20. William

My hand tightened around the steering wheel as I drove away. I couldn't believe Jane had taken a job at my mother"s company. And more importantly, I can't believe she had taken the job and didn't tell me.

I almost had a coronary when I couldn't find her this morning. Little did I know that she was at my mother"s company admiring her new office.

I parked my car in the driveway and walked into my office. Most of my anger had dissipated on the ride over here and now I was left with confusion.

Why did Jane leave so abruptly?

Why didn't she tell me about the job offer?

Did she think I would try to stop her from going?

I thought I had shown that I would support her no matter what by that clearly wasn't the case. I knew my reaction to Bernard's visit had contributed to this outcome.

When she told me she called Bernard because she was worried, I didn't know how to react. I wasn't angry that she did it. I understood why she felt the need to but it also bothered me that she didn't trust me to handle the issue.

I'd given up on trying to figure out why things with Jane bothered me so much. All I knew was that they did. They bothered me so much that I thought my head was going to explode on some days.

I tugged at my tie until it came off. The damn thing has felt suffocating since I found out that Jane wasn't coming back. When she started working here, I couldn't wait for her to leave, and now… I missed her.

What were the odds of that happening?

It was stupid. We would see each other at home anyway but I couldn't stop myself from feeling the way I did. At home, Jane could easily avoid me but here she could only do it for so long.

I tossed my tie onto the couch in my office before crashing down beside it. Memories of my argument with Bolton and my grandfather's interruption came to mind as I stared at my desk. Before my grandfather entered, Bolton had remained behind my desk like he owned the place.

He'd sat in my chair. I had half a mind to change the thing. I didn't want to use anything he'd laid his grubby mitts on. I pushed Bolton to the back of my mind as I tilted my head and stared at the ceiling.

"I need a new assistant," I said as if doing so would make one appear. Searching for an assistant was a hellish process. Plus it would take time for them to adjust to their new position. Being my assistant was not an easy task.

I just hoped my next assistant didn't fall asleep on the job.

The search for an assistant took almost a week but I finally found someone who fit the description. Riley Matthews was a young woman who had worked as an assistant in a bank before she moved and had to quit her job. She was efficient, willing to learn, and capable of taking instructions. She seemed like the perfect assistant but I couldn't stop thinking about someone else.

I missed having Jane in my office. I missed her scent permeating the walls of my office and invading my senses. I missed everything about her.

I knew I shouldn't but I did.

Someone knocked and pushed my door open. For a brief moment, I lifted my head excitedly but it fell when I saw who was at the door.

"Your new assistant seems nice," my mother said as she walked into my office.

"Well, I wouldn't need one if it wasn't for you."

I kept my focus on my laptop but from the corner of my eye, I saw her take a seat. She placed a dramatically large bag on her lap. I didn't know where it was from but I knew it was expensive. My mother only acquired the best of everything which was why she took Jane from me.

Jane may have started on the wrong foot but once she got a handle on things, she excelled. She was great at her job and she always went the extra mile to make my life easier. Mirabel was a fool for firing her and my mother was a genius for poaching her from me.

"Sorry about that dear but in my defense…" Her voice trailed off.

I lifted my head and cocked a brow. "In your defense?"

My mother abandoned what she wanted to say and opted for something else. "You didn't know about the job when you stopped by, did you?"

I was shocked by how easy it was for my mother to read me. She always knew when I was pretending. It was strange because as a kid I was an expert at pretending everything was alright even when it wasn't. I thought I'd mastered it but clearly not.

"When I offered Jane the job, I had no idea that it would create problems between you two. I just wanted her to have something of her own," my mother said. "She can't be your assistant forever."

She was right. I knew she was right but I still felt angry. I was happy for Jane because she was getting the job of her dreams. Being my assistant was never the plan she had for her life. She wanted to be a Senior Editor and now she was. There was a part of me that was proud of her and the other part that felt angry with her decision to leave.

"I know that," I said through gritted teeth. I turned my attention back to my laptop. "If that's all you have to say, then you can leave."

"So how are you going to fix things with Jane?" my mother asked like I hadn't just spoken.

"There's nothing to fix."

"She's been working late hours since she started. Now, I don't doubt my ability to inspire hard work in my employees but this is starting to feel like a whole lot more. It seems like she's been avoiding you."

Once again my mother was right. I worked late every night but somehow I still always got home before Jane. She'd only been at my mother"s company for a week, but I was certain she was going to get an employee of the month award.

"Like I said, there's nothing to fix."

My mother sighed. "You're much too stubborn, William… just like he was."

I stilled. I knew exactly who she was talking about but it was strange to hear my mother mention my father. She hardly ever talked about him. When she did, it was vague or she spoke about topics that were purposefully unemotional. I knew it was because it was too painful to talk about him so I never pushed it. I respected her pain but there were days I wished she'd talk about him more.

I didn't get to know my dad well enough because he was always busy with work. We had only a few moments together so my memories of him are hazy. No one knew him like my mom did. No one loved him like she did either. She was devastated when he passed, so much so that I thought she would never recover. I thought she would never be herself again.

That was my greatest fear when it came to marriage. I never wanted to be the reason anyone felt such pain. I didn't want to leave someone heartbroken because of my absence.

"Your father was a complicated man. He spent a lot of time working so you barely saw him but there was a time when it wasn't always like that. Before his brother passed away, he had more time for us… more time for you."

I remained silent while she spoke. I felt like a sponge, soaking up every drop of information about a man I barely knew. I didn't know when my mother would clam up again and it felt like I had to take it all in before that happened.

"When he became CEO, he… changed. He felt this need to prove himself worthy. I tried to help him. I tried to be there for him but he shut me out. He focused on work and only work. During that time I realized I had nothing else outside your father. Every moment I didn't spend with him was a moment I didn't know what I was doing with my life."

My mother was one of the richest socialites in the world but she'd grown bored of that life long ago. When she finally pulled herself out of grief, she started her own company and she'd made it incredibly successful despite everyone's lack of faith in her. I always believed she could do it though.

"I loved your father but I needed something for myself too. I was starting to feel empty. That's why I gave Jane the job. I wanted to give her what I didn't have."

It took a moment before I could find the right words. "I didn't know you were struggling so much, Mom."

She smiled softly and a single tear ran down her cheek. "I wasn't suffering, dear. Believe me when I say it wasn't all bad. There were moments when your father wasn't neck-deep in work. Moments we shared that will live on in my heart forever. When your father died, I discovered the true meaning of emptiness. I realized that I'd rather have him sparingly than not have him at all."

She leaned forward and placed a hand on mine. "Fix things with Jane."

That was the last thing she said to me before she left. Speaking to my mother helped me understand her better and it helped me understand Jane better too.

"I'm sorry, sir," Riley said with a look of apprehension. "I wasn't at my desk when that woman arrived."

"It's fine. You couldn't have stopped her if you tried."

Kiara Aldaine was a force and Jane was a lot like her. Deep down I was happy that my mother liked Jane so much. It would have been perfect if Jane was my real wife and not my contract bride.

But life wasn't always perfect.