Page 35 of Claimed By my Frenemy

My breath catches as I push the door open and step inside. The room is filled with blueprints and plans, the centerpiece of which is the resort plan that he’s been so insistent on. And there, standing over a table, deep in conversation with another well-dressed man, is Theo.

Not moving, I stand in the doorway, feeling Theo’s eyes slowly move from the man he’s talking with to me. His eyes widen slightly as he sees me standing there, and I grip the door handle, searching for courage.

18

THEO

I’m standingover a table filled with blueprints and sketches of the resort, discussing final adjustments with my business partner, Steve. We’re deep in conversation about the latest layout changes when I hear footsteps approaching. I glance up, expecting one of the contractors. They always have questions to ask, and I’m the on-point person to answer all of them, no matter how dumb they might sound.

Instead, I see Mia. Her eyes are blazing with anger. She hesitates in the doorway and glances at Steve.

I clasp my hands in front of me and try to appear as calm, cool, and collected as possible, considering that she’s in my resort. She hasn’t seen it yet, and I want to take her on a tour. I want to show her the full beauty of it when it’s done.

But that doesn’t explain why she looks so furious.

“Mia, hi. How are you? I’m almost done talking with Steve, then we can?—”

But she cuts me off. “Can you explain why your contractors are dumping materials on my property?” she demands, her voice cutting through the room. There’s no mincing words. Mia is furious, and I actually have no idea how to answer her question.My contractors know where the property line is, and they’ve been respecting it. Until now, at least.

I step over toward the window, trying to get a picture of what’s going on.

Steve raises an eyebrow and looks at me. “This should be interesting,” he mutters under his breath.

“What?” Mia bursts out as I take in the scene from my window. “You don’t believe me? You think I’m just making things up now?”

“I didn’t say that. I just needed to see what was going on for myself.”

“The only reason you would want to see for yourself is because you think I’m making it up! I don’t have time to be over here talking to you when I should be working.” Mia snorts and shakes her head.

I try to maintain my calm demeanor as I snap the blinds shut and turn back to her. I can feel Steve’s presence over to the side. We’re partners, on equal footing in this business, but I can feel him wanting me to take the lead on this one.

“I apologize if it’s an inconvenience to you. The ground on our side isn’t level. They’re just trying to find a spot to unload. The materials will be there for a day tops. They’re being used so quickly that they don’t have time to sit anywhere and cause any damage.”

“I don’t care about your excuses, Theo!” she snaps. “You’re encroaching on my property and disrespecting my boundaries. This is unacceptable!”

I can feel my own frustration rising despite my best attempt at remaining calm. “We’re in the middle of a massive project here, Mia. Mistakes happen. I’ll talk to the contractors and get it sorted.”

“That’s not good enough. I want it dealt withnowbefore they finish unloading the rest of that truck. Not in a few hours oncemy grass has already been ruined. I’m tired of you thinking you can just do whatever you want.”

“Look, I understand you’re upset, but we’re neighbors. We need to find a way to work together.”

“Worktogether? You mean I should just shut up and let you do whatever the hell you want? That’s not going to happen. You’ve already flooded my yard. Now, you want me to stay silent while you kill the grass along the edge. Unlike you, who clearly doesnotcare about having grass or not because you’re building such huge buildings, I actually need grass. It’s supposed to be part of the aesthetic.” Now, Mia sounds more defeated than anything.

I take a step toward her, then remember Steve’s presence and keep a good distance between us. I keep my hands to myself, even though it only seems natural to wrap my hands around her waist and continue my assurances.

Steve steps in, holding up a hand to halt the escalating argument. “Alright, alright. Let’s calm down. This isn’t getting us anywhere. Theo, you’re right. We need to respect her property. Mia, we’re sorry for the inconvenience. Maybe there’s a way to find some common ground?”

Mia crosses her arms and glares at Steve, then back at me. “And you are?”

“I’m the other owner of this resort.”

“Why have I never seen you around before?”

Steve glances at me, and I can tell he’s not used to dealing with someone who has her combative nature. “I have other properties to handle. I don’t get my hands dirty like Theo does.”

Mia lifts an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything. After an awkward silence, Steve finally continues. “I think the best way to work this out would be…” Steve glances at me, and I can tell by the slight widening of his eyes that he hasnoidea what the best idea would be.

“I’m listening,” she says, though it’s clear she’s not entirely calm.

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