Chapter 18: I owe her no apology

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If you can just stop loving her then you never really loved her at all. Love doesn't work that way. If you ever truly love someone, then it never goes away. It can become something else. There are all different sorts of love. It can even become hate- a thin line and all that- and, really, hate is just another kind of caring.~unknown









Stefano's pov

" The other two designs that I told you to keep... Where's the sketching part ... We'll need it" I said to Ms Rennes my Secretary .

"Sir she didn't get to submit it because she felt it was rejected so I'll ask her about it" Ms Rennes said

"No don't bother... That'll be weird" I said cutting her off quickly...as she looked at me keenly but averted her eyes quickly. A knock came in. It was Ivan.

"Oh sorry I can just come back." He said about to leave.

"No we're done...come in" I said before turning to Ms Rennes

" I'll get back to you later... Make sure the directives are all in place before I call you again" I said dismissing her.

" Okay sir" she said and bowed before she left and I turned my head towards Ivan.

"Wassup Man" I said

" I just saw Ma'am Bornstein leaving the building... You didn't even tell me her birthday was coming up" Ivan said faking a frown.

"Cassandra?" I asked in disbelief then he nodded.

"Where did she go to? She didn't stop here..." I retorted as Ivan looked at me in surprise.

"For real... I thought she was coming from your office" he countered.

" Where could she have gone to? Who did she know here?" I kept asking myself in disbelief as Ivan kept wondering too.

"Well her birthday party is this weekend so she said I must make sure I drive..." Ivan pursed placing the whole knots together

"Bianca?" I supplied because that was the most reasonable thing I could think of right now

"She was here for Ms Bennett" Ivan stated. I shut my eyes tapping on the table.

"More like her" I said ... Trust Cassie for stuffs like this.

"So I'm asked to pick her up... " He said looking at me keenly...

"So... It's her birthday party not mine" I countered him

"Yeah and it's a perfect time for you to speak with her like a Man" Ivan said emphasizing on the 'man'

"What do you mean? Meaning I've been speaking to her like a child" I faked a frown.

" I didn't say that... Just saying" he said with a mocking smile

"Ivan ..." I paused trying to phrase my words together.

"I need her sketches for the previous designs that she did and I don't want her to know about it... what should I do?" I asked him...he smiled

" Ask her" he said simply like it's the easiest thing to do right now and if it was... I wouldn't have bothered him in the first place

"Just like that...ask her what? You're not being reasonable" I hardened my face.

"Obviously it is the easiest thing to do... You're the CEO asking for the sketches of his fellow worker...so tell me what's hard about that? You're the one complicating things for yourself" he supplied

"I'm not complicating anything... And I never said it was hard" I retorted back

"So what's stopping you?" He asked demonstrating with his hands, faking an innocent voice

"Nothing" I supplied immediately

" Good..then ask for it yourself...not through Ms. Rennes" he stated emphasizing on the Ms Rennes... I shut my eyes again

"It's hard Ivan" I said still with my eyes shut

"I know it is...but you owe her this one... I know you've been feeling guilty for what happened to her... This is a perfect way to apologize to her" he said staring keenly at me showing how serious he is right now

"I owe her no apology... And I didn't care nor felt guilty for what happened" I said in a furious tone.

"Keep telling yourself that" Ivan said with a straight face.

I stood up and left the office leaving him behind and made my way to Ms. Bennett office... I needed to prove him wrong.

I got to the front of her office door and I found myself stuck at a spot.

I knocked no sound... Then I decided to open the door only to see a figure sleeping right across of me.

I moved closer as I watched her sleep deeply uncomfortably on the sofa. I used that moment to stare into her beautiful face and long red hair tempting me to touch... Then my eyes moved down to her reddish lips calling for it to be devoured. I looked down further to the white shirt she put on leaving two of her buttons opened ... I don't know why my eyes was wandering there but something caught my attention on her neck...a necklace...

I moved closer to get a better look at it.

My heartbeat stopped. It was the same necklace I gifted to her in high school...

I felt electrified as I tried to move aside abruptly causing me to hit my leg on the side stool which made a creaked sound then she woke up...

Everything I planned to say erased off my head at the moment... I forgot it all.

I was lost in my own world as I kept staring at her.

Why did she still have that? I had to remind myself that she was a terrible person who shattered my heart into pieces without caring at all... Maybe it's another plan of hers... I won't falter this time around.

"Good afternoon Mr. Alcantara" she said bringing me out of my reverie

"I'm here for the previous sketches...you didn't hand it over" I said in one beat not trusting my voice.

"Huh... Oh I-I-I thought it was not good enough that was why I didn't submit it" she said in a stuttering voice as she kept searching mysteriously at everywhere and anywhere on her desk.

Staying at this same space with her was already hard for me not to talk of the necklace revelation I found on her again this afternoon... I just wanted to leave as fast as possible.

"I thought it's supposed to be in your sketch pad?" I said impatiently in a hard tone... She flinched and hurried to her drawer before finally getting it out

"Here you go" she said. I collected it abruptly and left without saying another word.

Immediately I shut her door... I released the sigh I didn't know I was holding. I was supposed to apologize to her but everything went blank as I stared into her face. I lost my mind again. For fuck sake... what's wrong with me?

I went back to my office and Ivan was still sitting at the couch waiting patiently for my feedback.

"So..." He started with a cynic smile.

"So... What?" I stated in distaste dropping the sketches on my table as I used my hands to cover my face from my bodyguard friend.

" You brought back the sketches but you're not saying anything" he countered studying my face closely.

" And am I supposed to say anything?" I retorted back then he chuckled.

" It didn't end well again..." He said resigning to the love leather sofa across. ' Ms. Bornstein party is our next hope' he said more like whisper.

"What did you say?" I asked cynically

"Nothing" he said raising his hands faking an innocent face.



Love you, Ria🍒

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