Lena’s POV
“Lena, that went incredibly well,” Damien’s voice was full of pride as he walked beside me, matching my pace. I smiled, still riding high from the successful meeting. “It did. The Asian market is tough to break into, but we nailed it.” “You won them over without even trying hard,” Damien said with a grin. “How could they not sign the deal? You were brilliant in there.” I smiled. Damien wasn't economical with his compliments. I shrugged, smiling. “That’s what I’m here for.” His eyes seemed to sparkle as he glanced at me. “Speaking of which… How about we celebrate tonight? Dinner? You know, something to unwind.” I swallowed and paused. “Damien, I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got a lot of unfinished work on my desk to think about something else. ” He chuckled softly, not backing down. “Come on, Lena. You work too hard. You need to let loose sometimes. What harm could a dinner do?” “I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice firm. “I’m not ready for such distractions just yet. We still have major deals to seal.” Damien had been a good partner in the last two years. But I was okay with that - just partners. Damien smirked, seeing through my facade no doubt. “I get it. But you’ll change your mind eventually. Maybe you’re just stressed. I can help with that.” I rolled my eyes, quickening my steps. “The Wells partnership is critical, Damien.” “Right, right. I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out. I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job yet again.” Before I could answer, we reached the conference room. I saw the tables empty and only a young woman who clearly looked like a secretary was seated at the long table, typing away on her tablet. My eyes narrowed. “Where’s your partner?” She looked up and offered a handshake. “Mr Wells was called back to the office for something of the utmost importance. He'll be with us shortly," she said. He glanced at her watch. Unbelievable. “This is an important meeting. What could be more relevant than this? I will not speak with a secretary.” The secretary winced. “I’m sure he’s on his way, Ms. Reynolds.” “That’s unacceptable,” I replied coldly. “This meeting will be rescheduled until your boss is ready to act responsibly.” “I've been called a lot of names, not irresponsible," a voice said from behind me. I froze. That voice. That familiar baritone. I could tell it from an ocean away. I turned slowly, my heart dropping into my stomach. Heart hammering wildly. There he was. Grant Wells, the man who had ripped my life apart two years ago. CEO of Wells Inc., and my ex-fiance. Grant’s smirk was in place as he stepped inside the room, every bit the confident business person he always was. “Good to see you, Miss Reynolds.” I straightened, forcing myself to remain composed despite the shock. “We have a meeting to conduct, Mr. Wells. Shall we?” Damien, standing beside me, extended his hand toward Grant. “Welcome to Mega Hawk. Good to see you again, Mr Wells.” Grant shook his hand. Both men clearly knew each other. “Likewise.” I tried to focus on the task at hand, but my pulse raced. Grant’s sudden appearance and calm demeanor made me want to pull my hair out. How could he stand there as if nothing had changed? “Let’s get started,” I said, my voice clipped. “We’ve reviewed the proposal, and while the numbers look promising, I’m not convinced this partnership is the right move.” Damien faltered and looked at me in confusion. “Lena, I think we decided the Wells deal was acceptable..” I ignored him, my eyes focused on Grant. “That was before he showed up late for such an important meeting and,” I added, “And it wasn't good. On second thought, it's rather a weak offer." Grant leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “That’s funny, I had the impression we were coming to finalize, not debate over this anymore.” Damien raised an eyebrow. “Lena, are you sure about this?” he mouthed mutely. I didn’t answer, my eyes locked on Grant and I stood up, grabbing my purse. “We’re done here. Let the security escort you and your secretary out.” I was out of the room before Damien could ask all the questions that were no doubt floating in his head. Thankfully, he didn't argue with me. He trusted my judgment that much. I stepped inside the elevator, exhaling slowly as the doors slid shut. But just as I thought I’d escaped, Grant appeared, stepping inside with me. I stiffened. “It's good to see you Lena,” Grant’s voice was casual, but I could feel the emotions in them. “I can't say the same." He laughed softly. “Is that why you refused the deal?” I gritted my teeth, refusing to engage. “It's a trashy offer.” “Lena,” his tone shifted, ego wounded. “You know this partnership is a good