Trust and Betrayal

Chapter 10: Surprise Visit

Danielle's Point of View

After the Annual Charity Ball, life slipped back into its usual chaos, deadlines, meetings, phone calls, and coffee gone cold. Even amidst the whirlwind, seeing Brandon and Natalie again had been uncomfortable, to say the least. But I handled it better than I expected.

Austin had worried their sudden reappearance might trigger old wounds, but truthfully, I felt nothing. They deserve each other. Brandon belongs to my past, and that's exactly where I planned to keep him.

I was halfway through reviewing a new advertising portfolio when Hailey, my assistant, knocked lightly and peeked in.
"Ms. Lawson, you have a visitor."

I frowned. Strange. I didn't have any appointments today.
"Send them in," I said, eyes still scanning the report.

The door opened slowly.

"Hello, Danielle."

The voice froze me mid-sentence. That voice, familiar enough to make my pulse skip. I looked up, and there he was, Brandon, same brown eyes, same hesitant smile, same aura that used to make me ache in ways I'd sworn I'd never feel again.

"What are you doing here?" My tone was sharper than intended, but I didn't care.

He rubbed the back of his neck, shifting nervously on the polished hardwood floor. "I'm, uh, still in New York for a few business meetings and thought maybe we could talk?"

"Talk? About what? We have nothing to discuss."

He flinched, caught off guard by my bluntness. "You know, about everything, us."

"There is no us." I stacked the files in front of me, deliberately avoiding his gaze. "So you can leave now. I have work to do."

"I know the way I ended things was unforgivable," he said quietly. "But I just want a chance to explain, one dinner, that's all I'm asking. If you still don't want to hear me out after that, I'll never bother you again."

I laughed, a humorless, bitter sound. "No, Brandon, I don't need closure, I don't need your explanations."

He stepped closer, anxiety written in every line of his face. "Come on, Danielle, maybe if we talk, we could finally put everything behind us, maybe even be friends."

I stared at him. "Friends?" I repeated incredulously. "Are you f**king serious?"

His jaw tightened. "Yes, friends, we could..."

I cut him off, my voice rising. "No! I don't want anything to do with you. There's nothing to discuss. Six years, Brandon, six years for you to vanish from my life, and now, suddenly, you show up uninvited and expect me to welcome you back? And you dare to speak about friendship after everything, the betrayal, the public humiliation with Natalie while still married to me?"

He winced, guilt plain on his face. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay seated. Why is he even here? Why is he trying this now?

"I'm sorry, Danielle," he said softly. "Please, just let me explain."

"Get out." My voice was low, deadly calm, and anger simmered like molten lava inside me.

"Danielle, just lis—"

I raised my hand. Enough. I'd heard enough.

"Leave, Brandon, before I have security escort you out." My tone left no room for argument.

He swallowed hard and finally nodded. "I'll leave for now, but this isn't over."

With that, he stormed out, the door clicking sharply behind him. The tension lingered like smoke, curling around the edges of the office. I exhaled slowly, trying to calm the anger twisting my stomach. Six years, six years he'd disappeared from my life, only to show up uninvited, expecting me to give him space in my world. I scoffed, he can go f**k himself, along with his 'wife."

I leaned back in my chair, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the New York skyline. The city moved below me, indifferent. Horns honked, taxis weaved, the world spun on, and I was trapped in this moment, still gripping the edge of my desk.

My phone rang, jolting me out of my thoughts. It was Austin.

"Hey, baby," he said, his voice a warm anchor in the storm. "Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"No," I admitted, grateful. "Actually, I'm glad you called. I needed to hear your voice."

"What happened? You sound upset." Concern laced his tone.

"Brandon showed up at my office, unannounced, wanting dinner to talk about our past. I said no. He insisted. I had to threaten to call security before he finally left." My hands shook slightly as I spoke, the memory igniting my anger all over again.

"Explain for what?" Austin's voice hardened. "That guy is a disgrace. Who does he think he is?"

"Exactly. I told him to leave, again and again. Before he stormed out, he dared to say it wasn't over and he wanted us to be friends." I laughed bitterly. "Friends, Austin, can you believe it?"

"Baby, calm down. I hate hearing you like this. I'll take care of it. If he keeps harassing you, I'll—"

"No," I interrupted firmly. "I've got this, I won't let him interrupt my life. I'm happy, I've moved on. He needs to do the same."

"Alright," he said, firm but tender. "But promise me, if he doesn't stop, you'll let me handle it?"

"I promise," I said. Relief washed over me, knowing he had my back.

"Good, I have a meeting now, but remember, I love you."

"Love you too," I whispered.

I hung up and leaned back in my chair. The skyline blurred in the late afternoon light, shadows stretching across the office. I hoped, desperately, that Brandon would finally leave me alone, but deep down, I knew the worst was far from over.

Whatever came next, I would face it head-on.

The past was the past, and I intended to keep it that way.

Brandon POV

I stormed out of Danielle's office, slamming the door behind me, the sound echoing down the hall. My chest heaved, my hands trembling, not from anger, but from regret. How had it come to this? Six years of silence, and now, one glimpse of her, and every mistake, every betrayal, came crashing back.

She looked unshaken, untouchable, like she'd moved on without a single thought of me. But I couldn't stop thinking about the way she stared at me, the sharpness in her voice, the fire in her eyes. She hated me, and maybe she should. But that hate only made me want to fix things more.

I walked through the lobby, forcing myself to breathe. I needed a plan, I needed to make her listen, to hear me out, to understand why everything had happened the way it did. She wouldn't give me a chance willingly, not now. But I wouldn't give up.

Even as I walked away, I could feel her gaze burning into me, and I knew this wasn't over. Next time, she wouldn't be able to ignore me.

Author Notes

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope you all enjoy your holidays with your family and friends, as well as the new story update. I know it's been a while, but my work schedule is hectic, and I will try to update as much as possible.

Until next time...Bye for Now😘