The hate of five years

Tonight is for the new CEO. Kane Enterprises. New boss. No one has seen him. I hate parties. This is my first. I’m just a junior designer. I shouldn’t be here. But Mr. Hazel is at the main VIP table. CEO of Langford Group. I’m beside him. Trapped. His hand is on my knee. Under the table. “Smile, Scarlet,” Hazel says. “You’re with me.” I force a smile. _Bastard._ “Of course, Mr. Hazel.” His fingers slide up. “You came to me, remember?” He doesn’t look at me. “Be good.” _I hope you rot._ I lean in. Whisper. Hazel smirks. His hand goes to my waist. “Good girl. Stay.” I sit stiff. Smile frozen. _I hate you._ “Shameless b***h!” Hazel’s wife. She’s at the table. I STAND UP. Fast. “Sorry. I was not aware you were here.” My voice shakes. “Please. No. Don’t bring it up on board. Don’t make this a scene.” She grabs a wine glass. “Seducing my husband!” She throws it. At my back. Then he’s there. Arm around my waist. Yanking me forward. Away. The wine SMASHES. On HIS back. James. James Carter. Five years. His black suit is wet. He doesn’t let go of me. Hazel’s wife: “Who the hell are you?” “Mr. Carter,” a man says behind him. “Your car is ready.” The crowd whispers. “Carter?” “Never heard that name before.” “Who is he?” I look up. I know that voice. I know that back. James. Hazel is pale. “James… James Carter.” James says nothing. His arm is still around me. Tight. Hazel clears his throat. “David. Send her home.” “No need.” James. One word. “I am leaving. I will send her back.” Hazel frowns. “But you have just arrived.” “I can’t drink much.” James’ voice is ice. “Please excuse me.” He grabs me from my arm. Past everyone. He lets go. Like I’m dirty. Steps back. Looks at me. “It’s been 5 years,” he says. “You have not changed. Seducing married men for the sake of money.” I lift my chin. “We should forget our past now.” My voice is empty. “Let each other go.” James stares. Jaw tight. “I tried,” he says. “But I couldn’t.” Then he turns. Walks away. His footsteps echo down the hall. _James, you are still hating me._ I pull out my phone. Hands shaking. Dial Hazel. He picks up. “You’re alive.” “I have done everything you said,” I say. “Now it’s your turn.” Silence. Then Hazel: “What’s your relationship with James?” “It’s nothing to concern you.” My voice is hard. “You promised to help me as long as I made others believe that I’m seducing you.” Hazel cuts me off. “My dad is already on the plane. Operation will be arranged once he touches down.” I cut his call. The hospital smells like bleach and cold coffee. Room 412. “Leo.” I whisper. My boy. Four years old. Tubes in his arm. Heart monitor beeping. “Mommy.” He smiles. Weak. “You came.” “I promised.” I kiss his forehead. It’s hot. “How are you feeling?” “Better.” He lies. “Did you see the CEO?” I freeze. “Yes. I did.” “Was he nice?” “No.” I tuck the blanket. “But he’s not important. You are.” I read him his favorite book. Dragons. Knights. His eyes droop. “Sleep, baby.” I stroke his hair. “Mommy’s here.” The beeping slows. He’s out. I step into the hallway. “Scarlet.” Tom. Dr. Tom Ellis. Surgeon. My neighbor. He’s been watching Leo since he was born. “Tom.” I exhale. “Thank you. For everything. You helped a lot. I feel bad for you.” “Don’t.” He shakes his head. “Leo’s family.” I look down. “Professor Dorian is back.” Tom stiffens. “What?” “He’s on his way. He’ll perform Leo’s surgery tomorrow.” Tom’s eyes widen. “That’s great. Dorian’s the best with heart disease. But how did you manage to persuade him?” My throat closes. “It’s hard to explain,” I say. James loosens his tie. “David.” His assistant steps in. “Sir.” “Bring me all details on Scarlet. Everything.” James stares at the window. David reads. “She’s a junior designer at Kane Enterprises. Lives in West End. No family listed.” He pauses. “She’s never showed at company events. HR says she avoids crowds. Yesterday night was rare.” James’s grip on his pen turned white-knuckled. “Stop it.” His voice cut through the room like ice. “Leave. Now.” The door clicked shut and James ripped his tie loose. His chest was tightening, heartbeat climbing into that dangerous, uneven rhythm again. The cardiologist’s warning echoed in his head. Stress kills. He canceled his meeting and grabbed his keys. *St. Mercy Hospital. Twenty Minutes Later.* The checkup was the same routine he hated. Blood work. EKG. Twenty minutes until the reports were ready. He escaped to the washroom, splashing cold water on his face. The mirror showed him a man who looked the younger version of him. Then the door opened, and Leo walked in. The boy dragged a stool to the sink with quiet determination. Pumped the soap. Scrubbed his hands like his life depended on it. Shook them dry, then ran his fingers through his hair. Pushed it back from his forehead. It was his exact motion. The same one he was doing. Leo caught him staring in the mirror and tilted his head. “You’re beautiful,” he said, with the simple honesty of a four year old. James’s throat closed up. “You’re adorable too.” They walked out of the restroom together, both smiling. At that exact moment Scarlet came barreling around the corner, desperate to find Leo. She didn’t see James and crashed straight into him. Her lips hit his by accident. A mistake. But it was still a kiss James doesn’t move. He’s still holding her wrist from when she crashed into him. His eyes are dark, unreadable. “How long are you going to hold me?” His voice is low. Controlled. Scarlet wrenches her arm back like he burned her. She stumbles a step away, putting distance between them. “What brings you here?” She forces the question out. He lets out a short, humorless laugh. “Does it concern you?” Her eyes flick to his face. He’s paler than she remembers. Thinner. “Does your sickness act up again?” The words slip out before she can stop them. James goes still. Then his mouth twists. “Are you pretending to care about me?” His gaze sharpens. “What a good actress you are.” Something cracks in her chest. “Why do you have to be so harsh?” He takes one step closer. The hospital hallway suddenly feels too small. “Do you think I will soften if you pretend to care about me?” His tone could cut glass. Scarlet lifts her chin, but her voice shakes. “Then why did you come to our city? To Florida?” “Florida.” He says the name like it tastes bitter. “I wouldn’t have stepped into this city had I known that you were here.” Her eyes drop to the floor. The sadness hits her fast and ugly. “I know.” Her whisper barely makes a sound. “Since you put an end to our past five years ago... we should let each other go.” James moves so fast she can’t react. He’s right in front of her now, close enough that she can see the pulse jumping in his jaw. “Let each other go?” He echoes her words, cold and deliberate. “Yes. I did say that I wouldn’t meet you again.” His eyes burn into hers. “But since fate has shoved us back together... you better brace yourself to pay for what you have done.” He turns and walks away without looking back. what happens next ? Scarlet will stop him?