move. Why not look past this pettiness?” I finally turned to face him, my eyes cold. “Because I’ll never work with you, Grant. Ever.” His jaw tightened. “You’re letting your personal feelings get in the way of a business opportunity.” “You think this is about feelings?” I snapped. “You have no idea what you did to me.” Grant’s eyes darkened, but before he could respond, the elevator doors opened. I stepped out, refusing to let him see how much he still affected me. But he wasn’t done. As we stepped outside, Grant grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop. “Lena, listen to me—” “Let go of me!” I hissed, yanking my arm free. “Why are you still being so stubborn?” Grant’s voice was high now. “We could work together— “I said no!” I shot back, my voice sharp. “Get lost, Grant. Just then, I heard footsteps behind me. “Lena?” I turned to see Damien, his expression concerned. I pulled away from Grant, plastering on a smile. “Damien, I was just heading home." “You forgot these," he said, handing me my keys. Before I could react, he grabbed my face softly, and kissed me. Hard. I was stunned. Later, Mr Wells,” Damien He said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me to my car, leaving Grant standing there, speechless.Lena's POV I walked into the office the next morning with a straight face. The kiss with Damien never happened. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. This was business, nothing else. Quietly, I sat at my desk, flipping through the papers from yesterday’s meeting. There was a knock.“Miss. Reynolds?” It was Grant’s secretary, holding a file in her hands and wearing that annoyingly polite smile.I didn’t look up. “What is it?”“Mr. Wells asked me to deliver the final draft of the contract. He’s very eager to hear back from you.”I sighed, finally glancing at her. “Tell Mr. Well, that I’m not interested in the partnership.”Her smile faltered. “But, Ms. Reynolds, this deal is very beneficial—”“I’m not inclined to take any business advice from you, missy,” I cut her off with a stern voice. “Now, unless you have something else, I suggest you leave.”The secretary blinked, taken aback, then she gave a tight nod. “Very well, I’ll let him know.”As she walked out, I sighed. This wa
Lena’s POV The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache. I was on the couch with a blanket over me, pretty warm. I grabbed my phone from the table, a series of missed calls and messages on my phone, most of them from Damien. Why was my phone on silent? “Grant!” I snapped, crossing my arms. “Why did you put my phone on silent? Why didn’t you tell me Damien was trying to reach me last night?”Grant was casually sipping his coffee, scrolling through his phone like everything was normal. “Oh, that? I didn’t think it was important. Besides, you looked too exhausted to take calls.”I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? It wasn’t your decision to make, Grant! I would’ve taken his calls.”“Would you?” he smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Look, Lena, you were half asleep by the time you had that coffee. There was no way you were talking to anyone coherently. I did you a favor.”I clenched my fists. “I don’t need your favors, Grant! Damien’s calls were my business, not
Lena's POV “We knew you'd do the right thing, honey.” Those were my mother's words, and they have haunted me since yesterday.As I stepped into my office, Damien was already there, leaning against my desk, his arms crossed and his expression stiff.Damien rarely looked pissed. Today, he was furious. His gaze was fixed on me. "So, it's true?My heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"Don't play dumb, Lena. I know about the partnership with Grant Wells."I flinched. "Damien, How did you know that?He shrugged, his jaw clenched. "I have my resources. You think you can just agree to something like that and keep me in the dark?"I sighed, my head dropping slightly. "Damien, this is for my family. I didn’t expect you to understand.""Oh, I understand, alright." His voice was sharp, almost accusing. "You’re making a deal with him for your family after refusing to take the deal for Mega Hawke, do you have any idea how that looks?”It’s not like that!" I shot back. "It’s…it’s comp
Lena's POVI stood there, staring at Damien, who was now kneeling down in front of me full of hope. My heart raced. There were several onlookers and most of them had their phones out with their lenses trained on me, ready to capture what they thought would be a great moment. But all I felt was chaos and guilt in my heart.“Lena,” Damien started and, for the first time, he almost pleaded, “I know things have been rough. But, I love you and do not want to lose you. Will you marry me? Let us pack up everything and start over.”As he said this, I could feel the heat rising from my neck to my cheeks as everyone held their breath. The scene of Damien proposing was something straight out of a fairy-tale, the kind of fairy-tale every little girl dreams about. And yet, here I was, so bitterly disappointed, because deep down I already knew the truth. I knew what happened last night and Damien would never know. He didn't know my mistakes, the structure of the agreement I had signed, the trust I
