Once Upon a Heartbreak

3 - Jonas

I stand in my office, adjusting my tie for the third time, a pointless ritual that does nothing to ease the tension building in my chest. The early morning stillness hangs in the air, the kind that feels almost unnatural, like the calm before a storm. The offices of Grünfeld Agrar GmbH are deserted at this hour, but soon enough, the silence will be shattered by the onslaught of meetings, phone calls, and decisions that'll demand my full attention.

It's been a few years since I took over as CEO after my father finally stepped down. That transition was no walk in the park. But I managed. I dragged this company into the modern world, kicking and screaming, while holding on to the values that made it what it is. There's a sense of satisfaction in watching it grow, knowing I've rebuilt my life on my terms after the wreckage of the past.

I walk over to my desk, picking up the file that's been staring at me since yesterday. The upcoming product launch—this one's a big deal, not just for us, but for the entire region. We've been at it for years, focused on sustainability and quality, everything that's supposed to make us the best of Austrian agriculture. And now we're finally ready to put it out there.

A knock on the door snaps me out of my thoughts. I glance up as Anna, my assistant, steps in. "Good morning, Herr Bauer," she says with that polite smile of hers. "Your ten o'clock is confirmed. The marketing strategist from Paris has arrived and is on her way up."

I nod, more out of habit than anything, but the name catches me off guard—Clara Müller. I've seen her name in the files, of course, but hearing it spoken aloud hits differently. Great. Just what I needed today.

"Thank you, Anna," I manage, keeping my voice level. "Show her in when she arrives."

As she leaves, I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. Clara. After all these years, she's waltzing back into my life, and I'm not sure what to make of it. The last time I saw her... No, that's not worth dragging up again. The past is the past, even if it still has a nasty habit of sneaking up on you.

Life has a twisted sense of humor. After my sister passed, everything else took a backseat—my career, my personal life, everything. She was all that mattered, and when she was gone, I was left with a life that barely resembled anything I knew. Grünfeld Agrar became my way forward, my anchor in a storm of uncertainty.

And now Clara's back, tied to a project that's crucial for the company. It's almost too ironic. I've often wondered how things might have turned out if she hadn't jumped to conclusions, if she'd just asked the right questions. But that's wishful thinking, and I'm done with that. Or so I thought.

I hear footsteps approaching and steel myself, smoothing the file on my desk more out of instinct than need. The door opens, and there she is—Clara Müller. Still poised, still the picture of professionalism, and still with that cool, collected air that used to drive me crazy in ways both good and bad. Her raven hair, sleek and polished, frames a face that hasn't lost any of its sharpness. Those green eyes, once so warm, are now guarded, almost distant, and it grates on me more than I care to admit.

She's dressed to impress, as always—a fitted pencil skirt suit that shows she's still got impeccable taste, still knows how to turn heads. But the professionalism in her stance doesn't hide the fact that there's something personal lurking beneath it all. There's a brief, awkward silence as we take each other in, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Frau Müller," I say finally, breaking the silence, my voice just a touch harder than necessary. "Welcome to Grünfeld Agrar."