Wish you were mine

14. First Impressions

PENELOPE

The air in the room seemed to freeze, and all the blood drained from my face. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief second, I saw the same shock flicker across his face before he quickly masked it with that familiar smirk I had come to hate.

"Hello, Penelope," he said smoothly, his voice as confident as ever, as if we hadn't left behind a wreckage of betrayal and heartbreak. As if nothing had ever happened between us.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. What is he doing here? My mind raced, but all I could do was stand there, frozen in place, as the man who had shattered my heart sat before me, now my boss.

"Is this some kind of joke?" I chuckled, though there wasn't an ounce of humor in my voice.

Sean Anderson leaned back in his chair, his cold eyes narrowing slightly. "Do I look like I'm in a position to joke with you?"

Of course not. Sean wasn't the type to joke-he was always serious, always in control. I muttered under my breath, "Obviously not."

"Anderson Group doesn't own an interior design firm," I said, narrowing my eyes. "So what are you doing here?"

His lips curled into a smug smile, the kind that made my stomach twist in anger. "Well, hate to burst your bubble, Penelope, but Anderson Group does own an interior firm now. Nexus is our subsidiary."

My heart raced. Nexus? The firm I had been so excited to work for, the fresh start I had been counting on-it all came crashing down with those words. Nexus wasn't just any firm. It was his. I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to keep my composure.

"Ms. Davis," he said smoothly, gesturing to the chair across from him, "why don't you sit down so we can discuss your job profile?"

Every muscle in my body screamed to turn and walk out of that room, to leave and never look back. But instead, I forced myself to move, my legs heavy as I made my way to the chair. I sat down stiffly, glaring at him as I tried to steady my breathing.

"I'm not working with you," I said, my voice as firm as I could make it, even though my emotions were threatening to spill over.

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "So, you're going to quit on your first day?"

"Yes." The word came out confidently. He couldn't intimidate me. I'm not the same weak Penelope I used to be.

Sean remained disturbingly calm, which immediately put me on edge. The Sean I knew would have been furious, would have thrown a tantrum. But he just leaned back in his chair, eyes locked on mine. "Alright," he said, "just pay the company two billion dollars, and you're free to go."

My mouth dropped open, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. "What?" I managed to choke out.

He sighed, as if explaining something obvious to a child. "Didn't you read the contract before signing it?" He leaned forward, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. "It clearly states that if you leave the company without a month's notice, or before completing one year of employment, you owe the company two billion dollars."

I sat there, frozen, my mind spinning. The contract... I had read it, but I hadn't paid much attention to that clause. After all, it was a standard clause, right? I never imagined it would actually apply to me. Especially not on my first day.

I felt my hands tremble as the reality of my situation sank in. Two billion dollars. Sure, my father was a billionaire, but the thought of asking him for that kind of money because I couldn't handle working for Sean was mortifying. How could I explain this to him? That I'd walked right into a job with my ex and now wanted to flee?