REVENGE OF THE REJECTED MATE: WINTER IS COMING

CHAPTER 5 (A Meeting with My Past)

XAVIER POV

My phone kept ringing till it dropped off the table. I picked it up and reduced the ring volume.

“Jeez! She's relentless,” I commented, passing a few documents to Josh. He looked over them, underlined some parts, and returned them.

“You’ve stayed at the penthouse for days. You should return home. The pack is worried about you and your relationship with Selene,” he said.

“They should be concerned about their own lives. I'm the Alpha, not a baby,” I replied, sighing loudly.

“They have a right to be worried. It's been five years since your divorce but you've refused to marry Selene,” he added, scrolling through his phone.

“You've been counting? You meddle too much for your good. You should get a woman instead,” I answered, letting out a wide grin.

“We've got to leave for your board meeting at headquarters. The rumors about you are getting out of hand,” he explained, packing the documents in a file. I nodded and we arrived at BELLS Group headquarters. I had expanded my companies to every continent with chains of multiple and diverse businesses. Having a rumor about my personal life was a dent in my personality. I could not afford to have that.

“You've all said your bit and I've considered them. I already informed you all that I do not want this to be handled by anyone on the company's PR team. I need feedback on your picks since the last meeting. HR,” I announced.

“We've cut down the top PR agencies to three. However, we got an offer from one of the best agencies ruling the industry. We did a check and they are exceptional. Fortunately, they offered to handle your brand before we reached out,” HR explained.

“Their name?” I asked.

“Don's PR,” she replied. The name was familiar. I had seen it somewhere but I couldn't recall.

“Who's the founder?” I asked while HR hesitated. “She’s known as Tasha in the industry,” he replied.

“Schedule a meeting with her. I want us to have a 1:1 convo,” I said, relaxing in my chair.

“That's what I'm about to tell you. She insisted that she had to meet you today. She's on her way and would be here at any minute. I apologize for the short notice, sir,” he looked away from me to his shoes.

“And what if I have another meeting?” I taunted him.

“I was hoping she could wait, or we could discuss with her and reschedule,” he responded. I smirked, then bid them all to leave. “I want you to handle the meeting with the engineers. I'll be there as soon as I finish up with the PR woman,” I ordered Josh and he left the boardroom. A few minutes later, a receptionist informed me about Tasha's presence.

“Let her in,” I said, sitting upright in my chair while checking the information on my phone. The woman's domineering footsteps were distracting, and I looked up to greet her.

“Hello, Xavier. It's a pleasure to meet you after such a long time. I can see you're doing well with all the happenings at BELL Group recently,” London commented as she dropped her bag on the table and sat with crossed legs beside me.

I was speechless for about ten seconds. My eyes drooled over her face to her body. She had changed. She was different and I wouldn't have recognized her if she wasn't sitting so close to me. She wore a chic two-piece suit that gave away her perfect silhouette. Instead of her full-length hair, she wore short, trimmed hair that smelled like petals. Her eyes and lips were mesmerizing. Besides her new intimidating presence, her sudden appearance called for suspicion. When did she become Tasha?

“I… You're Tasha?” I stuttered, thinking about the best approach for the conversation. I'd rarely get intimidated by anyone, especially since I grew up leading my pack. However, her mere presence sent shivers down my spine. Guilt was starting to eat me up.

“The one and only,” she replied, watching me closely with her eagle eyes. My face flushed and I couldn't make out words.

“I'll cut to the chase. I'm London Aiden but you can call me Tasha. I'm the founder of Don's PR. I help Fortune 500 companies like yours craft the perfect PR strategy, placing them on a different pedestal, and warding off their competitors. We don't just do damage control. We make good news even better. We have a diverse clientele of multi-million-dollar companies. This is why I…” she began to explain without mincing words. Was I the only person affected by our meeting because she seemed alright? She wasn't stuttering. No nostalgia. It was as though she didn't know me.

“Just stop right there, London,” I exclaimed.

“Tasha. Call me Tasha,” she replied with a stern face.

“Tasha, London whatever. What are you doing here? You must think I'm stupid to imagine I'd hire you to handle my brand,” I stood up, pissed at the scenario playing out in front of me. She stood up as well and approached me. She stood so close that her stares made my insides melt. How did she ever get so good at holding a man spellbound?

“I have nothing against you, Xavier. I'm just here for business,” she replied. I looked away but her red lipstick kept calling to me. What was wrong with me?

I ended up laughing hard while she watched me. I moved slowly to face the transparent wall in the room. “Any sane person can tell you're here for a reason,” I said, pointing my index finger at her.

“Stop being overly dramatic. I'm only here to expand my company's portfolio. We're the best you can ever get in the industry. You're one of the most renowned businessmen on the continent and beyond. This alliance is a plus for both of us. And I'm very good at separating my business from my personal life,” she replied slowly and softly. That was her favorite way of speaking. I could feel it in my soul that the deal wasn't solely for business.

“I'm sorry to break it to you but I don't need your help. I'd rather work with a start-up. Excuse me,” I said.

“You can always reach out if you change your mind.” She replied with a teasing smile and then left the room. I exited the board room, rolled my hand into a fist, and walked into the elevator.

“Tasha, the founder of Don's PR, is London. I could not believe my eyes. She has changed. She looked better. I'm so grateful,” I explained to Josh while we drank at the VIP section of a bar. He remained silent as he watched me. I gulped down a glass and looked ahead at nothing.

“I caused her so much pain. I was so harsh on her even though I liked her,” I muttered.

“You did it for the pack,” Josh consoled me.

“It wasn't just for the pack. I was nasty. I even made her blood boil by meeting Selene five years ago. I should have known better. I'm sure Selene has everything to do with the ceaseless rumors about me. She's bent on forcing me into marrying her at all cost,” I picked another bottle and poured its contents into a cup.

“You can't be sure. We're on it and the truth will be out soon. Meanwhile, I did some digging on London when I discovered she was Tasha. She has a child, a son,” Josh said, holding the cup before I gulped down its contents.

“She had a baby? How old is he?” I demanded, sitting up quickly.

“Five years old,” he replied.

“Damn! How did I miss that? She was pregnant?”