Four

She's completely different

JAMES

A voice in my head was yelling at me to snap my mouth shut and pick up my damn jaw that was lying on the floor. But I've been unable to do either.

I'm still gawking at the woman on the cover of the Vogue magazine spread on my laptop screen. Every detail about her is fascinating and enchanting. She's fucking sexy as shit. Those legs and those Louboutin heels would make any man lose his mind. Her gorgeous hair was spread on her back and face. Her eyes were enchantingly blue. Long story short, she looks fucking sensational. Out of this world. Fucking spectacular!

No word out there does enough justice to describe. And you're telling me that woman is Gia? Gia, like my ex-mate?

How does that even make sense? How does it add up? They're two different people. Except the eyes. Those blue eyes, they're awfully familiar. My God.

“Are you alright, man? You've locked eyes with that screen for over twenty minutes. You haven't even fucking blinked.” Lucas, my Beta, chuckled. He was the one who showed me the one. He was the one insisting that the woman right in front of me was Gia.

Now he's asking if I'm alright? How can I be alright when I'm trying to digest this overly shocking news?

“James, bro!” He snapped his fingers in my face, forcing me to blink. “What's wrong with you? You're zoning out.”

“She can't be Gia, right?” My heart's pounding recklessly and I can feel my limbs growing shaky.

“I'm telling you, it's her. She's the owner of the biggest clothing company in France. She runs a lot of clothing stores in the U.S. Recently, she launched her newest clothing line, and there are a lot of companies vying to partner with her. Us, included. “

I looked at him in shock. “She's the owner of the clothing brand we're trying to partner with?”

“Yes, she is, man. That's why I'm telling you. We're cooked. What's the chance she's gonna wanna work with us after the way you treated her in the past?”

I stared at the picture again, but this time, I wasn't hyperventilating anymore. My heart was beating softly now, but it was aching a lot.

What are the fucking odds?

Just when I was beginning to think of her a little too much. Just when I was beginning to miss her a little too much. She comes back into my world in such a shocking manner.

Six years ago, when I made the biggest mistake of thrashing her aside and reuniting with Betty, I never thought I'd feel the slightest regret about it. I never thought I'd miss or ever think of Gia ever again.

But it's been a year now since she crept back into my mind, and she's never left. It's a silent battle, always thinking about her, wondering where she is. Who she's with. Mostly, if she's doing alright.

She didn't sign the divorce papers and she didn't take the money my lawyer was supposed to give her. That part had me feeling really guilty and hoping she didn't starve to death or something.

I guess I worried over nothing because she looks very well fed. She looks fucking lively. My God. I still can't believe it.

“I think this is the most astonishing and shocking glowup I've ever witnessed,” Lucas said and I inwardly agreed. Totally.

“Crazy how she went from being an ugly duckling to being such a goddess.”

“She wasn't an ugly duckling,” I said sharply, not sparing him a glance.

“What's that?”

“SHE WASN'T AN UGLY DUCKLING.”

He chuckled. “Man, those were your words, not mine.”

I died a little inside instantly. Was I so cruel that I even referred to her as an ugly duckling? I was such an insufferable ass.

“Why are you acting differently now, bro? Do we not hate her anymore? Is it because she's all thick and stacked now? You gonna have a taste?” He laughed.

I couldn't listen to any more of his bullshit. So I shut the laptop.

“Find out when our team plans on leaving for the meeting with her company.”

“Today. In two hours. Why?”

I didn't answer that. I stood, glared at him for a couple of seconds, walked past him, and left the room.

The echoing thought that I needed to speak with her made me join the private plane that was transporting my team to go meet her.

We arrived at the company and there wasn't anything humble about it. Gia built an empire. I'm a businessman, so I can roughly estimate how much she spent on erecting such a building. And truly, it's mind-blowing.

We were led to a conference hall with cozy chairs, refreshments, and a few brochures of her numerous clothing productions..

The teams were more focused on their refreshments and taking details of the designs of the room. I was engrossed in reading through her brochures, astonished by how perfectly detailed everything was.

