The Perfect Gentleman ✔

11: Betrayed trust

Sara showed up at work on Monday still in a daze. Saturday night hadn't been much in her favor, her sister Tonya fighting with Karen in the club, then bumping into her ex-husband, Lucas again and then he kissing her senseless. Actually she was more confounded about that kiss than anything else. How was it possible that five years later and his kisses still left her breathless? How could it have made her wanton as though there was not five years separating them? She didn't comprehend it.

Annoyed with her train of thought, she busied herself with work. There were clients to see to, and new designs to incorporate. She needed her job to secure her on her feet, not think about last Saturday kiss.

Her desk phone rang, breaking into her concentration and she answered it. "I need you in my office now." The demand was curt.

That gave her the chills. For the past two weeks, Jeremy had been pretty harsh on her. He acted like he understood why she had absconded at the house warming party but she could see past it to realize he was still enraged about the clientele issue. Her refusal to help him contact Caspian-Asiegbu had put a strain on their friendship and it was only a matter of time before he showed her his true colors.

She entered the office to find him writing furiously in the file opened in front of him. He gestured for her to sit and she obeyed.

After some agonizingly slow minutes, he looked up from his desk to study her effectively before commenting.

"I have a feeling this job is no longer to your liking, Miss Amadi." He was being very professional and she realized she hated the tone he was using.

"I don't understand. Has there been any complaints?"

"You tell me. When my own employee decided to withhold important information that can help this company grow, what else am I supposed to think?"

She eyed him warily. "What important information are you talking about?"

"You were once married to the billionaire, which ended in a divorce, hence the animosity between you two. I understand your misgivings, Sara, but that happened a long time ago! It should not prevent you from working for the good of this company," Jeremy said.

She was now fuming at him. He had the audacity to dig into her past, something she hadn't told him or anyone before for obvious reasons and he wanted to use it to his advantage.

"I know what you're aiming for but it won't work. Trust me, you have better chances of forming an alliance with him than I do. The animosity between us won't allow it. Did you not witness my humiliation at his party?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Minor things, if you ask me. You had been too conspicuous. If you joined me to talk to guests, he would not have touched you."

"You could not have prevented it. He would have done the same thing to you if we were close together, you know," she murmured.

"He would not have done anything to me because I had an invitation. You had suffered the brunt of his fury because of your relationship with him," he explained, getting exasperated with her.

Her eyes flew open at his words. Little wonder he had been so free at the party, gallivanting around like he owned the place.

"You had an invitation?" She was incredulous.

He was nonchalant. "Of course I did. I couldn't get one for you but it didn't matter. If you had stuck by my side all night, Lucas wouldn't have touched you."

He didn't tell her Donald was at fault here, for promising to get her an invitation as well and changing his mind at the last minute. He never liked the guy, he was a sneaky bastard, but without Donald, Valiant would be a sinking ship right now.