Chapter Twenty Seven
+25 BONUS
Daniel walked into his office, his mind still replaying the brief encounter with Ethan and the mysterious Ms. Taylor. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story, but he had to push it aside for now. There were matters at the office that demanded his attention.
As he stepped into the building, his assistant, Emma, was already waiting by his office door, a tablet in hand. She looked up and gave him a polite smile, though there was a hint of concern in her eyes.
“Mr. Sterlings, good morning. You have a busy schedule today. The board meeting has been moved up to tomorrow, and there’s a stack of reports you need to review before then,” she said, handing him a list of his appointments.
Daniel took the tablet and nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Thanks, Emma. I’ll go through these now. Is Stanley back yet?”
“He’s on his way up, sir. He mentioned he’d be stopping by to give you a report on the presentation.” “Good,” Daniel replied absently, already flipping through the documents on the tablet. He couldn’t help but think back to his earlier visit with Ethan. There was something about that boy, his eyes, his smile that made a pang of familiarity tug at Daniel’s heart.
Before he could dwell on it any further, there was a knock on the door, and Stanley walked in. He was still wearing the suit from the presentation, looking polished and composed. But what caught Daniel’s attention was the smile that lingered on his face, a smile that hadn’t faded since he’d walked through the door.
“How did the presentation go?” Daniel asked, leaning back in his chair. “Did we get the response we wanted?”
Stanley nodded, taking a seat across from him. “Everyone was impressed. They loved the proposal, and I think we’ve sealed the deal. We’re in a good place.”
Daniel nodded, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “That’s great to hear. But something tells me that’s not what’s got you smiling like that.”
Stanley’s smile widened as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You know me too well. The presentation was good, but…” He trailed off, the mischievous glint in his eyes not going unnoticed.
Daniel arched an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “But?”
Stanley hesitated, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “It’s who gave the presentation that’s got me like this.”
Daniel frowned, confusion flickering across his face. “Who?”
Stanley’s smile turned into a full grin. “Tasha.”
The name hit Daniel like a punch to the gut. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The air seemed to thicken around him as he stared at Stanley, the implications of that single name crashing into him with full force.
“Tasha?” Daniel managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.
Stanley nodded, his smile fading slightly as he noticed the change in Daniel’s expression. “Yeah, it was
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Chapter Turnty Seren
her. I was just as shocked. I thought I’d never see her again, but there she was, presenting like she owned
the room.
Daniel’s mind raced. Tasha. After all these years. He had convinced himself that she was gone, that she would never come back. But now, she was here, in his city, working on a project he had been overseeing.
His heart hammered in his chest as he struggled to process this new information. “Did she… did she say anything? did she see you?”
Daniel’s heart was pounding, his mind a swirl of emotions he hadn’t felt in years. The past, something he had tried so hard to bury, was now threatening to burst open. He tried to steady his breathing, focusing on Stanley’s words.
“Well… You know… It just happened real fast,” Stanley said, his tone hesitant, like he was treading on fragile ground. “She looked composed, like she had it all together. But when she saw me, just for a second, there was this look in her eyes. Like she was caught off guard. I can’t explain it.”
Daniel ran a hand over his face, trying to focus on the here and now, but his mind kept drifting back to what Stanley had just told him. Tasha, in his city, attending the presentation he should have been at. The thought of her after all these years stirred something deep inside him.
Stanley, on the other hand, was grinning like a kid with a secret, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. “You should have been there, man,” he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. “She was turning heads left and right.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance. “Is that so?” He tried to keep his voice steady, but the thought of Tasha, elegant and confident, commanding the room, sent a pang through his chest.
“Oh, yeah,” Stanley continued, clearly enjoying this. “She’s even more stunning. That dress she was wearing… damn, it was like she walked straight off a runway. The whole room went quiet when she walked. I could hardly believe it was her.”
Daniel clenched his jaw, forcing a casual smile. “Sounds like she made quite an impression.”
Stanley leaned forward, his grin widening. “Impression? That’s an understatement. She’s got this… aura, you know? Like she’s untouchable. And the way she handled the presentation? Top–notch. She’s really got her act together.”
Daniel tried to keep his expression neutral, but he could feel his irritation rising. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to hear about Tasha’s success, he did. It was just that the image of her being so… poised, so confident, after she had disappeared without a trace, brought back all the old anger and confusion he had worked so hard to bury.
Stanley smirked, obviously sensing his discomfort. “What’s the matter, Daniel? Don’t like hearing about your old flame looking all hot and successful?”
Daniel shot him a warning look. “It’s not that,” he muttered, but Stanley just laughed.
“Oh, come on,” he teased. “You should have seen the way she looked at you back then. Like you hung the moon. And now, here she is, back in town, looking like a million bucks. You’re telling me you’re not at least a little bit curious?”
“Curious?” Daniel snorted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “About what? Why she decided to waltz back into my life after all this time?”
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Chapter Twenty Sevens
Stanley’s teasing grin faded a little, and he shrugged. “Hey, I get it. She left without a word, and it sucked. But you caused it. Maybe she’s here to make things right.”
Daniel laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “Yeah? Well, good luck to her. She can take her reasons and shove them for all I care.”
Stanley raised his eyebrows, looking impressed. “Wow, look who’s talking, after everything you did to her, still holding a grudge, huh?”
Daniel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not that. It’s just… I’ve moved on, Stan. I’ve built a life. And I don’t need her coming back and messing with my head again.”
Stanley tilted his head, studying him with a thoughtful expression. “Life huh? life with Venessa? Are you sure about that?”
Daniel frowned, not sure where Stanley was going with this. “What do you mean?”
Stanley leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “I mean, you’re the one who asked about her, aren’t you? You’re the one who’s sitting here, looking all broody because she’s back in town.”
Daniel glared at him. “I’m not broody.”
Stanley laughed. “Oh, you so are. Look, all I’m saying is, maybe this is a good thing. Maybe you need to see her, talk to her, get some closure.”
“Closure,” Daniel repeated, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. “Right.”
“Yeah, closure,” Stanley said with a shrug. “Or, you know, maybe something else entirely. You never know.” Daniel shook his head, not willing to go down that road. He had buried his feelings for Tasha a long time ago. Or at least, he thought he had. But now, with her back in the picture, everything felt like it was spinning out of control.
“Well, whatever it is,” he said finally, “I’m not looking for it.”
“Sure, man,” Stanley said with a knowing smile. “Whatever you say. But just so you know, if you ever decide to ‘not look for it‘ with her, she’s definitely still got it. And by ‘it,‘ I mean everything.”
Daniel rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”
Stanley just shrugged. “What can I say? I call it like I see it.”
