The Man Who Hates Me

Chapter 3

If there was one thing I understood clearly after my first ten minutes at Montefalco Holdings, it was this:

Sebastian Montefalco hated me.

Not disliked.

Not mistrusted.

Hated.

The way he had looked at me earlier still lingered in my mind like a shadow I couldn’t shake off.

Cold.

Sharp.

Accusing.

As if I had personally destroyed something precious to him.

And maybe, in his eyes, I had.

Because in his version of the story, I was the woman who had driven his brother away.

The woman who had ruined Donn Montefalco’s life.

The irony of it made my chest ache.

I hadn’t ruined anything.

I had been the one left behind.

“Avah?”

I blinked, realizing Carla was still standing beside me.

“Sorry,” I said quickly.

She gave me a sympathetic look.

“Don’t worry about him.”

“About who?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“The Ice King.”

I frowned slightly.

“The what?”

Carla leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“That’s what people here call Mr. Montefalco.”

I glanced down the hallway where Sebastian had disappeared.

“The Ice King?”

“Well… he’s brilliant,” she said. “But he’s also terrifying.”

“That’s comforting.”

Carla laughed quietly.

“He rarely talks to employees directly. You must have impressed him during the hiring process.”

I doubted that.

From the way he spoke to me, it seemed more likely that he approved my hiring so he could keep an eye on me.

Or make my life miserable.

Carla gestured toward the desk beside us.

“This is your workspace.”

The desk was modern and neatly organized.

A computer.

A tablet.

A stack of folders.

“Your team will arrive soon,” she continued. “But first you’ll need to attend a briefing.”

“A briefing?”

She nodded.

“With Mr. Montefalco.”

Of course.

Because apparently fate enjoyed making my life uncomfortable.

“Conference room B,” she said.

Then she gave my shoulder a small encouraging squeeze before walking away.

I stared at the hallway for a moment.

Conference room B.

With Sebastian Montefalco.

Wonderful.

I picked up the tablet from my desk and forced myself to walk toward the conference room.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

When I reached the door, I took a slow breath before pushing it open.

Inside, several employees were already seated around the large glass table.

And at the head of the table sat Sebastian.

The moment I stepped inside, his eyes lifted.

They locked onto mine immediately.

I felt that same strange tension again.

Like the air between us had suddenly become electric.

I quickly looked away and took an empty seat.

The meeting began a few minutes later.

Sebastian stood slowly, resting his hands on the table.

“Montefalco Holdings will be launching a new international project next quarter,” he said.

His voice was calm.

Confident.

Commanding.

Everyone in the room listened carefully.

“This project will expand our presence across Southeast Asia,” he continued.

Slides appeared on the large screen behind him.

Charts.

Strategies.

Marketing projections.

I focused on taking notes, trying not to notice how often Sebastian’s gaze drifted toward me.

But I felt it.

Every time.

Watching.

Observing.

Judging.

After nearly thirty minutes, the presentation ended.

Employees began gathering their materials.

But just as I was about to stand, Sebastian spoke again.

“Miss Alfonso.”

My heart dropped slightly.

“Yes?”

“Stay for a moment.”

The others left the room quickly.

Within seconds, we were alone.

The silence between us felt heavy.

Sebastian slowly walked toward the window overlooking the city.

For a moment, he didn’t speak.

Then he turned to face me.

“Tell me something,” he said.

“What is it?”

“Why did you accept this job?”

The question caught me off guard.

“I already told you,” I said carefully. “It’s a professional opportunity.”

His expression didn’t change.

“You knew whose company this was.”

“Yes.”

“And yet you still came.”

“Yes.”

He studied my face quietly.

“You’re either very brave,” he said slowly.

“Or very foolish.”

I crossed my arms slightly.

“Or maybe I just needed a job.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“After what happened with my brother?”

The words stung.

“What happened with your brother,” I said carefully, “wasn’t my fault.”

For the first time, something sharp flashed in his expression.

“You expect me to believe that?”

I held his gaze.

“You don’t have to believe anything.”

Another silence fell between us.

Then Sebastian stepped closer.

Close enough that I could feel the intensity of his presence.

“Donn disappeared the morning of your wedding,” he said quietly.

“Yes.”

“He left the country.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

Sebastian watched my reaction carefully.

“You didn’t know that?”

“No.”

My voice sounded almost like a whisper.

That was impossible.

Donn had left the country?

Why would he do that?

Sebastian’s gaze hardened slightly.

“Interesting.”

“What is?”

“You look genuinely surprised.”

“Because I am.”

He studied my face for a long moment.

Like he was trying to decide whether I was lying.

Finally, he stepped back.

“Be careful, Miss Alfonso.”

“About what?”

“Working here.”

His voice dropped slightly.

“Because if I discover that you had anything to do with my brother’s disappearance…”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He didn’t need to.

The warning was clear.

My heart pounded in my chest.

But I refused to look intimidated.

“I didn’t make your brother leave,” I said firmly.

Sebastian’s eyes darkened.

“We’ll see.”

And for the first time since I met him…

I realized something unsettling.

Sebastian Montefalco might hate me.

But he was also watching me very closely.

One I didn’t even know existed.

And somehow, Sebastian Montefalco seemed determined to uncover it.