chapter eleven

Dermot's pov

I have been steady at work after the dinner with Carter, I was starting to enjoy working here and making the numbers rise.

It was a brand new day and I was already early to work, I didn't get to finish the work I had yesterday so I moved it to today, I will finish it before others come in. I settled down to go through it again, it was a little complicated but there was nothing I couldn't handle.

I couldn't help but think about Carter, he has not said two words to me past Good morning, I feel like we are back to being strangers after the dinner. I hated it.

It felt like we were more like roommates, and it was beginning to bother me, I didn't want to live like that with him.

I focused on the work I was trying to do which was hard because my stupid brain refused to listen to me, I channeled all my energy into finishing the review and decided to close my eyes for a while before it was official work time.

It wasn't up to an hour when people started dropping in, I wasn't that close to my assistant so I didn't want to force it, she spoke to me when there was a need and I responded in the same manner, there was no need to force a bond that isn't there. She handed me the file I needed for today and a greeting that I responded to.

I sighed to myself, I didn't know anyone here and it looks like a lot was going on that I didn't know about and it was killing me. A lot of inside jokes that make me look clueless and gossip that should make you laugh, I was missing all of that. I shook the thoughts out of my head, going back to the report I was handling.

Just then, someone rushed to my assistant whispering something into her ear, she looks up in surprise, I was intrigued but I tried not to show it. It was kind of sad that I didn't have any friends here to tell me things or have lunch with me.

I watched them talk their hearts out, my assistant so wrapped up in the news she was hearing, I wondered what that was all about. I tried to get some work done but in my heart, I know I wanted to join them in the girl gossip and know what was going on around her.

I waited till the other girl was gone before calling my assistant,

"Mrs. Grandstein, you wanted to see me?" She asked politely,

I didn't acknowledge her at first, just read through some reports for the sake of looking busy. I lifted my head after ten minutes of trying to look busy.

"Do you usually take time off work to listen to your friend's gossip?" I ask her,

She paled instantly, her forehead breaking out in a sweat as she went mute, I paid no attention to her as I continued reading the report that I finished reviewing minutes ago.

"No, ma'am. She just told me about one of our partner companies" she informed me,

"I see, what about them?" I continue to grill her.

"It was said that he was shot this morning in his own house, he was the one in charge of the project the company was handling last two years. He was a representative from his company and you were from ours," she said looking frightened,

This got my attention, was there a partnership that I didn't know anything about?

"Excuse me?" I asked immediately,

"You guys were told to handle the project, I know because I normally accompanied you to the meeting in their company when you first started..."

She trailed off in my head, I had a very bad feeling about this, something just didn't feel right and I didn't feel right.

"Yes, yes. What was his name again?" I scratched my head,

"Henry," she said,

The bomb dropped, I could hear her talking, I could see her talking but I couldn't hear a thing, all I could hear was a loud noise in my ears. I felt disoriented and dizzy all of a sudden.

She kept talking but I cut her short, "thank you, Kim, you can go now" I waved her off. She let herself out of my office as I drowned in my grief.

Henry was dead? How?

I couldn't breathe properly, my breaths were coming out in short pants. I hated the guy but it didn't mean I wanted him dead, who did this?

I looked out and I could see everyone talking about it, all I could hear was henry, his name was being mentioned in every conversation, I couldn't break down here.

I gathered my things, quickly rushing out of the office, I didn't say goodbye to anyone or anything. I went straight to my car to drive home even without telling Carter, we haven't been talking so that doesn't even matter right now.

I didn't stop or slow down till I got home, I dropped my bag on the table. Decided to have a shower first, I felt so sticky and caged, a simple shower can help me. I stripped off my clothes, stepped into the shower, and quickly cleaned up.

I was out in my bathrobe, my hair was wet and curling down my head, and I felt so much better and lighter than I was feeling before. I looked down to see the water dripping on the carpets, the image of Henry stepping out of the shower flashed through my mind. My heart broke into two, it was getting difficult to breathe again, tears leaked from my eyes, and I sat on my bed wrapping my hands on my legs and pulling them into my body I rocked myself back and forth as I cried silently.

All the images and memories of him flashing through my mind in one clear picture, I broke down crying.

So hurt and heartbroken that I forgot about my cover, the knock on the door didn't make me remember that I was supposed to be acting. Too busy grieving over my cheating boyfriend.

That was how Carter found me.