PEDRO“How did I look today?” I asked, staring at my reflection in the full length mirror I asked my secretary to install in my office earlier that morning. Roy stood behind me, his butt resting on my office table as he glared at me.“Hmm, great. Why?”I flashed out a cocky smile at my reflection, couldn't help but fell in love with myself but I still need to hear confirmation from someone else.“Do you have anything to say about my suit? Tie? Shoe? Wristwatch—”“You’re acting weird.” Roy groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he slowly moved away from my desk. “You good, man?” he raised an eyebrow and I shrugged.“Quite so.” I chuckled, checked my hair to make sure it was still in perfect place.I turned to face Roy who seemed to be judging me with a hard glare on his face. “Move to the door.” I ordered, couldn't help the smile that crept up my face as he stared at him with confusion carved on his face.“Sorry?” a thin line appeared in between his eyebrows as he moved his gaze
PEDRO This morning was not at all what I had expected. I had taken extra care with my appearance, only for Selena to be physically present but mentally absent. My eyes kept drifting to her, and I couldn't seem to focus on the conference room or the people in it. The meeting dragged on, each minute feeling like an eternity as I longed to get Selena out of the room and find out what was wrong. I had a feeling that something was deeply troubling her, and I needed to know what it was. “The construction project is going great which was unbelievable.” As the project team leader droned on about the progress of the construction project, I could barely focus. My attention was on Selena, who was tugging at her hair, seemingly trying to hide the skin of her neck. She looked uncomfortable and fidgety, which only made me more concerned about her well-being. The words of the meeting faded into background noise as I observed her every move, trying to figure out what was going on. Roy, my ever-
SELENA I stepped into the office, closing the door behind me. The room was silent except for the sound of Pedro's footsteps as he paced back and forth. He stopped in his tracks when he sensed my presence, his eyes wide with surprise. He clearly hadn't expected me to follow him into his office. "Selena," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He ran a hand through his hair, before closing the distance between us. "Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, his eyes searching mine for an answer. His question hung in the air, and I could feel my breath catch in my throat. I knew he had been watching me throughout the meeting, but I didn't think he had noticed me avoiding his gaze. Now he was staring at me, waiting for an answer. "I'm not avoiding you," I said, the lie falling flat even to my own ears. My eyes drifted from his face to his necktie, my attention fixated on the intricate pattern. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. "You might sound more convincing if you weren't
SELENAI walked out to see that Christopher was already in the car. I let out a sad hiss as I dragged my feet towards the car. I got him and fastened my seatbelt, expecting Chris to say anything, to do anything but there was nothing. He started the car and drove us out of the company.Throughout the drive home, Chris didn't say a word and it was practically eating me up from the inside. The Chris that I know would have reacted, he would have said something.“Eh,” I wanted to ask if he was okay, but I was scared. So scared that the words wouldn't leave my mouth.Chris didn't bother to ask me what I wanted to say and that bothered me. He drove into our compound and parked the car in the driveway, stepping out of the car like he had wanted to be away from me.“This can't be good.” I shook my head as I hurriedly packed my stuff from the backseat. Chris hated Pedro and I could tell by the way he reacted the day I told him I met with Pedro. The way he acted that day was the same way he acte
SELENAMy heart pounded in my chest as the realization of what was making Christopher act the way he had been hit me like a ton of bricks. He was losing his mind because he was in love with me and didn't want me to be with anyone else. My head ached as I thought about the past few days and all the strange behavior that now made perfect sense. Christopher's insecurity was rooted in his unrequited love for me and the fear that I might go back to Pedro. The thought of losing me to someone else was too much for him to bear. He couldn't bear the thought of me being with another man, and his erratic behavior was a symptom of his heartbreak. Mitchell's voice rang out from the phone pressed against my ear. “What do you want to do now?” he asked. I paced around my room, shaking my head and holding my throbbing head in my hand. I had no idea what to do. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, and I was having trouble putting them into words. How could I explain this situation to Mitchell? How could
PEDROMy fingers tightened around the knot of my tie as I craned my neck to look through the car window. My father's sleek black sedan was parked in front of the penthouse, and I knew what that meant. He was already inside, waiting for me. My stomach twisted into a knot as I steeled myself for the conversation to come.I knew I wasn't ready for the conversation that was about to take place. My father, who had cut me off physically and emotionally five years ago, had asked to meet with me. And I was certain that he would be asking me to make a difficult choice - marry the woman who had once broken my heart, or lose the major shareholder in the of my company. It was all speculation on my part, but I was bracing myself for the worst.“I need to call Selena. I need to hear her voice to calm down.” I said aloud, reaching for my phone. I quickly dialed her number, my hands trembling slightly as I waited for her to answer. But instead of hearing her voice, I was greeted by the monotonous ton
SELENAThe elevator beeped as we reached the top floor, and the doors slid open to reveal a stunning rooftop terrace. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the city skyline, and the air was filled with the scent of jasmine and roses. A single table was set in the center of the terrace, candles flickering in the breeze. Christopher took my hand and led me to the table, pulling out my chair for me. As I sat down, I felt a shiver of anxiety run down my spine. Whatever was about to happen, it would be unforgettable for me, and what I was going to do would be unforgettable for him."Th—this is beautiful," I stammered, my eyes taking in the stunning view of the city skyline. "The atmosphere is incredible." I wiped my clammy hands on my dress, trying to calm my nerves. What was happening here? What did he have planned? I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and fear, unsure of what was to come."You're right," Christopher said with a proud smile, his eyes sparkling as he gazed out
CHRISTOPHER I watched in horror as Selena fell to the ground, her body hitting the metal railing with a sickening thud. She crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around her. I stood frozen, the ring box slipping from my hand. In that moment, the fireworks began, exploding in the night sky. I had wanted them to form a heart, but now all I could see was the red, like the blood on the ground."Selena!" I gasped, falling to my knees next to her. I cradled her head in my lap, her eyes fluttering closed. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, a crimson stain on her lips. "Selena, please," I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. "Please…just hang in there for me.”Without thinking, I gathered Selena in my arms and ran to the elevator. I left everything we'd brought with us behind, my only thought was to get Selena to a hospital. I jabbed the button frantically, the doors taking an eternity to open. I pushed past the people waiting to get in, racing to the street. I hailed a taxi, th