Chapter 33
Victor
Istand from my chair in the marketing team meeting, satisfied with their proposal.
I’m impressed I was able to concentrate on their presentation at all considering Serenity is at her first day of volunteering at the clinic.
I’ve itched to check my phone to find out how her day is going.
I could’ve messaged her first, but something has been holding me back.
I shake my head. My focus is needed here. The XT phone needs a perfect launch.
Now all I need is for Mr. Lexington to like the plans as I know the rest of the board will be fine with what we come up with. They always trust my judgment.
My employees file out of the meeting room, and when I go to follow, Mr. Choi stops me. “I need to talk to you in private.”
I hang back, and once everyone is gone, he closes the door.
When he turns back to me, he says, “Mr. Lexington has been breathing down our necks about our campaign. We can’t get much done when he’s hounding us.”
I try to suppress my surprise, but my eyes widen a fraction, and Mr. Choi notices it immediately.
“You didn’t know.” It was a statement, not a question. “What about Miss Tellum?”
I grind my molars. “They have both been on me about the launch for the XT, but I didn’t think they would bother you and your team.” I shake my head. “I’ll talk to them about giving you space.”
Mr. Choi sticks his hand out, and I shake it. “I appreciate your help, Mr. Barlowe.”
He’s about to walk away, but I ask, “Do you feel confident you’ll have everything ready before the launch?”
“Absolutely.” He gives me a look. “As long as they don’t keep interrupting.”
With that, we exit. He heads off in the opposite direction, and I start back toward my office. Only three more meetings and I get to go home to my family. Unable to resist any longer, I pull out my phone. A text notification from twenty minutes ago grabs my attention.
Serenity
I just got back home. I am POOPED.
I grin.
As in you’re tired or did someone poop on you?
Serenity
Hardy har har. Do you have kinks I don’t know about?
My smile grows so large my mouth hurts.
As I’m about to type out a response, I glance up, and stop when the familiar platinum blonde walks in front of me. I should’ve paid more attention to my surroundings, so I could’ve avoided her.
Rose throws her long hair over her shoulder and flutters her long, curled eyelashes at me. Her black dress is tighter than she normally wears. I had hoped getting married would deter her, but that doesn’t seem likely.
She’s an intelligent woman. It’s what initially attracted me to her. If she used her spare time to help Barlowe Tech rather than trying to get with me, she’d have ideas for the launch.
“I have a meeting to get to,” I say, trying to walk around her, but she sidesteps, blocking my path. “I’ll be late if I don’t head that way right now.”
She takes a step toward me, and I match it with a step back. Anytime she’s near me, my skin crawls. Even if Serenity wasn’t in the picture, I’d never want to be with a cheater. My mother made sure to teach me that lesson.
“I was hoping we could get lunch together today.” Another step. “Maybe we can talk about what the marketing team has come up with. Mr. Choi is tight-lipped.”
I bite my tongue. No matter how much I want to tell her off, I have to keep things on a professional level. And if she has actual ideas to bring to the board, I need to listen. “Mr. Choi and his team are working directly with me. If you have any questions or suggestions, I’m the man to speak with.”
Another step closer, and I resist the urge to shrink back. I can’t let her think she has the upper hand on me.
“Then, will you take me up on my lunch offer? That way, I can tell Mr. Lexington, and maybe he’ll lay off you.”
I laugh and then flash her a smile to try to hide the fact that I laughed at her ridiculous plan. “I’m sure you’d never try to claim our strategy as your own.”
“Aren’t you sick of this game we keep playing?” Rose never denied it, instead she deflected. She twirls her straight hair around her finger. “I was only listening to your mother.”
I blink a few times. I must’ve misheard her. “You were doing what?”
She giggles, and it sounds like nails on a chalkboard. How was I ever attracted to this fake woman? I even almost thought she had suggestions for the launch.
“Listening to your mother.”
“What on earth did she say to you?”
She waves me off. “Not much. Just that you and your wife,” she says the word wife like it means nothing, “are only temporary and that she’s more like a charity case. That we’ll make a better match.”
