Chapter Four
890 Words
NEW YORK
Isla's Pov
The Brooklyn apartment my company had arranged was small but clean, in a neighborhood gentrified enough to have decent schools but not so expensive that it raised questions about how a junior partner could afford it.
I enrolled Theo in a preschool three blocks away under the name Theo Riley and smiled at the director and told her we were in town temporarily for work.
"How long will you be here?" she asked.
"Three months."
"Well, we're happy to have Theo for as long as you need. He's adorable."
I thanked her and left before she could ask any more questions.
What I didn't know was that miles away in Manhattan, in a corner office overlooking the city, a security specialist named Chen was running his quarterly check on my digital footprint. Something had finally pinged after five years of silence.
A credit card transaction in New York for registration fee for a preschool in Brooklyn.
But I wouldn't learn about that until it was far too late..
…………….
The conference room on the fortieth floor had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan. I sat at the polished table trying to focus on the pitch deck my client was presenting, but my mind kept wandering to Theo.
Today was his first day at the new preschool, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was settling in, making friends, or if I'd made a terrible mistake bringing him here.
I imagined him getting into a conversation with an overly inquisitive child who wanted to know about his daddy, and the thought made me shudder.
"Ms. Riley, do you have the Q3 projections?"
I jumped, the question pulling me out of my spiral. I pulled the folder from my bag and slid it across the table with a strained smile.
This was the deal that would change everything. I couldn't mess it up.
Just then, the door opened.
I glanced up automatically and felt my heart stop. Damien Cross walked into the conference room and instantly owned the space.
The air in my lungs suddenly wouldn't move, and it took all the self-control I had not to run out the door.
He looked exactly the same. Older, yes. A bit harder around the eyes, but he was the same man I'd loved for two years. The same man who'd let me believe the worst of him. The same man whose child was most probably currently finger-painting three miles away, completely unaware that his father was in the same city.
Our eyes met across the table, and I swear I saw something flash in his. But then it was gone almost immediately, replaced by cool professional distance.
"Sorry I'm late." Damien took the seat directly across from me.
"Welcome, Mr. Cross." The COO smiled and gestured around the table. "Everyone, this is our new lead investor, Damien Cross."
"Pleased to meet you all." His eyes never left mine.
I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even think. My client was introducing everyone around the table, but the words had syddenly become white noise. All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears and the single thought screaming through my mind
Run. Run. Run.
But I couldn't run. Not without making a scene and certainly not without losing the deal.
How would I explain to my firm why I was fleeing a meeting with one of the biggest investors in tech?
So I sat there and smiled and pretended the man who'd destroyed my entire life wasn't staring at me like he'd seen a ghost.
The meeting lasted ninety minutes. Ninety minutes of me presenting financials while Damien asked pointed questions that had nothing to do with the startup and everything to do with me.
"Ms. Riley, where are you based?"
"Cincinnati." My voice was steady and professional but I was shaking inside.
"And how long will you be in New York?"
"Three months."
"Do you plan to stay in the area long-term?"
"This is a temporary assignment, sir."
His jaw tightened slightly. If I hadn't spent two years learning his expressions, I would have missed it.
"I see… And your background is in publishing, correct?"
I froze.The room went quiet and everyone was looking at me, waiting for my answer.
"My background is in business consulting with a focus on tech startups," I said carefully. "I did my MBA thesis on digital transformation in legacy media companies."
"Fascinating." Damien leaned back in his chair. "It must be interesting, working with companies going through major transitions. Do you have personal experience with that kind of... upheaval?"
He was baiting me. Seeing if I'd break.
"I think everyone has experience with change, Mr. Cross. It's how we adapt that matters."
"Well said."
The meeting continued, but I could barely focus. Every time Damien spoke, my hands shook. Every time he looked at me, I felt like I was being x-rayed. And when it finally ended, I gathered my papers so fast I dropped half of them.
Damien was there instantly, crouching to help me pick them up. His hand brushed mine, and I jerked back like I'd been burned.
"Ms. Riley." His voice was low enough that only I could hear. "We need to talk."
"No, we don't."
"Isla…"
"It's Ms. Riley to you. And I have nothing to say to you."
- Writer
