6 - Obsession, Victim.

Jake Harold’s POV

“This is from our boss.”

Her blue eyes blinked. She wandered her gaze around the shareholders, one by one. Amid those old-wrinkled men, she needed to meet my eyes when she tried to prove Andreas’s words.

“Is that him?” she asked. I immediately looked down to my documents to make me busy. My nose could already smell her sweet perfume. Almost twisted my mind. From the corner of my eyes, I saw my anticipation betrayed me.

“That was very warm of you, Sir George. This is the first time our shareholders have given me a warm drink.” Her tiny lips curled into a smile. That old man smiled shamefully as Elena shook her hand.

I clenched my fist, the document in my lap already torn apart. I tried my best not to snap that old man’s head off that dared to touch her hand.

Before I knew it, Elena Beaumont had already become the center of attention in my bored life.

If it weren’t for Andreas, I’d really look like a lonely man who tried his best to get ‘attention’ from a woman who didn’t even recognize him.

Monday morning. That was the most time I’d see that bastard Gabriel always bullied her.

“Damn. It started again, huh?” Andreas had just come from the cafeteria, both hands holding cups of coffee, when a loud commotion roared from Room A#774.

“Gabriel,” he sighed, put the cup down, “that kid really doesn’t know how to stop.”

Andreas was the closest living witness. They often bumped into each other every time Andreas picked a data set from Marketing Team. I swear to my God, if I were him, watching that brainless kid kept leeching around his smart girlfriend every single day? I’d make him regret setting his foot here.

The only reason I kept funding this small company, was only to make sure she didn’t lose her last hope.

I did a background check. That was an inappropriate thing to do, I know.

Only if Henry Beaumont acknowledged just how dirty Gabriel did to his granddaughter…

“You can’t mess up other people’s family problem, Sir.” That was what Andreas always told me, whenever I lost my patience, reading Elena’s unlucky background data.

“I know,” I murmured, to my own self. Elena still didn’t recognize me until now. And I absolutely have no intention to make her do.

Gabriel always leeched off her almost for everything; her presentation, her work, her data, her sales chart. That greedy kid always found the dirtiest way ever to blackmail his girlfriend, stole her data, and made them his.

To think that a clever young girl like her had to be nerfed into a toxic family who doesn’t even recognize her true ability… not to mention dating the worst man ever.

I don’t know, somehow, I see my past self, in her reflection.

Maybe, in this bankrupt system, I was the only one who acknowledged her skill. The only reason I didn’t sell this small company’s shares was because of her data.

She always managed to surprise me with her team’s report. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, she did that alone. When her family didn’t support her, and don’t make me mention my stupid nephew.

“Andreas. Let go.”

“Yes, Sir.”

We came home earlier that day.

The next morning, I visited the company alone, without informing Andreas first.

I didn’t know when it started.

Just small gifts. Here and there. If not on her desk, then, I’ll ask her coworkers to give the drink, snacks, lunch box, or some flowers to her.

Enjoying her small reaction, flustered, trying so hard asking around who sent her gifts to her desk every day, has become my habit without me realizing it.

Until…

the day her company threw a dinner party.

I was sure she was the kind of woman whose skill I acknowledged. Little did I know, that secret admiration had turned into deep disgust.

***

“Congratulations for your promotion, President Harold!”

I gave him a subtle smile, accepted his handshake out of formality. “I appreciated your kindness, Sir Franklyn. This is Andreas, my personal assistant. He’ll guide you about what you talked to me about yesterday.”

President Franklyn busted with joy. “That’s what I wanted to hear, President Harold!” he said, a laugh spread across his wrinkled cheeks.

“So, Assistant Andreas—”

I grabbed the wine’s glass, let him take his sweet time. You’ll only hear a sweet word from an old man like him only if he wants something back from you.

But—I guess, I am no different from him.

“Excuse me.”

A waitress holding a drink tray turned confused to me, as I called him out of nowhere.

I leaned my face to him, didn’t want anyone to hear my voice.

“Do you see Elena Beaumont, by any chance?”

He blinked, confused, “Pardon me, Sir? That’s the first time I have heard that name,” he said.

“Ah.” I quickly nodded. “Then, that’s fine.”

“You can go now.”

He bowed to me. “If you will excuse me, Sir.”

I glanced at my watch. I promised the president here that I would watch his promotion ceremony—but, after knowing a ‘certain person’ wasn’t here, I already feel like going home.

Ring… I quickly called Andreas. “Where are you? Can I ask you something?”

“If it’s you want me to replace you again at this party, then, no!” He already complained. I sighed. Just how long do I need to wait? This company’s dinner party really wasted my time.

Slap!

I turned my head right away.

Did I just hear a slapping sound?

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

There’s a commotion I couldn’t see considering how fast the crowds had surrounded them.

‘Love quarrel? For real?’ I furrowed my eyebrow. There’s a woman shouting, and a man who seemed to have been caught red-handed cheating.

‘Fuck,’ I growled. As if this party wasn’t boring enough. Really need to make Andreas agree to replace me.

I picked another glass of wine when everyone turned their heads toward me. The crowds started to murmur just as I felt a strong force from a small hand grabbing my tie.

She didn’t even give me time to prepare—

Kiss.

Then—

Tears. Flowing through her burning cheeks. Down to a small hand, trembled, pulled my collar.

The smell of strong liquor. That fragile grip turned into an immature, trembling kiss, that even a middle schooler could do better than this.

Then—again, Gabriel.

“…”

‘…I see.’

‘So, this is how you use me.’

I have never felt this humiliated in my entire life.

“Hmph!” Her lips kept pressed against mine. Rough. Amateur. That kiss alone already screams so much about how she wanted to prove something to someone.

Gabriel—he just stood. He didn’t even need to lift a finger to fire the burning rage all over my chest.

I squeezed her shoulder.

After three failed arranged marriages, one could say that understanding the psychology of any woman’s personality had become my expertise.

“—you know what?”

But,

“…you are not my type.”

she’s not even a small pet my cousin used to play along with,

“And, one more time,”

—yet, I swear to my God,

“…”

“…you are a terrible kisser.”

Elena Beaumont,

what should I do to you, now?

You’ll regret daring to piss inside the cage of a wild animal.