MASSILO P.O.V
The papers on my desk had been sitting there for days,untouched.The office felt heavy this morning; the faint hum of the air conditioner did little to drown out the quiet chaos in my mind.I loosened my tie,leaned back in my chair and stared blankly at the stack of documents.
The couch by the blue coffee table looked more inviting than ever.I hadn't rested properly in days,not since Briann started avoiding me.
Just then,the door burst open.
Xavier walked in,holding a stack of files and a ringing telephone that wouldn't stop screaming for attention.
"Mr Massilo" He began,slightly breathless. "It's Miss Zady.She's on the line"
I didn't lift my eyes from the papers. "I'm quite busy,Xavier.I can't take any calls right now"
"But sir,she-"
"I know" I exhaled slowly,the weight of irritation pressing behind my temples.
Of course Michelle had told her something.Again.
I picked up my phone and dialed Michelle's number,already bracing myself for whatever ridiculous stunt she had pulled this time.
Her voice came through,soft and sly like a whisper coated with amusement. "Massilo.What's the reason for calling me during work hours?"
I rubbed my forehead,my patience thinned. "Michelle,what have you told Miss Zady? You've done something foolish again,haven't you?"
There was a pause,then a light giggle. "I think you should get to know her.She seems perfect for you"
Perfect?
I let out a bitter laugh. "You don't understand,do you? I don't want anyone else.Briann-" I stopped myself,swallowing hard.
"She's a total knockout!" Michelle teased,ignoring the meaning behind my words.
I closed my eyes.For a moment,I saw Briann's face in my mind,her sleepy smile,the softness in her eyes when she forgot to hide it. "She's attractive,Michelle,but she'll never be Bri..."
Michelle's tone shifted to that of cold practicality before i could say more. "You might not want a partner,but you need one,Massilo.For Damel's sake.Miss Zady can bring everything we need,connections,sponsorship,expansion.Don't be foolish.Go for the blind date.It's already arranged"
"What?!" I straightened up instantly,but the line had already gone dead.
Silence.Sharp with empty silence.
I stared at my phone,the seconds dragging like heavy footsteps in my chest.It was as if the entire office was mocking me,the quiet air,the blinking cursor on my laptop and the untouched coffee growing cold beside me.
"Sir?" Xavier's cautious voice broke the moment. "Should I cancel your schedules for today? Though..." He hesitated,then added too cheerfully, "It might be better if you go for the blind date.Miss Zady seems perfect-"
My patience finally snapped. "Don't you have work to do,Xavier?"
He froze. "Yes,sir.Right away"
The door clicked shut,leaving me alone with my thoughts again.
I leaned back in my chair,letting my head fall against the headrest.For the first time in a long while,I felt utterly powerless.
How was I supposed to face Briann now,knowing Michelle had tied me to another woman's name,another expectation,another lie?
The office suddenly felt too quiet.And somewhere deep inside me,I knew...if Briann ever find out about this,it wouldn't just hurt her.It would destroy the fragile thing growing between us.
I rose slowly from my chair,the sound of it scraping against the floor cutting through the silence of the office.My heart felt heavier than the briefcase I carried.There was no way around it.I had to meet Miss Zady.
A great opportunity for Damel,they said.A necessary sacrifice,whispered the logical part of my mind.
But my chest ached at the thought.I hated how business always seemed to demand pieces of my soul in exchange for survival.
As I walked down the hallway,every staff member I passed bowed their heads with that same stiff respect,their voices murmuring quiet greetings.To them,I was the confident CEO who looked composed and untouchable.But if they looked closely enough,maybe they'd see the hesitation behind my eyes.
Maybe they'd see the man who would rather be anywhere else with Briann than walking toward another obligation dressed up as opportunity.
The corridor stretched endlessly until I finally reached the exit.The silver car was already parked out front,gleaming beneath the morning sun.My driver opened the door with a polite nod.
I stood there for a moment,my hand resting on the edge of the door,as the breeze brushed against my face.
What kind of person could Miss Zady be?
A businesswoman? A temptress? A savior for the company? Or just another stranger Michelle had thrown into my life to test my resolve?
I sighed and slipped into the car.
As soon as the door closed,the driver started the engine and the city began to blur past my window.
