28. Meg
28
MEG
I stormed down the hallway toward my office, a hollow ache grating my chest.
No way in hell was this happening. Byron played me like a cheap violin, and I fell for his charm hook, line, and goddamn sinker.
My fingers tightened around the small pouch holding the black Amex card Roman had given me, the one I could use whenever and for whatever I pleased. But what do you know, I was now the walking, talking reminder that money didn’t always fill the void.
You have questions, I’m sure. Like why would I be too miserable to enjoy my very own black Amex card? Allow me to fill you in.
See, I had a plan, a simple one really.
The whole lusting after Byron sitch? Once I decided to just go for it, it was an easy fix. The silly crush was nothing a quick, red-hot affair wouldn’t take care of. One that lasted a few days, at most a week, two weeks tops, before everything returned to normal like none of it ever happened.
Because that’s how it always works with a simple crush. In my life, anyway.
What I didn’t count on was Byron playing me. Because if we didn’t click, he’d be the one kicked off the project, not me. So, he was going all in, using every ounce of his charm to see if he could pull me under his spell.
I’d been bamboozled by a world-class hustler. Instead of paying heed to the red flags, I was wrapping myself in them.
And it pissed me off.
There was also the possibility that I was making more of it than I should, blowing something into a bigger deal than it was. But then, Roman’s words kept echoing in my head.
“ He had reservations about the two of you working together.”
Yeah, no, it was impossible to misinterpret that. Byron didn’t want to work with me.
The really annoying part was trying to figure out why it stung so much. It didn’t make sense that something so stupid could have such a wrenching effect on me.
“Meg?” a voice called behind me.
I spun around to find Sophia standing behind me, a small tray in her hands. I must have passed right by her without even noticing. I slapped a smile on my face.
“Hey Sophia… Listen, about the ghost thing,” I explained. “I say stupid things when I’m scared—”
“It’s fine, Nelson explained to me,” she said gently, her heavy Italian accent winding around the words. “But why you look like you’re sad or angry?”
Oh great, I didn’t even realize my frustration was spilling into my expression. “It’s nothing.”
She carefully approached me, dramatic concern embedded in her eyes. “Hai problemi?” It took a moment for her words to sink in, and with all this aggravation boiling over, I didn’t hold back.
“Trouble!? No, no, no, not at all. Just me being stupid and getting sucked into the unlikely scenario that I could come into this place and not stand out like a hedgehog in a balloon factory. And if that’s not enough, I’m crushing on a fool who has a track record from here to Timbuktu of being a first-class jerk.”
Even if she didn’t understand everything I was saying, Sophia apparently got the gist because her mouth opened in a silent gasp. “ Quindi si tratta di amore ...it’s about love?”
“Hell no, it has absolutely nothing to do with love. Not at all. Maybe a tiny little bit about lust. With the worst person you can imagine. The worst person… On. This. Fucking. Planet.”
Indignation and grit entered the chat. Sophia’s eyes burned as she whispered a single, seething word. “Bastardo!”
I nodded with a wry smile. “Long story, no names, but yeah, something like that.”
“Meg... Sophia,” Nelson called as he turned the corner, narrowly avoiding crashing into her.
Suddenly, this lone spot in this vast mansion felt like rush hour at Grand Central Station.
Nelson looked between the two of us. “Everything all right?”
“You are in this house of horrors, and you have to ask?” I said testily. “But sure, everything fine, perfectly fine. Couldn’t be better.”
Sophia muttered a string of Italian curses under her breath, with bastardo taking the lead, and a few more expletives tossed in for good measure. As I’d mentioned before, I was well-versed in Italian curse words, thanks to Pops.
Nelson waited patiently for the rant to die down. “Sophia, you are needed in the staffroom, please. We need to set the table for staff lunch at noon.”
Before Sophia made a mad dash for the staffroom, she shot me a look of solidarity. Something along the lines of helping me dig a hole for a body – if ever I should need one.
Nelson glanced at me. “I was just about to come and see you. Meg. You texted something about lunch that has to be reheated.”
It took me a second to calibrate. “I did. My mom would never forgive me if I used the microwave for her lasagna. So, that and the garlic bread must be heated in an oven. There is also some extra for you, Nelson, so please help yourself.”
