A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER LVI

As the room fell into a tense silence, the CEO of BK.Co stood up to announce the decision. The board had deliberated for what felt like hours, but now, the moment of truth had arrived. Everyone held their breath, Carter especially, certain that his presentation had swayed them—his stolen strategies, his polished delivery. He was confident this deal was his.

But then the words hit like a wave, stunning the room into silence.

“We’ve reviewed both proposals and, after much consideration, we are proud to announce that we will be moving forward with the De'Luca Group.”

Carter froze, his expression faltering as the weight of the decision sank in. The room erupted into applause, but it felt like a distant noise to him. His eyes immediately shot to Mia, who was standing at the side of the room. She avoided his gaze, a flicker of guilt on her face, knowing she had been involved in feeding him Matteo’s plans. But it hadn’t been enough. Matteo had played them both.

Carter’s hands curled into fists at his sides. He couldn’t believe it. He had done everything right—or so he thought. But now, all of his efforts, all the backstabbing and plotting, had crumbled in front of him.

Turning slowly, he locked eyes with Matteo, who was still sitting calmly at the other side of the room. And there it was—Matteo’s smirk, cool and calculating, like a silent victory declaration. He had seen this coming from the very beginning. He had known Carter’s every move before Carter himself did.

Matteo stood as the applause continued, adjusting his jacket casually as if this were just another day in the office. He gave a respectful nod to the board members and BK.Co’s executives, but when his eyes met Carter’s again, his smirk deepened. He had won.

Carter, seething with anger, glared at him. He wanted nothing more than to lash out, to make Matteo pay for this humiliation. But there was nothing he could do. The deal was gone, and so was his chance to outshine Matteo.

Matteo, with that same confident look, walked past Carter, brushing shoulders with him just enough to make it clear who was on top. As he exited the room, Carter stood there, left in the ruins of his defeat, while Matteo walked away with the deal in his pocket and the upper hand firmly in his grasp.

Carter stormed out of the office, his footsteps heavy with frustration and anger. His face was red, his jaw clenched tightly as he weaved through the crowd of employees and executives still buzzing about the announcement. He pushed past them without a second glance, making a beeline for the parking lot where his car waited.

Mia, rushing to keep up with him, called out, “Carter, wait!”

He didn’t stop. Didn’t even turn around. His mind was racing, each step echoing with the same thought: How did he win? His grip on the car keys tightened as he reached the driver’s side door, yanking it open.

Mia finally caught up, slightly out of breath, trying to steady her voice. “Carter, please, just listen—”

He spun around, his eyes blazing with fury. “How did he win, Mia?! How?! Don’t tell me you don’t know! You dumb, stupid woman!” His voice was harsh, cutting through the air like a blade.

Mia flinched at his words, her face flushing with shame and anger. “I gave you everything!” she shot back, her voice trembling. “Every detail, every step of his plan. I don’t understand how it happened either! Maybe he—”

“Maybe he what?” Carter spat, cutting her off. “Maybe he’s just better than you? Maybe you’ve been feeding me scraps while Matteo’s been three steps ahead this whole time?”

Tears welled up in Mia’s eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to show weakness. “I did everything I could, Carter! You don’t think he suspected me? I had to play it carefully. You wouldn’t have known half of what he was planning without me.”

Carter slammed his fist against the car, causing Mia to jump. “And yet, here we are! I lost everything! Do you realize what this means? Matteo humiliated me. Me!”

Mia lowered her voice, trying to remain calm despite Carter’s rage. “We can figure this out. We just need time—”

“Time?” Carter scoffed, shaking his head bitterly. “I don’t have time, Mia. He’s won. He’s got the deal, and now I’m left with nothing.”

Mia looked at him, trying to hold back her frustration. “You still have me.”

Carter’s gaze hardened, and for a moment, he stared at her coldly before turning his back. “I don’t need you,” he muttered, getting into the car and slamming the door shut.

As the engine roared to life, Mia stood there, feeling the weight of her betrayal and her failure crashing down on her. Watching Carter drive away without a second glance, she realized she had lost more than just the deal. She had lost her position, her leverage—and perhaps, even herself.

Mia, feeling the sting of Carter’s words and the weight of her failure, stood still for a moment, the cold wind biting at her skin. She had been playing both sides, carefully feeding information to Carter while keeping up her role as Matteo's trusted secretary. Now, with Carter's frustration boiling over and Matteo's victory solidified, she felt the crushing realization of her betrayal tightening around her.

Determined not to lose her position entirely, Mia straightened her posture and set her mind on guarding her place as Matteo's secretary. She needed to regain control and make sure Matteo remained unaware of her role in the leaks. I can’t let him find out, she thought, her mind racing. She had to act normal, pretend nothing had happened, and solidify her position beside him. Matteo trusted her—or at least, he had until now—and she couldn’t afford to lose that trust, not when everything was on the line.

She took a deep breath, composed herself, and walked back toward Matteo’s office. As she entered the building, she found Matteo in the conference room, still engaged in an important discussion with the executive committee of BK.Co. They were finalizing the details of the partnership, and plans to announce it to the news outlets were being discussed.

Mia waited outside, her hands nervously clenching her phone as she stared at the closed door. The muffled voices inside spoke of triumph and future success, and she felt the heavy weight of what she had done pressing down on her. I need to find a way to fix this before he figures it out.

“Everything’s set with BK.Co,” Matteo said, his tone measured but holding a note of satisfaction. “We’re going to make this official soon." The Ceo added "Call the PR team and have them prepare for a press release. I want it out by tomorrow morning.” he ordered to his secretary

The door opened, and Matteo stepped out, his expression unreadable but calm. His eyes flicked to Mia, who quickly straightened, offering him a small, professional smile.

Mr Wittson responded smoothly, . “I’ll take care of it right away.” shaking his hands once again with Matteo "We be meeting again tommorow" Mr Wittson continued before excusing himself and walking away from them

As Matteo walked past her, Mia quickly followed, her mind spinning with thoughts of how she could stay ahead, maintain control, and ensure Carter’s outburst didn’t blow up in her face. She had to guard her position at all costs.