004

GEORGE.

“If there is anyone who should be ashamed here, Becky, it is you!”

Normani’s voice sliced through the air like a knife. She pointed her fingers at Becky’s face, her eyes blazing with fury. 

“You seduced a married man and then sent his wife to jail so you could take her place. Did you think the press wouldn’t find out? ‘The Almighty CEO of Siphon Ex seduces a married man, ruins his home, and gets engaged to him?’ That is a scandal they would devour, Becky. And you know it!” 

She said it with so much venom that I felt my gut twist. Her eyes burned with a fire I had never seen in her before. 

Normani used to be soft-spoken, patient, and gentle. But that woman was gone, and I couldn’t even blame her. Not after what Becky and I did to her.

Becky’s arm twitched. I could tell she was tempted to slap Normani, but I stopped her midway, my eyes darting to the small group of reporters in the distance. The last thing we wanted was to end up on the cover of tomorrow’s news. Becky had a name to protect, an image to maintain. But Normani had nothing to lose. Normani had nothing to her name like Becky. 

I scoffed under my breath, not realizing Normani could hear me. 

“She is nothing,” I muttered to Becky. 

“You are the one with something to lose. She has no reputation to protect.”

But Normani heard it. Of course she did.

“Oh, is that why you chose her over me?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly but still filled with fire. 

“Because she had a name, and I had nothing?”

Becky let out a cold laugh. 

“Are you just figuring that out now? The only thing you were good for was being used. And dumped.”

I clenched my jaw. I could see the rage rising in Normani. Her whole body tensed like she was about to lunge forward, but before she could do anything, Shawn stepped in and gently pulled her away. I couldn’t help but glare at him. He touched her like she belonged to him. It was so annoying to see another man touch her like that. 

“Let’s go,” Shawn told her, grabbing her with him. He slid his fingers into her like they were married couples. Compared to me, he was much taller, yet Normani looked smaller next to him, even though she was a tall woman. 

Becky huffed beside me. 

“You are just going to let them leave like that?”

I nodded, even though I hated it. 

“We don’t need more attention.”

We walked back to the car in silence. Once inside, Becky turned to me, irritation all over her face.

“Why did you stop me from slapping that lowlife back there?”

“Because I don’t want your picture and name all over the news tomorrow,” I replied, starting the engine.

Becky seemed to relax at that. She smirked and crossed her legs. “Good point. You are always thinking, George. That is what I love about you.” She folded her hands over her chest. But she didn’t stop there.

“What do you think is going on between Normani and Shawn?” she asked. 

“You think she has been cheating on you with him—even before the divorce?”

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully.

 “Normani was always loyal. No matter how bad things got, she never crossed that line.” Which made me wonder how she got to meet Shawn. Who was he to her? Was she dating him now? 

“Well, you need to find out,” Becky said firmly. 

“You can’t just sit back and let her win.”

Win. That word hit me hard.

Did it mean we were losing? 

That couldn't be. I hadn't thought this was a competition. I thought that she was going to break down and beg me to take her back, even as a side chick. 

I didn’t say anything for a while. My mind wandered again to Shawn. To how he looked at Normani. How did she let him touch her? Was this something new? Or had it been going on for longer than I realized? She was so comfortable with his touch. 

I hated the way it made me feel, this sudden burn in my chest. Jealousy? Regret? Maybe both. But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t lose her to him. Not Shawn. Anyone but him.

I had to speak to her. Alone. No Becky, no Shawn. Just me and Normani. We needed to talk. To clear the air. To… maybe fix what I broke.

“George!” Becky snapped her fingers in my face, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“What?”

“I said, are you listening to me? What the hell are you thinking about so deeply when your lover is sitting right next to you?”

“Nothing,” I lied. 

“Just thinking about the company.”

“Good. Because I asked you to make sure the company we are lobbying to buy ends up in our hands,” she said. “The board is doing the final evaluation soon, and they will decide who gets the deal. We need that acquisition, George. For our image, our future. You know the reason we need to get that company”

“I will get it for us,” I replied flatly.

She smiled and leaned back against the seat, satisfied. But I wasn’t thinking about the company. Not really.

I was thinking about Normani.

About how she looked at Shawn like he was the only one in the world who ever truly cared for her. Where did she meet him? Were they in love? The way he hauled her away, it seemed like they were. 

And for the first time in a long time, I felt something heavy press against my chest. I wasn't sure what it was, but I couldn't shift it no matter how much I tried. 

What was it about seeing Normani with that bastard named Shawn that caused a heavy load to ground on my chest so hard? 

I had to fix this. 

That bastard, Shawn, touches her like she belongs to him! I hated that!