Daniel's POV
After we had settled in, the air became heavier, leaving us all in a long silence. But Cassian broke it, trying to cheer up the room.
James had never stopped grinning since my breakout, like he already knew that would be my reaction. He was damn ready for anything I was going to bring up.
They kept discussing, making fun of our old-time memories, but I never showed any interest. I just picked up my tablet and began to surf the internet, searching for things to keep me busy.
We stayed in the room until dinner, and that was when our investors started trooping in. As the hosts that we were, we stood up, welcoming them one after the other and gesturing them to their seats.
After a few moments, I decided to message Annabel.
Daniel: Hey, the investors are here. Hope you are ready. Diho will come to pick you up.
Her message came in immediately, like she'd been waiting to hear from me.
Annabel: Yes, Mr. Stroke.
I read her message like she was actually close to me.
Just after, I shifted to a quieter side of the room and phoned Diho to go bring Annabel.
We were settled. Discussions here and there, the room was too busy with laughter and murmurs until the entrance door opened.
Annabel stepped in.
Silence enveloped the room, and every head turned toward her.
She stood straight, head slightly bowed. Her hands twisted nervously, probably from anxiety. Her sky-blue gown hung perfectly on her body. It was a long dress with thin spaghetti straps. Her hair fell in heavy deep waves, and her makeup was natural. Everything she wore was simple, yet it turned heads.
My pulse raced with excitement.
It felt like I was fighting to steady myself and avoid the urge to walk straight to her, grab her waist, take her to a more private place, and fuck the hell out of her until she was left with my name on her lips.
Annabel moved closer to where we were, but something was wrong. Surprise flickered across her features—like she wasn't expecting to see someone here.
I traced her gaze and there it was, James.
Her eyes stayed fixed on him. Her throat tightened into a knot as she struggled to swallow.
James, on the other hand, stared at her. The edge of his mouth curled into an evil smirk, as though sending her a silent message.
What was that about?
How does Annabel know James?
I watched as Annabel walked nervously toward me, but James stopped her in her tracks.
"Hi…" His smile was dark, but it carried meaning.
"Uhm… if you don't mind." He took Annabel's hand and placed a peck on the back. Then he motioned for her to sit beside him, adding a slight bow in invitation.
Dinner began with the hostess serving a variety of meals. In no time, the table was filled. Everyone began to eat and converse.
But nothing in the room made sense to me anymore. I just wanted to know why Annabel went cold seeing James, and why James acted like he knew everything about her.
I lifted my head and caught Annabel's gaze. She wasn't at ease, but she tried to keep up. Meanwhile, James was all over her, whispering things that only he laughed at.
We finished dinner, the table was cleared, and only bottles of wine remained.
Cassian stood up and cleared his throat. "Once more, I welcome you all." He glanced at each of us before continuing.
"As the host of this meeting, I would like to introduce you all to our young creator, Annabel Green". He pointed toward her, and everyone turned in her direction.
She stood, gave a slight bow, and introduced herself before sitting down.
Then Cassian continued addressing the room.
My eyes were fixed on him, but my mind never left Annabel. Especially the way James wrapped his hand around her waist, leaned in, and she didn't push him away, even though her body wanted to.
I was seconds away from dragging her away from James. Away from this whole shabby meeting, when Cassian called Annabel again, giving her the floor for her speech.
She stepped forward.
I could tell how tense she was.
But as if someone had pressed a remote, she picked up her confidence and began.
She introduced her app, gave a strong speech, explained its impact on society, and used the cursor to display the app's design and promotion strategy.
We all listened with interest. She had outdone herself.
After her speech, Cassian spoke briefly, then dismissed us for the day.
When everyone had left—except me, James, and Annabel. I walked up to her to commend her for her nice speech. That's when James stepped forward with his annoying boyish smile.
"Annabel, since you're off work now, would you like to grab a drink with me?" he asked.
I held Annabel's wrist softly. "She's got extra work to do," I replied in defiance.
But James didn't stop. "Ah, come on, Daniel, this is far more intense." He laughed dryly, clearly enjoying himself.
He tilted his head toward Annabel. "Annie… why don't you come work for me? I can offer you a much better salary."
I moved closer, ready to hit him, but Annabel brushed my hand softly. "Dan… you don't have to take it that far. I think he's just joking."
Then she turned to James. "As you can see, my boss needs me for work now. I'll join you later."
Her last sentence tore at me.
James leaned forward and whispered something in her ear, but I could clearly hear it. "I'll leave you for now. Promise you won't stand me up, okay?"
He glanced at me, then at Annabel, his eyes dark with a faint smile, before leaving.
After he was gone, we both remained silent. My chest rose and fell heavily, my jaw clenched, and my nostrils flared.
I turned to Annabel, who was still shaking for reasons I didn't yet know. "How do you know such a frivolous man?"
"He… he's an old friend," she stammered. "You don't have to react this much. He's a nobody."
"He's a nobody, you say?" My voice rose. "He enticed you in front of me, as if I don't even exist!"
Her voice went flat. "He is… my ex." She turned her face away from me.
Hearing her voice like that made something in me soften. I felt sorry for her instantly.
I moved closer, closing the distance between us. That's when I noticed her teary eyes.
"Hey… Annie. Look at me." I tilted her face toward mine. "His loss. He really fumbled losing a beautiful woman like you. He doesn't deserve someone like you."
I pulled her closer, giving her a warm hug as she rested her head on my chest, but something made her pull away.
"I thought you knew."
My eyes narrowed. "I don't. Why would you think that?"
"That night at the club, I went to visit him but saw him having a good time with Stephanie."
I gave her an I thought as much look. "I saw a man that day, but I wasn't interested in knowing who he was."
She furrowed her brow. "Why? Were you not in pain that your fiancée cheated on you?"
I was about to tell her the deal I made with Stephanie when my phone rang. I picked up the call, knowing it would take a while.
"We'll continue this discussion later," I whispered.