Hate me?

PART 5

​The heavy clicking of heels against the marble floor announced her arrival before she even stepped through the door. The moment Olivia Benjamin entered the office, dressed in a sharp, charcoal-gray formal suit that screamed authority, the air in the room turned cold.

Every employee instinctively stood up, their chairs scraping against the floor in a desperate rush to show respect.

​"This office is a place of business, not a venue for idle gossip. What do you think this is… a public park?"

​Olivia didn’t waste a second. Her voice sliced through the silence, sharp and demanding. The employees, who had been whispering moments before, now kept their heads bowed, not daring to meet her piercing gaze.

​"Where is your team leader?" she snapped.

​The mention of Emma sent a visible wave of fear through the group. They exchanged panicked glances, but no one wanted to be the one to speak.

​"Are you all deaf ? I asked, where is Emma?"

​"Uh... Emma ma'am... she... she’s on leave today, Olivia ma'am," one junior employee finally stammered out, trembling under the pressure.

​The temperature in the room seemed to drop another ten degrees. Olivia’s eyes flashed with pure rage, and she clenched her jaw so hard her muscles pulsed.

​"What? On leave?" she repeated, her voice thundering. "How incredibly irresponsible! Does she not understand the gravity of the project we are handling? If you take on a responsibility, you finish it. That is the basic sense of a professional. Arrogant girl!"

​She was breathing heavily now, her fury radiating off her in waves. No one dared to explain that Emma’s leave had been pre-approved or that she had worked late the night before. They just stood there, paralyzed.

​"Listen to me carefully," Olivia said, her voice dropping to a deadly, low hiss. "If the final file isn't on my desk by 4:00 PM today, not a single person in this team is going home on time. Consider your evening cancelled. And when Emma finally decides to show up, tell her she is to report directly to my office before she even touches her computer."

​With one last icy glare, Olivia turned on her heel and marched out. The heavy silence lingered for a few seconds until the sound of her heels faded away. A collective, shaky sigh of relief echoed through the room.

​"Man, Emma is in real trouble this time," one guy whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Who knows what kind of punishment or mountain of work Olivia is going to dump on her now?"

​Though they felt sorry for Emma, the fear of Olivia’s deadline was stronger. They quickly dived back into their work, knowing that any more talking would mean a very long night at the office.

​Meanwhile, in a quiet corridor far from the office buzz, a different kind of tension was brewing.

​"Is this YOUR plan? Did you set this up?"

​Ryan finally broke the suffocating silence, his voice dripping with suspicion.

​Zane let out a dry, mocking chuckle. He shook his head slowly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Here we go again. Even after all this time, you're so quick to point the finger at me, Ray. Some things really never change, do they?"

​The air between them shifted instantly. The moment Zane uttered that old nickname,Ray,it was like a physical blow to Ryan’s chest.

His heart skipped a beat, and for a split second, a flood of memories from their past threatened to overwhelm him. The late nights, the laughter, the promises... all of it rushed back.

​But the pain of the past quickly turned into white-hot anger. Ryan lunged forward, grabbing Zane by the collar of his expensive shirt and slamming him back against the wall.

​"Don't you dare call me that ever again!" Ryan hissed.

​His face was inches from Zane’s, his eyes bloodshot with rage. His breath came in heavy, ragged gasps, and his hands shook as he gripped the fabric of Zane's collar. But Zane didn't flinch. He didn't look scared at all; in fact, he looked like he had been expecting this.

​Instead of fighting back, Zane did something Ryan didn't expect. He reached out and wrapped his arms firmly around Ryan’s waist, pulling him flush against his body. Ryan gasped, his eyes widening as he instinctively pushed against Zane’s chest to regain his space.

​"Why did you stop, Ryan? What’s the matter... are you scared of me?" Zane whispered.

​His voice was low and husky, vibrating against Ryan’s skin. Their noses brushed, and they were so close that their breaths mingled in the small space between them. Ryan’s body betrayed him, a slight shiver running down his spine that had nothing to do with anger.

​"Tell me the truth, Ryan..." Zane continued, his voice like velvet. "Are you afraid that if you stay this close, you’ll end up falling for me all over again?"

​"I'll never fall for you... because I hate you!" Ryan shouted, shoving Zane away with all his strength. The shout echoed loudly through the hallway, sharp and desperate.

​"Hate me?" Zane smirked, leaning back against the wall casually. He pointed to a single drop of sweat sliding down Ryan's forehead. "Your mouth says you hate me, but your body is telling a completely different story."

​Ryan’s face flushed with embarrassment and fury. "Just answer the damn question, Zane! Is this marriage your doing?"

​Zane finally dropped the act and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine. I have absolutely nothing to do with this. Just like you, I only found out about this 'arrangement' when I arrived here today. Honestly, even I was shocked to see my father, Victor, and your Dad, Uncle Benjamin, talking like old friends again."

​Ryan paused, his mind racing. He hated to admit it, but Zane sounded sincere.

​"I don't know what is going through your father's head," Zane added, his expression turning serious. "But my dad truly seems to want their old friendship back. This 'marriage' is their way of sealing that bond."

​"So, what are you saying? That we should just be good little boys and do what they want?" Ryan asked sarcastically.

​"Hell no," Zane snapped, his own temper finally rising. "I’d rather die than be tied to you. I just wanted to make sure you weren't the one who manipulated this situation to get back into my life."

​The words hit Ryan like a physical weight, but he pushed back. "You think I want this? I'd rather spend the rest of my life alone than marry someone like you."

​Zane’s eyes darkened. The rejection stung more than he cared to admit, and that hurt quickly turned into a poisonous anger.

​"You think I’m desperate for you, Ryan?" Zane spat out, his voice cold and cruel. "Give me one minute and one phone call, and I could have a dozen beautiful women and men at my door. People with better looks, better attitudes, and better bodies than yours. I've been with plenty of them . So don't flatter yourself. This Zane is not, and will never be, desperate enough to beg for your hand."

​He adjusted his collar, his face a mask of pure fury. "Anyway, it was 'lovely' seeing you again, Mr. Ryan. Let’s just hope for both our sakes that there won't be a next time."

​Zane turned around and began to walk away, his footsteps heavy and angry.

​Behind him, the silence of the hall was shattered by a loud CRASH. Ryan had grabbed a nearby glass flower vase and hurled it against the wall, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.

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To be continued... 🤍