004

Gerald’s POV

She actually left. She didn’t even put up a fight, didn’t even say anything. She just signed the fucking papers, packed up her stuff, and fucking left.

I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated before throwing the papers across the room, causing some of the pages to fly in different directions.

While Ophelia just stood by the door, watching me, like the conniving little bitch that she was.

Not being able to handle being in the same space and breathing the same air that she was, I pushed past her, slamming my shoulder into her, only to stop dead in my tracks when I heard her speak.

“You’re lucky you listened to me.” She bit out. “Unless you know what would’ve happened.”

My blood boiled as rage clawed at my insides at the sound of words. It took me everything I had not to turn around and hit her just so I could see her bleed, but I had to control my temper. I just had to. “You made a big mistake coming back to my life, Ophelia.” My voice remained deceptively calm, though I knew she sensed my anger.

“Oh but there’s nothing that you can do about it now, can you?” Her voice drew closer, until she was standing right next to me and batting her lashes with a calculating smile, just like she did with Calista. “Calista is gone, and I’m here to stay. Always and forever will be.”

Without sparing her a glance I walked away, not trusting myself to spend another second around her. And then, the very moment my life went downhill began playing in my head all over again, tormenting me like a punishment I could never escape.

~~~~~

I flipped through the document in my hand, going through a few ideas which had been proposed by the board. While most of them looked like trash and nothing worth even a penny from me, some of them did look promising.

But…

I picked up my pen again.

They needed some refinement—

The ball of my pen barely grazed the paper before a knock from the other side of my door interrupted me.

I’d told my men that I didn’t want any visitors or any disturbance so who the fuck could it—

“Gerald it’s me,” a deceptively sweet voice sang from the other side. Then a giggle followed, “open up.”

My grip closed around my pen so tightly that I swore I heard a crack.

Ophelia.

Fucking Ophelia.

What the fuck was she doing here again?

I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want her here again.

But still… something—I have no idea what the fuck it was—pushed me to tell the guards to let her in.

“Oh Gerald,” she scurried towards me, her heels clicking against the tiles. She then threw her hands around me, oblivious to the death stare I sent her way. “I’ve missed you.”

“What do you want this time?” My eyes drooped with boredom as I pulled her arms away from my neck. “As you can see, I’m married, and I have work to do. So run along and crawl bag to the hole you came out of.” I waved my hand dismissively, returning my gaze to the document I was going through.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too mean?” She drawled, unfazed by my words as she sat on my desk, pushing aside the files so she could make more room for herself.

I raised a brow as she ran her fingers down my jawline, leaning closer so I could get a better view of her cleavage, “Especially when you consider the fact that you’re speaking to your long lost love.”

I let out a low scoff as I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t push her away yet. Let’s just see how stupid she could actually be.

“You know…” she paused, sliding back on my desk as she parted her legs, revealing more skin as the thick fabric bunched up on her thighs. “You haven’t really told me that you missed me yet.”

I stared her up and down, taking in how stupid and pathetic she looked sitting on my desk with her legs wide enough to give me a full view of her panties.

My jaw ticked.

“Come on Gerald,” she purred, pulling down the neck of her dress, “Tell mommy how much you missed her.”

I couldn’t stop the laugh that slipped out of my lips as I took in her desperate form once again. “So…” I wrapped my hand around my chin, “you really think I, Gerald, would miss you?” I asked, my smile never leaving my lips.

One would think I was smiling because I was enjoying this, and maybe they were right. But it was for other reasons.

I didn’t miss the way Ophelia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

And I was suddenly reminded that I had to other things to be doing instead of entertaining this bitch. My expression darkened immediately, my smile morphing into a frown. “Now get off my desk, Ophelia. And get the fuck out of my office.”

If I hadn’t noticed the slight tensing of her brows and jaw, I would’ve thought she never heard me. But of course, I should’ve known better.

This was Ophelia we were talking about.

She made no effort to move off the desk, or even cover up herself in embarrassment. She just smiled at me, inching closer. “You wanna do this the hard way, Gerald?” She grabbed my chin ever so gently, only to jab her nails into my skin making me clench my jaw and bite back a hiss. “Alright, fine, let’s do this the hard way.”

My eyes flicked between hers, searching them so I could understand whatever the fuck she was talking about. But she was sweet enough to save me the trouble, “You better divorce that stupid wife of yours, or else… I’m gonna destroy her.” She loosened her grip, caressing my face once again.

My jaw clenched for a different reason this time. “You wouldn’t dare.” I gritted out.

She let out a sinister laugh. “Try me.” She then went ahead, telling me about all the things she could and would happily do to make Calista’s life miserable, before getting rid of her completely.

My heavy thud echoed in my chest as dread settled in.

Each time I thought there was something I could do to bypass this—that I had this under control—she just proved otherwise, showing me that I had no other choice than to give into her wants.

Her wants that meant she would be back in my life.

My fear only worsened when Calista dropped by with my breakfast, and assumed I was cheating on her. And my askew tie that I’d only loosened out of frustration and Ophelia barely covered in my office, didn’t even help matters.

But at the moment, I thought things would be better this way, that she would be safe from danger and Ophelia’s madness.

Little did I know the guilt and regret would settle in my chest every time she caught me with Ophelia, that wounded look in her eyes haunting me long after she walked.

And now I was rethinking my actions.

But I couldn’t go back now.

Especially if I wanted her to go easily. Especially if I need her to be safe.