Chapter 9

Edwardo, preoccupied with a looming acquisition deal, barely registered the package. He glanced at the elegant script of the return address, a familiar name that made his stomach clench, then tossed it carelessly onto his desk amidst a pile of documents. Blair. Always dramatic. He dismissed it as another attempt to stir up trouble, perhaps a last-ditch effort to extract more from him. He had already given her his shares, his capital. What more could she possibly want?

He picked up his pen, ready to sign off on a new contract, but his hand faltered. The name on the package, Blair, seemed to stand out, pulling at a thread of unease he couldn't quite place. He remembered her face when she walked away from the police station, a cold, hard mask he' d never seen before. Her words, "I regret the day I met you, Edwardo," echoed in his mind. A tiny tremor ran through him.

He reached for the package, his heart doing a strange flutter. His pen, still in his hand, slipped. The sharp metal tip sliced through the crisp white paper of a report, leaving an ugly, inky stain. A bad omen, perhaps. He shook his head. Nonsense.

He was about to tear open the package when the door to his office burst open. Cassie, a vision in a tightly-fitted designer dress, sauntered in, her hands on her hips, a theatrical pout on her face.

"Edwardo, darling! There you are!" She flung herself onto his lap, her arms coiling around his neck, her perfume, cloyingly sweet, filling his nostrils. "You promised me a day out! A shopping spree! And you're stuck in here, being boring."

He stiffened, the sudden physical contact jarring. His OCD, which Cassie usually magically bypassed, flared for a moment. He quickly suppressed it. It was just Cassie. His savior. "Cassie, I have a very important meeting in an hour. This deal is crucial." He tried to gently detach her.

"No!" she whined, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "You always say that! Work, work, work! Don't you care about me? About us?" She batted her eyelashes, her voice thick with manufactured hurt.

"Of course I care," he said, his voice strained. He didn't want to deal with this right now. "But this meeting is with the board of directors. It can't be postponed."

"Just push it back!" she insisted, pouting. "Tell them you're indisposed. Tell them your gorgeous girlfriend needs you! They'll understand."

He sighed. "Cassie, this is a multi-million-dollar acquisition. It affects thousands of jobs. I can't just 'push it back' for a shopping spree."

Her lower lip trembled. "So, I'm not important to you? My happiness doesn't matter?" Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

He felt a familiar weariness. This routine. It was always the same. He pulled out his wallet, extracting a thick wad of cash. "Here. Go shop. Buy whatever you want. I'll make it up to you tonight."

Her tears instantly dried. Her eyes lit up, a predatory gleam in their depths. She snatched the cash, her fingers brushing against his. "Oh, Edwardo! You're the best! I knew you loved me!" She showered him with quick, perfunctory kisses, then slid off his lap, clutching the money. "I'll see you tonight, then!" She blew him a kiss and flounced out of the office, humming a cheerful tune.

Edwardo watched her go, a strange mix of relief and emptiness in his chest. He turned back to the package, his hand reaching for it again.

Just then, his assistant, Ms. Davies, appeared at the door. "Mr. Steele, your board meeting is in five minutes. They're waiting."

He sighed, pushing the package aside again. "Right. I'll be there."

The meeting was a disaster. The opposing company, a powerful tech giant called Cygnus Innovations, led by the ruthless CEO Domenic Perez, was demanding exorbitant terms. Edwardo felt a headache building behind his eyes. He missed Blair's sharp mind, her ability to cut through the corporate jargon and get to the heart of the matter. He missed her quiet efficiency. He suppressed the thought. She's gone. And good riddance.

Suddenly, the boardroom doors burst open. Cassie, now decked out in a new, outrageously expensive outfit, stumbled in, a half-empty glass of champagne in her hand. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes glazed.

"Edwardo, darling!" she slurred, making a beeline for him. "I missed you! Come dance with me!" Before he could react, she lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss squarely on his lips.

He recoiled, pushing her away with a sharp shove. "Cassie! What are you doing? This is a private meeting!" His OCD screamed at the violation, the unexpected touch, the smell of alcohol and cheap perfume.

The board members, usually stoic and reserved, exchanged uncomfortable glances. Perez, meanwhile, watched the spectacle with a smug, knowing smile.

"I don't think we can continue this negotiation, Mr. Steele," Perez said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Frankly, your... distractions... are unprofessional. We require serious partners, not sideshows." He stood, his team following suit. "Perhaps we'll revisit this when you have your house in order."

"No! Wait!" Edwardo shouted, but it was too late. Perez and his team were already walking out, leaving behind a thick cloud of unspoken judgment.

The boardroom fell silent, a heavy, suffocating quiet. The air crackled with anger and disappointment. Edwardo felt a surge of cold fury. He turned to Cassie, who was now weeping dramatically on the floor.

"Edwardo, I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I just... I just wanted to see you! I love you so much!"

He looked at her, truly looked at her, for the first time in years. And he saw nothing but a spoiled, manipulative child. The image of Blair, precise and dignified, even in her fury, flashed in his mind. Blair would never have done this. She would never have sabotaged his work, his reputation, for a petty whim.

He felt a deep, unfamiliar pang of something that felt like... regret.

"Get out, Cassie," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Get out of my sight. Now."

She looked up, her eyes wide with shock. "Edwardo? You're mad at me?"

"I said, get out," he repeated, his voice rising, a tremor of suppressed violence in his tone. The board members, still present, shifted uncomfortably.

Cassie scrambled to her feet, her face crumpling. "You're being mean! I hate you!" She ran out of the room in a flurry of sobs and slammed the door.

Edwardo turned to his board, his face pale, his jaw clenched. "I apologize for this... unprofessional interruption. I will handle it." He waved a dismissive hand. "The meeting is adjourned. I'll be flying to Cygnus's headquarters tonight to salvage this deal."

He flew to Silicon Valley, chasing after Perez, desperate to repair the damage. But Perez was unyielding. "Mr. Steele," he said, a smug smile on his face, "we value stability. We value partners who are focused, professional. And frankly, your recent... personal issues... are concerning." He paused, then added, "We had high hopes for Ms. Moreno, though. She seemed to possess a remarkable clarity, a quiet strength. A shame she's no longer with your company."

The words hit Edwardo like a physical blow. Ms. Moreno. Blair. Perez knew about her. He was subtly rubbing it in, reminding Edwardo of the capable woman he had so carelessly discarded.

A cold, sickening dread began to settle in Edwardo' s stomach. Cassie. Her erratic behavior. Her constant demands. Her flippant disregard for his work. And then, Blair. Her quiet competence. Her unwavering loyalty, even when he gave her nothing but contempt.

He remembered her face in the hospital, the cold fire in her eyes as she presented the crypto key. She had acted with precision, with ruthlessness, to protect her brother and her company. She had never once resorted to cheap theatrics or emotional manipulation.

The contrast was stark, horrifying. He had been blind. Willfully blind.

The nausea churned. It wasn't just his OCD. It was a deeper sickness, a realization that was slowly, painfully, dawning on him. He had made a catastrophic mistake. He had thrown away gold for glitter. And the cost was beginning to feel unbearable.