Scratching old wounds is painful

“Why can’t I get my mind off him?”

Evelyn mumbled as she stared at the ceiling. She was in her senses when Dylan opened his heart in front of her. She heard his every word and she would be lying if she said that it didn’t stir her emotions. The touch was real, his words were genuine and the sincerity in his eyes spoke volumes. He wasn’t faking his emotions but neither she was.

Evelyn was at her lowest last night, drowning in the abyss of darkness when Dylan appeared as her Knight and pulled her off it before embracing in his arms. Evelyn did feel something different. He made her feel protected and safe. But her mind wasn’t ready to trust that betrayer yet.

“Damn it.” Her fingers clutched the pen tightly as her jaw clenched. She was loathing herself for getting soft for him.

“I hate him. I hate him to the core.”

She gnashed her molars in rage but for some reason, those words lacked the weight they used to have before. They didn’t sound as confident neither her feelings of spite were that powerful. Her eyes lacked the determination and she would be only fooling herself if she thinks her feelings for him still hasn’t changed a bit.

“Ahh!! What should I do?”

Evelyn sighed as she rested her head on the headrest and closed her eyes. The thing she hadn’t done for years, she decided to try it today.

Open the chest of her dreadful past.

“I hate you, Eve. I’ll never love a disgusting nerdy ugly woman like you. For me, you’re just a daughter of a gold digger.”

Dylan opened the door of a room and threw me on the floor harshly. I looked back at him while sobbing hard. His eyes were bloodshot red showing no emotions but only hatred and anger.

“NOW STAY HERE YOU LOWKEY BEGGAR!!! YOU DON’T DESERVE TO SLEEP ON COMFY MATTRESS...NOW DIE ON THIS COLD STONE MATT!!”

“Slaves need to be taught how to obey their masters”

“EVELYN, I SWEAR I AM GONNA PEEL YOUR SKIN OFF TODAY!!”

“Oh, Eve! I must admit today. You are so sweet but stupid at the same time. You believed me. Ahhh!! I can’t believe it myself. You are too easy to trick. Now​ I also really agree with what your ​mother said that day. How did your Dad even decide to appoint such an innocent and naïve girl as the Manager of their company? I mean really how could they give such an important position to such a naïve and idiot girl?”, he chuckled while I kept staring at him with tears running down my cheeks.

By now Evelyn was fuming. It was definitely not a good idea to scratch the old wounds because her hands started itching to murder Dylan who still after everything had the audacity to badger her. She didn’t punish him for the crimes with the hope that he would realize his faults but he is still carrying out his evil acts with impunity.

Her eyes started burning with hot tears of sheer rage. She slammed her fists on the table, her body shaking in fury.

“I have lost my mind. Do I really have no self-respect as I am getting maneuvered by the man who forcibly married me, beat me in front of his family, and threatened me to work for him at gunpoint? And now instead of giving me space and showing how guilty he is, he is still threatening me by barging into my life whenever he wants and forcing me to obey him.”

Evelyn seethed and stood up from the chair.

“That time he was a businessman, this time he is a gangster. No matter what I do, he’ll always have the upper hand over me and how much I resent him, I have to obey him.”

Frustration laced her skin. After pushing her to the brink of suicide, how can she believe that man?

But she can’t act recklessly. Squeezing her eyes shut, she squelched her anger and ran a hand through her hair.

“I don’t care about his redemption; all I know is that he wasn’t veracious. His apocryphal stories shouldn’t have any effect on me. I must not forget what he has done to me. I have moved on; my life is on a new track. I shouldn’t retreat or else I will be entangled in the same mess where I was trapped two years ago.” She spoke earnestly and rein-in her emotions that had gone out of line after last night.

Evelyn then checked the time. She quickly made a call to Sara.

“Has everyone arrived?”

“Yes Ma’am, we are waiting for you to start the meeting,” Sara replied to her.

Evelyn nodded as she picked up her tablet from the desk, “Fine. I am coming.”

She then clicked off her earpiece and left for the conference room.

*****

Xander stared at the woman sitting in front of him who seemed lost in her world. Mr. Wills was giving a presentation of their new hotel and discussing when to hold the inaugural ceremony but Xander was completely focused on Evelyn.

His lips twitched in a smirk as the woman was present in the meeting physically but not mentally. Her mind was clouded with a few different thoughts and he wanted to ferret them out.

“What are your thoughts on the inaugural, Ms. Clarke?”

Evelyn who still couldn’t lift her mind off Dylan’s confession jerked up at the mention of her name. She lifted her head and found all eyes set on her. That was a huge embarrassment as she doesn’t even know what they were talking about.

“Uhmm, I think we should hold the ceremony this Saturday.”

“But we have the inaugural ceremony of The Valencia Resort on Saturday. We can’t hold two functions on the same day.” Jonathan argued as he looked at Evelyn with narrowed eyes.

Her jaw clenched.

Damn, she messed up.

Joseph noticed the tense look on her face so he immediately intervened.

“Boss meant next Saturday.”

