Tangled Hearts

Chapter Eleven

Jason's Dilemma

Jason stood by the tall glass window of his penthouse office, arms folded across his chest, eyes glued to the skyline of Manhattan. It should have felt like power owning a piece of this view, being one of the youngest tech billionaires in the country but instead, it felt like confinement. The thoughts in his head were louder than the hum of traffic below.

Tamara.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since that night. The way she slept peacefully on the hotel bed, her soft breaths like music, the curve of her lips… everything about her had lingered in his memory like a ghost that refused to be forgotten. He had told himself it was just a night. No strings, no expectations. Yet, here he was haunted.

And now, fate had played the cruelest joke of all.

Patricia, his current girlfriend, was Tamara’s sister.

He ran a hand down his face and exhaled deeply. How was he supposed to walk into that house into their family Christmas and look her in the eye, knowing what they had shared? He wasn’t even sure what to call what they had. It wasn’t love. It wasn’t meaningless either. But it was definitely something.

Jason tried to bury himself in work. Meetings. Deadlines. Launch dates. Yet, nothing could hold his focus. The conflict ate away at him, stealing his peace, dulling his edge.

By the time he drove back to his penthouse that evening, he had already made a decision he would talk to Patricia. If there was any way out of this storm, it had to start with honesty.

He pushed the door open and found Patricia already there. Dressed in a sleek white jumpsuit that hugged her curves effortlessly, her long braids cascading down her back, Patricia looked every bit the definition of success and class. She was the kind of woman who turned heads when she walked into a room. Intelligent. Confident. Beautiful.

Jason admired her, truly. But admiration wasn’t the same as obsession. And Tamara… she had lodged herself in a part of his mind that Patricia couldn’t seem to reach.

“Hey, babe!” Patricia called out cheerfully, her stilettos clicking softly as she walked over to him. She pecked him on the cheek. “I thought we could go over our travel plans tonight.”

Jason forced a smile. “Yeah… about that. I was going to talk to you.”

She raised an eyebrow, pausing as she folded her arms. “Okay? What’s on your mind?”

He cleared his throat and walked toward the couch. “Tamara. Your sister.”

Patricia blinked, slightly caught off guard. “What about her?”

“Nothing bad,” he replied quickly. “It’s just… you never really talk much about her. I was curious. What’s she like?”

She laughed, waving a dismissive hand. “Tamara is cool. A bit of a rebel in her own way, but she’s soft-hearted. Honestly, we’re just now rebuilding our sisterly bond. For a while, we were living such different lives. But I’m excited to see her this Christmas.”

Jason nodded slowly, trying to measure his next words. “Is she coming alone?”

Patricia smirked. “Nope. She’s bringing her man. Candace. I haven’t met him yet, but Mum and Dad said they’ve been spending time together. Why are you asking so many questions about Tamara though?” she teased, narrowing her eyes playfully.

Jason chuckled nervously. “I don’t know. Just curious. Trying to get familiar with the whole family dynamic.”

“Well, you’ll meet them soon enough,” Patricia said, plopping beside him on the couch. “Babe, please… don’t bail on me. I’ve already told them I’m bringing my successful, fine boyfriend home for Christmas. You have to come. Pleeease?” she added, poking his chest lightly.

Jason hesitated, heart thudding. “You know I have a tight schedule.”

“I know. But I need you to make this one work for me. Just a few days. I’ll make sure your assistant books the best flight options. And who knows? You might actually enjoy being around my family.”

Jason looked into her eyes those hopeful, trusting eyes and nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it.”

Patricia squealed with joy and immediately called his assistant, dictating the flight details like the boss she was. As she handled logistics, Jason sat back on the couch, staring into space.

He was walking straight into a storm. But maybe… just maybe, it was a storm he needed to face.