She's really been overdoing herself these last four years of disappearing from my life. She's not the Gia I used to know and now I'm getting a little too nervous.

What if she doesn't wanna speak to me? What if she lashes out at me? What if she hates me for what I did to her? I'm sure she's gonna be mad at me. I just hope there's still a tiny part of her that loves me and would still hear me out.

The door opened and her entourage finally stepped inside. They're late. Usually, I'd be upset but right now, I couldn't even risk it.

She finally stepped inside, captivating everyone's gaze and changing the atmosphere of the room in just a few seconds of her presence.

Her dress is perfectly fitted to her curvy body, making me ache and yearn at the fucking same time. Her hair is bouncy and her heels are hella gorgeous. She's gorgeous. And I look whipped.

She smiled at my team and said something to them. I couldn't hear her because I was lost staring at her.

“Boss,” the team leader nudged me. Turns out, Gia was in front of me, stretching out a hand for a shake.

I waited for some sign of recognition to sweep through her face but it never did. She was smiling but it was totally professional. Not personal. Doesn't she remember me?

“I take it that Mr. Chestnut isn't the shaking type,” she said, trying to drop her hand. I was quick to catch it, shaking that hand and feeling her touch again. The fuck! It's been so long.

I was self-aware enough to drop the hand and not over-romanticise it. We all sat down and the meeting started. I wasn't listening to them. My ears and eyes were all fixed on her. Not until my team manager began shouting.

“You can't possibly be serious!” He slammed a hand on the table. “We did everything you requested. And we even passed all your tests. You can't tell us we crossed many miles to come here just for you to tell us that you're no longer interested in partnering with us.”

Gia smiled at him. Her smile is cold and calculated now. It used to be radiant and glowy.

“Well, I'm sorry if it was too much trouble for you. Just know I never begged you to come. You chose to. Now if you'll excuse me,” she stopped and catwalked out of the room, with her entourage trailing behind her.

My team's director was throwing an angry fit but I ignored and raced after Gia. I needed to speak with her.

I caught her right before she could join her team inside an elevator. I literally caught her hand. Her irritated expression knocked me off and I instantly let her go.

“I'm sorry. I just needed to speak with you.”

“You guys go ahead. I'll join you shortly.” She said to her team. “But then I doubt this conversation is gonna last any longer than a few seconds.” She added, returning her gaze to me.

She looked genuinely offended by me and that was threatening to mess with my composure.  I searched for a glint of recognition in her eyes and there was nothing. It was like she was a completely different person.

“You had all the time in the world to say whatever you needed to say back there in the meeting, Mr. Chestnut. I do not appreciate this harassment.” She began in a very hostile tone.

I was gobsmacked by her choice of words. Harassment? This? Really?

Why the fuck is she so mean?

It's crushing my heart. We used to be mates. It's not like I'm a stranger or something. What happened to her? How did she change so much?

“Yeah…” I stuttered, thinking of the perfect way to start this conversation. She doesn't look like she'd tolerate anything personal. So I'd rather take the business route. “You see, I just find it odd that you decided we weren't fit enough to be your partner.”

“Why? Do you think you're better than your rivals?”

“No. Not at all. That would be cocky of me. But seeing that you didn't really pay attention to my team's proposal, that kindashows the decision to not partner with us was pre-made.”

She blinked thrice in one second. Guilty.

“So what I don't understand is why you couldn't inform us via email like any other professional business person would do. Why bring us down here just to embarrass us?”

“Who are you to question me?” She flipped her gorgeous hair, raising her head high. God, she's fucking arrogant now.

“I'm not questioning you. I just…I don't know, it's not right.” She got me stuttering like a damn fool.

She smirked. “Take a hike, Mr. Chestnut. I've got a busy day.”

She pressed the elevator button and got in. Our gaze stayed on each other as the door slowly shut. And then like a flash, I saw the glint I've been desperately searching for in her eyes.

A glint of recognition. But the elevator door had already shut her out of sight.

She damn well remembers me!