Evelyn looked at him only to find him nodding at her. She quickly bobbed her head and looked at Xander with a smile gracing her lips.

“Yeah, I meant that only. So, it’s decided-”

“Whom are you trying to fool, Ms. Clarke?”

Xander sneered grabbing everyone’s attention. Evelyn was also taken off guard and looked at him with a frown.

“I am not fooling anyone, Mr. Knight.”

She spoke sternly only to earn a chuckle. Xander leaned on the chair and looked at her with amusement.

“You were lost throughout the meeting, Ms. Clarke. I bet you don’t even know what we were deliberating upon.”

Evelyn curled her fingers in a fist. She was hating the smug look on his face. Since they have been back from the hospital, Xander wouldn’t waste any opportunity to take a jibe at her. He was slowly starting to get on her nerves.

Evelyn smirked mentally as an idea popped into her mind. She decided to give him the taste of his own medicine.

“Well, the lynchpin of this project is not to hold multiple inaugural ceremonies but to increase the success rates. And for that, I am thinking of touching other cities too. We already have three hotels in San Francisco so I was thinking of opening another chain in New York.”

Xander stiffened at the mention of that city. Evelyn smirked in victory.

She touched a raw nerve.

“That’s a great idea. Of course, we should expand our company’s foothold in other cities.”

Sara and Joseph were astonished as those words came from Jonathan. Evelyn smiled at him.

“No.”

A deep growl echoed in the room. Everyone snapped their heads towards Xander who was shooting daggers at Evelyn. With hands clenched into a fist while his face wore a murderous expression, it needed no rocket science to understand that he was about to oppose her idea.

Evelyn ensconced herself on the chair, her posture relaxed.

“Why? What’s wrong? New York will be the best city to do business.” She spoke casually but the stench of mockery was evident in her tone.

Jonathan also looked troubled at his abrupt rejection. He gestured to Giselle who nodded in approval.

“Sir, I think Ms. Clarke’s idea will be fruitful for this partnership. We need to generate more revenue and the best way is to open multiple branches in other cities too. That’s the best idea for endorsement and gaining customers.”

“Exactly” Jonathan also supported her and bobbed his head but Xander’s eyes were trained on Evelyn who was enjoying his state.

“See, Mr. Knight. Everyone seems happy and is favoring this idea. Then why are you against it?”

“Because I hold the purse strings of the project.” He growled turning everyone silent.

“You can propose any idea but it would be finalized only if I give it the green flag. And I don’t like this idea so kindly strike it off and let’s proceed with the preparations of the inaugural ceremonies.” He spoke in an authoritative tone and glared at everyone who quickly lowered their heads.

Anger bubbled inside her. She had enough of this snob.

Evelyn chuckled and shook her head, “Then why are you even working with me if you want to decide everything on your own? Yes, you’re the one who is investing the capital but the blueprints are being prepared by Maria Estates. You can’t just rule out our efforts because you’re bearing the expenses.”

She spoke out and earned the nods of her employees who were also equally displeased at Xander’s irrational behavior.

Candice, the senior designer, stood in her support, “A project works with cooperation and teamwork, Mr. Knight. As the head of this team, you should be receptive to your members’ ideas instead of running roughshod and threading them to obey you.” She scowled at him.

Xander glowered at her, “Ms. Candice, I suggest you watch your mouth.”

“And why would she?” Joseph defended her, “We have been very patient with you Mr. Knight even when you insulted our Boss multiple times. We kept quiet out of deference for her but this is not acceptable. You can’t just ridicule her ideology when your own employees are favoring it. You are oppressing her based on what? Money or because you’re the biggest shareholder of Maria Estates, then I am sorry to say but this should be our last project with you.”

He heralded earning shocking gasps from the employees of Knight Corporation. Evelyn didn’t say anything but give an imperceptible nod, showing her support.

“L-Listen Joseph-” Jonathan tried to make peace but was cut off by Evelyn who stood up from the chair.

“No, now you listen. I had dealt with your Boss’s temperament enough but now it is getting out of hand. We haven’t accepted your slavery by signing the contract. It was a mutual decision that entails mutual respect and cooperation. I have received backlash multiple times for every mistake, Mr. Knight didn’t spare me when I was sick but still, I tolerated it for the sake of the project, my company, and my staff. But if my idea is turned down this time then I agree with my employees, we will be canceling the deal. The hotels are already ready to be made accessible to the public. We have completed our part, so you can proceed with the inaugural ceremony since it’s your project.”

She spat and glanced at Xander who was seething in anger. Without even waiting for his reaction, she collected her belongings and vacated the room with her employees following her trail.

Giselle and Jonathan shared a worried look. They were also highly disappointed with Xander but were confused at the same time as he had never behaved this way.

Silence fell in the room. No one dare to utter a word but their eyes were fixed on Xander who was still sitting with his eyes glaring ahead.

Giselle opened her mouth to make him understand but flinch badly when Xander suddenly jumped from the chair and threw it back making it crash against the floor.

“FUCK!!!”

He roared after banging his fists on the table and without even answering them, stormed out of the room and headed to Evelyn’s cabin.