Florence's POV

“We both have proof,” I whispered in disbelief. My head was spinning in circles and I couldn't help but clutch it to steady myself.

Anthony nodded slowly, but his gaze didn’t waver. “So… which one is real?”

The air between us felt like glass, thin and fragile, ready to shatter with any wrong move we make. My pulse roared in my ears, and the edges of my vision buzzed, was I going insane.

“You’re lying,” I said, my voice shaking more from disbelief than anger. I refused to believe his words and play into his game. If he really was telling the truth then what sort of sick game was fate trying to play against me. “You’re trying to confuse me. Twist my head around until I can’t tell what’s real anymore.”

His jaw tightened. “Miss Davidson..”

“No!” I slammed my palm on the desk in frustration. “You think I’m stupid? You think I’ll just believe some neatly typed death certificate because you put it in front of me? My brother is alive and well, he has been unlawfully locked up in a country that we don't know and can't access. I have spent five years living with that truth, keeping my mother and my entire heart alive with that truth. Don’t stand there and tell me I imagined it all. He isn't dead.”

Anthony’s voice stayed maddeningly calm and indifferent . He eyes were steady and looked like this matter didn't shake him. Like it was so insignificant and it made my blood boil. “I don’t have the time or the interest to hide your brother, Florence. I run a multinational corporation. I don’t orchestrate personal vendettas against people I’ve never met before.”

I let out a bitter laugh that scraped my throat raw. “Of course you do. You wanted our company, you wanted the prestige. All you had to do was destroy us to get it. And you decided to target my brother who was the heart of the company. Once you did that everything else fell into place for you."

His eyes hardened to steel. “If I wanted your company for myself, I could have taken it without pretense. But that’s not what happened.”

“Liar.” I spat wanting to strangle him and see his indifferent expression change. Make him feel panic and fear, the same ones I felt and I still feel even after all these years.

Anthony’s movements were sharp and deliberate as he rose from behind the desk, crossed the room, and went to the far wall. He pressed his thumb to a small, black square I hadn’t noticed before. A quiet click echoed, and part of the wood panel slid open, revealing a narrow safe.

He keyed in a code, turned the handle, and pulled out a thick, cream-colored folder. He set it on the desk and opened it, flipping through until he stopped at a single sheet.

“This,” he said, sliding it toward me, “is from my files. I kept it because I don’t throw away originals when the deal involves corporate acquisition. It is usually Incase of certain situations but I am glad I did so."

I glanced down. The document was printed in clean black ink.

"What is this?" I shifted away from the file.

"You have said your truth haven't you? And so I am showing you mine. The proof of my innocence against your structured bias against me."

"It's not bias it's the truth."

"Your truth is highly flawed and you will know it when you look at the file." His voice hardened and he pushed the file closer.

I gulped and picked up the file opening it. It was a printed email.

From: Gabriel Davidson

To: acquisitions@stlouiscorp.com

Subject: Urgent – Buyout Proposal

My heart stopped with seconds.

I scanned the first few lines a thousand times, the words tilting and blurring as if my eyes refused to accept them:

\ I am reaching out on behalf of Davidson & Co. with an urgent request for purchase of the remaining company shares. Given the financial strain and ongoing debt crisis, I believe it is in everyone’s interest to proceed quickly with the acquisition to salvage what is left. Please I will expect your positive response as I am badly in need at the moment.\

There was a signature at the bottom. Gabriel’s. His name, his style, the same little upward flick on the G that only he wrote.

“No,” I breathed, shaking my head dropping the file back on the table like it had physically burned me. “This isn’t right. This isn’t true at all. My brother would never do this.”

“It came directly to us,” Anthony said, watching me closely. “Your brother contacted my company first. He wanted us to buy the shares before the auction.”

"But you didn't. Your company came that day and won the highest bid. If he really came to you before then why didn't you take his offer immediately, why wait until you had a load of competitors." I probed, feeling his explanation weak.

"I do not understand what your understanding of business is but I do not venture into anything that comes easily " Easy means cheap and cheap means low quality. Your brother is not the first person to throw his company at me and he would not be the last. I would research and inquire and plan before I acquire a company just in case the company will bare me loss instead of profit."

