30. Evie

thirty

I gathered the relevant documents in one hand and made my way to his office.

Without a second thought, I entered his office, walking through the thick tension.

“Here are the necessary documents for the meeting.”

He nodded, spreading the files on his table.

“That is the financial projection for you to review,” I informed him when he touched a document.

“That’d be all,” he nodded without sparing me a glance.

“Prepare for the meeting in twenty.”

I gave a curt bow and walked out, entering into my office.

This was how it’d been for the last week.

We didn’t speak outside of professional boundaries.

Neither did we say anything about that night. No lingering stares, just thick, unlikeable tension.

I was used to the silence, but I couldn’t ignore the noise in my head.

How could I? The guilt was still eating me up. But him… I didn’t know.

I didn’t know what he felt. But I knew the tension existed like clouds over our heads.

How he managed to ignore it was beyond me. Maybe it wasn’t beyond me. Maybe I did know what he felt. Like me, it was guilt.

So why was I still hurt? A few days back I wanted us to not…indulge, and now in the midst of chaos I was hurt things were this way… What was wrong with me?

Thankfully, he didn’t ignore other problems.

The issue with the media had been taken down.

A part of me could now breathe, but the other part was still suffocated.

I know you, Evie… and I know when you”re lying. This has everything to do with Ethan and little to do with Sophie.

After I left the motel that night, I hailed a cab back to the mansion, distorted.

I headed straight for my room, ignoring the thought of going to check on Ethan. My knees gave way the moment I reached my bed. I was exhausted… drained.

The following morning, the mess in the kitchen from the fight had already been cleaned up.

Virginia had cleaned it, and she asked questions.

“What happened here?”

I was surprised that she or Joseph didn”t hear anything. Somewhere between the fight, I”d half expected them to come rushing in.

“It was a little misunderstanding,” I had replied. “You didn”t hear?”

She shook her head. “There are soundproof systems in place in this mansion. The doors, among many other systems, are soundproof.”

That explained it…

Inhaling a deep breath, I dragged my mind back to important issues.

I knew it was family first before anything else but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Sophie.

You have no right to mention her name. She would be so ashamed of you.

Digging my nails into my palm, I tried to halt the memories of that night.

I failed.

His look of disappointment knifed through my mind. I could never forget it. I could never forget my twenty-second birthday.

Every day I called Dad; every morning I hoped. But in the end, I was met with disappointment.

Dad never answered my calls.

I rose in the morning with sadness, and I returned to bed in tears.

Taking a flight to Minnesota wasn’t a step I could take now.

It hurt to admit, but Dad needed space. He needed space from me.

It took great strength to function under the atmosphere of melancholy, but I did.

Because Dad didn’t raise a loser.

I didn’t know how long I stayed, wrapped in my feelings, but I regained focus just in time to see that Mr. Charles’ arrival was near.

I picked up the iPad, holding the sleek figure in my palm as I walked out.

My feet carried me fast out of my office and down the elevator.

My waiting time was short because Mr. Charles arrived shortly after I got there.

“Good morning, sir.” I nodded at the young man.

Tousled golden brown hair, blue eyes, and handsome, he seemed to be the same age as Ethan.

“I’ll lead you to the conference room now.”

He nodded.

Even though he’d been here before, I still had to meet him here. It was the specifics of the meeting.

The elevator was awkwardly silent as we ascended.

This meeting with Mr. Charles, the new investor, was an update on the status of the biomedical project.

Soon, we stopped on the seventh floor and continued till we got to the conference room.

As we entered, I couldn’t help the images that flashed through my mind.

From the encounter with the Chief Military Officer, the numerous meetings, and the night I lost my virginity.

Perhaps this was where it all started. The beginning of my trouble.

“Please, have a seat. Mr. Thorne will join you shortly.”

He nodded and took a seat on one of the chairs.

It didn’t take long for Ethan to appear in all of his suited glory from the doorway.

“Good morning, Mr. Charles. It”s good to see you again.”

Ethan stretched his hand for a handshake when he reached him. Mr. Charles accepted.

“Likewise, Mr. Thorne. I must say, I”ve been thinking a lot about our last meeting and the potential of the SurgiTech 9000.”

The SurgiTech 9000 is a robot that allows surgeons to make precise adjustments during surgery through real-time data.

“I”m glad to hear that.” Ethan cleared his throat.

“We”ve made significant progress since our last discussion, both in terms of technological advancements and market research.”

“Good. I’d like to hear more about any updates and how we can move forward with our partnership.”

“We’ve been working on making the morphology easily adaptable to future adjustment. Once that is done, we can forge ahead with clinical trials.”

“Indeed, Mr. Thorne. Your company”s reputation precedes itself.”

I jotted down other important details on the iPad.

The conversation was seamless, and the meeting was fruitful.

Mr. Charles agreed to invest in the clinical trials. The investment was beyond funds for Thorne industries.

In fact, it was nothing about funds and everything about expertise and industry connection.

Mr. Charles, being a grounded person in healthcare facilities, could pave a smooth way in navigating complex regulatory landscapes.

The meeting ended.

After Mr. Charles left, Ethan followed.

There was no I want the minutes on my table. No order, no comment. Just a monotonous expression and hard gaze.

It was best this way.

I waited behind a little. Being trapped in the elevator with this reeking tension wasn”t something I was ready for.

When I was sure the coast was clear, I exited the conference room, quickening my steps to my office.

The huge breath I released after was a bit refreshing. It was like a break, but only temporary. I never seemed to catch a break.

Collapsing in my chair, I ran a hand down my face.

Unrestrained, I let the tears pour down my cheeks. I couldn”t do this anymore— all this—everything.

I needed someone— I needed Emma.

Shakily, I found my phone, and without a second thought, I dialed Emma.

The phone rang for a while before she picked on the third ring.

“Hey, girlie,” she chimed.

“Emma,” I breathed. “I need to talk.”