I narrowed my eyes at Eric, wanting to ask what he meant, but I didn’t. I restrained myself. Every nerve in my body was screaming for an explanation, demanding answers, but I kept my mouth shut. I glanced at Tina. It seemed she hadn’t been ready for the answer she got either, but she wasn’t about to let it go."Huh, what do you mean by that?" Tina asked, her tone light but I could tell she was very interested. "I’m sorry if I’m prying. I just love a story that has a happy ending, don’t you?"Eric smiled like he had been waiting for someone to ask him this forever. "You’re absolutely right, Tina" he began, leaning forward. "I met Mina because her father and my father were close friends. We spent a lot of vacations together, and weekends at each other’s houses. We practically grew up around each other. And since Mina was closer in age to me than Rita, I never really saw Rita in that way. She was just a kid then."He paused, before continuing."When Mina and I started dating. We hit it
After Eric’s statement, the entire table seems to be still, as if someone pressed pause. Trey is frozen. Tina sits as if she’s turned to stone. I glance over at Emerson. His face remains neutral, but he’s grinding his teeth in the way he does when he’s holding back. So, Eric must have said something wrong.If I’m not overthinking it—and I might be—I’m almost certain Tina’s husband is dead. Trey’s father. This would make Eric’s comment about fathers taking wives not just tasteless but also cruel.Rita shifts uncomfortably next to Eric, clearly aware of the misstep. Her eyes flick toward the others, her expression pleading for him to stop. “I am not your wife.“ I snapped.Thank God for the waitress, who arrives just then with Eric and Rita’s drinks and hands us menus.No one speaks. No one even looks at each other. It’s as if we’ve all retreated into our own minds, each of us wrestling with our own thoughts. And for once, ever since Eric arrived, he’s silent. Maybe he knows what he’s d
"Stay out of this," Eric tells me, glaring as if his eyes alone could shove me back.I raise an eyebrow, the silent challenge clear in my expression. What? What are you gonna do?I feel Emerson’s hand on my arm. I can’t tell if he’s trying to calm me down or if he simply wants me to stop talking for the sake of keeping peace. Either way, it doesn’t work. Not when it comes to Eric."Okay, just… what is she having?" Tina asks. "Maybe she’s not allowed to eat the food." She says trying to keep the peace."That’s not what he said," I shoot back."Mina, you’re not the one who’s pregnant," Eric snaps. "You’re not my wife. Stay out of this, It doesn't concern you."I press my lips together, holding back the words burning on my tongue. My eyes stay locked on his.Tina shifts her attention to Rita. “What seems to be the problem?”I think Tina knows. It’s no secret that Eric and I share a certain… tension. Maybe she’s hoping to diffuse it by getting straight to the point.Rita looks at me, th
I am frozen in place.It feels like I’m the scapegoat, like this whole exchange isn’t really about me but somehow it is, and Trey—whatever he’s actually curious about—probably isn’t interested in any of the words coming out of my mouth. Maybe this is a game between him and his mother, or maybe it’s truly about me. I can’t tell.My heart races and I can feel Trey’s eyes still on me as if waiting for an answer.But no, his gaze shifts. He’s watching his mother now, something underneath his gaze there—anger? Maybe it is. Maybe this is more about her than anything else, but that’s just a guess, I don't know.And then, abruptly, Tina stands.Her chair scrapes back against the floor. Her wine glass topples over. Red liquid pools across the white tablecloth. She snatches the glass, upright again in her hand, but it’s too late to stop the stain from spreading. She doesn’t try to clean it away.“Excuse me,” she says, her voice tight.Without waiting for acknowledgement, she walks away from the
"You know what? The two of you deserve each other." My voice drips with venom as I push back my chair and rise to my feet. "And you will soon get whatever it is the both of you are looking for. Is it love? Is it happiness? Is it a child to help them get their funds sooner? I don't know which one it is, but you're finally going to get it."My words hang in the air.I know I said I wouldn't leave the table. I told myself I’d stand my ground, but how can I stay here, in this charade, and pretend I’m not drowning? How do you sit with people who have carved a wound into your very soul and smile as if it doesn’t burn? Are you freaking kidding me?I feel the heat of their eyes on me as I walk away, but I don't care. My legs carry me, faster than my mind can process, until I’m searching for the ladies' room. I push through the door, and the silence inside greets me, I'll take it.Relief comes first, followed by the crash of reality. I stare at myself in the mirror, gripping the edges of the s
"What are you doing?" I asked Trey, my voice sharp as I looked down at his hand on mine, then back up at him.He immediately let go, But he didn’t step back. Instead, he closed the small gap between us, leaving me with no choice but to tilt my head slightly to meet his eyes."You told me you wanted to have your look, your fill. You already looked." I kept my tone steady, even though I didn't like how close we stood. "What is it now? I really have to get back. It’s time to say goodbyes and for everyone to head home. After all, we have a huge day ahead of us. I assume you’ll be coming to work tomorrow?""Yes," he said, his voice softer now. "But before we do, I was wondering if you could answer my question."I frowned. "Another one? What question is that?"He paused, his words slow and deliberate. "I know I got myself mixed up back there at the table, but I’m really curious. I want to know.""You want to know what?""When did you realize you were in love with your FATHER-IN-LAW?."I sti
