

“And when it was time to know the real me, you eloped. Just like that? Coward. You have a habit of running away from situations. But this time, if you run, I swear, you’ll regret it forever. You’re so quick to judge others without a second thought, clinging to your prejudices, but when it’s time to really face the truth, you vanish into thin air. Not this time. I won’t let you leave.”

“Really? And what will you do?”

If you leave, I’ll have to reconsider the positions of everyone in this firm. And in this economy, Emma, finding new jobs won’t be easy for them."

Emma stared at him, horrified. "You wouldn’t."

"Try me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "This isn’t just about what you want. You have responsibilities here, to your colleagues, and to this company."

" No, Ryan!  " 

“I had intended to let all the employees keep their jobs with a good raise, but if you leave, I’ll fire every single one of them. And it’ll be entirely your fault.”

“You can’t do that,” I retorted, though my voice lacked conviction.

“I can, and I will. I dare you to run away this time.”

“You hid your true identity from me, Ryan. You were working with my father—the very man I wanted nothing to do with. You knew how I felt about him, and yet you kept it a secret. You’re just like him and Daniel.”

“Don’t compare me to them,” he snapped, his voice suddenly icy. “You know nothing about me. Anyway, do you really want to be responsible for ruining their lives?”

My mind raced. I couldn’t let that happen. My colleagues had families to support, children to educate, bills to pay, and dreams to pursue. I couldn’t let them suffer because of my personal issues with Ryan.

“Why do you want me to stay? Whatever we had between us is over. I have no place for you in my life.”

“Nothing is over between us, Emma. It’s still there—I can see it in your eyes, feel it in the way you react to my touch.”

“No! That’s not true!”

“It is true, and that’s why you’re quitting. You’re afraid you won’t be able to resist me. Otherwise, why would you leave a job where you were second in command, just under the owner?”

“Because I don’t want to see your face every day,” I snapped, though even as I said it, I knew it sounded weak.

“You just proved my point. But in that case, all those poor people will suffer because of your choice. So, here’s the deal—you either stay and accept me as your boss, or you’ll have to live with the guilt of ruining their lives. The choice is yours, darling.”

“Fine,” I spat through gritted teeth. “I’ll stay. But don’t think for a second that this means I trust you.”

“I don’t expect you to trust me,” he replied, his expression unreadable. “But maybe, over time, we can build some sort of relationship again.”

Though I couldn’t imagine how that was possible, I nodded curtly. “Fine. But let’s keep things strictly professional.”

“Agreed,” he said, his tone cool, though his eyes still burned with a mix of determination and something else—something that made my pulse race despite myself. “Now, let’s get to work.”

As I watched him turn and walk away, I realized that this was far from over. Staying would mean facing him every day, dealing with the emotions I thought I’d buried long ago. But I had no other choice.

This battle was just beginning.