Ryder 's POV
I avoided Elodie like the coward I was. Viktor had been silent for a week, not acting or asking. The only sound I allowed myself to hear was the files being opened and my boot heels on the floor. Somehow, I had persuaded myself that as long as I kept busy, I would not think about her.
The office door swung open, and Luca walked in with his hands clasped behind him, a suppressed grin on his lips.
"Go on," I commanded without moving my head.
"The Ocean City Enterprise representative is here," he announced coolly.
I finally raised my gaze. "Let him in."
Luca coughed and looked at me while stifling another of those foolish smirks. "Sir, it's a woman."
My mind blanked for a second.
"Let her in," I said again, more deliberately.
The door opened seconds later, and the clatter of heels along the tiles reached my ears.
She strutted in, slow and confident, her black hair cascading in waves around her shoulders, matching her fitted black skirt suit. Her lips were painted a deep shade of red, and my heart dropped.
Trisha .
She still looked the same as I remembered her. My heart beat faster, warning me of the danger.
"Hello, Ryder ," she said, and that smooth, casual voice made my jaw clench.
"Trisha ," I murmured, struggling to control my tone.
She paused near my desk and clasped her hands gently in front of her. Her eyes scanned my face with a disturbingly casual ease, as if she could taste the tension in the room.
"It's been a while," she said lightly, cocking her head. "Four years, isn't it?"
I didn't respond. I didn't need to. I already knew the answer, and I didn't want to give her an opening.
Trisha walked over, her heels echoing with purpose. Her fitted black suit accentuated her figure, and she commanded attention without saying a word.
I held my ground, willing my body not to close in on her, not to look at her in any way that would give her the satisfaction of control.
"I never imagined we'd be doing business together," she whispered. "I'm here representing my father's company. We're putting forward a short-term collaboration for a resort project."
She placed a folder in front of me. I opened it, scanning through the building structure pictures. "The long-term gains are heavy. I've done the math, I've observed the market trends. The sites, the permits, everything is in our favor."
Her blabbering made it harder to concentrate. The heavens hated me. First, they let her taunt me, then had Elodie —a weak, foolish omega—at my doorstep, and now my ex was proposing a business deal.
Her voice dropped a notch—smoother, slower, even taunting. "I have a good design that will make profit, while its cost of production is low. If we act in concert, this could just be the beginning. Over the long term, it's possible the partnership could grow, extending beyond a single resort…"
I nodded stiffly, hiding the bubbling frustration welling up within me. "Your ideas are good," I started, and she smiled. "But I'm afraid I don't see much use for them."
The satisfaction of her smile dropping gave me a bit of excitement.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm rejecting the offer," I stated.
"But… is this because of me?" she asked.
"No," I answered coldly. "There've been a lot of resorts built in the last five years, and my company already has six. I don't think one more would be great for business."
Her lips parted, and she blinked. "Ryder ," she called. "This is my father's main project. Why not just check it again?"
Her hands brushed the table as she leaned across it to share diagrams with me. I ignored the urge to flinch.
"No need. I can accept another idea, but this isn't working for me," I said and closed the file.
She halted, ran a hand through her curls, and gave me that fixated gaze. "And you? How have you been, Ryder ?"
Her question took me by surprise. Coldly, I said, "I'm fine."
Trisha cocked her head to the side, a faint smile on her lips. She moved in close, slowly along the arm of my chair. "Just fine?" she inquired, her voice low, almost sultry.
"Yes," I repeated firmly. My gaze snapped to hers, hard and unflinching. "Are you expecting something else?"
She hesitated, then returned with a slightly more defiant smile. "Do you miss me?" she asked, her voice lower now. Her hand went out to me, touching my hand lightly.
I snagged it on instinct and pushed her off me, enough to make her step back. "Keep your hands to yourself. Or leave," I growled.
Her eyes widened, but there was no anger, just a brief flicker of surprise. "I… I miss you, Ryder ," she said more softly this time. "I never should have left."
"It was the best decision you made," I spat. "You should stick to it."
My eyes fell to my side, and I hated that she was beside me. "This is an office. I believe you know the etiquette."
Trisha raised her hands in defeat. "Fine," she said quietly. "I understand. Look, Ryder , I'm sorry for ever having left you."
She placed a card on the table and muttered, "Call me sometime, please."
I didn't respond and watched her walk toward the door. She stopped and turned to me. "I'm not giving up on you, love," she said, tilting her head before walking out.
I sighed and laid my hands down on the desk, trying to control myself.
The door swung open before I could get my anger in check. Viktor walked in, and I ignored him.
"Was that Trisha ? Why's she here?"
"She was the rep for the Ocean City company," I responded curtly.
Viktor's eyes slitted, sharp and keen. "I don't think you should work with her."
"How about you mind your damn business."
"I'm just looking out for you," Viktor said.
"Says the man who murdered my father," I muttered, and our eyes met.