I dragged my fingers over the paper as if touching it would make the truth seep into my skin. My stomach twisted. “He was trying to save the company,” I whispered, my throat tightening. “Not sell it. He...he went up and down the city for weeks, meeting investors, calling in favors. I watched him. When he found out it was being auctioned, he almost lost his mind. He was furious to the point we were scared he would do something horrible to himself or someone else. He said he’d never give it to the St. Louis family, not after what your company done to Dad’s deals in the past. You guys are practically our rivals so why would he come to you."

“Then explain this,” Anthony said. His tone wasn’t mocking or smug, it was… genuinely questioning. "Explain the multiple evidence I has that your brother came to me first."

I couldn’t defend him. I couldn't understand what was going on. It was like my entire world had crumpled once again.

I stared at the letter, at the timestamp that placed it barely a month before our downfall. It didn’t fit. Nothing fit anymore.

My head felt like it was splitting in two one part clinging to the version of events I had built my revenge on, the other part being yanked toward something darker, stranger, and far more complicated.

For the first time since I’d walked into this office months ago, I wasn’t sure who the villain was.

Anthony leaned on the desk, his hands braced on either side of the folder. “You see the problem now, don’t you?”

I met his gaze, and it was like staring into a mirror that reflected my own confusion. “I see… that everything I thought I knew is starting to crumble.”

Anthony straighten up and walked closer to me. "And now that you understand what I said you need to leave."

"No!" I refused immediately, looking at him square I the eye. "I am not going anywhere until this matter is resolved. My brother is alive and yet you say his dead."

"The only reason I was able to acquire the company is because your brother was dead and has willingly given up his rights and all the shares to be auctioned. I had an upper hand due to the email. Nothing big or elaborate."

"It's like you are not understanding what is happening." I practically screamed at him. "All this information is not true, we both have two different versions of the story but the problem is still the same. You took away our company."

"I legally bought it."

"That's what you think but you didn't. I don't know who sent you all those messages but sure as hell it was not my brother." I insisted.

Anthony stared at me long and hard for twenty good seconds before letting out a frustrated sigh. "Miss Davidson, I do not have time for this, I have a meeting by 12pm, something I'm sure you already know of as you were the one handling my schedule."

"Are." I corrected.

"Excuse me?"

"I am still the one handling your schedule."

"I sent you a termination letter."

"And I refuse to acknowledge it."

"On what grounds are you doing this."

"On the grounds of unlawful termination of contract with no reason."

"Sexual and physical assault is a pretty good reason."

"Yes but then I'll expose all these complexities to the world."

"It won't affect me much."

"That's what you say now but from what I have gathered about you, you hate media drama no matter how powerful enough you are to sway it."

Anthony looked at me like I was the bane of his existence but I didn't care. I had a mission to fulfill and that was getting my brother back home.

"Stop staring at me sir, you have a meeting by 12pm and another with the Chinese ambassadors by 1:30pm. Let's get to it." I said before walking to my office door.

There was nowhere in hell that I would willing leave this place. He would have to drag me out, while I tore his eardrums with my screams. Besides I doubt he is the type of man to get his hands dirty like that.

Florence’s POV

Remember when I said Anthony wouldn't do anything to me because he would want to get his hands dirty, I forgot that he had a boat load of people to do it for him.

I couldn't help but smirk to myself as I saw Anthony’s hand hovered near the desk phone. Of course. The great Anthony St Louis wouldn’t soil his pristine hands by personally dragging me out. No, he’d call someone else to do it for him. His very expendable minions. Men like him never did their own dirty work.

“Godswill,” he said into the receiver, his tone flat, seemingly almost bored, at me. The nerve of this rich ass spoilt....

I crossed my arms. “Really?"

He didn't answer me, just continued tapping instructions on the touchscreen receiver.

"You are going to get someone to throw me out? You can't do it yourself or is that how pathetic you really are?"

He didn’t bother answering, just gave me one of those unreadable glares. The kind that made employees scatter like pigeons. Too bad for him, I wasn’t a damn pigeon. I'm human.

The door opened and stepped in Goodwill, Anthony’s loyal bulldog. He was an intimidating guy. 6'8 with large muscles coupled with his height it made him look like a hulk. If it was anyone else they would have been quaking in their boots but not me. Godswill was like a large bulldog who was as sweet as sugar. He was generally intimidating but a very sweet soul.

