Chapter 123
Another Memory–The Sabotage Incident
I had stormed into the conference room, slamming a folder onto the table. The executives turned to me in shock, but ! didn’t care.
“Lothario, someone inside the company has been leaking confidential information to your competitors, I announced. He stiffened. “Who?“%
I turned my glare to the man seated across from me–Harrison, one of his trusted employees. “Him”
Harrison scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”
I crossed my arms. “I have proof.” I flipped open the folder, revealing emails, call logs, and signed documents. “He’s been feeding information to your rivals for months. That’s why you’ve been losing bids. That’s why deals have been slipping through your fingers.”
Lothario’s expression darkened as he flipped through the pages. His grip on the papers tightened. “You betrayed me,” he said coldly.
Harrison paled. “I–I didn’t-
“Get out, Lothario snapped.
Security dragged Harrison away, and Lothario turned to me, his gaze unreadable. “How did you find out?”
I shrugged. “I pay attention.”
For a second, just a second, I saw something in his eyes–something close to admiration.
“You’re incredible,” he murmured.
I smiled. “I know.”
And now… I let out a small chuckle, shaking my head at how blind I had been. Back then, I had fought for him. Protected him. Sacrificed for him. And where had that gotten me? Betrayed. Discarded. Humiliated. I had saved him when his empire was crumbling before.
Now? I was the reason it was burning. I took another sip of my wine, eyes glinting with satisfaction.
“Laugh now, Lothario,” I murmured to myself. “Let’s see if you can survive this without me.”
****
Word had reached me through my sources–Lothario was drowning himself in alcohol, haunted by the past he had so carelessly thrown away.
I should’ve felt nothing.”
But when I heard he had gone back to our old apartment–the place he had once made me feel like I belonged- something twisted inside me.
He had been found there, clutching the ultrasound report and the hospital papers I had thrown at his feet during his engagement party. My sources told me he was drunk out of his mind, slurring my name like a desperate man begging for salvation.
And yet, I wasn’t moved.”
He did this to himself.”
Still, when I sat in my office, reviewing the latest business reports, a dull ache spread through my chest. I ignored it, burying myself in work. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting to him–to the way he had once looked at me with something close to love, to the way I had once believed we had a future.”
I clenched my jaw.
I shook my head, refocusing on the document in front of me. Lothario wasn’t my concern anymore.
Then, as if the universe enjoyed testing my patience, I started noticing him everywhere.
The first time, it was outside my office building
I had stepped out, Taurus Sullivan walking beside me, when I spotted him leaning against his car across the street, watching me with dark, unreadable eyes.
I ignored him.||
The second time, it was at a café I frequented.
I had just taken a sip of my espresso when I felt the weight of his gaze. Looking up, I found him seated a few tables away, pretending to read the newspaper but doing a terrible job at hiding the fact that he was staring at me
I ignored him again.
The third time, he had the audacity to try and approach me
11:33 AM d
I was walking through the Anderson Corporation lobby when I heard my name.”
“Pearl.”
I froze for only a second before continuing my walk as if I hadn’t heard him.”
“Pearl, wait,” he said, his voice sharper this time.
I reached the elevator, stepping inside without a second glance.”
The doors closed in his face.
His persistence would’ve been amusing if it weren’t so pathetic.
And then came the high–society party.
It was an elite gathering, filled with the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in the business world. Taurus and arrived together, as usual. He had become my shadow in these events, not that I minded. His presence was… convenient. And watching Lothario’s face darken with jealousy every time he saw Taurus by my side? That was an added bonus.!!
I was engaged in a conversation with a group of investors when I felt it–the intensity of his gaze burning into me from across the room.
I didn’t turn to acknowledge him.#
Instead, I laughed at something Taurus said, placing a hand on his arm.
Lothario’s glass nearly shattered in his grip.
The night continued, and I thought he’d finally gotten the message.
But I should’ve known better.”
As I stepped out onto the terrace for a moment of solitude, the crisp night air cooling my skin, I heard footsteps behind
I exhaled, already knowing who it was.
“Pearl”
His voice was rough, almost desperate.
I smirked, taking a slow sip of my champagne before turning to face him. “I was wondering when you’d finally grow a spine.”
His jaw clenched. “We need to talk,”
I tilted my head, feigning confusion. “Talk? About what?”
His eyes darkened. “You know damn well about what.“B
I chuckled. “If it’s about your company crumbling, I have no interest in discussing your problems.”
His fingers twitched, like he wanted to reach for me but knew better.”
“I need to know,” he said, voice low. “Why did you-”
Before he could finish, the terrace doors opened again, and a tall, powerful presence stepped beside me. Taurus.
His hand found my waist, his grip firm yet relaxed, like he had every right to touch me. “Is there a problem here, Pearl?”
I smiled. “Not at all. Just an old acquaintance who hasn’t learned his place.”
Lothario’s fists clenched. “Stay out of this, Sullivan,“I
Taurus chuckled, his amusement barely masking the underlying warning in his voice. “See, I would. But you seem to be bothering my woman, and I don’t take kindly to that.”
Lothario’s expression twisted, something dark and possessive flickering in his eyes.
I leaned closer to Taurus, my lips inches from his ear as I whispered loud enough for Lothario to hear, “He used to be my dog, but I don’t need a pet anymore.”
Lothario’s face drained of color.
Taurus smirked, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my hip. “Good to know, I prefer being the only one you keep around.”
I laughed, my eyes gleaming as i turned back to Lothario. “Run along now, Lothario. You look pathetic.
His jaw tightened, his breath heavy with rage, but he said nothing.
I didn’t wait for him to.
With Taurus by my side, I walked away, leaving Lothario standing there, drowning in the wreckage of his own mistakes.K
