Loose Ends

CHAPTER FIVE- THE RETURN

SOFIA’S POV

ONE YEAR LATER

“Are you ready?” he held my hands and stared passionately into my eyes.

I took a deep breath as I stared at the building. All of it felt like it was yesterday. All of it was still very vivid in my mind.

I nodded affirmatively and then walked into the building with Logan by my side. He was holding my hand through every step, but that did not stop it from feeling like the night I walked into my world crumbling before my very eyes.

We stood at the door of the conference hall and listened.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today’s meeting is one that is very important,” he said, “We have the biggest investor in the country and today we decide what becomes of our company. Today, we decide our future.”

The sound of his voice ached my heart.

“The C.E.O, LR group of companies.”

That was our cue. Logan ushered me in and the clapping did not stop for a while, well except for Mason and Claire. Both were extremely stunned, not only did they stop clapping; they were rose from their seats. The board followed suite, assuming that they were paying respect to me.

Carter finances never had a group of investors as the board. I ran the business single handedly as I was yet to find the people who would share my father’s vision. Mason was the one person who was supposed to understand, but I was clearly wrong about that.

“Sofia?” Claire blurted, “You are the C.E.O of LR groups?” she was in so much disbelief she had to say it out loud.

“My husband is,” I responded. Logan walked in, right after my sentence.

The board stopped clapping and began staring. They finally picked up on the energy in the room.

“Let’s begin!” Logan said. He took the head seat across from Mason and their mere staring at each other felt like a cross fire.

“Excuse me!” Mason interrupted the silence and then stormed out.

Claire kept staring; it was obvious she was trying to decide whether or not to go after him.

The drama and anxiety in the atmosphere was a little overwhelming for me. I bent slightly and whispered into Logan’s ears, “I need a minute.” He nodded an approval and I immediately took off.

I headed straight to the restroom. I could barely recognize the environment as I walked through the hallways. It was a shadow of everything it used to be. A company with the reputation of going upward had only known crashes in the last year.

‘What am I doing?’ I asked myself, ‘Did I really have to be here? Couldn’t Logan have finished this deal for me?’

While I glared into the mirror, questioning all my life’s choices, the doors slowly open. I hurriedly dabbed the tears that was welled in my eyes.

“You had to do this?” I heard from behind me.

I quickly turned. “You can’t be here. This is the female restroom,” I said, trying to swallow the unease I was feeling.

“What did you promise him?” Mason walked slowly towards me, almost like he was going to hit me.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I tried to shut him down and walk away, but Mason guarded the exit.

“Logan is not your husband, is he?” he took a step towards me, but I pulled away.

“You and I are divorced, remember? What do you care?” I avoided every form of eye contact with him and kept trying to leave, but Mason would not give me room.

“Sofia,”

I managed to squeeze past him before he could say another word.

“I love you!” he yelled. I froze on the spot for a few seconds. ‘I couldn’t have been listening right.’ I advanced to the conference room.

“We need to leave here now,” I whispered to Logan.

“Sofia, I wouldn’t be anywhere now if I walked out of every business meeting the moment it got emotional.”

One of the things I admired about Logan was how fierce he was. He was always steady and it didn’t matter what the danger was.

I took a deep breath. “You can stay,” I whispered, but can I at least wait in the car?” I requested. Logan was quiet for a while.

“Common,” He got out of his seat and held my hand, walking me out of the room.

“Dr. Ryan,” Mason called, “The meeting is just about to start. Do not leave on my account,” he said,

“I must commend how you flatter yourself,” Logan came to a stop, “I wouldn’t walk out of a business meeting over an ex-husband,”

“Husband,” Mason responded. He was a few inches shorter than Logan, so he was staring up at him.

I saw Logan’s eyes immediately grow dim and judging by Mason’s chuckle, he saw it too.

“She didn’t tell you, did she?” Mason laughed.

“We should go,” I tried to pull Logan away, but he wouldn’t bulge.

“Let the young man stay, Sofia,” Mason said, “and let me be the one to tell him that you never really signed the divorce papers and we are still married.”

Logan seemed to have frozen on the spot.

“Let’s go,” I pulled him away, but we slowly walked away.

“I saw the look in your eyes in the bathroom, Sofia!” Mason yelled across the hallway. “I know that you still love me. It’s the reason you never wanted to be divorced.”

I tried to hurry my steps, but it was impossible with Logan existing only in body form.

“I know you’re with him for...” Before I could hear, or say another word, Logan had loosened my grip on him and dove to Mason with a punch across his face, throwing him on the floor.

The hallway was filled with gasps. It was then I realized that all of Mason’s yelling had gathered a crowd. I looked around and found Claire at the doorpost of the conference room.

“Logan!” I yelled. In no time, security men pulled Logan away from Mason and walked us out of the building.

“I want my wife, Logan, and this is war! I’m declaring war!” Mason yelled at the top of his voice, just before we went out of ear shot.