Falling for My Old High School Bully (Complete)

Chapter 8 - Ghosts from the Past

***** 7 years later *****

Emma sat in her spacious corner office in a high floor of a Chicago skyscraper looking over the documents she needed to have ready for today's meeting. She was the Marketing Director of the largest marketing firm in Illinois. She had moved up really fast in the company because of how brilliant her marketing pitch ideas were and how many large accounts she had closed. She was already the highest level you could get in the company without being a partner. 

That's what she had her sights set on next. That's why today's pitch was so important. This company was what they called a 'whale' because the other companies they worked with looked like small fish compared to it. If by some miracle she could close this account it might impress the owner of the firm enough that he would decide to make her partner and half owner.

This was the biggest company her firm had ever dealt with and if she could close the deal with them, she was planning to have a conversation with the firm's owner about how she deserved to be made a partner. Today's meeting was just the first step, a face to face meeting to make introductions and get to know each other. If it went well and they said yes, she would put together a marketing pitch for their company and present it at a later meeting. That pitch would have to be the best one she had ever made. It needed to be absolutely perfect.

She sat out glasses of water and a bowl of fruit in the center of the conference table, sprayed some essential oils and had some very light music playing in the background of the boardroom to create ambiance. She knew in the past that it had made a big difference.

She smoothed the front of her long white pencil skirt that hugged her curves and looked in the mirror to make sure her brown hair was still firmly slicked back in a low bun. Her makeup was on point and she looked the part of a bad ass business woman that was professional and competent.

That's when she heard the boardroom door open and a tall, extremely handsome man walked in wearing a really nice black Armani suit and dark sunglasses. He had a chiseled jawline peppered with light stubble. He walked with confidence with his head held high and he looked like he just stepped right off the cover of a men's magazine.

He was so handsome it made Emma's heart beat a little faster the closer he got to her. She got a whiff of his cologne and it smelled expensive and made her insides flutter. He flashed her a bright white smile and shook her hand, saying "Hello" in a deep smooth voice. 

"Hello," she said with a warm smile, shaking his hand. He had a strong firm handshake. 

As he reached up and took off his sunglasses her heart dropped and it felt like a bucket of ice water had just been poured over her head. She would recognize those eyes anywhere. He was Axel Hart, her high school bully. 

She didn't realize it for a few seconds but her mouth was gaping open and she wasn't blinking or breathing as she stared at him. She finally swallowed and looked away, clearing her throat and trying to collect herself. 

She stood there waiting for him to recognize her and react. She fully expected him to laugh in her face, call her a loser and walk out of the boardroom and never come back.

"I'm Mr. Hart," he said in his deep, husky voice that made her involuntarily shudder. His voice had definitely changed. He was smiling at her with no surprised reaction at all.

"I'm Ms. Jacobs," she said, eyeing him cautiously, waiting for him to realize who she was and for shit to hit the fan. 

He watched her movements with interest, looking into her eyes and he said, "Oh I know ......... Emma."

She sucked in air and held her breath, not blinking as she took in the intense gaze of his eyes. She noticed he didn't seem surprised to see her at all. Not near as surprised as she was to see him. Had he planned this?