Too Late To Regret.

Chapter2

“What do you mean by, ‘What is going on here, ma’am?’” I asked, feigning ignorance as I glanced around at the confused team.

Myma ignored me and turned towards Brian, who still looked as though he had seen a ghost.

“So this is what all this is about?” she demanded, pointing at me. “You tell me nothing, and then you bring her here? Have you been talking to her?!”

Brian blinked, finally seeming to recover from whatever shock had held him captive.

“Keep your voice down, Myma.”

“Keep my voice down?” She let out a disbelieving laugh. “You expect me to sit here quietly while you do this?”

“Not here.”

“Oh, of course. Not here…” She looked around the room, her eyes settling on me again and for the first time since entering the room, I saw something other than anger in her expression.

There was disbelief and something that looked suspiciously like fear.

Good. Because you all are about to pay for whatever you did to me.

“We shall see.” She said, then grabbed her handbag and stormed towards the door, slamming it behind her.

For a few seconds, nobody moved.I could feel everyone’s eyes shifting between Brian and me. Whatever had just happened, it was obvious that the people in the room were not used to seeing Myma lose her temper like that.

It wasn’t like I cared anyways.

One of the employees finally cleared his throat.

“Urg…We apologise for the interruption, ma’am. Please, go ahead with your presentation.”

I offered him a polite smile and adjusted the documents in front of me.

“Thank you. Now, where were we?”

I connected my laptop to the conference room screen and brought up the first slide of my presentation.

“Bruce Holdings has established itself as a strong name in the industry. However, there is still room for growth, particularly in areas that can improve operational efficiency, strengthen business partnerships and increase long-term profitability.”

I explained the purpose of the proposal, the opportunities we had identified, together with how our partnership could help the company achieve its goals.

And yet, through it all, I remained painfully aware of one person in particular.

Brian.

His eyes followed me whenever I moved from one side of the screen to the other. When I addressed a question to the board, I sometimes caught him studying my face instead of the figures displayed behind me.

He seemed to be searching for something for a sign that I was as unsettled by his presence as he was by mine.

But if that was what he wanted, he would be disappointed.

I had spent an entire year preparing myself for the possibility of seeing him again,imagining what I would say, how I would stand and whether I would be able to look him in the eyes without remembering everything he had done to me.

I had imagined this meeting countless times.

In some versions, I had walked into the room and ignored him completely. In others, I had smiled sweetly while reminding him that the woman he once discarded was now someone he had to negotiate with. But in a few particularly satisfying versions, I had watched him regret everything.

What I had never imagined was that he would look at me the way he was this morning.As if seeing me had brought back something he had desperately tried to forget.But I refused to dwell on it. Whatever was going through his mind was no longer my concern.

“Do you have any further questions?” I asked when I reached the final slide.

For a moment, the room remained quiet.

“No. Everything is clear. And I believe we can move forward with a more detailed discussion of the terms.” One of the senior executives replied.

A small smile touched my lips. That was precisely what I had hoped to hear.

“I’m glad to hear that. We’re prepared to work with your team to finalize the details and ensure that the agreement serves both parties well.”

Brian simply nodded.

“We’ll need to review the documents internally, of course, but I don’t see any reason we can’t continue the discussions.”

“That’s perfectly understandable,” I replied. “I’ll be happy to provide any additional information your team requires.”

I gathered my documents and shook hands with the executives who had participated in the meeting. When I reached Brian, I extended my hand.

“Congratulations on making the right decision, Mr Bruce.”

His eyes met mine as his hand closed around mine.

“Thank you, Ms Roland.”

The contact was brief, perfectly appropriate for a business meeting. Yet, the moment our palms touched, memories I had spent years trying to bury threatened to surface. I remembered those same hands holding mine on the day he promised he would never let me go, touching me, roaming around my body….

I pushed the thought away.

When he didn’t make any move to release my hand, I quickly withdrew mine and stepped away from him.

“Olivia.”

His voice stopped me as he seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say.

Then he took a step towards me. I step back.

“Can we talk?”

A short, humorless laugh escaped me.

“About what, Mr. Bruce?” I whispered.

Something flickered across his face at the way I addressed him.

His gaze searched mine.

“Olivia, please. Just five minutes.”

I lifted my chin.

“I’m afraid I don’t have five minutes to spare, Mr. Bruce. If there’s anything you need to discuss concerning the proposal, you can contact my office.”

His expression hardened, though whether from anger or hurt, I couldn’t tell.

“It’s not about the proposal.”

“Then I’m sure it can wait.”

I turned towards the door.

“Olivia.”

I kept walking till I exited the building. Not sparing him a second glance.

Mr. Smith had trusted me with a task that could expose the truth about Bruce Holdings, and I intended to see it through.

A year ago, when he first approached me with the opportunity to work alongside him on the investigation, I hadn’t needed much convincing. The suspicion surrounding Brian’s family’s business had been growing for some time even though there was no evidence to back it. There were concerns that certain activities within the company might not be entirely legal and Mr. Smith wanted someone who could help him get closer to the truth.

Someone who could earn the company’s trust, gain access to the information needed for the investigation He had offered me the opportunity to be part of that work.

And I had accepted.

Brian had taken the life I thought I was going to have and left me to rebuild myself from the pieces. I had watched him and Myma from a distance, imagining the life they must have built together while I struggled to stop the memories of my own marriage from haunting me.

And so I wanted answers. And if I was honest with myself, I wanted him to regret the day he decided that I was so easy to throw away. I wasn’t going to let my personal feelings make me careless.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

The moment I was safely outside, I took out my phone and sent Mr Smith a message.

Contract accepted.

His reply came almost immediately.

Good. I will send you an email shortly with details of the next steps.

I slipped my phone into my bag and allowed myself a small smile.

The first step was complete.

……

By the time my car pulled into my driveway, the sun was beginning to sink.

I reached for my handbag and was about to step out when something caught my attention.

I was almost certain I had locked the front door before leaving that morning but now, it appeared to be slightly open.

I frowned as a strange feeling crept into my stomach. Refusing to let fear cripple me, I got out of the car, locked it and walked towards the house, my heels clicking against the pavement as I approached the entrance.

I stopped at the front door and listened.

Nothing.

I slowly pushed the door open,stepped inside and placed my handbag on the table, keeping my eyes on the hallway.

“Hello?” I called.

No answer.

I swallowed and reached for my phone and that was when I saw a soft movement from inside my room.

Someone was definitely in my apartment!

I took a step backwards, my breath catching in my throat. “Who’s there?” I whispered.

Immediately the movement stopped and the shadow shifted beneath the bedroom door.

Someone was standing on the other side.