“Well, that’s very kind, thank you. I presume that you and Byron will be having lunch together then.”
Bitterness seared the edges of my tone. “It will be a cold day in Hell before that ever happens.”
Nelson was taken aback. “Quite a change from yesterday. Please tell me he wasn’t rude to you.”
“Safe to say we won’t be getting matching friendship bracelets anytime soon.”
A muscle in Nelson’s jaw popped, and judging from his body language, none of this was sitting well with him. “Oh dear…should I even ask?”
“Probably best you don’t,” I said, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. “All I can say is that it’s going to be a long-ass year here at the Belmont Trust.”
My phone dinged with a text on FOUR EMS.
Mom: Pops just called. Something is going on at GenZ Za. There are cops all over the place. And it looks like the place is getting shut down.
I should have felt this sweet, satisfying rush, knowing Elio Ricks was finally getting exactly what he deserved. Instead, all I felt was frustration, twisting my nerves into tight knots.
If Byron had been the one to bring Ricks down, it wasn’t out of some deep, noble sense of justice on my behalf. No, it was all about securing my obedience while we worked together. Because let’s be honest, leopards never change their spots.
A few seconds later, Mimi and Mona also chimed in on FOUR EMS.
Mimi: I love you, Meg! You’re the best!
Mona: When I grow up I want to be you, Sissie! You kick ass xoxo
Mom: Thank you for taking care of it, baby!
I decided to hold off on replying for now. I needed to make sure GenZ Za was really being shut down and that Ricks was no longer a threat.
Nelson cleared his throat. “Send me a text when you’re ready for lunch. I’ll have someone get it and heat it for you.”
It took effort to stay composed. “Thank you, Nelson. And if you could ask Byron when he wants his lunch, that would be great. The less I deal with him, the better.”
Nelson’s concerned gaze followed me as I walked to my office. I almost turned back to reassure him, but I knew he’d catch the lie before it left my mouth.
Why did I feel so betrayed?
I was supposed to get over this crush and walk away with all my feelings intact. Like every other time in my life.
Only this time, it felt different, as if I had no control over what I was feeling. As if it wasn’t something that would fade away just because the object of my desire was a total schmuck.
The only thing left to do was confront Byron and make it crystal clear that I knew exactly what he was up to and that I was not his puppet to string along.
From here on out, it was strictly business between us, and there was no way in hell I was putting up with any of his mind games as long as I was stuck working with him.
I stormed into Byron’s office, ready to lay down the new rules, only to find him not inside.
There were changes in the room, and it was as if Byron was in the midst of making the space his own. Standing there for a moment, I took it all in. Not out of fascination, but to assess it, as one would before mortal combat.
Know your enemy.
According to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War , understanding your opponent was the key to winning. Although I wasn’t sure if that applied right now. No way did Sun Tzu ever account for the complication of crushing on your foe.
Still, I gathered intel. To help me understand the type of man who woke up one day and chose evil. Because it was straight-up diabolical to mentally seduce someone for a business win.
I strolled around his office, desperate to find something, anything, to explain why I couldn’t see right through this man from the start.
Byron had a clear taste for classic modern art and one wall was lined with a collection of antique samurai swords. There was new, slick Italian furniture, and one corner of his massive desk was reserved for what looked like the finest desk toys money could buy.
Nothing said this was a conniving scumbag with a wicked agenda. In fact, the room gave off the vibe of a rising CEO on the precipice of success.
But something felt off. I lingered for a moment, waiting for it to sink in, and that’s when it struck me.
There were no family photos. No candid shots of friends, no mementos that whispered of a life beyond these walls. It was as if Byron had no real existence outside of this place, no joy, no connections, nothing to soften the edges of his world.
It seemed that for all his money, Byron was a very lonely man. For a second, pity stirred within me. But I shoved it away. There was no room for sympathy here. Not when he tried to use me as nothing but a steppingstone to stay on the project.
That’s when I knew…confronting him was the wrong move. At least now I had a much better sense of the arrogant snake I was up against.
It was like I had a map of his ego now. The real power would be to give him the cold shoulder. And watch his well-rehearsed charm flop under the weight of its own pretense.
I made my way to my office, hoping for a moment of relief, a little clarity to ease the ache. But no such luck. The wound was still there, a subtle, nagging presence of hurt.