*Isabella's POV*
There I was, standing in front of him, my mouth open like a damn fool. Oh my God, he looks just like him. His stature was grandiose with those big, broad shoulders. But Damien's perfectly styled hair was replaced with a messy one, and obviously I imagined I was the one that caused that.
I chose to imagine I'd messed up his hair during sexy time. His ears were pierced, and his shirt had two buttons open, revealing a chest tattoo. As sexy as he looked, with the evil grin on his face, he reeked of trouble.
"Clumsy sweetheart, are we?" he said with a smirk of satisfaction and started chuckling.
"Excuse me, but you appeared out of nowhere," I retorted sarcastically, folding my arms over my chest.
"And I can assure you, sir, I'm anything but clumsy."
I stormed out of the office, leaving him there as he started to laugh.
**
Jacob, the man Isabella had just met and Damien's twin brother, walked into Damien's office and up to his desk.
"Brother!" he said, enthusiastically shocking Damien. "Jacob?" he said, standing up from his desk and walking up to Jacob.
"Damn, you look like sh**," Jacob said when he was in front of him and laughed in his face.
"What are you doing here?" Damien asked in a cold tone, sounding rather annoyed. "I thought that small towns kept people relaxed and sh**. That clearly doesn't work for you." Jacob said, rolling his eyes.
"Raleigh is not a small town," he said, causing Jacob to chuckle.
"Again, I ask, what are you doing here? We met up in New York a few days ago."
"I missed you," Jacob replied with dramatized sadness. "What's wrong with checking on my dear brother who is refusing to leave this ghost town?"
Damien let out a sigh, and at that moment, Isabella walked in, making Jacob bite his lip. Isabella walked up to Damien, ignoring Jacob altogether.
"Sir, here are the papers, all printed out," she said, still ignoring Jacob.
"Thank you, Isabella, just leave them there," Damien said, pointing to his desk.
"Okay, sir," she replied as Jacob winked at her, causing her to blush slightly. "That will be all, Ms. Williams," Damien spoke up coldly.
"Right, I'll be at my desk," Isabella replied softly and left in embarrassment.
"Now I see what's been holding you back in Raleigh," Jacob said and winked.
"What! You're disgusting!" Damien exclaimed in shock, causing Jacob to chuckle.
"Am I? I'm not the one screwing my assistant," Jacob retorted. "I bet she's phenomenal with that pretty face and those curves—" he added in a whisper, biting his bottom lip.
"I don't know about your New York affairs, little brother...."
"Little—" Jacob countered.
"But here in Raleigh, we don't sleep with our assistants," Damien finished with modest anger.
"Right, 'we. don't. sleep. with. our. assistants,'" Jacob retorted sarcastically, making air quotes with his hand and then laughing, prompting Damien to roll his eyes in frustration.
"Although I'm glad you didn't. I bet you couldn't handle all of that," Jacob taunted, inducing more anger inside of Damien.
"You're crossing the line. Humor me. Just how long do you plan on staying here?" Damien said coldly, bringing out another round of laughter from Jacob.
"Until we fly together back to New York. Oh, and I'll be staying at your place," he said ever so casually.
*Isabella's POV*
I was busy fighting the vending machine to give me my chips after it ate my $3 when Cole suddenly spoke up. "What the hell?"
"You know I can't survive without my daily dose of chips."
"More like a kilogram of calories," he countered mockingly.
"I get headaches without them, okay?" I responded, being melodramatic.
"You sound like a junkie right now," he said, sounding distasteful. "Anyway, did you see him?"
"Not only have I seen him. He is the one who gave me the bump on my head," I replied in annoyance, thinking back to the encounter earlier.
"Couldn't handle all the hardness?" Cole asked jokingly.
"Meh. He's an entitled jerk."
Cole picked up his phone and read the message that had chimed.
"Quick emergency meeting," he said. We quickly jogged to the boardroom, where we met all the other employees from our department already there, and we joined them.
"Attention, beautiful people. I am the Vice President here at Lancaster Corp and COO of the headquarters in New York, while my brother, the CEO, chose to stay on the premises of Raleigh," he paused for a quick chuckle. "Because I haven't had a chance to meet you in these two years, I'd like to formally introduce myself as Jacob Lancaster, but it's 'sir' to you. And I'd like to invite you all for dinner and drinks this evening. I apologize for the short notice, but I hope everyone can make it."
"Free food," Cole said to me eagerly.
"And booze," I added. "Jerk or no jerk, I can't say no to free booze, and Harry totally ditched me tonight, so..."
**
"Have I signed anywhere for a team-building budget?" Damien said harshly to Jacob.
"Oh, chill out. We have plenty of money," he replied nonchalantly.
"That doesn't mean we can spend it foolishly just because you can't drink alone."
"I only invited, like, a dozen people. Besides, I spend it how I want in New York, and you still won't leave this place to talk to your 'little brother,'" he countered mockingly, making Damien roll his eyes.
*Isabella's POV*
After dinner, some said their goodbyes, like our boss, Damien. While the rest of us decided to go have some drinks at a nightclub. Many drinks later... The office harlot was making a fool of herself. The goody-two-shoes was grinding on the office creep. While I was here, contemplating my very existence.
I was leaving to go to the bathroom when I saw a guy who looked exactly like Harry making out with another girl. "Is that Harry..."