Chapter Three

Kyle’s POV

It had been a week since Nick’s wedding, and I still couldn’t get that kiss out of my head.

I leaned back in my office chair, my head resting against the edge, one fist pressed beneath my chin as I stared at nothing.

And there she was again. That girl. That stranger who had grabbed my face and kissed me like she owned the moment.

I could still see her clearly. Too clearly. It was as if she were standing right in front of my desk.

Nick had never really been my friend. We’d known each other since college, but there had always been an unspoken competition between us. He acted like he had something to prove, even though his father’s company didn’t come close to my father’s.

When he invited me to his wedding, I hadn’t wanted to go. If my PA hadn’t convinced me to show up for the sake of appearances, I would have stayed away.

And I never would have ended up being kissed by a woman I knew nothing about.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

I sat up straight and adjusted my jacket.

Theo walked in with a brown folder in his hand. He approached my desk and placed it in front of me.

“Boss, the private investigator got back to me about Mr. Nick’s ex-girlfriend. Everything you need to know about her is in this file.”

He tapped the folder lightly.

“All right, Theo. You can leave now.”

“Okay, but I have a question, Boss.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

He hesitated for half a second before speaking.

“I find it hard to understand why you went through the trouble of finding this weird lady when you could have just asked Mr. Nick where she lives and had her arrested for sexual assault. Or…” He paused, his lips twitching into a grin. “Do you like her?”

I stared at him.

“What makes you think I want to get her arrested? And what gave you the impression that I like her?”

His grin widened.

“Boss, the lady literally kissed you. I know you enjoyed that, considering your reputation with women, but she also dared to throw a ten-dollar bill at Kyle Brown.”

He pointed at himself dramatically.

“That’s an insult. I expected you to punish her. But instead, you hired a private investigator to find her. That is very unusual for you.”

He tilted his head.

“Isn’t that enough reason for me to think you like her?”

My expression hardened.

“I am not interested in that girl. And you, Theo, need to mind your fucking business. Keep that in your head.”

I pointed toward the door.

“Now leave before I end up firing you. And go prepare for the board meeting.”

“Yes, sir! Yes, sir!” he said quickly. “My mouth is sealed, Boss. I’ll learn to mind my business from now on.”

He scurried out of the room, bowing his head as he closed the door behind him.

I let out a slow breath and ran a hand through my hair.

For a long moment, my eyes remained on the folder sitting on my desk.

That brown file felt heavier than it should have.

I reached for it and opened it.

Name: Layla Kingston

Age: 27

I frowned.

Twenty-seven. The same age as me, yet she didn’t look it. With her small frame and soft features, she looked barely twenty-two.

I continued reading.

She worked as a journalist at Stargaze Broadcasting Station and had been there since graduating from NYU. She lived in an apartment with her best friend, Isabella.

I closed the folder and pushed it aside.

It wasn’t that I liked her. I found her intriguing. There was a difference.

After all, Layla Kingston had kissed Kyle Brown—knowing exactly who I was—and then had the nerve to throw money at me as if I were some random man she could pay off.

That was an insult. An insult to my name. To my reputation.

I had made sure no one recorded that moment before I left the venue that day.

And just like Theo said, I would punish her. In my own way.

Nick was a bastard too, for marrying his girlfriend’s closest friend and still inviting his ex to the wedding as if nothing had happened.

But that wasn’t my business.

I wasn’t a relationship person. I had never been interested in commitment. I preferred keeping things casual, with no feelings attached.

But I wasn’t a playboy either. There was a line.

I stood and walked out of my office.

Hailey, my secretary, greeted me, and I gave her nothing more than a nod.

Theo was the only member of my staff I was comfortable joking with. Everyone else got the cold version of me.

I pushed open the conference-room door.

Theo was already at the front beside my chair, arranging files and setting up the laptop. The directors stood the moment I entered.

“Good morning, Mr. Brown,” they greeted in unison.

I didn’t respond.

Instead, I walked over to the small built-in fridge, took out my favorite canned chocolate drink, and handed it to Theo.

He opened it and gave it back to me.

I took a sip before gesturing for everyone to sit.

I stood at the head of the table, letting my eyes move slowly across their faces.

Then I stopped on the one man who had always been a thorn in my side.

“Mr. Hamilton, I heard some murmurs about my plan to invest in the new robotic machine. Do you have a problem with it?”

He stared at me for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Mr. Brown, I feel like you’ve been targeting me a lot lately. I only made a comment that this isn’t the right time for the company to invest in that machine. I don’t understand what murmurs you’re talking about.”

“I understand your point, Mr. Hamilton. So tell me, when do you believe the right time will be?”

He said nothing.

He simply adjusted his glasses and looked around the room at everyone except me.

I leaned back slightly.

“Business is business, Mr. Hamilton. The essence of investment is buying future value. Everyone here has heard about the potential of this machine, and we can all agree that it has the potential to improve our technology and increase our returns.”

I paused, allowing my words to settle.

“Brown Empire is an investment company. We invest in opportunities that can create value. We are not a charity organization. Is that clear?”

Silence filled the room.

I looked at each director one by one.

“I don’t want to hear any more discussion against this decision unless you have concrete data to support your concerns.”

I picked up my drink.

“That’s all.”

I walked out of the conference room, with Theo following closely behind.

“Boss, the planning department just sent me the details for your interview regarding Brown Financial Industry. It’s scheduled for seven tonight, after dinner. An employee from Stargaze Broadcasting Station will come to the company to interview you.”

I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Repeat what you just said, Theo.”

“Everything I just said, or the part about the broadcasting station?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Did I crack a joke? Why are you grinning?”

He immediately wiped the grin from his face.

“Sorry, Boss.”

“Who are they sending?”

“Madeline Johnson. She was highly recommended by the editor-in-chief. They said she has extensive experience and is more than capable of interviewing Kyle Brown.”

He made air quotes around my name.

I started walking again.

When I reached my office door, I stopped and turned toward him.

“Tell the planning department I don’t want Madeline Johnson for the interview.”

Theo’s eyebrows lifted.

“They should send Layla Kingston instead.”

His eyes widened.

“The same Layla Kingston? Mr. Nick’s ex-girlfriend?”

I ignored his expression.

“Why her?” he asked.

I turned slowly.

“Did I ask you to question my decision?”

He immediately straightened.

“No, sir.”

“Then tell the planning department to arrange the interview with Layla Kingston.”

Theo stared at me for a second before nodding.

“Yes, sir. Right away.”

He hurried down the hallway.

I watched him disappear around the corner before entering my office and closing the door behind me.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

Let’s see how you handle this, Layla.