That’s the end of this conversation. Trying to step around her, I stop immediately. She’s so close now her rose-scented perfume assaults my nose. Of course, she’d get a scent matching her name. “Please move. I told you I have a meeting I need to get to.”
She sighs. “You’re no fun anymore.”
“I have a company to run.”
“Please accept my offer about having lunch together. I can tell you about an idea that came to me yesterday.”
This makes me pause. When we dated, she and I spent countless hours together coming up with marketing strategies before I took over as CEO. Back then, I was the marketing manager, and she was the second in command of our communications department.
My next meeting shouldn’t take longer than thirty minutes, so if she truly has something for me, I can’t turn down the opportunity. “Do you promise this isn’t some sort of ploy?”
She flashes me a blinding smile. “I promise I have real ideas to contribute.”
I nod. “Meet me in my office at the start of your lunch then.”
We go our separate ways, and I head straight to my office.
After a successful meeting with our California team, I turn off the camera on my computer and lean back. I tug on my tie, wishing I could go home and see Serenity after the day that made her “pooped.” I’m sure she has the biggest smile on her face, and I helped put it there.
Checking the time, I note I have about fifteen minutes until Rose comes. So, I pull out my phone and type out a message to Serenity.
Maybe I have some kinks I haven’t discovered yet. Do you want to help me figure it out?
I debate whether or not I waited too long to reply and if her joking texts will stop.
A reply comes through within thirty seconds.
Serenity
Challenge accepted.
I smile. All throughout my life, I’ve always tried to make the best out of everything, so even when I wanted to cry, I’d smile.
Whenever my mother would be gone for a month straight, I’d smile.
Whenever my father was supposed to have a day off to spend with Isabella and me but work called him back, I’d smile.
Whenever my nanny showed up at my school science fair instead of my parents, I’d smile.
But ever since Serenity entered my life, every tip of my lips has become real.
My door opens a crack, and Martha sticks her head inside. “Uh, Mr. Barlowe, Rose is here to see you.”
Oh, shit, I forgot to tell Martha about this meeting. And considering her statement sounds more like a question, I’m certain she’s waiting for me to tell her to turn Rose away.
“Yes, let her in. It’s fine.”
She tilts her head to the side, hesitating. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “Everything will be okay.”
Martha backs out without another word and leaves the door wide open. She glares at my ex before retreating. My chest warms at the sentiment. Martha has always treated me with more respect and more like a son than my mother ever has.
Rose struts inside with a bag of takeout and her bubblegum-colored briefcase. I motion toward the leather chairs, but in typical Rose fashion, she doesn’t listen. She takes the food out of the bag and places it on my desk.
“Oh, darn, they forgot silverware.”
I don’t say anything. Instead, I walk out to the reception area where Martha sits and grab a plate, utensils, and a few napkins.
Martha gives me a pointed look over the rim of her glasses, and I say, “Don’t worry. This is just a work meeting.”
But she doesn’t reply.
I head back to my office and find Rose still standing next to my desk. Her cheeks are a little flushed like she’s hot, but my office is cool with the AC almost at full blast.
“I got enough for the both of us. Tacos from your favorite place.” She winks. “I know how you always used to work through your lunch breaks.”
I pat my belly. “Thank you, but I already ate.”
She raises a brow. “You did?”
I nod. “Serenity packed my lunch.”
“So, you think just because you two are playing house she’s suitable to be the wife of Barlowe Technology’s CEO?”
I knew she wasn’t here to talk about the launch, so I push to my feet and motion toward the door. “If you came here to insult my wife, then I’ll have to ask you to leave. I thought maybe you actually had ideas you wanted to bounce off me.”
Rose’s face bleaches of all color, and her hands turn into fists. “No, I have something I wish to discuss. I just thought it would be rude to show up with food without bringing some for everyone.”
I can’t argue with that. I begrudgingly accept a couple of tacos. The woman’s mind is impeccable, remembering I like barbacoa the most.
