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15

Morgan's POV

The moment I walked into the conference room, every cell in my body screamed at me to turn around and pretend like I hadn't seen the man seated at the edge of the table.

"Hello, Morgan" Dante said, rising to his feet. I would be lying if I said my heart didn't skip a beat. Both at seeing him and hearing him call my name.

"What are you doing here?" I spat in anger, letting my irritation and obvious distaste for him be shown.

"You're meeting an investor, Morgan" Dante said and shook his head. He chuckled like it was the funniest joke ever. "It doesn't take two brains to know that it's me."

Goddammit!! After all this trouble of seeing him and Nova at the fundraiser and me believing that I would never see him again, he just walks into my enterprise as the anonymous investor Rosewood had been expecting.

I didn't even bother sitting down to have another second of wasted time on him. I straightened myself, looking him dead in the eye, trying to hide the feelings of hurt, love, and pain all smudging together in my heart.

"Well Mr Dante Fontaine, as the CEO of Rosewood Enterprise, I refuse to work with you. I reject you as an investor in Rosewood." Giving him a fake smile. "So, please leave my Office."

He looked at me for a few seconds before getting up from his seat. At his height of 6"4 and his build, he towered over me our bodies so close that I could feel the heat. It took all of me to maintain my stand and not take a step backward.

"Why are you still pissed at me?"

"I wonder what you are referring to Mr Fontaine. I'm clearly not pissed, just not willing to work with you. So do yourself a favour, and walk out the door!" I turned to leave, only to be grabbed by him.

"Morgan." I could feel the emotion in his voice. The hurt, the pain, and for a split second, I wanted to lay down my guard and hug him, comfort him... Why?! Why would I comfort someone that shut me out when I needed him? I was the one that needed the comfort! If anyone was hurt and deserved to be hugged, it was me! I drew my hand from him, turning sharply to him.

"Touch me one more time Dante and I swear..."

"That's enough Morgan." I heard from the door.

"Dad?!" I turned around, and there was my dad at the door, freshly back from his trip to Paris. "You're back." I said as a wave of joy hit me.

"Yes, I am." He responded, walking into the hall. Then his eyes drifted to Dante who bowed his head, his eyes to the ground. "What a nice way to greet an ex father-in-law." My dad spoke, his voice empty of emotion.

"I'm sorry Mr Rosewood. Good day..."

"Look at me when you speak!"

Slowly, Dante looked at my dad his brown eyes so... I couldn't even find the right words for it. I scoffed, loud enough for the both of them to hear. Fake! Everything fake!!

"Would you love to have a cup of tea with me?" My dad asked with a smile.

"No!" I spat before Dante had the chance to reply.

"I wasn't asking you, Morgan. I was asking him." He pointed to Dante. "In my office?"

I gave a humourless laugh. "You've got to be kidding me, Dad!" I said with disdain, walking out of the conference hall. No easy on hell was I going to stand there and watch what I was watching. No way.

Immediately Nora sighted me, she got up from her seat.

"We won't be working with him." I said with a straight face before she even had the chance to breathe. I walked into my office, slamming the door behind me. I felt like smashing something. But nothing would feel as good as smashing Dante's head right now!

There was a knock on my door. I went to the door, and Nora stood there. "Could you help me tell anyone who wants to see me that I'm not in the perfect mood right now?"

"Ok..." I closed the door before she could finish the word in her mouth, careful not to slam it. "I can't do this." I blurted out after sitting for not up to ten seconds. I stormed out of the office, aware of the eyes of the jewelry costing team on me. I couldn't care less. If only they weren't on the same floor with me.

With my car keys in my hand, I headed out of the office. There was a probability that I could suffocate if I stayed a second longer in there. I needed to get fresh air. Driving as far as I could away from the enterprise, I decided to have lunch at a restaurant I happened to lay eyes on. It was lunchtime already, and it would have been an amazing one if my annoying ex hadn't shown up.

Killing the engine, I walked into the restaurant and collided head-on with the aroma of fish stew. My nerves just got a breakthrough calm and my anger died just as it had come. I looked around the crowded restaurant, looking for an empty seat that would make me notice all that was going on in the restaurant but keep me unnoticed. Too bad, I couldn't find such. So I walked to one of the four empty tables where what looked like a couch for two was against the wall and two other seats at the other side of the table.

A table of four, perfect for a family like mine. Too bad, it was non-existent! I drew a deep breath, focusing on the aroma of different stews, the aroma of fish, the most prominent.

"What can we help you with?" A waitress walked up to me with an amicable smile on her face.

I opened my mouth to reply but someone beat me to it. "Do you prefer stew made from tomatoes or stew made from vegetables?"

I looked up, standing beside the waitress was Winston.

"Doctor Valentine." I gasped, then caught myself. "I mean Winston."

"May I join you?" He asked with a smile.