Dialed him

Celine's POV

I sat beside my bed, my back resting against the bed, for the first time in years, I let myself stop pretending to be the bad girl everyone believed I was.

I looked completely broken, my fingers trembled slightly as I held my phone against my ear. I had dialed his number.

After years of pretending to hate him, that I never needed him, I found myself wanting to see him, to hear his voice.

The line kept ringing.

I parted my lips, waiting with bated breath. Anxious and afraid that he might not pick up.

The call finally connected and I parted my lips to speak. My words hung in my throat, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

Instead, my eyes became filled with tears. One tear slipped down my cheek as I forced back a sniff.

Suddenly, everything I had spent two years holding inside came crashing down. A sob escaped my lips. I covered my mouth with my free hand but it did nothing to stop the tears.

I hate that I was weak with him. I hate how he makes me feel. But I can't deny that I haven't forgotten him, neither have my feelings disappeared.

My shoulders shook as I curled against the side of my bed, letting go of my phone, I cried harder.

I had missed him. And I hated that I missed him.

After all these years, hearing his voice was the only thing I wanted.

Dave's POV

I hesitated for a long while before sliding to the green button. There was silence on the other end for a second.

My hands clenched as I waited, to hear her voice.

Then, I heard a sob. My face furrowed quickly, I picked up the phone like I could grab her from the other end and pull her out of the screen.

Another sob came and it became louder.

My breaths became heavy with anger. Every broken sob tightened something inside my chest, I hated hearing her like this. Hated knowing that, once again, she was hurting because of me.

My fingers curled tightly around the phone. I wanted to speak, to comfort her and apologize for what happened.

*…That I missed her.*

At the thought of that, I swallowed hard, restraining myself before I lost control.

I clenched my free hand into a fist, forcing myself to remain silent. This was for the better, the more heartbroken she was, the more she would forget all about her feelings for me.

As I listened to her cry, my chest grew tighter and tighter until I felt suffocated. I cut the call and stormed out of my room with a deadpan expression.

I walked into the training room, my anger rolling off of me like a dark cloud. I grabbed a gun from the table, loaded it and stepped toward the shooting range.

Bang! The first shot echoed through the room.

I didn't put on headgear, wanting the sound of the gun to clear my head of the sound of her cries. I fired another and another.

Each shot carried the frustration I couldn't put into words. My jaw remained clenched as I stared at the targets ahead, imagining every emotion I had been trying to bury.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

My breathing grew heavier as I kept shooting, but it didn't ease the pain.

I lowered the gun for a moment and dragged a hand through my hair. "What the hell is wrong with me?" I muttered.

I had faced enemies without flinching, I had dealt with betrayal, threats and danger. But somehow, Celine had managed to shake something inside me that I didn't understand.

*Or maybe I wasn't trying hard enough to deny it, and that's why it is so frustrating.*

I raised the gun again and stared long at the already destroyed figure in front of me. I fired the last shot and the echo filled the room.

No matter how many times I pulled the trigger, the image of Celine, her tearful face, refused to leave my mind.

The meeting had finally come to an end. I leaned back in my chair, my eyes swept across the men seated around the table. No one spoke for a moment, the atmosphere remained tense.

One of the men cleared his throat, sharing glances with a few people before he spoke. "What about the Sawyer company?"

My gaze shifted toward him. "What about the company?" I fired back.

He swallowed fast. "Is Celine Sawyer really going to take over?"

I straightened in my chair, my expression hardened. "She will." I answered firmly.

My eyes moved around, I watched them hesitate, reluctant about my decision. They seemed unsatisfied.

"It's her father's wish and I intend to see that wish fulfilled. Celine will take her rightful position when the time comes"

The men exchanged glances before one of them nodded.

"Now that you've taken control of the Marino family, you're the one calling the shots. We won't dare object"

I gave a low, hard chuckle. I could hear their dissatisfaction. I leaned forward slightly, my fingers resting against the table.

"Good"

My voice left no room for argument.

"Then understand this. From now on, every business matter will be discussed with Alfred. I expect the same respect and cooperation you have shown me"

Several of them nodded immediately.

"Could there be a reason for this decision?" the first one who spoke before asked.

I watched him, my eyes glaring suspiciously at him. "That's not for you to know" I said.

My eyes scanned the room again, for traces of traitors hiding under false masks. "I'm sure we all know what happens when you betray me" I reminded.

Their expressions hardened.

I let out a small smile.

"That's all" I pushed my chair back and stood up.

Without waiting for another word, I turned and walked out of the room. Jeff was waiting outside.

"Everything is arranged" he said, falling into step beside me.

I gave a brief nod. "Good. I want updates on her location every two minutes"

"Yes Boss"

He answered and we continued toward the private exit, where the sound of a helicopter waiting outside grew louder with every step.

I glanced at my watch. In five hours, I would be able to see her.