59 Chapter 59 – Allies and Coffee Bribes
I opened a delivery app and ordered a slice of chocolate cake with cappuccino sent to Hazel’s office. Then inspiration struck. I needed an ally in this war for Hazel’s heart. I ordered a cappuccino and chocolate croissant for Chloe, Hazel’s fiercely protective best friend.
“I hate you.” I said, each word deliberate and cutting. “I’ve always despised you, and there will never be anything between us. Get that through your delusional head.”
My body recoiled violently. This wasn’t Hazel’s embrace. I yanked those unwelcome hands away and spun around, fury blazing through my veins.
“Fine. Write this down.”
“I should have fired Clairemont the moment I took control of the company,” I admitted, stabbing my fish more aggressively than necessary.
“Mr. West is calling, sir,” Bianca announced through the intercom. I could barely look at my treacherous assistant anymore.
“Don’t be cruel to me, Liam. I’ve been trying to see you, but your security team keeps blocking me. Fix this immediately.” Her voice carried that entitled whine that made skin crawl.
my
“You’re playing a dangerous game with my girls,” Adrian’s amused voice filled the line. “Since you called, I need a favor.”
After lunch, we passed a bakery where a decadent chocolate cake sat displayed in the window. I snapped a photo and sent it to Hazel with the caption: “Chocolate cake means nothing without you.”
“Your girls just landed me a million–dollar software contract, so you owe me. What do you want, Adrian?”
Back in my office, restlessness consumed me. Hazel had changed me fundamentally, awakened something I’d never known existed. Since watching Evelyn disappear into the airport terminal, my resolve had crystallized into steel. I wouldn’t rest until Hazel was mine again.
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50 Chapter 50 Allies and Coffee Britses
“She doesn’t need to know”
The morning crawled by as I handled routine business matters. When Damian knocked on my door suggesting lunch, I felt the familiar ache in my chest. Before leaving, i pulled out my phone and typed a message to the woman who haunted my every waking moment.
“What the hell do you want now?” I snarled at Isabella, my patience completely exhausted.
At three fifteen, my desk phone rang.
“I fell asleep tasting your kiss, dreamed of you all night, and now my heart burns with longing. I love you, Hazel. Please forgive me.”
“Put him through.”
I arrived at the office before dawn today, driven by an urgency I couldn’t shake. The audit results were finally bearing fruit, and today’s report confirmed what I’d suspected all along. Clairemont’s name appeared prominently among the potential fraudsters, though his betrayal no longer surprised me. I’d been watching him for months.
Chapter 59 – Allies and Coffee Bribes.
The mention of my parents ignited a rage so fierce I saw red. How dare she use their memory to manipulate me? My finger shot out, pointing directly at her tear–stained face.
“Don’t drag me into your romantic disaster. My girls are thriving here, and I enjoy their company too much.
“First, they’re not your girls,” I warned, my voice hardening. “Stay away from Hazel, Adrian. Second, I’m courting my woman and winning over her best friend. Simple strategy.”
“Chloe and Hazel are in our break room right now, sharing the cappuccinos and desserts you sent, debating whether you’re genuinely sorry or just manipulative,” Adrian chuckled. “They’re impressed by your audacity.”
I powered down my laptop and secured it in the office safe, along with all the sensitive documents. Trust had become a luxury I couldn’t afford. I changed the safe’s
69 Chapter 50 Allies and Coffas Briben
combination again, making sure every piece of evidence remained protected until I could transfer everything to my home vault.
“You’re banned from this building” I stated coldly. “Friday was different because it was a company event and your father could have brought his wife, but he brought you instead. That was the last time you’ll ever set foot in here.”
She began sobbing theatrically, her performance worthy of a soap opera. My jaw clenched as I grabbed her elbow and dragged her to a corner, away from the growing crowd of onlookers.
Liam’s POV
“Stop this pathetic display right now,” I hissed, my voice deadly quiet. “If anything happened between us, you orchestrated it while I was blackout drunk. If anyone was violated that night, it was me.”
Adrian sighed dramatically. “What’s the favor?”
During lunch, we discussed the audit findings over grilled salmon and wine. The evidence against Clairemont was mounting, and soon I’d have enough to destroy him completely.
“Brilliant move, Sterling. Softening up Chloe so she’ll advocate for you. No wonder you dominate the business world.”
“She’ll murder me if she discovers I gave it to you. That woman terrifies me sometimes. I swear she thinks she runs this place.“,
I attached carefully crafted notes to each order. Hazel’s declared my love and begged forgiveness. Chloe’s apologized for hurting her friend and expressed my sincere regret. Strategy was everything in business and love.
“That woman is completely unhinged, Damian muttered, and I couldn’t disagree.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied innocently, though my heart hammered with anticipation.
“Never mention my parents again! You’re not worthy to speak their names!” My voice shook with barely controlled fury. “Get out of my sight, get out of my life, and forget I exist. Damian, we’re leaving.
“Patience, my friend. Wait until the audit concludes. Something tells me Clairemont
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isn’t the only snake hiding in your garden.”
I turned my back on her wailing form and strode toward the exit, Damian hurrying to keep pace.
I hit send and pocketed the phone, following Damian to the elevator. The familiar weight of rejection sat heavy on my shoulders, but I refused to surrender. As we passed through the lobby turnstile, strong arms suddenly wrapped around me from
behind.
“Chloe’s phone number.
“Your parents wanted us together,” she whispered, playing her final, desperate card. “It was their greatest dream to see me become your wife.”
Damian tried to escape, but I grabbed his arm and forced him to stay. I needed a witness for whatever insanity was about to unfold.
“You cannot treat me this way, Liam!” Isabella’s voice rose to a shriek, drawing stares from everyone in the lobby. “You used me and now you’re discarding me like garbage. I won’t stand for this humiliation!”
“I love you desperately, Liam! I would die for you!” Her mascara ran in dark streams down her cheeks. “You have to see that we’re perfect together. We’re meant to be!”
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