Mr. Billionaire, I'm Back!

Chapter 54: Business Meeting with Ken

As Joanna looked at Ken, she couldn't help but think about how much he hated her, and she wondered what made him think that she was vicious. After all, while they were married, she had been a good wife to him, and it had been his indiscretions that had forced them apart. She tried to put that thought out of her mind as she sat down across from him.

Steve eyed Joanna and Ken suspiciously and wondered if they had some kind of a previous relationship that he was unaware of.

Once Joanna was comfortable, she took out the contract that she'd drafted, pushed it across the table, and said, "I reviewed our previous contract and noticed some problem areas. Take a look at this updated version. I highlighted the changes I made. If you like what I did, you can sign in the places I've indicated with stickies."

Ken picked up the document and began to go over it carefully. Once he was done, he smiled. He was pleasantly surprised by how well she'd drafted the agreement. He'd heard rumors about her being incompetent, but they seemed not to be true. Ken held the contact up and said, "Did you do this yourself?"

Joanna did not answer his question. Instead, she asked if everything was in order. "Feel free to tell me if there's anything else you need," she said.

"This is fine," Ken said. "Better than fine, actually; it's good!" He asked Pete for a pen and signed his name in the appropriate places.

Joanna smiled, took the signed documents, and stretched. "It's been nice working with you." She offered her his hand, but when he reached it, she smirked and pulled it away. She laughed and said, "Too slow!"

"What a child," Ken muttered. He frowned, and as he stood up, he turned to his assistant and said, "Come on, Pete, it's time to go."

Pete nodded and said, "Okay."

Pete stood up to follow Ken, and when the door opened, Joanna saw Brian standing at the bar. He had been watching the entrance to the private room, and when he saw who'd been in the room with her, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Brian stood up and walked towards Joanna. He crossed paths with Ken, and when he got to her, he embraced her. "Brian," she gasped. "What are you doing here?" He didn't answer her. Instead, he pressed her against the wall, and he began to make out with her.

Joanna tried to push Brian away, but he wouldn't budge. With him pressed against her like this, Joanna didn't know what to do, and she worried about Ken retaliating.

When Brian rushed past Ken, Ken had turned automatically, and he was appalled by what he was seeing. How dare she kissed another man in front of me? – he asked himself. He was embarrassed by her behavior, and he stormed back into the room. "Joanna!" He shouted. "You really are are shameless. You are going to get what's coming to you, though. You had better believe it!" He turned to his assistant. "Pete, don't forget what I told you."

Pete showed Ken his phone and said, "I've already got it, Mr. Green."

Ken and Pete stormed out of the room, and as soon as they were gone, Brian stopped kissing Joanna. She took a few breaths, and then she said, "Brian! What were you thinking? You are going to ruin your reputation if you keep this behavior up!"

Brian sneered. Joanna was upset about his behavior, and he believed that it was because she still loved Ken. "What am I doing wrong?" he said sarcastically. "Joanna, you tell me that, and I'll stop doing it!"

Brian was going crazy with jealousy, but Joanna didn't see it. She had no idea how jealous her meeting with Ken had made Brian. Thus, she didn't know why he was upset. Considering the fact that he was in the wrong, she didn't believe he had any right to be angry, and she said so.

Brian couldn't handle the criticism, so he stormed out of the room and out of the restaurant. As Joanna watched him go, she began to panic. She hesitated for a moment, and then she chased after him.

When Brian heard her footsteps, he did not stop. Instead, he picked up his pace. When Joanna saw that he didn't mean to stop, she ran to him and hugged him behind. By now, she was distraught, and tears were streaming down her face. "Don't go!" she cried.

Brian looked at her hands, and he didn't say or do anything.

"There is nothing between Ken Green and me," Joanna said. "We are still legally married, but we are getting a divorce. Our relationship is over, and it was over long before I even met you!"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Brian shouted. "If your marriage is over, then what were you doing together in a private room?"

"It was a business meeting," Joanna explained. "I have the contract to prove it, and Steve is my witness!"

Brian felt nervous suddenly and less confident. Is she telling the truth? – he wondered. He wanted, more than anything, to believe her.

Joanna held his waist tightly and called his name.

Brian smiled at the sound of Joanna's sweet voice. He noticed suddenly that Ken and Pete were watching them, and he smirked at them. Then he turned around and kissed Joanna passionately on the mouth. Although he was now inclined to believe Joanna, he was still angry, and he didn't feel like kissing. That being said, he wanted to claim Joanna as his own – to mark his territory – and he wanted to do it in front of Ken.

As Brian and Joanna parted, he began to laugh. It was a vicious, ugly sound, and it made her uncomfortable.

Brian sighed and led Joanna to his car. Along the way, he noticed that Joanna seemed unusually quiet. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Joanna forced herself to smile, and she said, "It's nothing. It's just that I don't like it when you don't trust me…"

"Never mind that." Brian pinched Joanna's cheeks and said, "You are such a little fool."