“Miss Florence,” Godswill began carefully, looking at Anthony's stern face and looking back at mine with a very obvious conflict in his eyes “the boss has asked you to...”

“I’m not leaving,” I cut in, planting my heels firmly into the marble floor. "Tell your boss that I am not going anywhere."

Godswill stopped in his tracks and looked back at Anthony. Anthony was busy glaring at me until he caught sight of his most trusted man standing in the middle of the room looking like a kicked puppy.

"Why are you just standing there? Get her out of here." He instructed.

"But she said she doesn't want to leave." Godswill said innocently. The blank look on Godswill's face combined with Anthony's exasperated expression was so comical that I wasn't able to hold back the burst of laughter that came out of me.

Anthony just tossed me a chilling glare that shut me up instantly. He then sighed and walked towards Godswill, looking up and the figure that easily towered him.

"What do you mean by that? I said she should leave and she's refusing, who is in charge of this company."

"You sir."

"Who pays your salary."

"You sir." Godswill said happily grinning like a happy dog.

"And so who are you meant to listen to."

"Your wife sir."

Pfft!!

I couldn't help it, it was out of my control. I sealed my lips with my hands but it wasn't doing anything. My entire body shook as I racked with laughter. What in the world was this? Was this how the incredible St Louis and his intimidating bodyguard operated? Like a large dog and his owner.

Anthony just stalked towards me. He grabbed me before I could even think and hurled me out of his office.

"Hey what was that for." I grumbled out but he paid no heed to my words. He grabbed my arms and dragged me towards the elevator side.

“ Don’t you dare lay a hand on me.” I pushed him away from me.

Anthony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like I was the world’s biggest migraine. “You’re wasting my time.amd energy, just go.”

“And you’re wasting your life pretending you’re not the villain in this story,” I shot back. "I am not leaving, how many times do I have to say it."

Something flickered in his eyes—annoyed, amusement, I couldn’t tell. He stepped forward, clearly intending to escort me out. That was when instinct took over and I did the most absurd thing. I grabbed his sleeve and yanked him towards me with as much force as possible.

It happened so fast. One second we were glaring at each other so hard I was sure one of us would combust into flames, the next we stumbled backward, and the elevator behind us dinged open as if mocking me. My hand slipped on his arm, he tried to steady himself, and somehow we both tumbled inside and I landed on him.

We went motionless for a while, trying to get our sense. But then the doors slid shut with a smug little ding. Now that brought us back.

“Let go,” he said sharply pushing me off him as he stood up.

“No!” I tightened my grip on his collar, standing up along with him. “If you throw me out, I’ll drag you down with me!”

“Are you insane?”

“Possibly!”

We both lunged for the button panel at the same time, and in the chaos the elevator shuddered. Then it froze between floors with a groan.

I blinked at the still numbers above the door. “Oh. Perfect. Just absolutely perfect. You have trapped us."

"I trapped us? You were the one clinging to me like a fucking leach."

"Um... Mr St Louis?"

"A leach?"I shrieked back. "How dare you call me that, have you looked at yourself in the mirror."

"Miss Davidson there is...."

"I don't care how I look, at least I wake up everyday knowing that I am not insane."

"Ha says a person who works night and day without rest and treats others like objects. You aren't insane, you are just not human."

"Umm..hello."

"WHAT?!!"

"WHAT?!!" Anthony and I screamed at the same time.

There was an uncomfortable silence for some seconds, then static crackled overhead, and a voice from the intercom stammered nervously, “Uh… Mr. St Louis? Miss Davidson. Please don't panic, sir, we’ll get you out in a moment.”

“Don’t panic?” I echoed, throwing my arms wide. “Do I look panicked to you?”

“Yes,” Anthony muttered. "And feral as well."

I glared at him. “This is your fault.”

“My fault?” His brow arched. “You dragged me into an elevator.”

“You dragged yourself! This happened because you wanted to fire me.”

"No this happened because you did a lousy job of keeping your revenge plan a secret."

We bickered like children while the intercom stayed awkwardly silent. I almost laughed at the absurdity, almost.

"Look I don't care about anything you do, just leave and don't come back. I love my life free of complications and you are a bunch of strange things that I cannot understand or even bother to try and explore."