Suddenly, he was holding me in his arms. His grip was strong and unexpected—and then his mouth was on mine. He was kissing me.For a few moments, I froze.I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My body went rigid as shock poured through me. I was caught off guard, completely blindsided. My mind raced to catch up with what was happening.By the time I realized, truly realized, I shoved him away with everything I had. My palms pressed hard against his chest, and I slapped him with a force that carried all my rage, and the confusing emotions that followed in the wake of his kiss.The sound of my palm cracking against his face echoed in the hallway.He stumbled back a step, but not far. He was strong—too strong—and though I had pushed with all my strength, he remained right there filling the space between us. His eyes were locked on mine, dark and intense, his breathing uneven.I glared at him, my chest heaving. My heart hammered against my ribs as I seethed, “Are you crazy? How dare—”Befor
Emerson As we sat at the table, I found myself waiting for Eric more than I wanted to admit. I knew my son well—too well, and I could see everything going on behind his cool expression. With all that had happened with Mina, he believed I didn’t love him. He was wrong. He was my son, my only living relative, and the only true blood connection I had left. Of course, I loved him. But love doesn’t come without complications. And sometimes when he wanted to, Eric was a pain in the ass. To put it plainly, he could be an asshole. His tendency to push limits, challenge authority, and test boundaries was frustrating. He wasn’t just angry about me and Mina—he was livid. I understood his reasons, even if I didn’t agree with them. The truth was, I wasn’t going to let this woman go. Mina was mine, he had her and lost her. I intended to marry her. Eric would have to live with the fact that Mina was going to be my wife whether he wanted to or not. But tonight wasn’t just about our perso
"Tina, I don't think we should be drinking right now.""Oh, come on, Mina, why are you being such a downfall? Don't you want to uplift my spirits? Come on, please join me."And then she's already there by the bar, pouring us wine. She calls the chef and asks him to prepare little snacks to eat while we're drinking the wine. She's already choosing classical music, changing the lights in the house—I didn't even know we had disco lights—and she's putting them on.She's already dancing. She's drinking. She's pulling me up to dance with her.I think it's better to dance than drink the wine, so I put the wine glass away. And then the two of us just start dancing. At first, I'm just doing it to please her, but then I actually have fun.I have to agree, the Flaglers can get on your throat, but they're actually kind of fun. Like Tina—she's probably in her 60s, late 50s—and here she is, having the time of her life. She's laughing, pulling me with her, dancing with me. And I find myself actually
I roll my eyes at Trey and completely ignore his comment. Instead, I turn back to Tina."We are so attracted to each other," I say sarcastically. "I was here for three days. The first day, everything was fine. And the second day? He already brought a woman home."His mother whips around so fast it’s like she got whiplash."You what?" she snaps, her voice sharp as a knife. "You brought a woman here? In this penthouse?"Trey shifts in his seat, but before he can answer, she’s already going off."I told you not to bring any woman into this house! What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know how dangerous that is? People could take pictures of you! Your face could be all over the internet! You need to keep your image clean, Trey! We already talked about this...."She barely stops to take a breath before firing off more questions."Where did you even get this girl? Do you know her? Did security check her? Did she have her phone when she was with you? I hope this doesn't make headlines Trey
"You wanted to apologize?" I repeat, my voice sharp. "Apologize for what exactly? For humiliating me? For the accusations? For the defamation? What parts of what you did are you trying to apologize for?"Tina exhales, steadying herself. "I get your frustration and your anger towards me.""Please stop talking as if you actually understand what I’m going through right now," I say bitterly."I’m sure you’re going through a lot, and I should have done this sooner." She pauses, glancing at Trey before looking back at me. "The thing is, I love my son. I know there isn’t a person on this earth who doesn’t love their kids, but—""But you’re not supposed to just accuse people of things without being sure," I cut in.She nods and I continue,"I didn’t do anything to Trey. I didn’t even touch him.""I know," she says softly. "And I’m sorry.""And you know this how?" I challenge.Tina takes a deep breath. "I didn’t let it go just because Trey asked me to. I did my own investigation. I saw the v
