Interview II

Olivia froze in place, not sure of what she should do next. She didn't know if she should scream, or simply turn around and disappear from the office completely. However, one thing she knew not to do was act like a wimp she used to.

"Liv, it's been a while—"

"What are you doing here?" Olivia interjected sharply, her tone blunt and devoid of any sense of formality.

Her arrogance only made Noah smile. Reaching into the depths of his pocket, he pulled out a badge and flashed it right at Olivia's face, "Noah Grant, CEO of Rock Enterprise, it's nice to meet you, Olivia Jones."

Now Olivia was even more speechless, if that was even possible. She had heard that Rock Enterprise had been bought, but never in her life did she imagine that it was Noah who had bought it. What was he doing this for? To spite her? Hadn't he done enough already?

"I want you out of here this instant. Leave while you still have the chance to avoid embarrassment." Olivia held her ground, her voice steady despite the alarms going off in her head. She definitely needed this dealership, but as long as Noah Grant was involved, she was certain that nothing good would come out of it.

Noah's smile widened, as if her defiance amused him. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "Embarrassment?" he echoed, his tone dripping with mock surprise. "I think you've got it all wrong, Liv. I'm here to help, not to cause a scene."

"And I'm refusing your help, I don't need you to help me with anything. Can't you see? I'm doing quite alright without your help!" She spat at his face, proud of the fact that she could now stand up to him. Ten years ago, he would have called her a failure, a golddigger, and she would have no words for a counterattack. Now, she could defend herself, and he wouldn't be able to insult her anymore.

Satisfied with the much she's done, Olivia turned to leave, but Noah's strong hand encircled her arm, stopping her from walking away. "I know you need this deal, I did my research, and I know that your sales are slowly declining. I can help you—"

"Is something the matter?"

Michael intervened, his brows arched suspiciously. He could tell from a glance that Olivia was uncomfortable, and another glance was all he needed to figure out that it was Noah Grant standing right in front of him.

Noah retracted his hands and straightened his coat. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene. He had come here for Olivia, and he didn't want to make her feel the need to avoid him for good.

"There's no problem, we were just discussing how this interview will go, don't you agree, Ms Jones?" Noah said, his tone smooth and composed, as if nothing had ever happened between them. He turned towards Olivia with a knowing look, daring her to contradict him in front of Michael.

Olivia took a deep breath before answering, "Yes, we were just discussing about the interview."

Michael flashed her a concerned look, but she waved him off with a smile. The last thing she wanted was for Michael to get involved in all of this madness. It didn't matter though, she didn't need the dealership anymore, nor did she want anything to do with Noah Grant.

"So when do we begin?" Noah inquired, a little smile forming on his lips.

"We don't, the dealership is canceled, Jones and Stones doesn't will be better off—"

"Can we have a minute, Liv?" Michael interrupted softly before gently pulling her aside. He understood everything that was happening perfectly even without asking questions.

Although he didn't know much about Olivia's relationship with Noah, she had told him a few things, and they weren't very nice. He could tell she wanted to push him away and lose this dealership because of sentimentality. And while that would do a lot of good for her ego, it would only jeopardize their company's stability. They had already invested so much to make this possible, pushing it away wouldn't be a wise decision.

"Are you sure you want to call the dealership off? We've invested so much already, it's not going to be a good idea—"

"It's Noah Grant, refusing him is always the best idea!" Olivia answered firmly, not letting Michael finish his words. "He's going to do nothing but make things difficult for everyone around him, it's all he ever does."

"You're letting your emotions get the better of you, Liv." Michael remarked as he gently cupped her cheeks. "I know he hurt you, but this might be an opportunity we won't get back. We can't miss out on this chance."

Olivia stared at Michael for a moment before wiping away the tears that threatened to drop from her eyes. Michael was right, they had already done much to procure this deal, and although it was Noah, it was still unwise to let her emotions be the judge of her business dealings.

She turned to get another look at Noah who was standing a few feet away from them. He did seem different, but that meant nothing to her. She was only going ahead with this because she had people to pay, and a company to run.

Noah on the other hand kept his eyes on Olivia and her co worker, or rather, her boyfriend. He had heard him call her Liv, and now his hands were on her cheek. Those were boundaries that a normal coworker wouldn't cross. He might not know who this man was, but it was clear that he wasn't just friends with Olivia.

He felt his chest tighten at the thought of her loving another man, but he kept his expressions professional. He had come to this city, bought an entire firm all for Olivia. He had come to realize his mistakes, and was here to claim her back. He planned to make her love him one way or another, and some random pretty boy in a suite was not going to be an obstacle in his path.