Lena's POVHe turned over, inhaling terribly with the effort of collecting himself again. After what felt like an eternity, he looked at me again in silence, his face giving away nothing.“Right now, I need a little bit of time to process this,” he said in a low voice. “Lena, this is not something in my life I can pretend has occurred and then go on with my life. It is a massive game-changer.”I understood and hated the helplessness that incurred seeking anything further and nodded. “I comprehended. Take all the time you require."Damien nodded once before turning away and exiting the room, leaving me standing there. An unbearable pain rose in my chest and I stood there, knowing all too well that I might have just lost the one person who cared for me.I walked back to my office somewhat in a daze and was hardly cognizant of my environment. On my desk was a message from Grant.Grant: Dinner? Let’s meet tonight. We have things to discuss.Willing myself to calm down was of no use as I i
Lena's POV I couldn’t stop smiling. This was everything I’d ever dreamed of. The fancy gala, the people, the prestige. My parents were sitting proudly in the front row, watching me like I was the crown jewel. And tonight, I was. The Reynolds family, once modest and humble, was now a top-tier name, thanks to me, Lena Reynolds, soon to be Lena Wells. “Lena, the board is already discussing the upcoming mergers,” my father said, his voice filled with pride. “Grant has done wonders for the company, but now that you're engaged, we’re seeing even bigger deals come through.”I nodded, trying to suppress my grin. “Everything’s falling into place, Dad. This is just the beginning.”My mother, Barbara, chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She'd always been a party lover. “You’ve made us so proud, darling. And that ring,” she said, taking my hand, "it’s stunning.”I smiled and touched the diamond ring on my finger. It sparkled under the lights. Everything was perfect. Until Verena ap
Lena's POVHe turned over, inhaling terribly with the effort of collecting himself again. After what felt like an eternity, he looked at me again in silence, his face giving away nothing.“Right now, I need a little bit of time to process this,” he said in a low voice. “Lena, this is not something in my life I can pretend has occurred and then go on with my life. It is a massive game-changer.”I understood and hated the helplessness that incurred seeking anything further and nodded. “I comprehended. Take all the time you require."Damien nodded once before turning away and exiting the room, leaving me standing there. An unbearable pain rose in my chest and I stood there, knowing all too well that I might have just lost the one person who cared for me.I walked back to my office somewhat in a daze and was hardly cognizant of my environment. On my desk was a message from Grant.Grant: Dinner? Let’s meet tonight. We have things to discuss.Willing myself to calm down was of no use as I i
Lena's POVI stood there, staring at Damien, who was now kneeling down in front of me full of hope. My heart raced. There were several onlookers and most of them had their phones out with their lenses trained on me, ready to capture what they thought would be a great moment. But all I felt was chaos and guilt in my heart.“Lena,” Damien started and, for the first time, he almost pleaded, “I know things have been rough. But, I love you and do not want to lose you. Will you marry me? Let us pack up everything and start over.”As he said this, I could feel the heat rising from my neck to my cheeks as everyone held their breath. The scene of Damien proposing was something straight out of a fairy-tale, the kind of fairy-tale every little girl dreams about. And yet, here I was, so bitterly disappointed, because deep down I already knew the truth. I knew what happened last night and Damien would never know. He didn't know my mistakes, the structure of the agreement I had signed, the trust I
