The Last Time We Loved

Chapter 10

Elara

The only people who knocked this late were people who brings bad news, debt collectors, hospital staff, or worse. I was worried that something might have happened to Mom and that was the reason I asked Nora to stay in the bathroom while I answered the door.

I didn’t even check the peephole, I just turned the lock and pulled the door open, to my surprise, the tall stranger I had kissed at Hayes Global stood there.

The memory hit me like ice water, I blinked to be sure it was the same person, but it was, he still had that sharp jawline, dark hair, and his piercing eyes that was impossible to forget.

He wore a perfectly black tailored coat that made him look even more intimidating than before. He was taller than I remembered, broad shouldered, radiating an aura of controlled power, making the air leave my lungs.

I stared at him, unable to speak, my mouth was dry and I was terrified. I had ran away with just an apology. How did he find me here?

He looked at me calmly, his expression unreadable. “Elara Brooks?”

His deep voice was smooth, sexy, and dangerously cold, it sent shiver down my spine, and I wanted to shake my head and deny my name in front of him.

I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the situation, a stranger I knew nothing about, a stranger I only encountered at the lobby and kissed to prove to Jacob that I can move on with no remorse, that stranger was here and he knew my name.

“How do you know my name?” I asked, my voice was barely audible, it was hoarse from the panic I felt inside. “Did Jacob send you? Is this some kind of sick joke?” I frowned.

Maybe they were playing me yet again. This stranger couldn’t have just known where I stay, Jacob had seen him, so perhaps he was linked to Jacob and now they were planning to make me go insane.

“My name is Harrison Hayes, I’m the eldest son of Kent Hayes, founder of Hayes Global.” He introduced himself, his expression indifferent.

I stared at him for a long time, unable to hold back, I burst out laughing, the sound echoed in the quiet hallway.

“Right, and I’m the Queen of England.” I shook my head, stepping back slightly, then I gave him a once over my smile disappeared.

“Look, if this is about the kiss, I’m sorry. I was having the worst day of my life and I acted without thinking. I didn’t mean anything by it, you can yell at me, sue me, whatever… just leave me alone, I really can’t deal with anything else right now.”

I’ve heard of stalkers, but it would be crazy if he had really been affected by that kiss and followed me here with these bullshit about being Mr. Kent’s son.

His gaze didn’t waver. Those cold silver grey eyes studied me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

“I’m not here about the kiss. Not primarily.”

“Not primarily?” I repeated, another disbelieving laugh escaped me. “Then why are you here? How did you even find where I live?”

“I had HR pull your file,” He said simply as if that would explain everything.

My laugher died instantly and I blinked, a cold shiver ran down my spine. “My file?” I blinked. “You work at Hayes Corporation?” I asked.

I was confused now, because I’ve worked at Hayes Global for five years, yet I have never seen this face, that was part of the reason I grabbed him first at the lobby and did what I did, but he looked serious as he spoke.

“I don’t just work there,” he replied, his tone authoritative “As of three days ago, I am the new CEO. The board has officially named me as my father’s successor.”

He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out his phone, with a few taps, he turned the screen toward me.

My jaws dropped as I watched the official company announcement with his photograph and bold text declaring Harrison Hayes as the new Chief Executive Office of Hayes Corporation, effective immediately.

My knees nearly gave in, and I shook my head, stunned. “That’s not possible,” I whispered. “The founder only has one son, Nate Hayes, everyone knows that… so how...?”

“Apparently, not everyone,” he said, sliding the phone back into his pocket. “I’ve been away for seven years, but I’m back now.”

I felt dizzy. This couldn’t be real. The man I had impulsively kissed in a moment of spite and desperation was standing in front of me, claiming to be the new boss of Hayes Global.

The power imbalance hit me at once. I gasped. I had used this stranger to hurt Jacob, to prove a point, and now he held my entire future in his hands? I thought it would be Nate, but it was this cold looking man?

Harrison took one step closer, towering over me. “We need you back at the company, Elara, immediately."

He hadn’t waited for me to process what he had just shared, only to drop another one.

I blinked. “You’re joking.” My shock turned to anger. “After everything they did to me? After they fired me? You expect me to just walk back in and start working again?”

I haven’t been promoted for five years, I have been constantly used, slapped in the face when a project I worked through sleepless nights was stolen from me and an error pinned on me, I was humiliated and even cheated on, yet he wants me to come back?

His expression remained detached. “This isn’t about what happened to you, this is about the project you were leading.” He frowned slightly. “The calculations contain fatal errors, errors that will cause structural failure if not corrected. People could get hurt, people could die. An accident already occurred at the site today. We both know you’re the only one who truly understands that project.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words stuck in my throat.

He was right. I had tried to warn them. I had flagged those exact issues weeks before they threw me out.

Still, the humiliation of how I got fire was still fresh. “Why should I help the company that ruined my life?”

“Because I’m offering you a way to fix more than just the project,” he said. “I’m offering you your job back, so Elara, are you going to invite me in, or are we going to continue this conversation in the hallway?”

I stared at him, my heart thumping loudly in my chest, a chance to get my job back? Was the a good offer after all those humiliation?