The road ahead felt uncertain,but one truth burned quietly inside me,no matter who Miss Zady was,she could never replace Briann.
Never.
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I checked my watch again.Seven minutes past the agreed time.The wine in my glass was untouched, condensation running down the side like it had more patience than i did.I wasn't expecting much but a blind date set up by Michelle who swore this woman was "a total knockout". I'd heard that before.
I leaned back in my seat,scanning the rooftop lounge.Soft jazz floated through the air,couples whispers,glowing candle light and the city lights sparkled just beyond the ferrce rails.Then the elevator chimed.
I glanced over out of habit and paused.She stepped out with the kind of presence that instantly made anyone forget what they were thinking.
Tall,confident,smooth and curves that demanded attention without trying.Her dress was a deep,blood-red silk,hugging her body with precision.Full breasts, small waist and wide hips.It wasn't subtle,but it wasn't cheap either.It was the kind of look that said she didn't ask for approval,she expected it.Her breasts sat high,full and proud like it had been the reason for the existence of womanhood.
The plunging neckline daring and delicate but never tacky.Her waist was impossibly thin and her long legs moved with effortless grace in stiletto heels that clicked like a countdown straight to my nerves.Her skin glowed in warm and golden under the lights.Hair like black satin flowed down her beach,and her makeup? Immaculate.Understated,expensive and devastatingly perfect.I tried to look away as the hostess led her towards me and she walked like she knew everyone was watching,but she didn't care.I blinked once then looked down at my wine again.
Okay.She was ...unexpected.As she neared,her scent hit first, warm, expensive with something custom made.Her jewelry sparkled,but it was tasteful.No overkill.Diamond studs with a quiet but dangerous emerald necklace. Her heels clicked across the marble floor like punctuation marks at the end of every step.
I relented as she approached the table.She gave a slow,confident Smile.
"You're early" Her voice was rich and smooth like she'd been raised in luxury and sharpened in rooms full of powerful people.
"I don't like being late" I replied simply,meeting her gaze.She sat with poised,crossing her long legs,her nails were perfectly done,her posture,straight and unbothered.I took a sip of wine, observing more than reacting.
Yeah,she was beautiful.Stunning even.And clearly used to being treated like some rare jewel.But there was no sparks for me,no butterflies or quiet awe.Just curiosity.A hint of surprise, maybe like walking into a room expecting a paper back and finding a rare first edition.Still, beauty was beauty.And I wasn't blind.But I wasn't moved either.
"So" She began,her lips curling slightly, "Am i what you expected?"
I looked at her calmly. "Not at all." She raised a brow,amused.She was probably used to people falling over themselves for her.But I wasn't here for that.And she wasn't here to impress me.
For a brief moment,her smile faltered. She wasn't used to indifference. Not in places like this.Not for men like me.She leaned back slightly in her seat,her eyes narrowing,not with offense,but intrigue.Her fingers traced the stem of her wine glass with slow elegance like she was stalling for time,recalibrating.
"No compliments?" She asked,her tone laced with teasing but sharpened by something else. "No wide eyes,no stunned silence? That's usually how these things go" I raised a brow,stopping the wine
"You walked in like a red carpet premier.I figured you've had enough of that for one day" That made her chuckle,low and smooth.But beneath it,i could see she was assessing me now.Not with flirtation,but strategy.Like she was trying to figure out how to shift the attention back in her favor.
"You're not impressed" She asked,tilting her head slightly,her long dark hair falling over one shoulder like a curtain of silk.
"I'm not blind" I said. "You're amusing.But i came here for a conversation,not a performance"
Silence settled between us for a second,calm but heavy.She stared at me and I could see the surprise behind her still smile.Not offended.Not annoyed. Just...curious.Maybe even intrigued for the first time.
"Well then" She said,leaning forward now,her voice lowered and steadied. "Let's have a conversation.Strip away the show.Ask me something real" I looked at her,considering.She was still poised,still polished,but her armor had shifted.The usual dance of seduction and dominance wasn't working.And I wasn't playing the part she expected.
"Alright" I said,setting down my glass.
"What's one thing you don't let people see about you?" That question hit her like a quiet slap.She blinked once and then gave a small shrug.Her hand was still on the lone glass.