Lena's POV “We knew you'd do the right thing, honey.” Those were my mother's words, and they have haunted me since yesterday.As I stepped into my office, Damien was already there, leaning against my desk, his arms crossed and his expression stiff.Damien rarely looked pissed. Today, he was furious. His gaze was fixed on me. "So, it's true?My heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"Don't play dumb, Lena. I know about the partnership with Grant Wells."I flinched. "Damien, How did you know that?He shrugged, his jaw clenched. "I have my resources. You think you can just agree to something like that and keep me in the dark?"I sighed, my head dropping slightly. "Damien, this is for my family. I didn’t expect you to understand.""Oh, I understand, alright." His voice was sharp, almost accusing. "You’re making a deal with him for your family after refusing to take the deal for Mega Hawke, do you have any idea how that looks?”It’s not like that!" I shot back. "It’s…it’s comp
Lena’s POV The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache. I was on the couch with a blanket over me, pretty warm. I grabbed my phone from the table, a series of missed calls and messages on my phone, most of them from Damien. Why was my phone on silent? “Grant!” I snapped, crossing my arms. “Why did you put my phone on silent? Why didn’t you tell me Damien was trying to reach me last night?”Grant was casually sipping his coffee, scrolling through his phone like everything was normal. “Oh, that? I didn’t think it was important. Besides, you looked too exhausted to take calls.”I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? It wasn’t your decision to make, Grant! I would’ve taken his calls.”“Would you?” he smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Look, Lena, you were half asleep by the time you had that coffee. There was no way you were talking to anyone coherently. I did you a favor.”I clenched my fists. “I don’t need your favors, Grant! Damien’s calls were my business, not
Lena's POV I walked into the office the next morning with a straight face. The kiss with Damien never happened. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. This was business, nothing else. Quietly, I sat at my desk, flipping through the papers from yesterday’s meeting. There was a knock.“Miss. Reynolds?” It was Grant’s secretary, holding a file in her hands and wearing that annoyingly polite smile.I didn’t look up. “What is it?”“Mr. Wells asked me to deliver the final draft of the contract. He’s very eager to hear back from you.”I sighed, finally glancing at her. “Tell Mr. Well, that I’m not interested in the partnership.”Her smile faltered. “But, Ms. Reynolds, this deal is very beneficial—”“I’m not inclined to take any business advice from you, missy,” I cut her off with a stern voice. “Now, unless you have something else, I suggest you leave.”The secretary blinked, taken aback, then she gave a tight nod. “Very well, I’ll let him know.”As she walked out, I sighed. This wa
Lena’s POV“Lena, that went incredibly well,” Damien’s voice was full of pride as he walked beside me, matching my pace. I smiled, still riding high from the successful meeting. “It did. The Asian market is tough to break into, but we nailed it.” “You won them over without even trying hard,” Damien said with a grin. “How could they not sign the deal? You were brilliant in there.” I smiled. Damien wasn't economical with his compliments. I shrugged, smiling. “That’s what I’m here for.”His eyes seemed to sparkle as he glanced at me. “Speaking of which… How about we celebrate tonight? Dinner? You know, something to unwind.”I swallowed and paused. “Damien, I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got a lot of unfinished work on my desk to think about something else. ”He chuckled softly, not backing down. “Come on, Lena. You work too hard. You need to let loose sometimes. What harm could a dinner do?”“I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice firm. “I’m not ready for such distractions just yet. We sti
Lena's POV I couldn’t stop smiling. This was everything I’d ever dreamed of. The fancy gala, the people, the prestige. My parents were sitting proudly in the front row, watching me like I was the crown jewel. And tonight, I was. The Reynolds family, once modest and humble, was now a top-tier name, thanks to me, Lena Reynolds, soon to be Lena Wells. “Lena, the board is already discussing the upcoming mergers,” my father said, his voice filled with pride. “Grant has done wonders for the company, but now that you're engaged, we’re seeing even bigger deals come through.”I nodded, trying to suppress my grin. “Everything’s falling into place, Dad. This is just the beginning.”My mother, Barbara, chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She'd always been a party lover. “You’ve made us so proud, darling. And that ring,” she said, taking my hand, "it’s stunning.”I smiled and touched the diamond ring on my finger. It sparkled under the lights. Everything was perfect. Until Verena ap