Page 63 of Begin Again, Part 1

But before Eden could even laugh at the ridiculousness of his question, he slammed the door behind him and crossed the room. Grunting under his breath, he placed a small silver case on her desk, "here, keep this with you."

Eden took a quick look inside, at the EpiPens, and arched her eyebrows. "I'm supposed to do what with these?"

"In case you fuck up again, you'll need them to save my life," he said, glaring at the flowers on her desk.

"I think you missed Clara's office. It's that way." Eden pushed the case back at him, boiling at his arrogance. "She'll need them since she's your assistant. And if this is meant to be an apology—"

She was going to say if it was meant to be an apology, his parents had failed to teach him well, but Liam dismissed her with a firm shake of his head.

"An apology would mean I did something wrong. And last I checked, you neglected your duties!"

Eden stared at him, unable to believe the nonsense spewing out of his mouth.

"Mr Anderson," she began, trying to keep a lid on her anger. "I didn't get a chance to read my emails. That was my mistake—"

Liam held up his hand. "Is there a point to this? It sounds like you're making excuses. And if there's one thing I hate, Ms McBride, it's excuses. They're right up there with incompetence!"

She bristled at his rant but managed to keep her anger in check as she replied in a quiet tone, "I've already apologised for messing up. But I won't tolerate you speaking down to me and humiliating me in front of everyone. What you did yesterday was uncalled for."

"Excuse me?"

The thunderous look on Liam's face would have been enough to shut her up on any other day. But not today, not when she was still recovering from the humiliation he'd put her through in front of his cousins and assistants.

"If you ever raise your voice or talk down to me again, I'm out! I can live on minimum wage, so I have nothing to lose. But you need me for whatever reason, and I chose to be here to help you work through whatever it is that you need to work through!"

"Ms McBride!" Liam bellowed, his hands balled into fists. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm the woman who won't take your bullshit," Eden said. "Keep pushing me, and I'm out of here, and no amount of money will make me come back."

"I am your boss! Watch your tone!"

"What did I ever see in you?" she asked. It was obvious everything she'd said to him so far had gone in one ear and out the other. He still thought he was right. "I must have been insane."

"The feeling is mutual, Ms McBride. You have no idea how I've regretted that night every day of my life for the past two years," Liam sneered. "But here you are, and one would think you are truly insane since you came back."

"Let me be crystal clear, Mr Anderson. That first interview…I didn't apply for a job at your company. My friend sent through my CV without my knowledge," Eden clarified. There should be no misunderstanding between them. "And I only came back because Gibby convinced me to. She told me you need my help."

"And once you've served your purpose, you'll be gone!"

With that, Liam stalked out of her office and slammed the door shut, rattling it on its hinges. He was back in a flash, pointing at her bouquets. "Get rid of those damn flowers. This is not a funeral home!"

He wasn't done because the door opened again, and he delivered another stern warning, "I don't pay you to fraternise. Tell your fans to stop coming up here. This is not a fish market!"

And he was gone again before Eden could even think up a comeback. For good this time.

"Argh!" she collapsed in her chair, her body shaking with anger. As furious as she was, she was grateful for their confrontation. It gave her the clarity she needed. Now more than ever, she was convinced she didn't want Liam in Aiden's life. Not when he'd made his hatred for her clear, and they were constantly butting heads. Co-parenting with him would be near impossible. Her son would remain her little secret.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

FIRST OFFICIAL ASSIGNMENT

Despite her thorny start at Anderson Logistics, Eden settled into her new role in Matthew's area with no issues. She'd worried she'd have a hard time getting used to a 9 to 5 job, but her new boss made her life easier.

Matthew was a dream. He never made ridiculous demands on her. Never screamed at her or lost his shit with her, even when she fudged crucial reports. He was also kind enough to let her finish work at 4:00 PM every day so she could rush home and be with her son.

Brenda was another gem. As her live-in nanny, she not only looked after Aiden but took care of the chores too. All Eden had to do when she got home was to spend time with her little boy or trudge through her home improvements. By the end of her first week in her new job, Eden had repainted the bathroom and toilet with the help of tons of DIY videos. The guys from the Bathroom Place had also installed her shiny new tub. She was yet to use it because there was always something to do in the evenings.

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