Three tacos and forty-five minutes later, Rose finishes her proposal about working with specific social media influencers depending on which platform we use. She did all her research and even reached out to them to see if they’d want to work with us.
I lean back in my chair with a smile. This is the Rose we need on the board—not the woman hell-bent on trying to marry me.
Rose struts over and sits on the edge of my desk. “So, what do you think?”
Clearing my throat, I push my office chair back so that we have another foot between us. “Do you mind sitting in your chair?”
She giggles. “Sorry, it’s a habit from the old days.”
Before she can move, motion in my office doorway snags my attention, and Serenity stands there with Summer in her arms. Serenity’s eyes bounce between Rose and me with hesitance. When I glance over at Rose, a satisfied smirk tips up her lips.
Serenity places our daughter on her feet and says, “Go sit with Martha.”
Summer listens, and Serenity shuts the door behind her. She turns her heated gaze off me and to Rose. My super-hot wife prowls to my ex, and just when I think she’s about to grab her by the hair, she says, “You sent me that text from Victor, didn’t you?”
I furrow my eyebrows and pull out my phone. I don’t see any new messages other than the ones between us.
Rose straightens. “I thought you might want to see how your husband spends his lunch breaks.”
I jump to my feet to defend myself, but Serenity shoots me a glare, and I freeze.
“I know this is all a ploy to get me upset and divorce him, but it won’t work. Victor would never cheat on me.”
My heart swells as Serenity defends me. Me. The man she claims she could never date for real when any other woman would’ve taken one look inside my office and deemed me a cheating scumbag.
“Wow, you must really want his money to look past his—”
“Get out,” I say through gritted teeth. When Rose looks like she’s about to argue, I hold up my hand. “Bring this proposal to Mr. Choi. You have good ideas that they can use, but I cannot work with you if this is how you’ll act.”
Rose presses her thin lips into a flat line but packs up her laptop, leaving her empty food containers littered across my desk. She says nothing as she leaves, but I don’t miss the scathing look she gives Serenity.
Before Rose can exit my office, I’m in front of Serenity, pulling her into my arms. I kiss the top of her head, and she sinks into me. Every muscle in me relaxes. She’s really not mad at me.
The moment the door closes behind Rose, I say, “I’m sorry you have to deal with this kind of stuff. If I didn’t drag you into my mess—”
Serenity’s lips press against mine. Not urgently but in the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had. Her lips move over mine slowly as if she’s drinking me up, savoring how our lips feel pressed against each other’s.
She pulls back and looks up at me with fire in her eyes. “I have to admit, at first, I was shocked, but after what your mother put you through, you’d never cheat.”
My heart clenches. She’s everything I’ve always wanted in a woman. My throat clogs.
“Rose must’ve gotten my phone while I went to grab plates for her. And then she must’ve deleted the message after sending it. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Serenity touches my cheek for a few seconds before she backs toward the door. “I’ll head home now so you can finish work. We can’t be late to see your father.”
I want to tell her that isn’t necessary, but Serenity looks like a deer caught in headlights, and I don’t want to push her any farther. All of this is because of me, so instead I walk Serenity out.
Summer jumps to her feet. “Bubba, Martha was telling me about how hard you work.”
I force a chuckle. Summer doesn’t need our problems dampening her happiness. “Some days are harder than others, but I love it here.”
“Are you going to give me your new phone?” Her sweet, innocent voice pulls me in, and I’m about to say yes.
“No, you can’t have a two-thousand-dollar phone. You’re only four,” Serenity says, beating me to my answer.
Summer’s lips shape downward, and I can’t help but say, “So, maybe when you’re five.” And then I wink.
“Yay!” Summer drags the word out.
“Thanks a lot for that,” Serenity says, rolling her eyes. But I swear it was the most loving roll of eyes possible. “We’ll see you at home.”
The beautiful duo leaves, and I head back to my office without looking at Martha. After I close my door, I lean against it and whisper into the void, “My dad will love them as much as I do.”