CHAPTER 8: You don't care

Jason’s POV

A WEEK AGO

“Honey,” my father said gently, setting down his cutlery. “Remember, we invited him here for lunch. Let’s not turn this into a business discussion.”

“Business discussion?” My mother’s voice shot up, disbelief written all over her face. “You call me caring about my son’s love life a business conversation?”

“Love life?” I scoffed, gripping my fork tightly before slamming it onto the plate. The sound clattered through the dining room. “Mom, let’s be real—you don’t care about my love life. You never have.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but I wasn’t done.

“It’s always about business with you,” I continued, my voice rising. “Every decision you make for me isn’t about my happiness—it’s about the company. It always has been.”

“Jason,” she warned, her tone sharp.

“Don’t tell me how to speak,” I cut in coldly. “You’re the one pushing me to the edge.”

She exhaled slowly, composing herself. “Alright then, tell me. What exactly is wrong with Diana? Why can’t you just start over with her?”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Start over?” My fingers curled into fists on the table. “Have you forgotten what happened, Mom?”

Her silence was answer enough.

“This is the same Diana who betrayed me,” I reminded her, my voice tight with anger. “The same woman I trusted, the same woman I loved—and she stabbed me in the back.”

Mom’s expression remained unreadable, but I saw the quick glance she threw at Dad.

I clenched my jaw. “Do you really want me to remind you what she did?”

The room felt suffocating, thick with unspoken tension.

“She didn’t just betray me—she betrayed us,” I spat. “She handed our company’s trade secrets to our biggest rival. Because of her, we nearly went bankrupt.”

Still, my mother said nothing. She flinched, tightening her grip on her fork, and averted her gaze.

I leaned forward, lowering my voice but making sure every word hit hard.

“And this is the same woman you want me to marry?”

“Jason, that’s enough,” my father’s voice rang out across the table, firm yet controlled looking exasperated and tired.

But I wasn’t finished.

“Dad, she needs to understand that I’m not just some pawn to be moved around for the company’s benefit.” I turned back to my mother, meeting her unflinching gaze. “Taking Diana back? It won’t just destroy me—it’ll destroy everything we’ve worked for.”

A tense silence followed.

Then, without another word, I pushed my chair back with a scrape, stood up, and walked out of the dining room.

---

I was lost in my thoughts, staring blankly at the ceiling when my phone vibrated.

“Jason! Jason, are you even there?” Dave’s voice jolted me back to reality.

I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face. “Yeah, I’m here.”

He chuckled. “So, you’re saying you saw her?”

I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Dave,” I warned.

“Alright, alright,” he laughed. “But you do know what this means, right? It means she’s coming back.”

I frowned, glancing at the clock. It was almost dinnertime.

“I’ll call you later,” I muttered, standing up and stretching. “I need to eat.”

“Oh, come on, we just started talking—”

Bing. The call ended.

Shoving my phone into my pocket, I headed into the kitchen.

As I stirred the simmering soup on the stove, my mind wandered back to Nelly.

Offering her that contract was the best choice.

She wasn’t like Diana. She didn’t have that manipulative streak, that hunger for power disguised as love. She wasn’t playing games.

And yet, there was something about her that unsettled me.

A part of me had already started thinking about her too much.

No.

I shook my head, shoving the thought away. I wouldn’t go down that road again. I couldn’t afford to.

The last time I let my heart get involved, it nearly cost me everything.

I lifted the pot lid, inhaling the rich aroma of the soup. My stomach growled loudly.

How long had it been since I last ate properly?

Before I could grab a bowl—

Ding dong.

I frowned, glancing toward the front door.

I wasn’t expecting anyone.

Wiping my hands on a towel, I made my way to the door and pulled it open.

The moment I saw her, my mood soured instantly.

Diana stood there, smirking.

“Surprised?” she purred, stepping inside like she owned the place.

I stepped back, my jaw tightening, and my grip tightened on the doorframe. “What are you doing here?”

Her smirk widened as she casually tossed her coat over the couch.

“Now, now, Jason. Is that any way to greet an old lover?”