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Chapter 3

Author: Amy
last update publish date: 2025-12-29 23:02:50

Clara

What can be worse than a heartbreak? Knowing you’d never get that type of

pleasure again.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of men out here but what I experienced

that night? It was intense.

“Focus, Clara,” I mumbled under my breath and sighed. I have better things to

worry about, that isn’t my fiancé calling off our engagement or a stranger

having me in positions I have never been in my entire life.

I’ve been trying to get my brother, Ryan, to employ me at his store. For a

lesser salary even, I do not mind.

All I want is to understand the dynamics of owning the biggest jewelry store in

the city.

I let out an exhale as I waited for him to come out of his office.

“Come on, Ryan!” I called. “You can’t keep acting like you’re not seeing me.”

“Am I?” He asked, “You really thought you could keep it away from me?”

He was angry, I could see it.

“I promise you I’m fine.” While that may be a complete lie, I still had a grip of

myself.

“So what is it?” He asked, looking at his watch. “I have an important meeting.”

“I need a job, Ryan,” I said.

“Then get one,” Ryan replied.

“You don’t get it. I want to work for you. Just employ me… You already know

how good I am.”

Aside from the good grades I graduated with, I have firsthand experience

working with people and a great appearance too.

“Look, I don’t have time for—” he didn’t get to finish his statement when his

phone buzzed and he quickly got the call.

“Right now??”

“Okay, okay sure.”

From the look on his face, I could tell it was something important.

“Clara, this isn’t the right time."

“So when is the right time??”

“Right now,” I heard someone say. I turned and it was Lily, his sales manager.

“You have one of the biggest investors on the line. He wants to meet.”

“Well, I also have an important flight to catch,” Ryan said. I could tell he was

getting worked up from just thinking of it and so I stepped in.

“I can handle it. I mean, you know how convincing I am. Get Lily to prep me as

your representative. If I get you a deal, I get the job, and if not… You really

can keep your job.” I said.

He looked at me as if considering it and then nodded. I felt my heart leap out

but before I could even show my excitement, he walked away.

“This way, ma’am.”

I followed Lily and sat down, ready to get prepped. “May I know what kind of

investments this is about?”

“We’re talking about investments worth millions.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “Sure… go ahead.”

“From what I have, the business Tycoon only invests when he’s absolutely

convinced. That’s to say, a lot of conviction has to be in place.”

“Oh don’t worry about that. I won a lot of debates in high school.”

“I don’t think it applies here. This man, he’s insatiable and-”

“Who is he?”

She handed me the envelope. “Jason Dubriya, ma’am.”

“I have no idea who that is.”

“And Ma’am? He’s waiting.”

“Alright, I'll uh.. I’ll be with him shortly.”

I needed a moment to settle in and get ready. I need to appear like I have it

under control. That's the first step to getting what you want; looking like you

have it.

James, the company Chauffeur was already on standby. I quickly arranged my

bag and my documents, took my phone, and adjusted my gown, looking all

set for this meeting.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” Lily said and I nodded.

I walked out of the office and entered the car, placing my bag on the chair.

The reason I love driving with James is because he knows how to mind his

business. Not everyone knows that.

The ride took about forty-five minutes and I just exhaled. This is the longest

drive since I returned from Houston.

I came down from the car and stepped through the glass door of the lobby, my

heels clicking softly against the marble floor.

The waiting area smelled faintly of polished wood and was filled with voices in

a distance. I swallowed hard and walked straight to the woman sitting pretty at

the front desk.

I took a steadying breath just before I could approach her.

“Hi.”

“Good morning ma'am, how may I help you?” she asked, looking away from

her computer.

“Uh, good day. “Hello, my name is Clara Mallon, I’m here to meet Jason

Dubriya.”

“Got an appointment?”

“Yes. He wanted to meet and I was sent here, as a representative.”

“Oh.” She nodded her head, and gave me a book to write down my name.

“There you go,” I said handing her back the book.

Without another word, she fixed her gaze on the screen and typed.

I couldn’t see but I could tell she was trying to input my name into the system.

“Please have a seat. Mr. Dubriya will be ready to receive you soon.”

The waiting area gave off how much progress this company has made. Aside

from the few things I read from the document Lily gave to me, I could tell that

the owner is doing well.