Trey just grins. "I try."I roll my eyes at him. "I can’t believe you’re actually defending hanging out with Eric." I practically spit out his name.Trey rolls his eyes at me too. "Okay, first of all, I didn’t know he was going to throw the vase at you like that. And second, I get that you’re mad because he’s a cheater, but that doesn’t mean I have to cut him off completely. I can still talk to him. I can still be friends with him.""Yeah, because you’re also a cheater, aren’t you, Tracy Flager?"Trey freezes. His eyes narrow. "Okay, hold on a minute. Just because I’m friends with a cheater doesn’t make me one."I scoff. "Cheaters are the worst kind of people."" What if it was someone close to you? What if it was your mom for example? If you found out your own mother was a cheater, what would you do?" "If I found out my mom cheated on my dad, I would never speak to her again. Ever." My voice holds no space for doubt. Because I know it’s true. The way I loved my father? If my mom
“Come on, Trey, just tell me. Who is it?” I demand, my mind racing with a million different possibilities.Trey lifts his hands, making a grand gesture as if unveiling a piece of art. “Mommy dearest, of course.”I frown. “My mother?”He bursts out laughing. “Of course not. I don’t even know your mother. I meant my mom.”His mother? "Your mother?". He nods excitedly. “Tina flager?” I ask again He grins. “Yep! Isn’t it great? This is going to be an interesting dinner.”I stare at him, baffled. “Are you crazy? You want me to have dinner with your mother?”Trey just shrugs, like this is no big deal. Like the last time I sat at a table with him and his mother, it didn’t end with him in the hospital. Like his mother didn’t want to drag me to a police station by my hair.“The last time the three of us were at the same table, your mom literally tried to have me arrested, Trey.” “I know, good times,” he says, smirking. “Just think about it— in a few decades, when we’re old, sitting in ou
He takes a breath. "I cannot work with Emerson. I’m not working with your ex-fiancé. I’d rather work with your ex-husband than work with your ex-fiancé."I raise an eyebrow. "Wow!""We already have bad blood, okay?" he says, shaking his head. "I don’t want to be in a situation where I say something about you sleeping so beautifully in my bed, and then I find myself in the hospital again."It’s a joke. And I laugh, because—well, it’s true.He grins. "See? You’re laughing. Good beginnings."I shake my head, amused. "So? What are you proposing?""Not proposing," he corrects. "I already did the proposal. I pitched it to the team, and the Blackwind board, and they understood me. They agreed with me."I frown. "Agreed with what?"He leans forward. "You don’t want to go back to the company. But you’re passionate about this project. You want to do this. So if you and I are going to work together, why not do it from here? We can set up an office here—just like A, B, and C."I hesitate. "And wh
I'm already standing, walking to my bedroom. I step inside, and lock it—this time with bolts. I take a long shower, washing off everything that happened today. By the time I slip into bed, exhaustion lulls me into a deep, dreamless sleep.The loud ringing of my phone wakes me. I groggily reach for it, rubbing my eyes as I glance at the screen. An unknown number.For a moment, I consider ignoring it, but something makes me pick up.“Hello?” My voice is hoarse with sleep.Silence.“Hello?” I try again.Then I hear it—the familiar voice,“Nina.”I sit up instantly. “Emerson?”“Yes.” I exhale. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”“I’m fine,” I say. “Don’t worry about me.""I… I wanted to come after you. I wanted to stop you and talk to you... When you left, I wanted to hold you, to take care of you. I knew you needed me, but I also knew you wouldn’t have liked that. So, I just had to stand there and let you leave.”I sigh. “It wouldn’t have made a good picture if I wanted to quit and prov
I go shopping and buy new clothes.Yesterday, when Trey came back from wherever he had disappeared to, he brought me a few outfits because, according to him, I didn't have any. But today, I doing the shopping. I have my own money—the money Emerson gave me for my trip—so I take myself shopping.I even go to the salon and get my hair done. My nails, too. I throw a spa day for myself, just me, a celebration of… whatever this new chapter of my life. In the evening I have dinner, and then I head towards Trey’s penthouse.I think it’s time I start looking for my own apartment. I have Emerson’s money, after all.Or, you know what? I could still go on that trip to Rio.These are the thoughts running through my head as I step into the elevator. I get off the elevator and I open the door. The moment I step inside, I freeze.I blink, processing the sight in front of me.Trey is standing right there, in the exact spot where I stood yesterday when he came home with that blonde bimbo.And he’s hold
Then, all at once, the decision is made."This is not worth it," I say, standing up so fast my chair scrapes against the floor. I’m not doing this. I don’t care about this job, this project, this entire damn company. I’m not safe here.No one stops me as I step away from my desk."People have put things in my drink," I continue, my voice growing louder. "I don’t even know if they were trying to poison me or just being assholes. I don’t know what they’re capable of. And now this?" I motion toward the broken vase. I look at Eric, who has a forced smile on his face. I know that smile, he knows he fucked up but he is not going to own up to it or apologize. "No. I’m done." I announceI turn toward Emerson. Our eyes meet. His expression is unreadable, but something flickers there—something like regret.I smile tightly, grabbing my bag. "I’m leaving."And this time, I mean it.I am out of the door and already in the parking lot, walking towards my car, ready to leave it all behind. But t