The first time I saw him again, I almost turned around and left.
Almost.
But life doesn't give you that kind of mercy.
Not when it's him.
Not when it's him standing there like nothing ever happened—like he didn't rip my life apart and walk away without looking back.
My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag as I stepped into the glass building, my heels clicking against the polished floor louder than they should have. Or maybe it just felt that way because my heart was beating too fast.
Too loud.
Too angry.
"Miss Adebayo?"
I forced a polite smile at the receptionist. "Yes."
"You're here for the interview?"
"I am."
She nodded and gestured toward the elevators. "Top floor. The CEO is expecting you."
CEO.
The word sat wrong in my chest.
Of course he was.
Of course he had climbed his way to the top while I was still trying to fix the damage he left behind.
I stepped into the elevator, my reflection staring back at me from the mirrored walls.
Calm.
Collected.
Unaffected.
A lie.
The doors slid open, and I walked out, each step heavier than the last. The hallway was quiet—too quiet. Like the building itself was holding its breath.
Or maybe it was just me.
"Go in," the assistant said, pointing toward a large door at the end of the corridor.
No turning back now.
I knocked once.
"Come in."
That voice.
Low. Controlled. Familiar.
It hit me harder than I expected.
I pushed the door open.
And there he was.
Seated behind a wide desk like he owned the world—like he hadn't destroyed mine.
His eyes lifted slowly, meeting mine.
For a second… just one second… something flickered in them.
Recognition.
Then it was gone.
Cold. Detached. Untouchable.
Like always.
My chest tightened, but I refused to let it show.
Not in front of him.
Not ever again.
"Miss Adebayo," he said smoothly, like my name didn't taste like history on his tongue. "Have a seat."
I didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't breathe.
Because all I could see was that night.
The whispers.
The stares.
The humiliation.
Him.
"You've got to be kidding me," I said before I could stop myself.
One brow arched slightly, like I'd amused him.
"I don't joke about business."
Business.
That's what this was to him.
Of course it was.
A hollow laugh escaped me. "So this is what you do now? Pretend you don't know people you've ruined?"
Silence.
Thick. Heavy. Dangerous.
The air between us shifted.
And then he leaned back in his chair, studying me like I was something he was trying to figure out… or something he had already decided on.
"I don't recall ruining you," he said calmly.
The words hit harder than a slap.
My nails dug into my palm.
"You should," I snapped. "You were very thorough."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then, slowly, he stood.
And even after all this time, even after everything…
He still had that presence.
The kind that filled a room without trying.
The kind that made people shrink.
But not me.
Not anymore.
He walked around the desk, stopping just close enough to remind me of everything I hated about him.
"You came here for a job," he said quietly. "Or did you come here to revisit the past?"
My jaw tightened.
"I didn't know you were the CEO."
A lie.
Or maybe not.
Because if I had known… I wouldn't have come.
…Right?
His gaze lingered on my face, searching.
"For someone who claims I ruined her life," he murmured, "you seem very determined to work for me."
I swallowed.
"I need the job."
There it was.
The truth.
Ugly. Simple. Unavoidable.
Something changed in his expression then.
Not softness.
Never that.
But something… quieter.
More dangerous.
"Then you'll do the interview," he said.
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You need the job," he repeated. "So sit down… and earn it."
The audacity.
The nerve.
The arrogance.
Every instinct in me screamed to walk out.
To leave him, this place, all of it behind.
But I didn't move.
Because he was right.
And I hated him even more for it.
Slowly, I stepped forward and took the seat across from him.
His lips curved—just slightly.
Not a smile.
Something worse.
"Good," he said.
And for the first time since I walked in…
I realized something.
This wasn't over.
Whatever had started between us back then—
The anger.
The damage.
The unfinished mess—
It wasn't buried.
It was waiting.
And now…
So was he.