Questionable Partnership

    Jade's P.O.V

I kept waiting for her to look at me and finally realize who I was. How could someone forget a night like that?

Granted, she was drowning in tequila when we met, but the morning after shouldn't have been a total blur. She must have seen my face before she slipped out.

Or maybe she was in such a frantic rush to escape that she didn't even bother to glance at the man she'd spent the night with.

"Mr. Dantrix? We're still waiting for your input."

The words hit me like cold water, dragging me back to earth.

"What?" The word slipped out before I could filter it. 

Across the table, the prospective partners shifted in their leather chairs, trading skeptical looks.

One of them pointedly cleared his throat and tapped his pen against his notepad.

"The proposal," he said, his voice flat. "The one we just laid out."I stared at his moving lips, completely lost. I hadn't heard a word since they dimmed the lights for the presentation.

Brandon leaned over, his shoulder brushing mine as he muttered under his breath, "They're pitching an AI takeover for the research engineering department. Supposed to drop overhead to zero."

The old man across the table gestured grandly, a proud smirk plastered on his face.

"We did the exact same thing with our company and have seen excellent results. Since both our corporations produce weapons and firearms, a merger is the smartest move. Imagine our brilliant ideas combined."

"Is replacing human creativity and intelligence with AI even a brilliant idea?" I challenged, leaning forward and staring him down.

The man’s smirk twisted, condescending and cold.

"Well, it has worked wonders for my company. Your company is incredibly young compared to mine. We have been in this business for decades."

"I know we're the new guys," I said quickly, cutting him off before he could lecture me on how this kind of business worked.

"You're right. My company has only been around for seven years. But in that short amount of time, I’ve achieved great heights compared to your industry. And it wasn't because we relied on computers to create ideas for us. I believe in human intelligence. That is the vision I have for the future. And I don't see your company in it. At all."

The man's smile instantly vanished.

"You are making a big mistake, Mr. Dantrix. Won't you reconsider?"

"No," I said, pushing my chair back. "I think this meeting is over."

I stood up, and Brandon was on his feet a split second later, grabbing his tablet.

"How many more of these damn meetings do I need to attend?" I grumbled the moment the heavy glass doors closed behind us.

 I yanked at the knot of my tie, finally able to breathe.

"Thank goodness, that was the last one," Brandon said, checking the schedule. "Are you really considering merging a smaller company with yours?"

I let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over my face.

"It was my uncle's idea. But now I'm thinking I don't really like that idea very much."

Brandon stared at me for a beat, picking up on my frustration.

 "Should we stop for a coffee break before you return to the office?"

"Sure," I muttered.

We left the building and made our way to the café across the street. The moment we slid into a booth, a familiar waitress approached with a notepad.

 "What can I get for you today, Mr. Dantrix?"

"One coffee with cream for him, and one black coffee for me. The usual amount of sugar," Brandon placed our order smoothly.

She smiled and hurried off, returning a short time later with our coffee and a side of donuts.

Brandon took a sip of his black coffee, then leveled me with a look.

 "So, what has been eating at you since yesterday?"

I froze, my hand pausing halfway to my lips with my cup. I tried to play it cool, giving him a blank stare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Come on, Jade. Do you think I'm stupid?" Brandon asked, leaning across the table. "How long have I been your PA?"

"Seven years," I replied defensively.

"And how long have I been your friend?

"Fifteen years."

"Exactly. I know you better than anybody. You've been acting this way ever since your new secretary arrived. Does this have something to do with her?"

I took a hasty gulp of my coffee, looking everywhere but at him.

 "I told you, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Brandon leaned back, a victorious smirk spreading across his face.

"An open accusation, and you're dodging it. That only answers my question. So it is about her. Have you two met before?"

I groaned, setting my mug down with a heavy thud.

"It's kind of complicated."

"How complicated? Don't tell me..." Brandon's eyes went wide. "You slept with her?"

"Yes," I muttered, rubbing my temples.

"Geez, man! This is exactly what I've been talking to you about," Brandon sighed, tossing his napkin onto the table. "Can you stop being a freaking womanizer?"

"I'm not a womanizer," I shot back defensively.

"Oh, really? How many women do you sleep with every week? I mean, if I'm going to ask how many times you have sex and with how many women..."

When I actually thought about his question, a bitter taste formed in my mouth. Shit, he was right.

"So, what is really bothering you then?" Brandon asked, his tone softening. "She doesn't seem to have a problem working with you. Do you want me to fire her?"

"No! No, I don't want you to fire her," I said quickly, the mere thought making me tense up. "The issue I have is that she doesn't seem to recognize me."

Brandon blinked, completely caught off guard. Then, a low chuckle escaped him.

"Isn't that a good thing? Oh, wait. Don't tell me your ego is hurt?"

"Hey!" I glared at him, immediately regretting opening my mouth. "Can you stop laughing already? That's not the real issue."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't even know," I admitted, completely frustrated.

"Look," Brandon suggested, leaning in. "If it's bothering you this much, then maybe you should just talk to her. Spend some time like adults."

Yeah, right, I thought to myself. I would have done that since yesterday.

What was stopping me was the fact that I knew she was married.

 But the fact that she had thrown the ring away she was wearing that night and the fact that she didn't seem happily married, had me thinking that maybe she was having some problems with her marriage.

 I didn't want to bring up what happened that night and mess things up if she was trying to resolve those issues and be happily settled with her husband.

Perhaps I was a bad person, but I wasn't a home wrecker.

******

    Myra's P.O.V

The folder slid smoothly into the drawer, clicking into place just before I pushed the panel shut.

Glancing back across the desk, everything finally seemed to be in order. 

I took a brief breath of satisfaction; organizing Jade's chaotic workspace was a never-ending battle, but I was finally on top of it. I reached for the final stack of documents to file them away, but as I turned toward the cabinets, the slick paper slipped right through my fingers. 

The folder crashed onto the polished marble floor, scattering pages across the glossy blue surface.

"Oh, perfect," I muttered under my breath, immediately dropping to my knees.

I began gathering the pages, stacking them neatly back together. But as my hands swept across the stone, a bold heading on one of the sheets caught my eye, pausing my movements entirely.

Shares and Holdings: Aethelgard Logistics.

I blinked, staring at the text. 

There was no mistake. This was definitely Vincent’s company. I frowned, completely bewildered.

 What kind of business dealings could Jade possibly have with Aethelgard Logistics? 

It made no sense. Vincent's firm dealt exclusively in international supply chains and cargo shipping, while Jade’s company was strictly into advanced weapons creation. 

They were in completely different lines of business.

Anxious curiosity took over. I quickly got up with the files and returned to the desk, spotting a second folder tucked underneath the blotter. I opened it and realized it was an exact duplicate copy of these secret documents.

Driven by a sudden instinct, I pulled the copy out and hastily shoved the original folder back into its proper place. 

Before I could even think about the consequences, I folded the stolen pages and tucked them deep inside my shirt, pressing them flat against my skin to hide them.

"You're still here?" Jade’s voice broke the silence, making my blood run cold.

 I jumped slightly, turning to see him standing in the doorway.

"Have you been organizing my office this entire time?" he asked.

I forced my racing heart to slow down, plastering on my best professional smile.

 "No, sir. I had to finish up some other paperwork at my desk first before I could get back to organizing your office."

Hoping to keep him from noticing the panic in my eyes, I quickly looked down and pretended to be bu

sy adjusting the items inside his open desk drawer. I shifted a stapler, trying to look completely absorbed in my work.

But the moment my gaze hit the back of the drawer, my jaw dropped.