Chapter 2 2

Exhaling, I pondered her remarks, then acquiesced.

"It wasn't a significant issue or anything too grave," I explained. "Just a bit bothersome."

"Of course, it's not serious; you wouldn't be so emotional otherwise. What I'm sure of is that it was embarrassing for you, and this is why I have to hear about it, or else you're going to miss your flight today. I'm not letting you leave."

Amused, I continued gazing at the ceiling as I summoned the memory, and she approached to poke me.

"Speak," she urged. "You're going to be late."

"Fine," I conceded. "There were many of those... joint festivities you mentioned since our fathers owned the company together."

"Okay," she acknowledged.

"So," I proceeded. "During one of those, I was in the library trying to get away from all the noise when I heard someone come in, so I hid. I thought it was the housekeeper trying to get me to come downstairs to meet the other guests."

"However, I later found out that it was Alessio and some woman."

"Oh?" she inquired. "And?"

"Well, what else could have happened? He had sex with her right there?"

She gasped.

"In front of you?"

"No," I replied. "There was an inner reading room, and he took her there. Took her on my bloody reading daybed! At first, I wasn't even sure what was going on, so I went to take a look."

"Of course," Jane said, and I smiled.

"Well, I saw Alessio, and he saw me."

Her mouth fell open. "Really?"

"Yeah. Our eyes met, and when it did, I thought at the very least that he was going to be startled enough to pull away from her, but he didn't. Instead, he had the nerve to invite me to join them instead!"

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You're joking."

"I kid you not," I replied. "I can even recall verbatim what he said. He was like– hey Tom, rather than peeping, you should come join us?"

"Was he still doing that when he was saying this?" she asked.

"Bastard didn't miss a beat, and she was noisy as well. Too excited to realize there was someone else in the room. I was so embarrassed I nearly died."

Jane burst out laughing, then covered her mouth. "What did you say?"

I cringed, remembering the scene as if had happened yesterday. "Not even if you were the last man on earth," I admitted with a sigh.

Jane's eyes went wide again. "Oh my! "You really said that?"

"I was young," I replied.

"What did he say?"

I shifted uncomfortably. "He threw his head back and laughed."

"And this... is the guy you're going to work for now."

"I won't be working for him," I frowned. "I own the same amount of the company as he does."

"But he's the CEO, right?"

"Right," I concurred slowly.

She gave me a look. "That would make him your boss."

I glared at her.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have to work for two years before those rights are vested to you, and before then, you'll be working under him, right?"

I grabbed the pillow and put it over my face. I would have screamed into it, but I didn't have the energy.

She couldn't care less about my sudden realization of the horrid situation that was awaiting and was instead spinning her own fantasies.

"So... you once watched him have sex with someone. And both of you remember this. Hmm... Was he good, by the way? Did the girl look like she was enjoying herself?"

"Way too much," I spat angrily. "I couldn't get her stupid whimpering out of my head for years after that."

"Wow, sounds like he made a massive impression on you?" she asked.

I threw the pillow aside. "No, he didn't. All I remember is that supercilious, arrogant, uncaring smirk on his face when he caught sight of me. I turned around and hurried the hell out of there as soon as I could, but as I was in the corridor I heard her, you know, reach her grand finale."

She laughed. "She was loud, huh?"

"The volume was just freaking ridiculous."

"Is he an attractive person?" Without waiting for my response, she retrieved her phone and started to Google him.

"Don't," I groaned, but she didn't listen.

"I need to put a face to him," she mumbled and continued. In no time, she found his pictures and began to scroll through them, her eyes widening with every passing second.

"Wow," she gasped.

Shaking my head in defeat, I got off the bed and returned to my packing.

"How old was he when you walked in on him?" she asked, her eyes still glued to her phone.

I thought back to the past. "I was eighteen."

"He's thirty-one now," she said. "And you're twenty-six, so back then he was..."

She lifted her gaze to do the math.

"Twenty-three," I supplied.

She nodded. "Yeah. Twenty-three. Damn."

"Damn what?"

"I'm sorry Lia, but judging by these photos, and if he is still as delectable as he was back then..."

I stopped and waited for her to complete her statement, my eyes narrowing in warning.

"I'm going to make a prediction right now. You're either going to have a hell of a time there, or it's going to be a complete nightmare of cold showers for two years."

Annoyance surged through me at her words but rather than rage at her for mentioning the possibility, I decided to be rational.

"Ugh... I'd rather cut off my arm," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Blinding yourself seems like the only escape from your fate," she remarked. Suddenly, noticing my sour expression, she quietly approached and joined me in folding. "I'm just being a bit silly, sorry," she apologized sheepishly.

"Don't worry. I'm just concerned about the complexities this mess might bring. Joining Diamond Minecould benefit my company in various ways, but I'm hesitant. I plan to decline the buyout offer; I need to know the reason behind it from him directly," I explained.

"Maybe he wants you to work for him, killing two birds with one stone-buying you out and gaining both the company and its owner," she suggested.

"That makes sense, but what's in it for him?" I pondered.

"Perhaps he needs an ally?" she proposed.

I paused, considering her words. "True, but why would he want me as an ally when he has his sister?" I questioned.

"Is their relationship good?" she inquired.

"I have no idea, but I doubt it," I admitted, continuing with my packing. "Alessio is offering ten million," I added.

She gasped. "Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?"

"Exactly why this trip to New York worries me. There's surely a catch," I concluded.