021

Sophie

A call cuts through the meeting. Hayes’s father reached for his phone and glanced at the screen. 

“Now that the new CEO has been declared, we have nothing more to discuss,” Hayes’s father said before pushing himself to his feet and walking out. 

Hayes practically raced to where I and Dominic were while Olivia sat back with Noah. 

It was either she didn’t know what to respond or she was too afraid that Hayes’s father would walk back into the living room and catch her sitting. 

He stopped not too far from me. “Was this your aim?” He threw his hands up in anger, referring to the meeting that had just ended. “To ruin me?”

I finally glanced at him. 

For some reason I nodded in agreement. 

“I want to ruin you,” I admitted. I took a step closer to him. I was not intimidated by him. 

Plus, what could he do with everyone watching? 

“You could have just accepted the divorce like a normal cheating man but you make my life worse. 

You went on interviews to brag now reporters and news channels accuse me of so much.”

I turned to leave when Hayes, who had nothing else to say, shifted his attention to Dominic. “Why would you do this to me?” He questioned; his expression filled with confusion. “I’m meant to be your brother, Dominic yet you betray me for my soon to be ex-wife”.

I scoffed. 

What was he trying to prove? Did he want to make us feel guilty? 

Dominic pulled me away from Hayes but Haye still managed to step in our way. He stood right in front of us with his hands stretched wide beside him. 

It was almost laughable. 

The man that always got what he wanted had his dream ripped away in front of him and he couldn’t say anything.

I sighed, exhausted. 

Why was it always a hassle when it came to him?

“Dominic, how dare you?” Hayes’s mother joined in. “Yet again you want to take what does not belong to you?”

I could do nothing but roll my eyes. 

She did nothing but side her precious son and anyone that went against her was the enemy. I didn’t realize how much she annoyed me until now. 

Dominic, on the other hand, didn’t show as much annoyance as I did. It was the same bored expression like he could no longer bear to be here but had to be here. 

I understood how he felt.

Suddenly, Hayes’s mother coughed. 

She beat her chest repeatedly as she leaned forward. He held up a hand and Hayes rushed to the table. He picked it up and handed it to his mother. His mother drank before she handed it back to Hayes. “I’m fine now” Hayes’s mother whispered.

“Are you sure?” Hayes questioned, as he placed the glass back on the table. He rubbed her back gently.

She nodded. 

“I would advise you not to yell. It’s no longer good for you. After all, you’re advancing in age, you need to save your voice,” he explained, not letting go of my hand or not putting much effort to wear a convincing expression. 

She clenched her jaw, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. 

She tried not to make any sudden moves. They were still surrounded by family members. The meeting had ended but not everyone had left.

“I would be back to properly see you. After all, my position now carried a lot of time-consuming responsibilities,” he added before turning. He headed to the front door and took me with him.

I let him. I had nothing to say to them. They would only blame me and demand I convince Dominic to step down.

We left with no one to pull us back and made it to his car.

He pulled the passenger’s seat open. I walked further and climbed in.

His hand slipped from mine before he shut the door. I watched him turn over to the driver’s seat. I kept my gaze ahead as he got in. He slammed the door shut and let out a sigh.

He pulled out the car keys from his pocket and searched through them. When he found the right key, he picked it out from the rest and inserted it into the ignition. 

The car roared. 

He gripped the steering wheel as his gaze held the rearview mirror.

I turned to him. “How would you manage?”

He paused and shifted his gaze to mine. “What?”

He questioned, bewildered. 

“How would you manage?” I repeated. “You’re a doctor and now you’re a group CEO. How does one manage all that?”

I could see a crack in his expression. He almost smiled. 

“The hospital is still under my family’s name too,” he revealed.

I nodded and looked away.

He reached and adjusted the rearview mirror to his looking before he gripped on the steering wheel again. He was about to move when I turned to him again. “Do you have any grudges against the Laurent’s?”

He blinked. 

“Why are you doing things that clearly won’t benefit them?” I added. 

I needed to know. This was all too confusing. 

For the first time, he turned to me, really turned and I could see something more than a pokerfaced expression on my face. 

“I wanted to destroy the entire Laurent family,” he revealed. 

My eyebrows furrowed as shock washed over me but alongside this feeling, I felt a pang of familiarity. “Have we met before?” I tilted my head to the side and examined his face like it was a puzzle piece. 

He nodded. “Yes, we have”.

What?

Where?

How? 

Before I could remember to let the words slip from my lips, he added. “You just forgot to remember me”.

How does one forget to remember someone?

And where do I know him from?

I sat in silence as the thoughts ran through my mind. I refused to ask any more questions that would lead to even more questions.