Falling for the Enemy

Ch.15

Eros Pov

The pounding in my head matches the rhythm in my heart-steady, relentless, and utterly painful. I roll over in bed, squinting against the morning light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my bedroom.

A bird chirps on a branch outside, and if the window were open. I would throw a pillow at it.

"Damn," I groan, pressing my hand against my temples.

Last night's event comes rushing back. The party. Althea. Her words cut through me like glass.

"You can't stop thinking about work, can you?"

I'd stayed up after everyone had left, drowning myself in expensive beer, as if the burning sensation down my throat could somehow cauterize the wound her words had left.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I reach for it, wincing at the bright screen.

Sandra's message glows on my phone screen, impossible to ignore.

Missing you, when can we continue what we started?

Sandra Famous model, so delicate, fragile, very classy, so prim and proper. With her black hair and flawless black skin, she's everything my parents told me I needed in a partner when Valenti Corporation started attracting international attention.

She fitted perfectly into the life I thought I wanted to build. Until she proved appearances mean nothing when trust gets shattered.

I set the phone face -down dragging myself to a sitting position.

By the time I make it down for breakfast, Freda, had breakfast waiting, and the smell of tea is both nauseating and essential.

"Rough night, Mr.Valenti," she says, setting down a plate of two slices of toasted bread with a fried egg in the middle.

Freda's been with me for five years now, since I bought this house to get away from the city.

She's seen me through countless late nights and early mornings, boardroom victories and personal defeat.

"Effpac already on your plate, I made the tea extra strong."

I swallow the pills with a gulp of water."You're a lifesaver,"

"That's what you pay me for," she says with a wink before disappearing into the kitchen, already humming a tune.

I force down half of the breakfast and drink the tea. By 9:30, I'm in my car, navigating Accra's traffic, sunglasses shielding my sensitive eyes from the usually bright day.

At 10:30, my phone buzzes with an internal call from the reception."Mr.Valenti? Ms. Sandra Frimpong's here to see you. She doesn't have an appointment, but she says it's urgent."

Sandra, here, now, when I'm still processing last night's conversation with Althea.

I glance through my office's glass walls towards Althea's desk. She's focused on her computer screen, completely unaware that my past is about to walk through the elevator doors.

"Tell Ms.Frimpong, I'll see her in the conference room," I say, choosing the space farthest from Althea's desk."I'll be down in five minutes,"

"Of course, Mr.Valenti."

The elevator carries me down to the conference level, where Sandra waits. Whatever she wants, whatever game she's playing, I'll handle it.

As the elevator doors open, one thought echoes through my mind with uncomfortable clarity:some ghosts refuse to stay buried, no matter how carefully you construct walls to keep them out.

The conference room feels contaminated by Sandra’s presence when she walks in, her expensive perfume lingering in the air like smoke from a fire I thought I’d extinguished years ago.

She settled into the leather chair as she owned it, with the kind of practiced grace that photographs well at board meetings. Same black hair styled to perfection, same designer dress, same calculating smile I once thought I needed in a partner.

“Eros,” Her voice carries the same familiar mix of warmth and entitlement that used to work on me when I was young and stupid.”You look well, success suits you.”

“What do you want, Sandra?”

“Straight to business, I always admired that about you.”She crossed her legs and leaned forward slightly.” I think it’s time we picked up from where we left off.”

The audacity was breathtaking. Five years ago, when she walked out of my life thinking that Valenti Corporations had no future. Five years since she decided dating a struggling CEO and company wasn’t worth the social complications and was inconvenient for her family’s reputation.

"That chapter is closed," I said."Permanently."

"Is it?" She pulled out her phone and scrolled through what appeared to be social media photos.

"Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you could use someone who understands your world. These pictures of you at events always alone, always the mysterious bachelor. The press is starting to speculate about your personal life, Eros."

She slid the phone across the table, showing me a gossip blog post titled" Accra's Most Eligible Bachelor?"

"Bad press about your personal life affects company clients"She continued."Investors want to know their CEO isn't some emotionally unavailable robot who can't maintain human relationships."

"My personal life is my business."

"Not when you're a public figure." She leaned back with a satisfied expression."I can fix this problem, Eros. We look perfect together."

"You're offering yourself as a public solution?"

"I'm offering myself as the partner you need. We understand each other." Her smile sharpened."Unlike whatever secretary you've been making eyes at lately."

"There is no secretary. There's only Valenti Corporation and the work required to maintain its market position."

"Of course," But her eyes held the satisfaction of someone who'd land a direct hit."The offer stands, Eros."

She gathered her purse and stood, smoothing her dress with practiced elegance."I'll be in touch. We have too much history to pretend we're strangers."