Page 10 of 21 Week Hiatus

God help me, I’m just besotted with this man.

Present.

“Mr. Peirce? You requested a meeting with me, sir?” Tom Reeves, my property investment advisor, stands at the door of my office, his hand raised to knock before being beckoned in. He enters with his usual air of professionalism, his tailored charcoal suit impeccable, his demeanor calm and collected.

“Yes, Tom, please have a seat,” I reply, motioning to the plush black leather chairs in front of my desk. Tom nods and closes the door behind him, creating a quiet and private space between us, before he makes his way to one of the chairs, settling into it with ease.

I lace my fingers together and lean forward, keeping my gaze fixed on Tom’s face. “I need you to do something for me,” I tell him, my tone serious and purposeful.

“Of course, sir. Whatever you need,” Tom replies, his expression attentive.

Sighing I readjust my cufflinks as I speak. “There’s a property I would like to purchase downtown,” I go on to explain, my voice even andcalm. “But it's not so much the property itself that interests me. It's the business that’s set up there.”

Picking up the folder on my desk I pass it over to him and he immediately opens it and scans through the paperwork. Tom’s brow furrows, a clear sign of his confusion. I can see the wheels turning in his head, wondering why someone in the construction industry like me would all of a sudden be interested in investing in an events company.

“Event Management, sir?” he queries, briefly lifting his eyes to look at me before he goes back to skimming through the documents in the business portfolio.

Placing my hands down on the polished mahogany desk for support, my chair screeches against the hardwood floor as I rise to my feet. My annoyance from last week surges through me once again when I recall Savi's words.

“She didn’t just stop at firing me; no, she went out of her way to use her influence in the industry and had me blacklisted. I’m officially unhireable, no one in the state of California will hire me or wants to word with me. My career is over.”

That meant no events company in all of California would even consider hiring her. It was a brutal and ruthless move, one that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Nevertheless, stripping her of something she treasures will be more than satisfying. Like taking down a mighty oak tree with just a few swift blows, I relished the thought of bringing that conniving bitch to her knees.

I’m going to take great pleasure in giving her a taste of what it’s like to fuck with Logan Peirce. I’ve never been one to play with someone’s livelihood, but that godforsaken wench didn’t think twice about turning mine and Savi’s life topsy-turvy, so it’s only right I return the favor, right?

Tom's confusion turns to interest as he leans in closer, intrigued by my unexpected venture into the world of event planning. “So, just so I’m clear. You want to start an event management company, Mr. Peirce?” he questions, his tone tinged with skepticism.

A smirk appears on my face as I run a hand along my chin, feeling the roughness of my overgrown beard against my fingers. “I have no desire to build a business from the ground up, Tom,” I state confidently. “What I want is to take over an already established company like the one in that folder. One that may be struggling financially but has immense potential for success. With the right leader at the helm, Elite Events will flourish. And I already have the perfect candidate in mind.” My eyes shine with determination as I imagine Savi's reaction when she is offered the job of event manager. I’ll make sure she will never come to know that I am the owner of Elite Events or that I’m the reason she was offered the job. I'll simply lurk in the shadows and let her work her magic. I have complete faith that Savi will breathe new life into the company, especially after looking through their lackluster portfolio. Savi will no doubt put Elite Events back on the map.

Molly has been tasked with creating a comprehensive list of all the clients that Suzan currently works with. I have no qualms about taking them from under her nose and will stop at nothing until she is ruined, just like she tried to do to Savi by tarnishing her reputation in the industry. Suzan may have succeeded in causing damage to my relationship with Savi and my son but if I am Logan Peirce, I will not rest until I make her pay for what she's done both to me and the woman I love. The rage within me will not subside until she gets what she deserves, and she’ll be served plenteously.

Hard to believe that six days have gone by—agonizingly slowly might I add—since Savi and I officially broke up, yet the ache deep inside my chest refuses to ease over what she did to Savi. You want to screw with me that’s one thing, but the moment you hurt someone I love,especiallythe woman I love, all bets are off.

