Holden Sterling: The Sterling Brothers Billionaire Saga BWWM Book 1

Episode 41: Holden (I was wrong, she was right.)

Upon returning to the conference room, I noticed that Eriola was avoiding eye contact with me. My anger flared up at the sight of her, but I held back my desire to apologize until we finished our work. It was hard not to act on my attraction towards her; she looked incredibly attractive today. That Jonathan guy is always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Can't he give her some space once in a while? And shouting at her like that, no matter what the reason...it's unacceptable.

I can understand why he would be upset with me though. If I caught another man laying his hands and lips on my wife, I would be furious too. I just wish she could see him for the sleazy bastard he truly is. I motioned for my two brothers to join me in my office. We walked by Margaret and Eriola working diligently with our team on the renovations timeline. Soon enough, we would start construction on each section one by one, making sure not to disturb our current customers.

Eriola assured me that everything would go smoothly and our customers wouldn't be affected. My brothers and I made our way down to my office and I walked over to the large window, gazing out at Evergreen City. Alexander and Nicholas both sat on the couch as I stood there, lost in thought. Nicholas pulled out a cigarette and lit it, despite knowing how much I hated smoking in this building. But right now, maybe I could use a cigar myself.

Alexander cleared his throat and addressed me, "Holden, what's going on with you? We're in the middle of renovations and Dad wants to know when they'll start." I took a deep breath and faced my brothers, taking a seat at my desk.

"Did you both see Eriola leave the conference room earlier?" I asked them. They nodded in response.

Alexander spoke up again, "What does that have to do with anything, Holden? Why is it relevant?"

"I noticed her leaving and remembered that I had also left at the same time," I explained.

Nicholas took a drag from his cigarette and interjected, "Yeah man, what does this have to do with the job?"

"I followed her and found her in the women's bathroom. We got into a romantic embrace and I asked if I could kiss her because of my strong feelings for her. But she pushed me away and I gave her space. Then, I couldn't resist anymore and pulled her back into my embrace and started kissing her neck again. That's when Jonathan Covington walked in." I growled.

My brothers looked at me before bursting into laughter. Alexander finally managed to speak, "Holden, why are you so careless? What did he say when he saw you two?"

"He came into the bathroom and told Eriola to leave. Then we got into a verbal altercation where we both made threats towards each other. He said if he ever sees me touching or making moves on Eriola again, he will kill me. And I told him that if he ever yells at her again, I won't hesitate to kill him," I confessed. I was angry at myself for potentially ruining things with Eriola.

Nicholas got up from his seat and made his way to my desk to put out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Holden, you've really crossed the line this time. Jonathan Covington is not someone you want to mess with. He's a cutthroat businessman and won't hesitate to follow through on his threats."

Nicholas and Alexander sat next to each other on the couch, both looking concerned about my current mindset. I couldn't blame them; even I didn't know where my head was at these days. All I knew was that I wanted the beautiful black woman with purple eyes as mine. Taking a seat in my office chair, I turned to my brothers for a response. They were my best friends, and they weren't afraid to call me out when I was being an asshole.

"Holden," Nicholas spoke up, "I have to say this, and however you take it is your issue, not mine. You need to leave Eriola alone and let her do the job she was hired to do: renovate our hotel. I know you may think you're in love with her, but just let her be."

"I have to agree with Nick," Alexander chimed in, giving me his trademark smirk. "Eriola is a beautiful black woman, and if she wasn't married to Jonathan, I'd totally try to make a move."

"Alexander, now is not the time for your demented thoughts!" I yelled at him.

"Okay, okay, jeez. I get it. Just... think about what you're doing, Holden. We don't want to see you get hurt or worse, and we definitely don't want to see you in jail for something you can't take back."

My brothers were right. Despite my strong feelings for Eriola, I needed to show her the utmost respect she deserved. I cared about her deeply, and I nodded in agreement with my brothers' words.

"You're both right," I said. "From now on, I'll treat Eriola with the respect she deserves, no matter how I feel."

They both got up and returned to the conference room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. As I sat there, my office phone rang. The voice on the other end sounded familiar.

"Tsk, tsk! Tick tock!" the unknown person gloated. "Holden Sterling, it's been a long time. How have you been, my friend?"

A chill ran down my spine as I recognized the voice. "Marco Vitale," I muttered, recalling the old employee I had fired for embezzlement. "What do you want?"

The line went silent for a moment before Marco whispered, "Let's just say, your past is about to catch up with you. How's Jonathan Covington, your old enemy?"

I gripped the phone tighter, my heart racing. "What do you know about Jonathan?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Marco chuckled darkly. "More than you think, Holden. Much more. And soon, so will you."

Dear Readers,

As Holden grapples with the strange phone call from Marco Vitale, an old employee he fired for embezzlement, and the ominous mention of Jonathan Covington, what shocking revelations and twists lie ahead? Stay tuned to uncover the secrets and confrontations that will unfold in the next gripping episode!

Happy reading! 

Pagine D'Oro