BE MY OBSESSION

CHAPTER 6

•SHELBY•

I seethed with anger, a mixture of frustration and resentment consuming me. Not only did he take it upon himself to do my job, but now he had also brought William back into my life. This was the last straw, the final offense from my father.

I hate them both.

They cheerfully greeted the board members, wearing smiles and shaking hands, completely disregarding my presence in the room.

It had been years, yet William deliberately ignored me, his lingering arrogance from high school still intact. Back then, it had been a trait that people found attractive. But now, he had transformed into a man exuding power and wealth, abandoning the rebellious bad boy image with his leather jacket and motorcycle.

I couldn't understand how he had become the CEO of Elite Enterprises. I had been convinced that someone else, with a different name, ran that company. Had I known back then that William was the owner, I would have never entertained the idea of striking a deal with them.

I had successfully managed to avoid any situation that would bring us face to face again for nine years, deliberately burying the painful memories deep within my mind. However, thanks to my dear father, he had invited the devil back into my life, resurfacing all those suppressed emotions and memories in an instant.

While everyone was engrossed in deep discussions with William, I seized the opportunity to usher my father out of the room and into my office for a conversation.

As soon as I closed the door behind us, he turned to me with an irritated expression etched on his face.

"For heaven's sake, Shelby, what is it now?"

"Why him? Why on earth did you involve him in on this? There are countless other companies we could have partnered with, so why did you choose Elite Enterprises?" I lashed out at him.

He looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Granted, this was the first time he witnessed me voicing my discontent, but I couldn't care less.

"They are successful, well-connected globally, and William Fontane is an exceptional businessman. What more could we ask for?" He replied nonchalantly.

Exercising immense self-control, I resisted the urge to throttle the old man. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.

"We were going to consider one of the other companies proposed by the board members during today's meeting."

Suddenly, his expression grew stern.

"Yes, and I'm furious with you for conducting that meeting without my knowledge. I specifically told you that I would handle finding a merger partner, yet you insisted on taking matters into your own hands when I explicitly told you not to."

"Because it's my job! I'm the one in charge of this company now, and I have every right to do what's best for it."

He opened his mouth to retort but hesitated, his gaze shifting behind me.

A knock resounded at the door, and I turned just in time to witness William's entrance.

"Sorry to interrupt. Is this a bad time?" he asked.

I was about to respond negatively, but my father beat me to it.

"No, not at all, Mr. Fontane. Come on in. I don't believe I've properly introduced you to my daughter, Shelby."

Finally, William's eyes met mine from across the room, and I clenched my fists. He still retained that infuriating British accent and the smug smile that had always irked me.

He approached me, extending his hand.

"Nice to finally meet you, Miss Falcon. I've heard many great things about you."

I'm sure you did.

I forced a tight-lipped smile and shook his hand, following his pretentious act.

"Alright, kids, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have to rush. I have another meeting downstairs in less than five minutes. I'll leave the two of you to get to know each other and discuss the details. I'll see you soon, Mr. Fontane?" My father stated before turning to William. The latter nodded and released my hand to shake my father's.

"Of course, Mr. Falcon."

With a nod, my father swiftly shot me a pointed look.

"Right. I'm off then."

We watched him leave, and as the door finally closed, William turned to face me, that infuriating smug smile etched across his face once again.

"Did you miss me, Shelly?" I scoffed and glared at him.

"Don't call me that."

Shelly was his favorite nickname for me. While everyone else in the world addressed me by my proper name, Shelby, William Fontane had conjured up an alternate name that resembled mine. It used to make me feel special once upon a time.

"Oh, I see you still have that fire in you," he replied playfully, folding his arms.

"Why are you even doing this?" I questioned him suspiciously.

There was no way he randomly reappeared in my life without some ulterior motive in mind. I had made the mistake of trusting him once before, and I wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Business is business, Shelly. But I must say, I'm surprised your father approached me instead of you. After all, you're the CEO, aren't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yes, I am. Is that a problem?"

He smirked, taking a step closer to me. Instinctively, my body recoiled, conditioned to keep a safe distance from men in general.

"No, not at all. Working with you is going to be quite entertaining, Shelly."

There it was—the glimpse of the true bad boy from high school, the one who loved to play, peeking out from behind his businessman façade.

"This isn't high school, William. Here, we operate professionally, without any games. This is my domain, and if we are going to work together, I suggest you keep your distance and adjust yourself to the rules."

He shrugged, and I shook my head before walking toward the door. But just as my hand reached for the knob, he forcefully pushed the door back, blocking my path.

"Listen, you need me more than I need you. So, if I were you, I'd play nice, like the good girl you are. Otherwise, this deal is off. And I'm sure Daddy wouldn't be pleased about that, would he?"

At this point, my anger surpassed all limits. If he dared to utter something like that again, I wouldn't hold back from slapping him.

"As long as you stay out of my way, we won't have a problem. But if you try to do the opposite of that, I will make sure you regret it."

He smiled and finally stepped aside, allowing me to leave.

"Oh, I won't be a problem. It's you who should be concerned. We both know how much you love being around me, Shelly."

I rolled my eyes, opened the door, and walked out without a backward glance.

This was going to be a monumental problem. I couldn't believe I would have to work with that jerk for the next few days and see him every day. I couldn't stand him.

If my father and he were conspiring together just to provoke a reaction from me, they wouldn't succeed. This was my domain, my territory, and I would play their game to prove that nothing could stop me from doing as I pleased, whenever I pleased.