THE ENGAGEMENT.

BROKEN HEARTS.

ROMAN...

I arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes late as the road was blocked because the police were trying to rescue a puppy that had been knocked down by a speeding motorist. Poor thing, I thought to myself seeing the officers carry it into the truck. What a heart breaking scene it was!

On my arrival at the restaurant, a fine looking lady dressed in a short burgundy dress that held on to her body tightly, held open the doors for me as I entered in to the restaurant.

"Table for how many?" a smartly dressed waitress asked me with a polite smile.

"I am here to see someone. Oh, there he is," I nodded toward the back and led myself away to where Carter sat looking attentively at his tablet.

"Hey man," I greeted him taking off my jacket to place it at the back of my seat. "What is that you are reading?"

"It's an article about a startup doing big. I swear the idea they are using was on my mind but I didn't think it would actually work,"

"So basically you're either envious or scheming a plan to buy them out,"

"Actually both," and we both burst out laughing. We were both ruthless business men who never let opportunities pass us by.

"Enough talk about work. Miss, we can have our drinks now," Carter instructed the waitress. "Tell me your final decision about your relationship with Olivia. I know you have been thinking. I know you didn't let that issues slide so start talking,"

I stared at the menu before me for a couple of seconds contemplating whether to tell Carter that I had decided to step down from the company for Olivia.

"You are stepping down from the C.E.O position, am I right?" he read my mind.

I looked up from the menu and looked at him waiting for his reaction.

"All because of a girl?" The waitress returned with two glasses of wine which she placed before us. Carter sipped his before continuing to speak. "I don't get it man. How can I ever love one woman like that? There are so many ladies on this planet and all because of one, you are letting go of this position. This has always been your dream, working as C.E.O for your family company and you can see the company has been doing pretty well under your reign...," and he was right. "Explain to me what this woman has and if she really loves you she ought to understand how important the company is to you,"

Just the reaction I expected. Good thing is I was ready mentally to hear these words from him.

"Carter, man, I love Olivia and she loves me. If it means creating my own company in future, I will. I am nothing without her. I need her in my life. I can't let her go. Anna, you and her are the only good things in my life. I don't plan on loosing any of you," I tried to reason with him.

Carter shook his head in disbelief looking at me as if hoping I would say I am bluffing but I was daim serious about what I had said.

"The part about not loosing me too was sweet but won't change how I feel about all this,"

The waitress came back to our table, took our lunch orders. Carter ordered for rocky mountain oysters while I ordered for carnitas fajitas and with that she left me trying to explain to Carter how it's possible to love one woman and not many as he did.

OLIVIA...

I pressed the play button on the voice mail Carmen left me and I listened.

"Hey Miss Olivia, I hope you are doing okay," and she coughed for thirty seconds. "I have something to tell you.... I heard Mr. Jones discussing financial issues concerning the company with Roman. The company owes forty million dollars to a loans company and Roman is going to marry the daughter to the owner of the loan's company so that they can cancel the loans. I just couldn't keep this from you. I hate seeing you being led on and more so that Roman has not told you about it,"

Was this a joke. I phoned Roman immediately. I needed to hear this from him himself before believing hear says. It took a few minutes before he picked up.

"Hey love," he spoke charmingly as always.

"Where are you?" I asked ignoring his charm.

"I'm on my way back to the office. I just had lunch with Carter. Why?"

"We need to talk,"

"Now? I am driving. Can I get to my office first then I call you?"

"Yes, now. Is it true you are marrying someone else to solve the company's financial issues?" and I anxiously waited hoping for him to say it was all a lie.

"Who told you that?" he spoke tough now.

"I need either a yes or a no. Is it true Roman?" and before he could reply I heard a loud thud. The noise was too loud making me drop my phone.

I scrambled for my phone on the floor. I dialed his number again but it wasn't going through. I started panicking. The sound I just heard was familiar. I remembered that sound from the last day I saw my mum and dad. That sounded like a car accident. No, no, no, no. I immediately dialed Carter's number.

"Hey Carter, where is Roman?"

"Olivia, The woman who has made my friend give up on all his dreams for the sake of love," he spoke casually.

What was he talking about?!

I brushed off his words and asked him again this time harshly.

"Carter, please check on Roman. Something is wrong,"

"We just had lunch together and he left like fifteen minutes ago. What trouble could Roman get into within such a short while,"

"Carter please," I begged crying now.

Sensing the fear in my voice, he became much serious. "Okay let me call him. Oh, his dad is phoning me. Let me call you back Olivia,"

I didn't know who else to call at this moment. My loud whimpers woke Mia from her sleep. She immediately rushed to my side and started comforting me even before knowing what I was crying about. She was a weird one. What if I was crying because my order on FashionNova had been cancelled because of insufficient funds in my debit card.

I was so terrified at this moment and my mind could only come up with the worst possible scenarios. I tried so hard to stay positive at this moment but I couldn't. The buzzing of my phone in my hands snapped me out of the lethal fight I was having with my thoughts.

"Carter, Is he okay?" I asked immediately.

"Olivia," he spoke with shivers escaping his mouth. "Carter was involved in a terrible car accident. The police on the scene of the accident are saying he could have been absent minded,"

And with that I completely lost it. Roman was in a car accident because of me. The thought just crushed my heart so hard. Have you ever been in a situation where your heart hurts so much that you feel like pulling it out your chest because you just can't bare the pain. Mia held me in her embrace as I cried heavily.

I needed to see Roman. I needed to fly back home as soon as possible.