14
Istand before the house of one of the women I unfairly fired. I am shivering but ready to take her on. I know nothing will faze me, not after what Helia has done. She worked in Glamorous before I arrived, but the minute she messed up a small sum on the marketing budget report, I rained down on her in front of the whole staff and fired her on the spot.
She was supporting her small family of two children along with her husband, who had broken his leg and was unable to work. She was in a tight position.
I ring the bell, and when she opens her door, I am met with her widened eyes.
“Can I talk to you for a second, Savannah?”
Her lips part in shock, but she lets me inside.
“Are your children not home?”
“What is it you need, Ms Torre?” The cold tone she uses has me spinning around to find her arms crossed.
“I came to apologise.”
She lifts a brow. “Do you need something?” she repeats stiffly.
“No, I don’t need anything. I wanted to apologise for how I treated you. I am so sorry for the position I put you in years ago. You don’t understand just how much… guilt I have been carrying around me, the weight on my shoulders is too heavy, and I cannot imagine what you went through after I fired you like that—”
“Are you done? Do you need a pat on the back?”
I shake my head. I knew not everyone would be accepting of my apology, and that’s okay. As long as they know I am sincere and truly mean my apology.
“I came to give you money. I didn’t realise you were struggling, and to be honest, I shouldn’t have fired you at all. I am truly sorry, and I hope you accept my apology. Not because you feel bad for me or I am trying to guilt trip you, but because I know I did the wrong thing, and I am here to address that and make amends.”
She looks at me for a second, and my heart quivers with uncertainty inside of me. She sighs and shakes her head.
“This is nearly not enough for what you made me go through. I had two kids to support. That job was providing for all four of us, and you took that away for such a small error. Rich kids like you will never understand the struggle to put food on your table, to be working while being under the pressure to provide everything for your family.” Her words dowse me in ice water.
“You were rude, selfish, entitled, and the sickest person I had ever met. Your money now will not fix what you ruined years ago, Miss Torre. I suggest you leave before my kids get back from the park. I don’t want to see you again. Please. Leave.”
I open my mouth, but she looks away from me.
“I truly hope you find it in yourself to forgive me one day, Savannah,” I whisper into the quietness of the house before walking out.
I left behind the cheque. Regardless of her reception of me, I don’t want her to struggle.
The next two ex-employees did shout at me, but they also cried in my arms, making my own eyes tear up.
The old Ambrose never realised the severity of her actions.
God, I hate myself.
I’m fixing everything. I’m trying.
It doesn’t matter that I can’t fix myself.
“Come on, Ambrose, let loose a little.” Talia says, then urges me to take a sip of the water she brought me, but being at this event while thinking about everything I have destroyed is hard.
I feel like I’m drowning in my own mistakes, in my own mind, and the water is so deep I can’t seem to pull myself out of it.
“Is something wrong? Do you want to get out of here?”
I sigh into my drink, gazed fixed on the water, thinking if I were to jump off this yacht, if I were to let my body sink beneath the waves, would that bring me peace?
“I … I’ve made too many mistakes and wrong choices in my life. How can I stand here and enjoy this?” I look up from my glass.
Talia’s head is tilted, her beautiful hair falling to the side, her bright eyes swimming with confusion.
“Don’t we all? Don’t we all wake up and have to decide to be better each day so we can correct that? Make up for it? Don’t you think we all strive to better ourselves? So that we become a better person?”
Leaning against the railing, I watch the water, the ripples, as the yacht moves through it, pulling me in.
“Sometimes, the sins we commit are so big, so grand, that it could be deemed as unforgivable,” I say quietly.
Talia stays quiet. Murmurs and laughter from inside the yacht trickle outside, the wind whips our hair in all directions. The music flowing out from the interior room feels like it’s mocking me. It’s so lively, so soft and warm, while I stand outside in the cold, letting the cool wind slash at my heart, taking it as a form of punishment.
“Do you want to know something?” Talia whispers.
I glance over at her. Her head is tilted back, her gaze fixed up at the cloudy sky. Her brows are pinched together, a small twist to her mouth.
“Remember when I told you months ago that I sometimes wished I could do what I wanted? To not be born from money and do silly little things like sneak out to parties, to kiss a random boy recklessly, to go to a school where I could actually make friends because they genuinely like me?”
“I found that staying within the walls of my house is safer.” She confesses.
I stand up, sharp pain twisting at my heart. Why does she sound so defeated?
“I fell in love once upon a time, Ambrose.” Her words are just a whisper.
I suck in a sharp breath. I know exactly what is coming.
“He was my bodyguard, and I truly believed it would be something magical. I believed our differences didn’t matter.” She sniffles, a sad smile pulling at her lips. “I made mistakes, too. I was ready to go against everyone and everything for him, and I did. I went against my parents. I stood in front of them, and I have threatened them with such things that I truly hate myself for doing so. Only to find out my love came favourable to him. I was easy prey.”
