Chapter 22

Jace:

I'd finished my chicken club and drink when a knock rang on my door. I allowed the person in and found it to be Selene with a file in her fingers. Her head was bowed and kept her eyes to her moving feet. I sat up straight and fixed my tie. I realized I'd started doing that a lot in her presence.

It had been almost three months since Selene had started working for me and she was always quiet. She enjoyed the meetings I held and had a distaste for Candice. So, imagine where I spent most of my free time.

She was dressed in a tight maroon pencil skirt that came to her knees, paired with a black sleeveless blouse. She looked beautiful with loosely pinned back hair while her front locks, draped against her cheeks. She'd started coming in shorter heels and I was glad she changed that difficulty for her.

"Ms. Baldwin asked me to give this to you." She spoke sadly. That was odd. Her fierceness was gone. Was she giving up already? I hadn't even done anything yet.

I remembered that the second day, I made her mop my office and that wasnt even her job. She did it anyway without a fight. The next day, I kept her at the office till nine at night, basically for twelve hours. All I made her do was rearrange my shelf. It was a big shelf. I kept an eye on her through the camera in my office. The following days, I spent fake flirting with Candice to break her more but Selene barely showed any interest in that.

For the weekends, I'd call her in for the most minor things and it was confusing as to why she wouldn't refuse and ask for her right of holiday. During all this time, I made her bring me snacks and coffee from the cafeteria practically everyday, as well as for Candice.

This one time she walked into my office without permission and I was shirtless at the time. I'd spilled some coffee on my white shirt so I was looking in the office bathroom for a spare. She'd eyed me for a bit before picking a black shirt for me. She did that, without me asking and the way she offered it, made her seem like she was my servant, rather than a professional assistance.

It made me wonder if I was at all professional with her.

But I didnt care after a while. The more she suffered, the more she would've known my pain.

Aaron Blane was never heard off through Selene. After having my doubts regarding their relationship, I'd hired a private investigator to find out about her whereabouts after work but all he would report is her meeting up with her roommate Angelika and then sometimes Sean. That surprised me but I was no one to suggest Sean on how to treat his best friend.

In the months that I'd been by her side, Selene was obedient. She didnt fight, she didnt bug me, heck she didnt even complain about any misdeeds. She just took what was given to her. Sometimes, I felt remorse but my anger was enough to push any feelings aside.

Recently, in the past week, she started showing up earlier than asked and would be crouched on the floor, typing away in her laptop. I heard Candice asking her once as to what she was doing.

"I have online classes this semester. So I'm just finishing up some work for that." Was all she answered.

I was impressed by her determination. I was an asshole to her but she was fixated on her job. I did wonder if it was for my benefit but then I remembered that she was only doing it because of her professor's recommendation.

I was bored now. I wanted some reaction from her. Some writhing, anger, frustration, attitude. Anything. I wanted Selene to show me how working for me affected her.

But... so far nothing.

"Can I go for my break?" She asked simply blinking a couple times and taking my attention to her completely.

"Sure." I said that so politely that my heart turned to pudding. Why was I being so kind to h-

She held her forehead, turning around and walking away. That didnt look good. I jumped from my seat, and held her shoulders. She wasnt about to fall or anything but I was scared she would.

"What's going on?" I held her back to my chest.

"Uh, um, headache." She rubbed her temple. I helped her sit on the chair and reached out for my glass of water. She took it in her little fingers.

"Sit still." I sighed, walking around to my shelves and bending into a bottom drawer. From the large box of medicine, I pulled out a tylenol and ran back to her.

"Here." I gave it to her and she thanked me before swallowing it in, in one sip. I sat on my knees beside her and waited for a clearer response.

"I'm okay. Thank you." She breathed.

"You sure? Do you need something specific? Some medication?" I was panicking. I had no control over my tongue. She held my face and I calmed down.

After a moment of enjoying her touch on my cheek, I realized what was happening. I jumped to my feet and clenched my jaw. She seemed surprised but irritation seeped into me at my giving in to her.

"Its four. You can go home." I gulped loudly, turning away. She didnt say anything and before I could wonder of her voice, a clicking sound hit my ears and I sagged in defeat. She didnt even care to control the situation.

"I had to go, Jace." She sighed. I swiveled to find her standing near a closed door.

"Excuse me?" I pretended to not understand anything.

"I had to leave you. If I hadn't... you would've been so kind that you would've never left my side and today... today you wouldnt be fulfilling your dreams." She walked closer. Her lips wobbled as she finished her words. I held any emotions inside of me.

"That wasnt your decision to make." I accused.

"It was. I couldnt have you resenting me."

"I already do." I breathed.

"I know, but atleast you have your dream life, right in front of you. At that point, you wouldnt have had anything. Your life would've started meaning nothing to you and I couldn't wait years to recover only to watch you crumble." She cried.