I can’t even fathom how I’m functioning or even got out of bed after the week I’ve had. Sleep hasn’t been a friend to me. The only way I can find a moments peace from the aching in my chest is by drinking until I’m numb.

Shit, I can’t remember a time I felt so utterly shit. First, I let my only son walk out of my life, all in the name of the woman I love and then like a fool did everything to push her away. Not because I don’t loveher, because fuck me I do. There isn’t a word yet invented to describe what I feel for her. Love and every other word in the vocabulary simply fails in comparison. Letting Savi go when I’m so in love with her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but it’s what needed to be done for her future. I love her enough to sacrifice my own happiness for hers.

The argument we had keeps replaying in my mind, and I can't stop thinking about whether I made the right decision or if I'm just overthinking and making a huge mistake by giving up on our relationship.

Two weeks ago…

Things between Savi and I have been somewhat strained to say the least since Trent walked in on us that day. I’ve tried to reach out to him countless times to talk, hoping I could get him to understand that I didn’t mean for my relationship with Savannah to hurt him. That’s the last thing I wanted; I just went about the whole thing the wrong way, because I never imagined I would actually allow myself to fall in love with the girl.

When you're deeply and passionately in love, it's difficult to recognize how your actions may be causing harm to others. You're living inside a bubble where emotions are intensified, and it can be challenging to see things from the outside perspective of others. Deep down, I knew that my actions were ethically questionable, but I couldn't help trying to rationalize them because of my love for her. I convinced myself that if Trent truly cared about her as he claimed, he wouldn't have ended things between them or hurt her. In my opinion, he didn't deserve her... and truthfully, neither do I.

I didn't realize at the time that for Trent, it wasn't about Savi. It was about my shortcomings as a father that deeply hurt him. As a responsible parent, I should have prioritized his wellbeing over my own desires and needs. Instead, I let my own wants cloud my judgment and failed to put his happiness first. That is a burden I will have to carry for the rest of my life.

Putting aside my guilt I chose to focus on my relationship with Savannah, at least that way my fall out with Trent wouldn’t have been for nothing. I’m crazy about Savi and I want her in my life, fuck Ineedher in my life. I can’t imagine a life without her in it anymore. So, I plan a romantic dinner for us in my favorite Italian restaurant, Da Nella, where I’m going to ask her to move in with me.

“Hey, you,” Savi greets me with a beautiful smile when she steps out of her apartment looking sensational in that tight mid-length baby pink dress she’s wearing. My eyes can’t take her in quick enough as I give her a once over, soaking in every inch of her, starting from the loose golden curls flowing over her shoulders down to her delicate neck; where to my dissatisfaction I find she’s done a rather decent job of covering the love bite I left there last night. That little matter will be rectified immediately. My gaze follows the curve of her breasts where the dress is showing a tasteful amount of cleavage, enough to stir the beast between my legs.

It may sound cliché, but I would gladly kneel and worship any deity responsible for creating such a stunning being, because fuck me, she’s a sight to die for. Savi watches me intently, her golden eyes shining as she stands before me, allowing me the privilege of admiring every aspect of her appearance.

Holding up the single red rose I stroll over to her, and her smile broadens. “You look sensational, Wildfire,” I assert, circling an arm around her small waist and pulling her against me. Savi takes the rose from me when I hold it out for her, and she daintily presses it to her nose to smell it.

“You don’t look so bad yourself, Mr. Peirce.” She purrs, peering up at me through her long lashes, transfixing me with those alluring eyes that are brimming with heated desire. Instead of a formal suit, I decided to go for a more polished yet relaxed look. I put on a black dress shirt, paired it with dark grey slacks, and added a grey checkered tweed jacket to complete the ensemble and it seems Savi fully approves of the look if the appreciative looks she’s giving me is any indication.

“I’m glad you think so, Miss West, however I am finding myself a little displeased with something.” I admit and Savi’s smile falters and her brows fuse in perplexity.

---