<b>Chapter </b><b>78 </b>
Lydia
“We need to talk, Mason said, stepping close to me.
<b>“</b>About what?” I questioned, raising a brow. He dipped his hand into his pocket. What could he want to say that he had to wait for me outside the restroom.
“Can we go somewhere more private?” I don’t want to go anywhere with him, even if we were going to just talk.
1 twisted my lips, contemting for a brief moment if following him was a good option; lended up following him either way.
We walked out of the restaurant and stood in front of his car. I didn’t understand what was so private about that ce.
Standing in front of him, I crossed my hand over my chest. “What did you want to talk about?” Lasked
“Lydia, why are you doing this?” I squinted, “doing what?”
This man really couldn’t handle a rival. At least he shouldn’t make it so obvious
“<b>Did </b><b>you </b>block me?” He asked. Oh, this is what this is all about?
“Yes!” I said straightforwardly.
“Why did you block me? I just wanted to talk, what was so wrong about that?”
“Why would you just want to talk?” I <b>asked </b>him. “What <b>did </b>you <b>want </b>to say? Why would you even message me? Let’s not even talk about how you got my number.”
He pushed his hair back, “I’m here now, what did you want to talk about?”
“Can you unblock me?” He asked.
Why should I? That was enough <b>proof </b>that I didn’t want to speak to him.
<b>“</b><b>We </b>took our rtionship a step further that night, and then you blocked me.”
Took our rtionship a step further? I’m confused, “that’s riching from a man who is engaged.”
She’s not my fiance.” I guess he wasn’t aware of her pregnancy yet or the fact that he had been plotted against to take responsibility.
“And that obviously didn’t matter to you then<b>, </b><b>‘</b>cause you kissed me back.” He paused before adding, “passionately too.” I shook my head.
I’m done with this man.
“You took advantage of a drunk woman, you should be happy I’m not trying to sue you for harassment.” h surprise, “and that kiss meant nothing to me.”
–
widened in
“But…but you?”
“That night doesn’t matter, it doesn’t change anything. Please try not to pull me aside for such conversations in the future.”
I walked away, grateful he didn’t try to stop me. I had almost forgotten about that night. I wasn’t drunk and could remember everything clearly, but he needed to know that it meant nothing to me.
Seeing how he didn’t ask me about the meeting with Mr. Redmond he must be confident that he would get the contract
I tried to prepare my mind for the worst, say we lose the contract. It won’t be nice, and I would bepletely heartbroken, <b>but </b>that doesn’t mean it would tear me down.
“You don’t have to think about that; Lam certain we won’t lose this to your ex-husband. He can’t take this deal from us. We are better than him, remember?” Mia said as we drove back.
I allowed her words to give me courage as we drove back to thepany.
Later that day, I got an email from Mr. Redmond. He would be working with me. Mia, who brought the news, couldn’t hold back her excitement.
It was past 6 pm already.
We decided to pop a champagne to celebrate. I am one step ahead of Mason again. I couldn’t help but wonder how he nned to fight back.
Mason’s pov
She got the contract; I pushed the content on the top of my table to the floor, panting. There was no way Lydia had offered him more than I had.
Daniel pushed the sses up the bridge of his nose with his head slightly bowed.
Was this why they didn’t reach me all through? Maybe a letter stating that they regretted tossing me aside and picking Lydia over me would have been highly appreciated.
I only just found out this morning. Yesterday, after my chat with Lydia, I felt too weak to go back to the office.
She wasn’t drunk, and I didn’t take advantage of her. Maybe she was st
still a bit t
tipsy, but she <b>wasn’t </b>drunk. I knew that fact <b>so </b>well.
That wasn’t the part that got me. How could she say the kiss meant nothing to her?How could she easily block me and pretend she owes me no exnation.
Maybe she was right, she didn’t owe me any exnation. But it didn’t stop the hurt.
Coupling the hurt with this news, I felt suffocated.
“Can I get a meeting with Mr. Redmond?” I asked, and Daniel just shook his head. We needed this deal.
Contrary to what I had thought, even after the weekend of Mr. Arvin’s crises<b>, </b>it was still impossible to revive the product that he plunged into the depths of the abyss because of his scandal.
I tugged on my tie, loosening it, and walked to stand in front of the window.
“Why is this happening? Why are things going south?” I whispered underneath.
“What do we do, boss?”
Sat, 2 Aug
This was the baseline of all the other contracts I hoped to sign. If I got Mr. Redmond, things would naturally fall into ce.
Tregret not meeting with Mr. Redmond beforehand.
If I had gone with Julia to the exhibition as I promised and she had introduced me to him, then it would have been easier to get this contract, though I couldn’t tell how much help meeting him beforehand would have brought.
Instead, i ignored her calls and focused on Lydia, thinking that the kiss meant something to her
Sigh!
I should have known she was still out to get me. Right now it was hard to separate personal life from work life.
Maybe there was no separation. Came to think of it, my work life has always been my personal life.
There was only one person I could meet at this point, and that was Mr. Everett. I ced a call across to him.
After exchanging pleasantries, I didn’t have the time to state the purpose of my call before he asked me toe over to his office.
At first, I was surprised that he had asked me toe over. Did he know what I wanted toe for? I couldn’t help but wonder
But I did what he asked.
Thirty minutester<b>, </b>I was in front of hispany.
I stepped down, the sky was covered with thick clouds shielding the earth from the sun
I came alone.
His secretary was waiting for me at the building’s entrance. She led me to his office.
When she opened the door, Mr. Everett had his back to me. He was as tall and broad as I remember.
He turned and smiled. “Mason, it’s been so long.”
We shook hands when we met before sitting across from each other. Although Julia and I have been dating for the past five years, I can count the number of times I have met with her parents.
“You still look as young and healthy as ever,” I said, <b>and </b>he grabbed his shoulder, massaging it gently,
“I have an obsession with keeping my physical health; a healthy body is a healthy mind.” I nodded.
We spoke about general things briefly before he said, “I was just about to call you when your call came in.”
Call me? He must also be disappointed about <b>the </b>news. Mr. Redmond was his friend, so naturally, he would want him to work with
me
If he wanted to call me after seeing the neys, then it must mean one thing: there was a way I could get Lydia.
at the c
contract back from
“What do you want to talk about?” He asked, but before I could respond, he interrupted, “Forgive my manners<b>, </b>tea or coffee?”
“I’ll take water.” He pushed a button had not noticed on the table, and his secretary came in.
11:02 Sat, 2 Aug G
mister for my son.” “Water
“it is no news that I lost the contract with Mr Redmond to a rival, and I am very well aware that he is a friend of yours.”
The door opened, and I stopped. The secretary ced a cup on the table. I continued after she left.
“Is there a way I can get another contract with Mr. Redmond? As you well know, I have been having some internal issues. Any help from you will be appreciated.”
He was silent for a while, and each second thatsted just made me more anxious.
“What will I get in return?” I was puzzled by his response. He has never asked that.
“Is there anything you want?”
He held my gaze, his eyes never leaving me. His presence was overbeating, and I knew he was trying to make me feel small; after all, he was bigger. But that won’t work for <b>me</b>.
I stared back with the same intensity.
“There is something I <b>want</b>.”
He paused and continued, “Julia is pregnant, I want you to take responsibility by marrying her.”
7