"So, what? Huh? I would've been still studying? Probably graduating with you? I would've been happier. I wouldnt have felt deceit. I wouldnt have felt the urge to destroy you every second of my life!" I lashed out. I wasnt a loser kind of a man. Even if taken away the chances of a better day, I could have faith and would build myself a better way to life. But it seemed that Selene didnt hold the same faith in me.

"I didnt want to hurt you, Jace. I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me from being alongside my partner? I loved you, Selene. I loved being with you. Taking care of you felt like the strongest thing I could do. I'd started seeing a better person in myself. But then you took it all away. And here I thought I was wrong for not holding your hand in your last moments. How pathetic is that?" My jaw was hurting now.

"Jace-"

"No, shut up!" I yelled. I was glad my office had sound proof walls.

She flinched.

"I'm sorry." She pulled out as tears met hiccups from her throat.

"You should be." I spat in distaste.

"Fire me." She begged.

"Done with the job already? I thought you had more potential in you." I crossed my arms, across my chest. I had to keep a strong posture to keep my status strong in front of her.

"Jace, I-" she stopped abruptly and my eyes drifted from the window to her. She was crying in her palms.

"I read your records, thought you were in the force. Whatever happened to the strength in you." I could barely muster words that would hurt her. It felt like I was choking myself.

"I wanted to die." She whispered. I felt my body turning numb at her words, "That's why I joined. Because I wanted to die." She whispered before wiping her face clean and walking up to me. Her little fingers, fixed my tie to the collar and I froze just staring at her little body.

"I love you, Jace." She whimpered before tapping my chest and leaving my office.

Sean :

You'd think that one day you would have your life figured out. Better things might occur your way and you might learn better ways to succumb your pain. But no. You learn to get used to hurting until you don't even see it bruising every inch of your body. That was how it felt when I picked Selene from the office for a drive to her home. No moment passed when a tear didnt slide from her eyes. She was a mess. She'd only been working for Jace for three months and here she was in despair and agony.

"That bad of a day?" I asked, driving in a heavy traffic.

"I told him I loved him." She whispered and I felt her pain. She was broken and sad, again.

"Selene, you cant expect him to forgive so fast. Can you?" I tried reasoning.

"No, I just... I dont want to work with him anymore. I want to go away." She looked at the streets, sniffling.

"You are not going away." I ordered and she looked back at me, "You are never leaving us, your family, again."

"Actually, I am." She gulped and I smacked the steering wheel, causing a loud horn to honk in the air around us.

"Sean, I'm going to my parents for the week. Its Thanksgiving." She placed her hand gently on stiffened arm and I snapped my head to her. She was right. Never was almost ending. How did I not realize that.

Because you've been too occupied by her. My mind couldnt stop thinking about Naomi. The woman who held so much of my life, more than I could admit and at the same time was taking it away from too.

"You okay?" Selene squeezed my arm.

"Uh, um, yeah." I nodded, "Is it Caroline?" She asked about my sister.

"Its complicated." I smiled and she respected my privacy. When everything was sorted and figured out, I'd tell her everything.

"So, when do you leave?" I changed the topic for the sake of both of us.

"Tomorrow. I gave my leave notice to Candice two weeks ago. She said she'd run it by Jace." She breathed deep and I nodded.

"Okay. Good. Say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Arly for me. I havent visited since you showed up here." I chuckled and she smiled at me.

"About that P.I you asked me to find out about. The one that you said Jace put after you..." I started and she nodded, "... I checked. He's legitimate."

She cleaned her last tear. We both paused for a minute before bursting into a fit of laughter. Jace had put a private investigator after Selene, not knowing that she was well aware that she was being watched. She asked me to find out about the guy and well, he was a well paid man. So much for being private.

"Jace is good but you still know him well." I laughed. She tightened her coat around her and smiled big. I felt bad for the broken bonds between the two but I knew they were meant to be. No way they could find a way back to each other after years for zero purpose.

Jace:

I was still in shock of what she'd said.

I love you.

It kept repeating itself in my head.

I love you, Jace.

The way she'd said it was the same way she said it to me for the first time ever in our little lifetime. Holding me close, making sure that I could see only her and hear her voice as she spoke them out. I was glued to my spot and unable to process anymore. Those words... they were ringing like bells in my head.

"Sir?" There was another knock on the door and suddenly I wished it was her.

It was disappointing to see a smiling Candice walk in with her extra cleavage short black dress. What was she, coming to office or a club?

I ignored.

"Yeah." I stood to my spot and placed my hands on my waist. She forwarded a paper to me.

It was a time off request, placed by Selene. I read it through and it was dated to a hand in two weeks ago. I glared at Candice and she bit her lip.

"She took a week off for Thanksgiving." Candice spoke with fear evident in her voice.

"And you didn't find it important to ask me before approving of it?" I threw the paper across the room. She cowered.

"You can go." I ordered and she jumped on her heels, pattering out of the room.

I grunted in agitation thinking of what to do, before deciding to call Sean.

Selene wasnt running away this time.