MATED TO THE BULLY

chapter 5: Forced Encounters

The conference room smelled of coffee and polished wood, the hum of air conditioning filling the silence as people shuffled papers and tapped on keyboards.

Sage sat at the head of the table, laptop open, documents neatly stacked. She had prepared every detail for this merger.

Every possible scenario. Every objection Jaxon or his team could throw at her. She was ready. She had to be.And then the door opened.Jaxon stepped in.

His presence alone made the air shift. The room seemed smaller, the hum louder. His eyes immediately found hers, and for a moment, neither spoke. The years melted, the boardroom walls fading, leaving only the tension between them."Looks like we'll be working closely," Jaxon said, voice neutral but edged with something unspoken.

He sat down across from her, sliding a file toward him. His hand brushed the table near hers, and a spark ran through her that she refused to acknowledge.Sage's jaw tightened. "It seems that way," she said, voice calm, controlled. She didn't look at him.

She focused on the reports, but she could feel his gaze on her, heavy, insistent.Jaxon leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Five years… and you've… changed." His words were hesitant, almost awkward, unlike the arrogant tone he used in the past.Sage didn't answer.

She simply tapped her pen against her notebook and said, "Let's stick to business."The meeting began. Numbers, percentages, mergers, contracts—everything moved at a rapid pace. Sage spoke first, her voice clear and confident. She outlined the strategy with precision, highlighting opportunities while anticipating objections.

Every word commanded respect, and every glance she gave Jaxon reminded him of something he had tried to forget.He watched her, noticing things he hadn't before. The sharpness of her mind.

The steady calm in her movements. The fire behind her eyes that didn't need to shout to be seen. She was nothing like the timid, broken girl he had tormented years ago. She was untouchable, strong, and brilliant.

"I think we should reconsider the allocation of shares," Sage said, looking directly at him now, her tone polite but firm. "If we follow the current plan, we risk losing leverage with the northern branch. I've run the numbers, and the outcome isn't favorable.

"Jaxon hesitated. He wanted to argue, to remind her of past victories, to assert dominance, but he couldn't. The logic in her words was undeniable.

He swallowed, forcing a nod. "You're right," he admitted. A pause. "I didn't… expect this level of preparation."Sage's lips twitched, almost imperceptibly.

She didn't smile. She didn't reward him. She had learned long ago that mercy gave power to people like him. She didn't give it. Not now.Hours passed.

Every time their hands brushed while reaching for papers, a small shock ran through both of them. Every glance carried the memory of years past—humiliation, fear, rejection—but also a pull neither could explain.

The fated bond they had ignored, denied, buried, was awakening again, insistent and urgent."Why didn't you… ever reach out?" Jaxon asked quietly during a break. His voice was low, almost afraid, but it carried weight.

"After… after you left. After everything."Sage's eyes met his, cold and steady. "Because I had to survive," she said. "I had to become someone you wouldn't recognize, someone you couldn't touch. That was the only way to move on.

"Jaxon's chest tightened. Her words were sharp, but they were true. He had thrown away something priceless, and now he was faced with the consequences. He wanted to argue, to grovel, to explain himself, but pride and fear held him back.

He didn't know how to approach the woman she had become.The rest of the day passed in tense silence. Sage kept a professional distance, answering questions, making decisions, but never letting herself relax. Jaxon tried to match her professionalism, but every so often, a slip of his hand, a lingering look, betrayed the storm inside him.

He wanted her back.

He wanted to fix what he had broken.By the time the meeting ended, the room was quiet again. Papers were stacked, laptops closed, and everyone else had filed out.

Jaxon lingered, watching her pack her things with efficiency and purpose. "Sage…" he began, but stopped. The words wouldn't come out right.She looked at him once, cold and unyielding. "Don't." Her voice was soft but firm.

"Not yet. Not until you prove you've changed."He swallowed, the weight of her words settling on him. He wanted to argue, to deny, to explain, but he knew the truth. He had to earn her. He had to fight for her, and it terrified him.

As she walked out of the room, Jaxon stayed behind, staring at the empty chair where she had been.

The bond tugged at him again, stronger this time, reminding him that he had lost something he could never replace—at least, not yet.Sage moved through the building with her usual calm, her mind focused on the next steps of the merger, but inside, she felt the familiar pull of the bond.

It was subtle, almost teasing, but impossible to ignore. She didn't understand it fully, and she refused to give in. She had survived rejection, humiliation, and pain. She would survive this too, even if it meant working alongside the man who had destroyed her.Outside, the city hummed with life.

Inside, two fated mates were trapped together, bound by a pull they couldn't deny, and yet separated by years of pain, pride, and mistakes. The storm was coming, and neither of them could stop it.