Kieran's POV (Narrator)
Without saying a word, Kieran picked up the intercom and called Lisa again.
"What the hell is she doing here?" he asked in a low growl.
"You told me to let her in," Lisa replied plainly.
Shit. He had forgotten to tell Lisa about their breakup. But why did she always have to be so damn accurate? He placed the phone back down and looked at Vivian.
"You may take your leave now. The mistake was on my side," he said, trying to keep his expression neutral.
"You never gave me a chance to explain," she said softly, moving forward to take a seat. Her scent hit his nose, and a wave of nostalgia flooded through him. His chest tightened.
"I don't want to see you right now, Debbie," he said, pressing his palms together to cover his face—a habit he'd picked up lately.
"Why? Because you have another woman now?" she asked accusingly.
He was quickly losing patience.
"Yes. So please leave. I have a wedding to prepare for," he said, pointing at the door.
"It was supposed to be our wedding, Kieran."
His heartbeat quickened. He clenched his fists to keep from lashing out. The last thing he needed was a scandal on tomorrow's headlines.
"I don't want to drag you out, Deborah," he said, looking her directly in the eyes.
"It was a mistake, Kieran. A one-time thing. These things happen in relationships, don't they? Don't throw away six years over one stupid mistake, please." She took his hands in hers, but he immediately pulled away.
"I'm losing my patience," he said coldly.
"There's nothing going on between Lucas and me. Please believe me. It just happened once—just that day."
Kieran bit the inside of his lip, nodding slowly. Then he stood up and buttoned his suit.
"Alright. I've heard your explanation. But there's nothing I can do for you now. I'm getting married in three months, and I don't want my future wife thinking I still have some lingering affair. This relationship wasn't going anywhere anyway, so it's best you go back to Lucas—with a clear and peaceful conscience."
"It's you I love, Kieran. Can't you see that?"
"Yeah, it's really obvious," he said sarcastically, and went to the door and opened it .
She fell silent for a moment, then walked toward him. She tried to kiss him, but he turned his head away. Remaining close, she whispered,
"I know you're not over me, Kieran. You love me far too much for that."
He stared her dead in the eyes. This wasn't the Debbie he had loved. It felt like that version of her had been a shadow—an illusion.
"What do you want from me?" he asked, his curiosity momentarily surpassing his anger .
"Just you. I don't want anyone else but you. I want us to be together. That's how it's meant to be."
"That's how you want it to be, Debbie—not me."
He grabbed her bag from the desk and shoved it into her hand.
"Say hi to Lucas for me."
She smiled to herself—a smile void of emotion. It was cold, dark, and sinister.
"I'll be back," she saidand turned to go outside but suddenly , in a flash, she turned and grabbed his collar, smashing her lips onto his. Her lipstick smeared across his mouth. Kieran felt the same disgust he had felt with the random woman at the bar. He pushed Debbie away with force and dragged her out of his office
She clung tightly to him, refusing to let go. He looked her square in the eyes, debating whether to slap her or just walk away, when both of them turned their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"So she's the one, huh?" Debbie sneered, lifting the corner of her upper lip in irritation. She finally let go of Kieran and stormed down the hall toward the figure that hadn't noticed their presence. The woman was busy on her phone.
Debbie moved too quickly for Kieran to stop her. She grabbed the woman's ponytail, causing her phone to fall to the ground. The stranger's green eyes widened in surprise.
Kieran quickly called Lisa. "Send in security. Now." Then he rushed forward to separate Debbie from Miss Rowan—but what happened next surprised not just him, but Debbie too.
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Meadow's POV (First Person)
I had made up my mind. Today, I was going to meet my fiancé. There was no point stalling this marriage any further. I dressed up as best as I could—putting on a knee-length black gown, which honestly wasn't my thing. But I guess I had to impress my husband, right?
I resisted every urge to throw on pants and went with the dress. It hugged my body just right—not too tight but free enough for me to move comfortably. I matched it with red heels and packed my hair into a ponytail. My red sling bag, holding nothing but my phone and credit card, went over my shoulder.
I stood in front of the mirror one last time and sighed.
My face was bare. No makeup. I'd never been a makeup girl anyway. Sitting for hours trying to match foundation shades just wasn't my thing. I dusted some baby powder over my face and added a little lip gloss so I wouldn't look like a zombie.
Finally, I slipped on my sunglasses. That was enough. I wasn't going to overdo it just to impress someone. My best was enough.
People greeted me with respect when I walked into the building. I mean, I was their boss's fiancée.
"I scheduled an appointment with Mr. Sullivan earlier," I told the secretary, who had a cheerful face.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. He's currently attending to someone. Could you wait just a little longer?"
"That's alright. Where's your waiting room?"
"Down the hallway to your left," she answered, offering to escort me. I politely declined.
As I walked, my phone buzzed. It was my assistant.
Text:
Ma'am, the R&D team at Rowan Cosmetics would like your opinion on a new product they're about to launch.
I opened the link and began studying the proposal when I suddenly felt a sharp tug on my ponytail. My phone slipped from my hand. I turned sharply to see who the lunatic was.
"So it's you, huh? You're the one trying to take Kieran from me."
Great. A jealous ex. Of course. Her boyfriend dumps her because of a marriage arrangement, and I automatically become the villain. Typical women.
I recovered quickly, grabbed her wrist, and bent it backward. She screamed in pain—exactly what I wanted. Then I slammed her against the wall and pinned her hand behind her back. Leaning close, I whispered into her ear:
"Maybe it's time you suck it up and move on. This guy's taken. And don't think about laying these chicken sticks on me again—or I'll find a better use for them."
Security arrived just in time, and I shoved her toward them.
I exhaled deeply as she was taken away. Turning to head toward Mr. Sullivan's office, I froze when I saw him standing there—with his arms folded across his chest and a slight smirk playing on his lips.
Did he just see all of that?
—