Page 33 of Stuck with Mr. Grump

She pauses, looking into my eyes. I bear her scrutiny for a couple of seconds before she shrugs with a small smirk. Then she slowly rises to her feet.

“Deny it all you want, Emilia. But I can’t wait to see how all this plays out,” she says on a short laugh.

That sounds ominous. I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at her as she walks into her bedroom, her laughter not subsiding.

Ugh. Damn you, Sterling Harrington.

CHAPTER 10

Sterling

Iturn off the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around myself before grabbing another one to dry my hair as I walk out of the bathroom. I pass my beside table and my gaze snags on my phone, which I haven’t checked since last night.

With a small sigh, I grab it to look through the messages, seeing that I have a voicemail from my father. I play it and place the phone back on the table before heading into my closet to get dressed.

“Hey, son. How’s it going? How are things in Edenton?” are the first questions he asks. “Listen, Ster, I know we’re supposed to be back home by now, but your mother’s really ill and she needs me to stay here to take care of her. I can’t imagine how hectic things are for you back there. I hope you’re okay. Say hi to Sean for me, alright? And I promise we’ll be home as soon as possible. Bye, kid.”

The voicemail ends and an amused smirk crosses my lips.

“It’s fine, Dad. You and mother can stay there for as long as you want,” I say into the quiet space.

Frankly, I’m done letting this dominate my thoughts. I’m done thinking about it, about who I am, who I could have been,and all that shit. Those aren’t questions I should be asking myself as a twenty-eight-year-old. I have a life, I have a son—that should be all that matters.

After getting dressed for work, I open the drawer that houses all my watches, pulling out a gold one. I’m suddenly reminded of the feisty woman I saw last night and the secrets we shared. I’m not sure why I opened up to her; I never open up to anyone. She wasn’t overly comforting or anything, but even her presence had a calming effect that I appreciated after the storm I went through last night.

After I’m done getting dressed, I head to Sean’s bedroom to wake him up. I try to do that every morning because he gets grumpy when someone other than me or his mom are the first people he sees when his eyes open.

“Hey Dad,” he says, rubbing his eyes as he sits up on the bed.

I run a hand through his dark hair. “Hey, bud. Time to get up. Your nanny will come in here soon.”

He nods, yawning softly. “Have a good day at work.”

“Thanks, Sean.”

After ensuring he’s out of bed, I head downstairs. My breakfast consists of a smoothie and two pieces of toast and then I’m out of the house. I opt to drive myself to work today, hoping it’ll distract me from my thoughts a little. It’s getting pathetic, really. I’m not this person.

Her soft melodic voice fills my head then:Don’t be a tin man, Sterling Harrington.

And I really need to stop thinking about Emilia Cameron. As soon as I arrive at the office, I convene a meeting with the heads of department involved in acquisitions. I take a seat at the head of the polished mahogany table just as they all walk into the room, taking their seats.

Lisa Briggs sits to my right, her tablet poised for note taking. Opposite her is Mark Slade, our director of development, who’sflipping through a stack of blueprints. Next to him, Susan from legal adjusts her glasses, and there’s also the man from finance whose name I can never seem to remember. He’s sipping his coffee, eyes alert.

“Good morning, everyone,” I begin. “Let’s dive straight into the agenda, shall we? We’re here to discuss the feasibility of relocating our upcoming development to an alternative site.”

I’ve been thinking about it since my conversation with Emilia last night. Knowing her personality, this is probably just going to keep dragging on and on, and I’m not sure I or the company are prepared to bear the cost of that. Plus, I’m running out of ideas on how to convince her.

Lisa’s brows furrow slightly but she remains silent. Meanwhile, Slade leans forward, curiosity evident.

“Sir,” he starts, “are there specific concerns about the current property?”

“Yes. We’ve encountered resistance from one of the tenants and it’s causing delays. I want us to evaluate if pursing this location is still in our best interest.”

Lisa clears her throat, drawing attention. “I understand the challenges, but this lot is strategically positioned, Mr. Harrington. Its proximity to the central business district and existing infrastructure makes it ideal. Pursuing another location would mean settling for a less optimal site and potentially higher costs.”

Susan nods in agreement. “From a legal standpoint, shifting locations would require renegotiating permits and possibly facing new zoning issues. It could set us back months.”

My jaw ticks. The finance guy chimes in as well.

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