Ch-11

Fredrick's POV 

      It stung, and I wasn't even going to try to deny it. The meal sitting in front of me had lost its taste a long time ago, but I still forced myself to swallow it, spoonful after spoonful. Why? Because it was Alora's favourite and I didn't want anything that was going to sour her mood. 

As she slowly picked at the plate in front of her, I couldn't help but feel like her mood had already been ruined, and by no one else asides me. 

Shit. 

I was a fool, and I'd only confirmed it this evening.

Even a toddler would be able to see how happy I was to see alora on stage a couple of hours ago. She looked regal, right from the moment she got into her designated seat, the moment she outbid Eliaz and the moment she was called to receive the contract. 

Everything had been planned down to the last detail. 

My highlight of the night had to be the shocked look on Eliaz's face when Alora was announced the winner. Even though it didn't last long and was replaced by a faint sense of longing, it still made something burn inside of me. 

Eliaz and I had never had a direct meeting in the past. In fact, if he hadn't hurt Alora, I wouldn't have even believe that he existed. But right now, he did, and I was going to make him pay for all the tears Alora had shed. 

 As for Henry, we were going to get into that later. 

It had been five years since I and Alora's deal, but nothing had quite changed. The woman I met then was hurt, and thereby decided to channel that pain into making her enemies pay. Along the line, it was safe to say she lost everything that made her the Alora I was in love with. 

Her heart. 

Eliaz had successfully shattered the most vital part of her and I was going to forever loathe him for it. I could bet my life he had no idea, but his hurt had caused Alora to shut everyone out, especially me. 

I had planned tonight's surprise meticulously, and it had just one ending: Alora and I sharing a passionate kiss and her opening her heart to me, but thanks to that bloody bastard…..

A loud ring from the pocket of my suit jacket pulled me out of my thoughts. For a minute, I had completely forgotten that I was still in the middle of dinner with Alora. 

I fumbled for my phone and when I eventually pulled it out, I muttered to the woman in front of me. 

“I'll be back.” I muttered. “I have to take this.” 

With her signature smile on her lips, she nodded in my direction and I took that as my cue to leave. 

“Mr Henshaw.” The voice on the other end greeted loudly. “I saw the news. Congratulations.” 

“Thank you, Brad.” Brad was one of our potential Investors at the office. He owned a wide range of companies that specialized in various fields. Brad was originally a small time business owner who rarely got invited to the most basic events. But a couple of years later, he was steadily topping the charts, and being sought after by everyone. “it means a lot, but I can't take all the credit. I owe a lot of my success to my beautiful wife, Alora.”

At the sound of her name, she waved in my direction and for a split second, all I could imagine was an alternate universe where she reciprocated my feelings for her. 

“Of course.” Brad chuckled. “You both have worked hard for this, and you deserve this.” 

“Thank you.” I nodded once. I allowed a couple of seconds to pass before I dove straight into the foyer. “Is there something you would like to discuss?” 

I already knew the answer before I asked. Brad wasn't a man of many words. He knew his rank in the business world and he used it to his advantage whenever he could afford the luxury of doing so. 

For the past month, our company had been vying to get him to invest in one of our building projects. We'd scheduled meetings upon meetings that usually ended in a deadlock. And by deadlock, I meant Brad always ending the call or meeting with the same phrase 

I would get back to you soon. 

All thanks to him, I'd tasked my secretaries and employees to come up with an offer he wouldn't be able to refuse but guess what? He turned all of them down in the blink of an eye.

“Yes.” Brad cleared his throat. “My assistant reminded me that we might have some unfinished business.” 

“Oh.” My lips curled into a knowing smile. “is that so?”

“Yes. Yes.” Brad chortled. “Don't tell me you've forgotten….”

“Actually…” I cut him off. “I don't think that offer still stands, or any unfinished business actually.” 

“What?” Saying I could picture the shock on his face had to be the biggest understatement ever. “Fredrick, what exactly do you mean?” 

“We've submitted over five proposals for your company to consider.” I plucked a champagne glass from the table. “All of which you rejected. My company and I actually decided it would be better and more wise to move to more promising… prospects.”

  The silence that settled between us was deafening. If Brad thought I was going to give in to him that easily, then he was clearly mistaken. 

“You know this partnership belongs to me.” An amused smile made its way to my lips as I picked up on his angry tone. “You can't just give it out….”

“I believe you know how business works.” I clicked my tongue. “If you like something you see, I think you should have your team draft out a proposal and time is simply of the essence.” 

After a couple more grunts with the promise to get in touch with me, the call dropped dead. I stood in front of the window for a couple more seconds, making sure to soak in my little win. 

Just as Brad had crawled back to the company, I was going to make sure Henry and every other person who deserved it, would do the same.