A lone tear slips down her cheek, and she turns to me, teary-eyed. “We all make mistakes. We all do things we regret. Mine may not be the same as yours, but each decision we make changes us, changes who we are.”
“Take me, for example. I’m twenty years old, and I’m not the same person I was a year ago. I am still going through life, still getting used to things. You, though? You are old enough to take the reins, to take action, and to forgive yourself before you try to amend things with other people.”
“Is that… is that why you don’t want anyone from the elite circle? So they don’t judge you for what you did in the past?” She bites her lip, another tear rolling down her face, and a small pang hits me. She feels like Aurora to me, like a sister I should protect, and I can’t help but reach across and wipe away the tear.
“Why are you giving me advice? Shouldn’t I be the one doing that?”
She laughs and shakes her head, looping her arm through mine, and starts to walk towards the room of the event. “You need peace? You need to take your mind off things? Come with me.”
I find myself on my back, my feet dipped into the water while I look up at the sky with Talia, pointing out the shapes of the clouds, trying to guess what they are.
“I think I see a crow there.” I point to the cloud above us, the sound of the yacht engine a low hum under us.
A smile blooms on my face at the crow, remembering Blaze and the smart little crow he is. My thoughts drift to Helia instead, and I find myself thinking back to the bitter memory of him threatening my life again, in the office, with so many people right outside.
He had no remorse.
And neither did I.
I should have thought about what I was going to say before it came out of my mouth.
“Oh my God! I see it! The tail right there and the beak.”
Should I apologise to Helia?
I’m trying to better myself, aren’t I?
“Who is that over there? I haven’t seen him, like, ever.” Talia is hugging my arm, watching someone with narrowed eyes while we stand in the glass house of Aurora’s fashion show of the winter collection.
Now that Dad is gone, I am the only one invited. My mother is not even aware of this event. She instead has gone to a dinner party with the ladies from her little friend group.
It’s completely dark except for the green lights that are swiftly flashing all around. The show hasn’t started, and everyone is mingling. The crowd is large, and I notice it is only people within the elite social circle.
Pride blooms in my heart for my little sister.
I feel happy to be invited here.
I’m wearing a baby blue, off-the-shoulder dress that falls to the floor, the fabric glittering each time the green lights flash over it. Talia is wearing a similar silver off shoulder dress.
“Who?” I ask.
“That guy. He’s wearing a black suit and standing with Remo Cainn.”
I follow her finger, and once I find Remo talking with Hayes Lonan, Talia’s dad, my eyes shift to the man next to him. My heart stops.
“No. No, no, no.” I shake my head, my eyes widening. I blink to see if it really is him. “How can it be? How?”
“You know him? Who is it?”
“He—Talia, he is literally my tormentor. I fight with that man on a daily basis and hate his guts.”
Talia looks back at Helia, who is laughing, the smile lines in the corner of his eyes and the extra line at his cheek making a show.
His black suit is tailored to his body, his muscles faintly visible under his suit. The crisp trousers, clean black dress shoes, and the double-breasted suit jacket he has on makes me falter in my insults. Women keep stealing glances at him. Of course they would. He’s never shown up to these kinds of parties before. I see some women even blush, but he doesn’t look away from the people in front of him. I blink once more, not knowing if I am just imagining him.
“What do you mean, tormentor? What kind of things have you been doing to be put in that position?” Talia bites her lip to stop from laughing.
“Shut up. This is not funny.” I turn around quickly and glare at Talia.
“Do I sense a little romance blooming here?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
“No. Stop. This is serious, Talia. Believe me.”
She doesn’t know he quite literally cuts off my oxygen and threatens me to my face.
His emerald eyes turn so bleak, so black, that it scares me.
He looks like a monster.
“Why else would you describe another man in such great detail?”
I frown at her. I didn’t even say anything.
“What…?”
“Ohh, his suit is so black. His trousers hug his legs. Look at his watch, his eyes, his tousled, boyish hair.” She flicks her hair, posing and shimmying her body to exaggerate each description.
My eyes widen and dart around us. A few people look over in confusion.
“Hahaha!” I force out, then reach out and grab her in a tight hug, stopping her.
But she is laughing. Loud. Her whole body shakes with mine while I try to keep her trapped in my arms.
“Stop this madness, or I swear I will announce that you are drunk and to stay clear of you. Let’s see how fast that makes it to the tabloids,” I growl.
Talia laughs harder against me. “I would like to see you try it at your own sister’s event.”
“Fuck.” I sigh, knowing she’s caught me in the lie. My lips pull up in a grudging smile as she continues to laugh.
She starts to sway as if we are dancing together, her arms going around me.
“So tell me more,” she murmurs in my ear.
