Chapter 2 His Revenge

{Adrian's}

I finally saw Annabelle Dickinson. After all these years, I'll finally have her close to me.

I had countless questions for her. Many things I wanted to talk to her about, but could not bring myself to.

What's the point? Not like I'd missed her like she'd hoped I did. And I've not lived the last six years mopping around or crying miserably because she'd dumped me over the phone.

In fact, I'd only gone to her place only every two weeks for two years before I stopped and started clubbing away.

Annabelle did not want me. She did not want to see me. She'd hated me enough that she'd broken up with me over the phone with just five words; "I can't do this anymore."_ a statement that was very, very concise, sharp like the edge of a knife, and cut through my chest till it pierced my heart into pieces with no explanation, leaving me defenseless.

Annabelle won't explain. No! She'd left the town before I could even ask the question. She left me broken, shattered, and with a void in my heart.

But I'd seen her again. She'd waltzed into my life like the damn angelic devil she is. With her strawberry blonde hair, her button nose, and her lips that always tasted like my favorite apple snack and fit perfectly into mine. Her steel blue eyes had glared at me with no familiarity and something akin to hatred in them.

The past six years might have washed away her youthful innocence, making her more refined and beautiful, but they'd not washed away the hatred she might have harbored for me.

It's mutual anyway. The last six years had been a blur of academic pursuit and simmering anger all directed at her.

Even when I'd vowed to forget her. When I'd sworn never to cry over her brutality, she still found a way to crawl her wicked way back into my heart just like she'd crawled her way back into my life, seeking for the post of a secretary in my company.

Oh. She was not qualified. Lord knew I wouldn't employ an online degree holder with little to no experience. But it was Annabelle Dickinson, a girl with a big dream. It surprised me that she'd opted for an online course instead of the prestige school she'd vowed to attend.

Perhaps, I'd employed her because I want to hear her story, mainly the reason she broke it off with me...and definitely not because I want to see her beautiful face every morning.

"So, have you taken your pick yet?"

I looked up from Annabelle's resume I might have been staring at all day just in time to see my soon-to-be ex-secretary walk in. She inched closer to my table and dropped the files she had with her on it. "Who? Let me have their details so I can fill them up on your schedules."

Jessica was my secretary, and still my secretary until she finally quit tomorrow. After she'd worked with me for three years, she was finally getting hitched to her long-time boyfriend... something "I" failed to do.

Of course, it was hard letting Jessica go. The lady was perfect at her job with her good nature. She's a perfect combination of brain, brawn, and beauty.

And I could swear that her fiance was a lucky bastard.

I tossed her Annabelle's resume with as much anger as I could muster. Six years ago, we'd planned to make things official between us, get hitched, and live the perfect couple life we'd always wanted.

Of course, it was not just the wishful thinking of two teenagers. At 22 years of age respectfully, we knew we wanted each other...until Annabelle thought it was too much for her.

"An online degree holder?" Jessica snorted. She flipped the pages, and with every flip, her nose scrunched up as if she'd smelled something pungent. "She was a part-time at a restaurant? Worked as an online marketer until recently?" She dropped the file on the table so she could fix her hand on her hips. "Were you threatened into hiring her? She put a gun to your head? No, I don't think she could do that." Jessica's gaze darted to Annabelle's picture then back to mine, her gaze incredulous, "She looks too innocent to do that."

And look can be deceiving. That woman was as vile as a venomous snake. The only thing she'd not done was put a gun to my head, granted. But she'd taken my heart and shredded it into pieces...not that innocent to me.

I grabbed her resume so I could ignore Jessica's penetrating glare.

"Did I do something wrong?" She sighed. "I mean, I was supposed to do the interview."

"Nonsense! I won't let you miss your fitting just for some stupid interview." My glare made her face flushed, and her own glare softened. "She needed the job. And what matters if she's an online degree holder? As long as she's good at her job."

"We don't know if she's, Adrian. The working experience she has wasn't needed here. You need someone who has real working experience. Clearly she has not worked in a company before."

"Because those companies she applied to was being a dickhead!" I shouldn't be defensive. I don't even know why I'm getting worked up because of Annabelle.

But I want her. She needed to be here. "And she can get that working experience here."

Jessica's brows shot up, her gaze narrowed as she kept opening and closing her mouth before she let her shoulder sag and grabbed Anna's resume too.

"Sure, Mr. Armstrong. I'll check her email and forward your schedule to her." Then she stomped up to the coffee table. "Just know this is an insult to my years of hard work."

Well, not like anyone could ever replace Jessica. She's more than a secretary who'd put up with my assholic nature over the years...and not even Annabelle Dickinson could last that long because I'd just gotten the perfect reason for wanting her here with me.

"Jessica?"

"You don't have to apologize," Jessica turned to me with a sarcastic smile. "I'm going to be fine with whoever you hired. Even if it's someone who could ruin all my years of hard work. I'm calm just like a clam."

I am not about to apologize. "Okay." I shrugged. "Duly noted. I won't apologize."

Jessica's nostril flared, but I pretended not to notice.

"I need to make a few changes in my schedule."

"Are you postponing some meetings?"

"Well, no?" I pinched my nose. "Just a few changes to my basic needs. My day-to-day activities."

"Okay. Let's hear it."

I straightened up, a smile spreading on my lips. "Let her know that her working hours are from 7 to 7."

"Isn't it from 8 to 4?"

"Well, it's changed now. Include in it that she's to prepare my coffee as early as 7;30am. An extra latte."

Jessica's brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing, "You don't drink coffee that early in the morning. And not even with that much sugar."

"I'm letting her do it because I don't take it." I shrugged. "And her hair must never be let down. Preferably, rolled in a bun."

Not like I care how people leave their hair, but this is Annabelle who hates having her strawberry blonde curl in a blonde.

Jessica frowned, then she nodded something like "Okay." If she found my new policy strange, she did not let on. Instead, she went back to making her coffee. I savored my triumph, a sly smile creeping onto my face.

If Annabelle thinks she can come in here looking all beautiful and drool-worthy, and ignore me like we're no more than strangers, then she'd better be prepared to be treated likewise.

Because I am going to make her working life here miserable.