A knot twisted in my stomach and I just swallowed hard. I'm nervous but it has

nothing to do with my appearance.

I just wish I'd get this deal for Ryan and prove that I'm an adult. Having an

older brother like Ryan has made me unable to make my decision for myself.

It's part of the reason I jumped at the idea of getting married to Aiden. I just

wanted to get away.

My attention got caught when a man heavily bathed in OUD perfume passed.

I stood and walked straight to the receptionist. “I’m sorry to bother you but I

think that's the person I'm supposed to meet.”

“You think or you know?” she answered rather sarcastically. “That’s Mike

Dubriya and he's not the person you're supposed to meet.”

“So where is this person?”

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    Clara I smiled softly as the thought slipped into my mind, unexpected yet impossible to ignore. It was one of those quiet moments where a simple idea suddenly feels important for no clear reason. I sat there wondering why Jason’s brother, Mike, would ever call me on the phone just to say he wanted to see me. The idea seemed strange, almost unreal, and that was exactly why it stayed in my head. The more I thought about it, the more curious I became, and my smile slowly widened without me even noticing. Mike and I had never been particularly close. We knew each other through Jason, shared a few conversations here and there, but nothing that would normally lead to a personal phone call. That was what made the thought so mysterious. I imagined my phone ringing unexpectedly, Mike’s name appearing on the screen, and his voice sounding calm but serious as he told me he wanted to see me. I wondered how I would respond at that moment. Would I act surprised? Would I laugh nervou

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    Jason The bar was dimly lit, filled with the soft hum of conversations and the slow rhythm of jazz playing from hidden speakers. Rain tapped gently against the windows, matching the heaviness I carried inside me after the kind of day that seemed determined to go wrong from the very beginning. I sat across from Mike in our usual corner booth, staring blankly at the half-filled glass of red wine in front of me. My shoulders were tense, my mind exhausted, and every attempt Mike made to lighten the mood only drifted past me unnoticed.Mike, however, seemed distracted. His phone buzzed for what felt like the fifth time that evening, and when he glanced at the screen, his expression changed instantly. “It’s Clara,” Mike muttered before answering the call. He leaned slightly away from the table, lowering his voice, but not enough to stop my curiosity from growing.At first, I tried not to listen. I swirled the wine in my glass and focused on the rain outside, but fragments of the conver

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  • One Night, No Names   Chapter 169

    Jason “Do you want me to call Clara myself and speak to her?” Mike asked, leaning forward in his chair with a serious expression on his face. His voice carried a mixture of concern and determination, as though he was already prepared for whatever answer I might give him.I looked away for a moment and stared through the window beside us. The evening sky was slowly turning orange as the sun disappeared behind the buildings. My thoughts were crowded with worry. Clara had not replied to my messages for days, and every attempt I made to reach her had ended in silence. I could not tell whether she was angry, hurt, or simply avoiding me. The uncertainty was exhausting.“I don’t know if that will be a good idea,” I finally replied quietly. “But let’s see how it will go.”Mike nodded slowly, though I could tell he was not fully convinced by my hesitation. He had always been the type of person who believed problems should be faced directly. Unlike me, he never allowed fear or doubt to

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    Jason I had fallen asleep on the couch sometime after midnight, though sleep was probably too generous a word for it. My body had shut down, but my mind still felt restless, tangled up in half-finished thoughts and the dull weight of exhaustion. The living room was dark except for the faint glow from the television I’d forgotten to turn off. A blanket hung halfway off me, twisted around my legs, and my neck ached from the awkward angle I’d been lying in for hours. Everything about me felt heavy my eyes, my arms, even breathing seemed like work.I remember waking up slightly when I heard the front door click open. At first, I ignored it, too tired to move, but then I heard footsteps crossing the room. Mike stopped near the couch, and for a second there was just silence before he spoke.“Yo… are you okay?”His voice sounded cautious, almost concerned. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up at him, but I could tell immediately from his expression that I must’ve looked terrible. My

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    Jason I stood there in confusion, my mind racing to piece together the situation. Clara , the girl I thought I knew now seems like a stranger to me. I watched her closely, trying to decipher the sharp shift in my behavior, moments ago, I had laughed softly, my eyes warm with affection, as if ever

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