“There is nothing more. He is my boss, the temporary CEO of Glamorous. That’s it.”
She hums. “And what is it that you hate about him?” She lets me go and leans back, brows raised, waiting.
“Of course you would want to know.” I roll my eyes and turn to grab another drink, but she stops me.
“No, please, tell me. I can’t live in suspense like this. Or else I will walk up to him and ask him myself. You know I will.”
I watch her for a minute, and when I don’t answer, she pulls from me and starts to walk away.
“Fuck, fine. You are really annoying. Do you know that?”
She shrugs, tapping her toe on the marble floor.
“He… He demands too many things from me. He has made me—the finance manager—his personal assistant. He plastered a fake Out-of-Order notice on the elevator to force me to go up and down the steps! He makes me buy him coffee from all the way down the road instead of the coffee shop or the machines in the building. His lunch, too. He finds every single miniscule mistake in my work.
“I hate him. God, I hate him so much. His eyes remind me of a snake that would literally suffocate you. His hair constantly falls into his eyes, and even that annoys me. Not to mention his disgusting smile, which he frequently throws my way.” I let out a big sigh, closing my eyes before opening them again.
Talia is looking at me with her lips rolled in, a glint of amusement in her eyes.
“What?”
Her eyes flick over my shoulder, then back to me.
I freeze.
My whole body ignites as a trail of heat prickles across the back of my head.
“Is there anything else you hate about me, Emerald?” The deep, smooth gravel voice caresses my ears, and goosebumps erupt on my skin. I straighten my spine.
A ghost of a touch skims over my arm.
Something flicks my earring, and I snap my head to the side.
And there he stands.
Helia Nashwood.
A playful grin plays on his lips. His black hair is slicked to perfection, and his emerald eyes are hypnotic. Standing tall and proud, he towers over me, even in my heels. I watch as he slides his attention to Talia, whose gaze is darting back and forth between us.
“Helia Nashwood.” He grabs her hand and places a kiss on it.
Her eyes widen at me, as if saying He’s a gentleman. After what you just said?
I twist my mouth in a frown. Yeah, he is a manipulator.
“Talia Lanon,” she replies.
“A beautiful name,” he says smoothly.
Standing up straight, he looks over at me again. And somehow, my mind manages to admire the way he looks tonight. Dashing. Handsome.
“Do enlighten me. What else your friend here has been saying about me?” he asks her, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.
I feel a weird twist in my stomach at his presence, at his close proximity. Especially when his hand keeps grazing mine every so often.
“Just describing my hate for you after what happened the last time we were in the office together,” I grit out, my hands clenching into fists at my side.
“Last time? You should have been careful with what you said, Emerald.” He shakes his head, and a lock of black hair falls into his eyes.
My hand twitches, and I fight the urge to tuck it back in his hair.
“What happened last time?” Talia so intelligently asks.
“Nothing.”
“She tried to kiss me.”
We both answer at the same time, and Talia bursts out laughing, placing a hand in front of her mouth.
I glare at Helia, who is smiling at me, his eyes wide. He looks just about ready to laugh out loud, too.
“Are you serious?!” I snap at him, then spin to glare at Talia. “And why are you laughing? It’s not true!”
Helia wraps an arm around my shoulder, but I shove him off.
“But my beautiful emerald, you did try to kiss me when you were getting off the floor. You were…”
I walk away from the two very annoying people. Their laughter still faintly reaches me as I hurry to my seat.
“Stupid me. What was I thinking?” I slap myself on my forehead lightly, shaking my head.
“Ambrose.”
I slow down and look up. Remo raises his glass to me with a nod, and I nod back.
Something must be up for Remo to acknowledge me.
Continuing on my quest to find my seat, I try to take deep breaths, knowing Remo just recognised me after so long at an event. Would it be wrong to ask him to help me get my position back? It won’t be in my favour, though. I think Aurora may have told him about me. If she has, that would explain his cold shoulder to me and his lack of interest in me losing my company, while letting Helia be at the head of it.
I’m going to stay clear of him for now.
Several minutes later, Talia drops into her seat next to me.
I ignore her when she points out that Aurora arranged for chocolate-covered strawberries as one of the little snacks, and a small flicker of hope lights in my chest. I love chocolate-covered strawberries.
I quickly squash it down.
She probably didn’t do it on purpose. She’s probably forgotten that it’s my favourite treat.
It’s been so long since we have talked about what we liked or hated. We haven’t spent time together in years.
“Are you ignoring me?”
I don’t answer.
The lights dim, and everyone quietens down.
“Oh no.” Talia stiffens, then rolls her lips together, humour dancing in her eyes.
When I follow her eyes, I find that Helia is seated directly in front of me.
Right. In. Front. Of. Me.
The lights focus on the start of the show.
Helia winks at me.
And my heart thunders inside of me, stealing my breath away.
Stupid heart indeed.