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“Shall I get Mr. Keaton on the line after we’re done here?” she asks, while I’m bent over my desk to sign the document.
“No, I want to talk to Mr. Johnson first,” I tell her. “I couldn’t get a hold of him yesterday, and I want to settle things with him first, before making an appointment with Mr. Keaton.”
“Very well,” she says, reciprocating the smile I cast her.
I’m in a good mood today, a stark contrast to the tension that’s hung in the air recently. These past few days have been a whirlwind of activity. Chase’s hesitant response to my proposal lingers in my mind, but his promise that we’d discuss it eventually gives me hope.
He really seems to harbor some affection for me, right? After the night we spent together at my place, I’ve been choosing to trust him when he says he doesn’t want to hurt me. And while he did seem reluctant, he did not shatter my idea of a compromise right away, like he did just a few weeks ago.
Things have changed between us, and if we can get this whole buyout thing out of the way, we might actually have a chance. I want to believe it, because I’ve never met a man like him—a man who respects me without being intimidated by me. A man who sees me, and who gets me like no one else.
“Okay, that’s it,” Ann-Marie says, as she gathers up the signed paperwork from my desk. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Good luck!”
She raises a little fist and throws me an encouraging smile before she excuses herself and leaves the room. My fingers drum lightly on the desk as I prepare to make the call. Confidence fills me, tempered only by a trace of nervousness.
I can do this, I know I can. I have to.
The call connects and I’m greeted by Mr. Johnson’s secretary. She patches me through to him and I take a deep breath as I prepare to lay out my plan for his investment in our 3D technology project.
But before I can utter a word, Mr. Johnson’s voice fills the line, curt and to the point. “Miss Madison,” he says. “Before we discuss anything further, you’ll need to come to an agreement with your buyer.”
My brow furrows in confusion.
“Excuse me?” I inquire, unsure if I’ve heard him correctly.
He doesn’t waste a moment in clarifying. “I’ve been approached by a source,” he continues, “who has advised me to consider this investment only if your company is acquired by Keaton Care Solutions. They believe there will be better leadership under their CEO.”
The shock of his words hangs heavily in the air. What the hell is going on? Why is he saying this?
“I’m… I’m sorry, Mr. Johnson, I heard that you put your investment on hold, but this is new to me. Would you be so kind as to tell me who you were talking to?”
I hear him shifting in a leathery seat, a subtle groan fleeing his lips, before he responds. “I would rather not, Miss Hailey. I’m not saying I’m withdrawing completely.”
“Did Mr. Keaton call you?” I blurt out, biting my lip in frustration.
He sighs. “I’m sorry, I don’t feel comfortable with this conversation.”
My hands are trembling, and I can feel my heart rate starting to accelerate to a furious gallop.
How could Chase do this to me? The man I thought was starting to mean something to me, the man who looked at me with those sad eyes—and he played me like a pawn in his game. I’ve never felt so stupid, so disappointed, and so hurt in my entire life.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Johnson, very sorry,” I hurry to utter. “I promise, I will clear things up at our end, and…”
Tears are starting to blur my vision, and my voice is dangerously close to breaking. I have to end this call before Mr. Johnson realizes that he is, in fact, talking to a little girl who can’t control her emotions.
“I’ll take care of things,” I promise, trying my best to sound confident and stable.
“I’m sure you will,” he says, thankfully adopting an amicable tone.
My voice trembles as I mutter another quick excuse to him. I hang up the phone and lean back in my chair, a whirlwind of emotions engulfing me. I can’t let him hear me crying; it would only add insult to injury.
I feel as if the rug has been pulled out from under me. The tears fall freely now, and I angrily wipe them away. How did I let myself fall for Chase’s charm, for his words and his touch?
It was lies, all of it. He played me, just like I suspected he would. I should have listened to that voice of reason that had kept me at arm’s length from him in the beginning. I was right to be skeptical. Instead, I let myself become easy prey.
Chase planned all of this from the beginning. That’s why he was so reluctant when I told him about my idea. He couldn’t push it aside right away, because he had to keep me hanging for just a little bit longer before dropping this bomb on me.
He distracted me so he could use that time to cozy up to Mr. Johnson and win him over, behind my back.
