Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Sworn Enemy; His Deepest Desire : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

The office has been a whirlpool of activity , louder and definitely more frantic than usual as the project deadline draws closer. These days, it always feels like there is always something new to do every second and something else to correct or adjust every minute. But what weighed on me the most wasn’t even the workload, it was none other than Tristan. Somehow, despite my best efforts to keep things professional and keep some moderate gaps between us, we somehow end up side by side in meetings, or sometimes coincidentally walking the same hallways and then discussing ideas and strategies as if the awkwardness between us wasn’t enough.The thick atmosphere lingered un-ignored. Tristan’s a cool guy, his well polished exterior had some specks of dirt that only I seemed to notice. His quick glances during meetings, the way he tightened his grip on his pen when Adrian and I laughed over a shared joke, it all spoke volumes. At Least it did to me. And Adrian? Adrian was a wildcard in all

William The fallout from the party lingered for days, but fortunately not too much attention was drawn to us as I had imagined. The unease, fueled by Tristan's behavior,was in the air like a dark cloud. All the plans Adrian and I had made prior to the event all turned wishful thinking despite our efforts. At least we deserved to lay back and unwind just for one evening in a very long time. Instead, the evening had been swallowed up by Tristan’s selfish attitude, his ever piercing remarks, and the cold glances he kept throwing in our direction. It seemed that his disdain for the growing bond between Adrian and I had reached new heights I couldn’t possibly imagine. I feel like at this point, I should have been very well used to Tristan’s rubbish and his ability to disrupt even the most peaceful moments. But something about his behavior at the party unsettled me. Part of me wanted to simply brush it off and chalk it up to him being his usual unpleasant self, but another part couldn

William"What the ?"The words came pouring out of my mouth before I knew it, my entire being with disbelief as I stared at Tristan, while still trying to process what he’d just said. My heart raced, my thoughts were a mess. Did he really just? No. This had to be some kind of sick joke. A cruel, twisted joke that only a sociopath likeTristan could think was funny."Are you insane? What the actual fuck? What the?" I asked, my voice trembled. I felt a rush of emotions through my head, and I let it out before I started having any second thoughts. "I have always known you’re a sadistic bitch, but this?" I gestured wildly between the two of us. "This is way too low, even for you."Tristan didn’t utter not even one word. Or rather, he couldn’t. There was something about the way he sounded, about the way he looked at me. It feels so genuine and a bit warm at the same time. For a moment I saw a part of Tristan that seemed vulnerable and humane. And I wanted to believe maybe there was a speck

William No matter how much I tried I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to fix things with Adrian. No matter what had happened, he was still a good friend to me, and the last thing I wanted was for our relationship to fall apart because of whatever mess Tristan had thrown into the mix. So, I decided to take a detour after work. I wasn’t sure what was gonna happen, but I needed some answers, and I needed closure. Maybe we could work this out, put everything on the table, and move past this sandstorm together.When I reached his apartment, I stood outside for a moment, debating whether or not to knock. I felt so stupid and immature, but I had to do this. I just couldn’t just ignore the situation. After all, this was all Tristan's fault and not his.The door swung open, and there he was. Adrian. He looked as though he’d been expecting a visit, though the look he wore on his face told me that I wasn’t welcome.“What do you want, Will?” he asked, his voice flat, almost defens

William's POV A fire was burning in my head until I felt like I had a coal brassier on my shoulders, and my eyes had narrowed to pinpricks of light. I drew in breath because everything else felt impossible at that moment The smile on his face was infuriating and I found my hands clenching into fists. But if my father was aware of how I felt or whatever was going on between us, he did not show it. “Tristan.” I said shortly. My father looked excitedly at the both of us. “I simply can’t tell you how much of an honour it is that you decided to come down for the event today, Tristan.” “It was nothing. I needed some time away from the office. I’m sure William felt the same. He’s been working an awful lot doing over mistakes he’s made that would have otherwise been costly.” My father looked at me with new eyes. “Do you need help with work, William? This is the first time I’m hearing of you redoing tasks.” “I wondered the same thing too, Mr. Bracknell. I was already pleased to ha