"Um" She murmured as if she wasn't expecting such blunt question,much less unveiled.Now she was the one caught off guard.And for the first time,I saw something shift,an edge softening,a crack showing just slightly at the comers.Maybe this meeting wouldn't be about falling in love.Maybe it would be about unmasking.
She looked away for a moment,out over the edge of the rooftop.The city flowed beneath them but for once,she wasn't basking in the lights.She was thinking, really thinking.But I didn't rush her.I just waited.Her eyes turned back with a small,wry smile on her lips which was less polished now.
"People usually ask about my clothes,my car,my vacations...not what I'm hiding" She paused again,tapping her nails lightly against the glass. "One thing I don't let people see" She repeated quietly. "I guess it's that...I'm tired"
"Tired of the assumptions.Tired of the gloss.Tired of being reduced to...this" She gestured casually to her body,the curves,the jewels,the flawless face. "As if I'm a walking trophy or a prize to win. As if none of this was built, just handed to me.As if I don't get to get anything more" Her voice was still smooth but it was different now.
There was weight behind it.Not performance,truth.
"I worked hard" She continued. "Harder than most people realize.I run four businesses.I've out negotiated with men twice my age in boardrooms who stared at my chest more than my charts.But no one remembers the deals I chose.They just remember the dress I wore when I walked in" She leaned back again,letting out a slow breathy sigh as if saying it out loud cost her something.
Then she met my eyes. "You want honesty? That's it.That's the thing I don't let people see.I'm exhausted from always having to prove there's a brain under all this"
For a moment,neither of us said anything.The jazz,the laughter from other tables,the clinking glasses,none of it mattered.The tension had shifted again,but this time it wasn't built on conflict.It was something quieter.Deeper.
"And for what it's worth,I noticed" She raised a brow. "Noticed what?"
"That your dress is expensive" I said,but my tone sounded dry. "But your eyes are tired" She stared at me for a second, surprised again.Then finally she smiled softly.And in that quiet second,something subtle clicked between us,not desire,not romance,but respect.
She held my gaze for a moment longer,the soft smile still lingering,then tilted her head slightly,her tone now lighter,but not dismissive. "Alright?" She said,smirking her wine gently.
"I figured"
I raised an eyebrow.She smirked. "You don't flinch.You don't flirt.You don't stare and you're clearly not trying to impress me" She leaned in,just a little,resting her chin on her knuckles. "So what's your thing? What don't people see when they look at you?" The question landed differently than I expected.She wasn't mocking me.She was genuinely asking.Curious, not mocking.A lot as the woman who owned the room but as the woman trying to make sense of someone who didn't dance to her rhythm.
I thought for a second,my fingers tapping against the table.I could give her something safe.But somehow,that felt like cheating. "They don't see how much I've already walked away from" I said finally.That made her blink,just slightly.I continued,my voice was calm but honest.
"I have had offers,money,titles,connections.Things that looked shinny on the outside.But I turned them down.Not because I'm not able or anything.I just know what it feels like to lose yourself trying to be what everyone else wants you to be"
She didn't speak.She just listened.
"I used to be one of those people who thought success had to look a certain way.Flashy, loud, expensive.But that's not me.I like simple.Quiet.Clean.I've had the noise.I've had the attention.It didn't feel like success.It felt like a performance"
She looked at me differently now like she hadn't expected me to be quite so transparent. "So now" I added, "I just keep things honest.Doesn't make me the most exciting person in the room.But at least I know I can look myself in the mirror"
She studied me with her expression unreadable.For once,it was she who seemed to be trying to figure out me. "You're right" She said after a quiet minute of silence.
"You're not trying to impress me" I gave a half smile. "That's not the same as being unimpressed by you"
She laughed so genuine,this time.It slipped out of her like something she hadn't meant to show and she covered her mouth for a second like she wasn't used to laughing that with strangers.
"I'm not sure what this is turning into" She said,leaning back.
"Neither am I" I replied,finishing my wine. "But it beats small talk"
She lifted her glass,gently toasting the air between us. "To conversations that don't feel like interviews"
I clinked my glass softly against hers. "And dates that don't go how either of us expected"