she affected me

Nathan’s P.O.V. (Continued)

I only took a few seconds to come back in the same stoic demeanour that I always had during a business conversation like this.

“I appreciate that you trust me enough to give this opportunity to me to prove why you should agree to work with me, Mr. Silva.” I replied to him calmly, keeping that very faint smile on my lips.

He smiled widely and gave me a curt nod before looking back at Cynthia again.

Cynthia also smiled back at him, and then we proceeded with the main topic.

I explained my terms on this acquisition briefly to him while trying to make him understand why he chose me instead of Lucas.

He said that in a way both of us are alike.

I didn’t want to dwell on this point, but I guess he also faced a situation like a face-off with Lucas I had been facing

Still, I was glad that he chose me, or else I wouldn’t have found Cynthia sitting in front of me.

To my dismay, she always had that professional expression on her face all the time when I conversed with Mr. Silva.

She was completely opposite of what my Cynthia is.

My Cynthia was always delicate and soft.

And that innocent, bright smile on her face.

Cynthia Williams also smiled in the same way, but that brightness was completely missing.

“Well, I am glad that we had this conversation, Nathan. Let’s have a final and detailed meeting in a few days. Cynthia will inform Chris when I will be available in the next week.” Mr. Silva said to me at the end of the discussion.

He had this satisfactory expression on his face, but in the business world, what’s in front of you is not real every time.

I still nodded in understanding, and glanced at Cynthia who was now wrapping everything.

“Ummm… Mr. Silva, if you don’t mind, may I ask for how long Ms. William is with you?” I asked him what I eagerly wanted to know. Mr. Silva raised his brows suspiciously, but I kept that curious look on my face, not giving him a chance to read my mind.

He looked between me and her a few times before smiling again.

“Well, she is with me for 4 years, I guess?” Mr. Silva looked at Cynthia for confirmation, and she nodded in agreement.

My hands trembled a little, but I balled up my fists immediately to hide the hope that rose in my heart immediately.

“So, after everything, what are you planning to do with the job and all, Ms. William?” I asked her directly this time. Cynthia glanced at Mr. Silva once before looking back at me with a calm gaze.

I still had the same expression of curiosity. I knew that Mr. Silva was trying to figure out my thoughts here, but there is no chance that I would let him know that I was trying to figure out if Cynthia sitting in front of me is my wife Cynthia or not.

“Well, according to the standard protocol after acquisition, the performance of all the employees will be assessed, including mine, to see where we fit in the new circumstances. This is also one of the conditions of the acquisition that Mr. Silva has put in front of you.” She answered me smartly in a professional way.

I smiled while nodding in response, marveling at her perfunctory response. She threw the ball in my court, using that clause as an excuse.

“I understand the reason behind putting this clause, Ms. Williams. But this is what is going to happen in the future. Just like Mr. Silva, I also believe in keeping loyal and efficient people around. This is just a bit personal question if you don’t mind.” I still didn’t let her take a breath of relief.

I don’t know why I wanted to know this, but yes, I want to know if she has any plan to leave right after the acquisition.

I needed time to investigate if she is my Cyntha or not, and before getting the result, I had no desire to let her go away.

She cleared her throat and gave her head a little jerk before clicking her tongue.

“Well…. I am not thinking about switching jobs until I get a good offer. So, I will wait for the assessment and see where the management will put me. I have been with the company for more than four years. So, yeah, I still wish to stay in the company.” Her answer was still strategic, but it gave me a breather here.

It’s not hard to read between the lines here, and it made me feel disappointed once again because my Cynthia was easy to read.

She was someone who had her thoughts written on her face.

Cynthia in front of me was calm, composed, and skilled enough to mask her real emotions with ease.

“Well, I also like to have a dedicated employee like you in the long run, Ms. Williams. I wish that you pass the assessment, and we will be able to work together,” I replied to her calmly and looked at Mr. Silva who still had that amusing smile dancing on his lips.

I took a deep breath, and we all stood up together.

“I will wait for your call, Mr. Silva.” I said to him while shaking hands in the end.

“Sure,” he answered, and I gave him a curt nod before moving towards the door.

I thrust my hands inside my pant pockets, digging my nails into my palms, suppressing my urge to go back and hold that woman in my embrace.

Her eyes…..

Although there is no familiarity for me in them, yet they were still the same.

Still holding those innocent sparks in them.

She succeeded in masking all her true emotions effortlessly, but I know in my heart that she had affected me.

I heard them talking in a calm voice behind us, but I couldn’t muster the courage to even glance at her one more time.

My heart was still bleeding, urging me to go back, but I couldn’t act recklessly.

I wanted to convince myself that she wasn’t my Cynthia.

Surely her eyes were the same as my Cynthia's, but the woman standing in front of me was not my Cynthia.

I took a deep breath and strode towards the staircase with Chris on my toe.

“Before joining the main event, we still need to have a quick meeting with the CEO of Galaxy Entertainment, Mr. Lombart. This is about their next drama. They want a few of our actors and actresses to sign for that, including Ms. Nancy,” he informed me, and I just hummed in response, still trying to resist my urge to go back to Cynthia.

“Nathan.” I glanced at Nancy coldly when she called me excitedly as soon as I reached the last step. She had that wide and charming smile on her lips, but it had stopped affecting me long ago.

"Let's wrap up this night as soon as possible, Chris. I want to go back, and I want everything on Ms. Williams as soon as possible." I instructed Chris in a low and tired voice while walking on his lead.