Page 35 of Heartless

I shove back from my chair and rest my elbows on my knees. Dragging my fingers through my hair, I close my eyes and breathe deeply several times to calm myself.

How the hell do I run a billion-dollar company, manage thousands of employees, procure multi-million-dollar contracts, and can’t handle my own wife?

She won’t let me touch her, and she refuses to converse with me. Meadow has shut me out. As much as I want to run to her family for help, I know that isn’t an option, and it angers me. The fact that when we need them most, they aren’t here is a thorn in my side. And why? Because they look down on our wealth.

I stand and walk to the corner of my office and grab the putter. I line it up with the ball and try to focus. My concentration is shot, and I miss the hole. Throwing the putter at the bookshelf on the other side of the office, I growl and punch my fist in the air.

Before I meet with Michelle Watson, I need to regain control.

“Your lunch has been ordered, Mr. Maxwell, and your next appointment is scheduled to arrive in forty minutes,” Alicia, my executive admin, says when I step out of my office.

“Thanks, Alicia. I’ll be back on time,” I promise, heading for the elevators.

All I need is a little walk, and I’ll be as right as rain in no time.

***

“Mr. Maxwell, your one o’clock has arrived,” Alicia announces at ten minutes ‘til one.

“Send her in,” I say.

I didn’t start another task when I returned to the office five minutes ago because I knew that it would be pointless. To take another call, open another email, or place my attention on another contract would further agitate me when I would have to shut it down no sooner than I started.

The door opens, and a full-figured, beautiful, brown-skinned woman in a burgundy fitted skirt suit steps inside. Thick, fluffy curls frame her face and shoulders and puckered lips the color of her suit form an “O.”

“Sharla?”

“Nyx.”

A derisive chuckle drops from my lips as I turn my head sideways and then shake it.

“Sharla Michelle Watson. I didn’t make the connection.”

Laughing, she says, “When I accepted the role, I knew that you were the CEO. I just didn’t know until two days ago that I would be having lunch with you or interacting with you at all.”

“And yet, you still came.”

“I still came,” she says, nodding slowly. “I didn’t know how to reach you to give you a heads-up.”

“Why are you really here?”

“For the job. That’s all.”

“And you think that I’m interested in having you on board?”

“I was hoping that we could keep it professional and aboveboard. No mudslinging or personal issues.”

I scoff, shaking my head. “I wouldn’t do that because that’s not the kind of man that I am. But I also don’t think that I’m interested in working with you.”

“You don’t have to work with me, Onyx. I’m here to do a job, and from my understanding, I’ll be working with Neha and a few other execs and managers not with you.”

I blow out a long breath.

“I don’t need this shit today,” I say, turning my back on her.

“Look, I could pretend like I don’t know why you have an attitude with me. I could also pretend that you do know why I have an attitude with you but I’m sure that you haven’t been told the truth about what really happened between us.”

“The truth?”

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