Page 37 of Always Been You
“Can I ask you a question?” Josh breaks the silence, his tone calm but deliberate. He’s been off since he offered to drive me home.
“You’re going to ask anyway, so just ask.” I don’t bother looking up from my tablet and the document on my lap. He hesitates, which only makes me more impatient. “Why are you doing all this?” he finally asks.
That makes me look up, my brow lifting. “All what?”
I look at him this time, my brows lifting. He continues, “I mean, why are you here?” He gestures around with his right hand. I counter with a question of my own: “Let me also ask you something. Why are you still here? You don’t need this job. Hell, you could disappear tomorrow and live just fine without lifting a finger.”
He shrugs. “Fair point,” he mutters. “But you didn’t answer me. So all the properties you’re acquiring are for revenge?”
I nod once and turn my focus back to the tablet, pretending to read.
“Where does the Dua Group come in?” he asks and I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair.
“Having shares is one thing but being a shareholder with voting rights, the kind that can attend board meetings and influence decisions is another.”
Josh is quiet for a beat before he says, “Wouldn’t that affect the relationship you have with your wife? Lawliss?” My heart squeezes at the mention of her name. My voice quieter now, I say, “If she’s still the same person—the woman who fights for justice—she may want in. She might even understand it.” I pause, shaking my head. “But I fear what the result will be if I involve her, so I’m leaving her out of it.”
Lawliss has always been one to seek justice for others, especially those close to her. I don’t want to think about what she will do if she finds out my parent's death was nothing but an accident. She visited me uncountable times when I was in the hospital and her parents arranged everything related to their burial. I owe them a lot. That’s part of the reason I bought the shares. My uncle is interested in them and I would rather die than have him involved with them.
Josh’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “But the way you did it makes you look like a bad person.”
I let out a bitter chuckle. “I never said I was a good person.”
“True,” Josh mutters, though he doesn’t look convinced. “But a word of advice? Make sure you don’t hurt her. Or yourself, for that matter.”
“Are you worried about me?” I ask, the corner of my mouth lifting.
“Yes, I am, Edmund. This is not our playground where we have the cops and others backing us.” That’s where he’s wrong. I’ve been building relationships long before I stepped foot back here.
“We do,” I say calmly. “And we’re taking over from the Ansah Group on Monday.” I pause, a grim smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “I can’t wait to see my uncle again after eleven years.”
Josh doesn’t say anything after that. He doesn’t need to. When we first arrived, I kept wondering who I was going to visit first. My saviors or enemies, and while we sit in comfortable silence, I wonder what my decision will be in the end. We arrive and Josh parks the car. I pick up my things and get out of the car.
“See ya,” he says and drives off without waiting for a response. I shake my head at his antics. I really should get myself a driver now that I’m back here. Or maybe I’ll call Simon and have him move out here.
I mull over the idea, lost in thought, until I find myself back at my penthouse. I pause when I spot Lawliss pacing outside in the corridor, her silhouette tense.
“Jesus Christ!” she exclaims when she turns and realizes I’m standing right in front of her.
“You scared the shit out of me,” she says, placing a hand on her chest like she’s trying to calm her racing heart.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” I say as I maneuver my way to the door and punch in my password. She run away and now she’s in front of me out of her own free will. Interesting. I smirk.
“So, I bet you noticed when you were coming up here…” she trails off, her voice hesitant, like she’s expecting me to fill in the blanks.
I raise a brow at her and lean against the wall, taking her in. She’s still in her office attire, her blouse slightly wrinkled, and her face is etched with worry. The look has me on edge, though I keep my expression neutral.
“Come on in,” I say, opening the door wider. She steps inside, and the moment she does, she’s off, talking a mile a minute.
“So, I was going to call my sisters, but then I had to weigh my options. With Aria, I’d have to sleep with Janet. And with Lauren, I’d have to squeeze onto her queen-size bed. Why she rents a single-bedroom apartment is beyond me. And Elisa? Well, she’s staying in a hotel room. I could have gone to my parents or one of the other properties, but—”
“Hey, hey. Look at me.” I close the distance between us, placing both hands on her shoulders.
She pauses, her breaths uneven, then raises her head to look at me.
“Breathe in,” I instruct. She follows, inhaling deeply, and I feel her body relax under my hands.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come to you,” she whispers.
