Chapter 8
1187words
It had been three days since I started working at Vertex Group. As soon as I got to the company, I quickly contacted Kayla to check in on her.
I had my apology ready and even some money to help her out, only to hear that Zane had called off her punishment, wanted her back at the company, and even offered her a raise.
I could still distinctly remember the mocking tone Kayla used when she said that. Before, she had begged Zane not to treat her that way, yet he still kicked her out of the company without a second thought.
It was at that moment that Kayla's disappointment with Zane and Cosmo Group became no less than mine.
Noticing my silence, Kayla asked, "Cassidy, are you touched by his actions?"
I let out a small chuckle. "No way. Even if Zane were kneeling in front of me right now, I would never go back to him."
Of course, that was also something that would never happen. Never mind kneeling. Even saying that he was sorry was already asking for too much.
Still, I was a little surprised that he would make such a concession.
I guessed that when he found out I was pregnant, he decided to be a little "gracious" for once. Regardless, none of it mattered to me anymore.
Our baby was gone, and with it, all ties between us.
Since I didn't want to talk about him anymore, Kayla dropped the subject and asked how I was doing at Vertex Group.
I couldn't help but sigh. "You seriously made Desmond Archer sound way nicer than he is. He's practically the devil."
On my first day at Vertex Group, because I'd been accepted solely on my portfolio, I still had to meet him for one last interview.
He had grilled me with some pretty brutal questions, like, "You worked at Cosmo Group for years and made director. So why aren't there any noteworthy achievements on your resume?"
I laid out everything that had happened at Cosmo Group, including my relationship with Zane.
Desmond didn't seem surprised. In fact, when he heard Zane's name, he snorted. "Figures. Still the same womanizer."
The way he said that made it seem like they were well acquainted.
It wasn't until later, through my coworkers, that I learned Cosmo Group and Vertex Group had been fighting openly and behind the scenes in the financial world for years.
Desmond and Zane were basically mortal enemies.
Fortunately, Desmond didn't make things too difficult for me. But before I left the office, he did add, "Although you have talent, you still lack business and market acumen."
That comment alone made me determined to prove myself. I worked late on my first day, but I wasn't the last one to leave.
As I was leaving, Desmond came out too.
For some reason, I felt nervous in the elevator. Suddenly, he broke the silence. "How was your first day?"
"It was good," I replied softly. "I went over the company's internal policies and its design projects from the past two years."
Desmond gave me a fleeting glance. "How do they compare to Zane's company?"
I was caught off guard by the question. "The management at Vertex Group seems stricter and more by-the-book. Things were a little more flexible at Cosmo Group."
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a twinge of regret, fearing Desmond might be upset. However, he didn't say anything else, merely giving a nod in response.
As we exited the elevator and walked a few steps, he abruptly turned back to me. "It's pouring outside. Where do you live?"
Before I could turn his offer down, he'd already opened the car door, as if assuming I would agree to it.
The whole way, Desmond kept his eyes on the road. Meanwhile, I stayed quiet, staring outside. Watching the buildings, trees, and streets passing by, I felt a little dazed.
In just a few days, my life had undergone such drastic changes.
Zane still appeared in my dreams from time to time. The smiles and sweet moments of the past kept waking me in the middle of the night.
But I knew it would all pass with time. Just like the bruises from the car accident would heal, Zane would eventually disappear from my world entirely.
I was deep in thought when the car stopped in front of my apartment building. I thanked Desmond before getting out. He said nothing in response, merely nodding and driving off.
I couldn't help but think that this person didn't seem easy to get along with.
The next day, when I mentioned what had happened to my coworkers, they all stared at me in disbelief. "What? Mr. Archer drove you home?"
I was about to explain when Desmond suddenly appeared behind me. With a frown, he gave a cold glance at everyone present, which made everyone return to their desks.
He turned to me and tossed a file onto my desk. "Have this proposal ready and bring it to my office by 3:00 pm."
I had expected it to be routine work, but as soon as I opened the file, I realized it contained material I had barely encountered before. My colleagues were equally puzzled as to why I, a new hire, was assigned such a challenging task.
Feeling overwhelmed, I steeled myself and went to Desmond's office to ask about the details. He gestured for me to sit and wait without even looking my way.
Standing by the window, he was on a call with a client. The fluent way he spoke Flaruchean, paired with his raspy voice, made him unexpectedly attractive.
By the time the call ended, it was already time to leave work.
I tactfully got up to leave, but Desmond called out, "Didn't you have questions for me?"
At that moment, I recalled my coworkers saying that Desmond was a total workaholic and that he practically lived at the company with no time for romance.
And the next three hours confirmed it. Desmond went over every single detail in the document with me.
In the end, it was the growl of my stomach that interrupted him. Turning to me, he softly said, "Let's stop here for today."
I nodded and got ready to leave, but I noticed Desmond didn't budge from his seat. I couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Archer, it's late. Aren't you leaving?"
He headed to the window and lit a cigarette.
Not wanting to disturb him further, I turned and opened the door to leave.
"Wait." His voice rang out from behind me all of a sudden. "I'm a bit hungry too. Let's go together."
Before I could respond, he passed me and headed straight for the elevator. Without thinking too much about it, I immediately followed him in.
But the moment the elevator doors opened on the first floor, I froze. Zane was standing at the elevator entrance, his face grim.
"Cassidy, you seriously ran fast and far, huh?"
Every single word sounded like it was forced out through gritted teeth.
