The confrontation

It was midnight, and David had just arrived at Miller Corporation. It did not surprise him that another person was standing behind Aria's desk; nonetheless, he asked about it, and the girl informed him that Zoey and Aria were unavailable. Given his decision to dress like a secret spy, donning a black suit and dark shades, it was not unexpected. He groaned and headed to the elevator, ignoring all the looks he was getting from his employees.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, he felt a sense of relief, as the glances he had been receiving were intensifying his headache. Owen was responsible for everything, but David was so drunk that he couldn't remember what they were talking about because Owen kept feeding him drinks. His only memory was when he told Owen about his intention to propose to April. That was the only thing he could recall. David did not understand the circumstances surrounding Aria's visit to his residence; he did not remember placing an order for roses or having them sent to Aria. Something went wrong, or a genius was involved.

As soon as he reached the highest floor, he expressed his gratitude. For once, he felt compelled to express his admiration for Olivia's decision to prevent her employees from accessing the upper floor, ensuring that David and she would exclusively use the space. David was unconscious of his friend as he made his way into the office, so he relaxed and allowed the silence to comfort him. Olivia's chair faced away from him, a fact he was unaware of. As soon as he reached the stand housing his alcoholic beverages, he poured himself a drink from the glass. As he swallowed his drink, he thought, "What a way to charm your company's customers!"

"Drinking during work hours?" A voice asked a question.

David abruptly turned and saw a face he had not expected to see. He spat out his drink. "Jones, what are you doing here?" In a state of disbelief, he asked while lowering his shades.

After adjusting his jacket, Noah exited the chair and walked away. "I came to find out who exactly gave you the right to bail out my brother," Noah called out in a chilly manner, causing David to shiver in response to the tone of his voice. The day he had dreaded arrived far too soon and at the wrong time.

"I can explain." He sighed and removed his sunglasses, tucking them into the front pocket of his suit jacket.

"Okay." When Scarlett Vanderbilt visits you and informs you that your two closest and most trusted friends have betrayed you, it does not happen every day.

After David and Noah took a seat on the couch, David proceeded to pour them drinks, despite both suffering from a severe hangover. When David tried his best to keep from running out of the door, Noah was as enraged as he could be. Despite David being a few years older than Noah, they had been friends since their childhood. Their fathers, both of whom were wealthy executives, were the ones who introduced them. Although Noah was known for his humorous personality, he knew he possessed a bad temper. He frequently pondered how Noah had tolerated him, most likely by mentally counting to 10 his entire life. No matter the reason, David was grateful to have him by his side for years.

Noah was constantly held to the highest standards by those around him, which forced him to mature at a very young age. His father consistently pushed him to strive for excellence. Up until the point where his siblings began to act out of control, he practically never thought about the question of why. His sister, who was sixteen years old then, spent over twenty thousand dollars daily and partied all day and night. Meanwhile, his brother became involved with unmanageable crowds. Although it had been three years since he had last seen his sister, he did see his brother occasionally. "Alex and Owen are my responsibility, you know?" Noah whispered in a low voice while he was toying with his glass.

David remarked, "I know," and Noah laughed in response.

"You do not. You would never have gone behind my back and bailed Owen out of jail if you understood what I was going through." Noah stated.

"I'm sorry. Is that OK? However, I was unable to abandon him to languish in prison, and Ryan was the one who approached me." David clenched his teeth.

"I don't care who came to whom!" In an attempt to break the glass, Noah hopped off the couch and hurled it against the wall. "Owen is my brother, my brother! What I do with him is entirely up to me. Would you be willing to accept that my lack of concern for him led me to abandon him in that insidious prison?" David remained silent as he observed Noah's response to his question. If Noah kept his hands to himself, there would be no issue with his shouting as much as he wanted to. "He's my brother! My goal is to do what is best for him. It was to teach him a lesson; that's why I left him in that prison. What does a week in jail equate to? Because Owen is a mature young man, he can care for himself." He yelled out, ran his hand through his dark curls, and sighed. He chuckled sarcastically, "I love him, okay?" Even though everything is going against me, I still love him and will never give up on him. I am the one you must put your faith in. After taking a few long breaths, he finally sat on the couch and leaned against it.

David had to suppress the smile that was creeping up on the corner of his mouth to avoid smirking. "Satisfied?" David questioned with a wry tone in his voice.

Noah gave him a sneer, but all he did was wink at him. "You will never take me seriously, will you?" He asked with a worn-out tone.

"Who am I? I don't understand why I would do it." David made fun of it.

He flung his head back and barked in laughter as Noah gave him another scowl, which caused Noah to grunt in annoyance. He then tossed his head back again. "Yes, I was under the impression," Noah murmured beneath his breath.

"I must admit, however, that I was mesmerized for a brief period there." "I thought you would hit me in the head with that glass." According to David, once he had regained his composure, he gave the bits of broken glass a suspicious glance.

"It took everything in me to remember not to," Noah said.

"I'm sorry, man," David replied intently. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal!" I know that I can't continue to be angry with you forever. A sneer appeared on Noah's face as he pulled David's drink away from him and rapidly consumed it. Ryan, I must admit, will take the brunt of this. Instead of running to you, he ought to have addressed me in a manner befitting a man. He directed his gaze at David, but David shrugged his shoulders. "So, where's my brother?"

David had just removed his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. When he said, "Hi, Jane," he did so in a sophisticated voice, and Noah stared at him dubiously. "Yes, that is David; he is. I have a question for you about my friend. He remarked, David. He responded, "Yes, Jeremy Reed," in a hesitant tone, observing Noah's reaction to the name's mention. Noah was aware of his brother's aliases, but the use of them against him presented a very different issue. After saying, "Okay, thanks," David called off the call. "Jane says your brother left the hotel."

"Who is Jane?" Noah asked.

"I spoke with the receptionist at the hotel where Owen stayed overnight." David shrugged.

Noah met him with a raised eyebrow. "And you have her number?"

"What would you expect after spending the night together?" David shrugged his shoulders as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and Noah nodded in agreement.

"And she has your number?"

David withdrew his SIM card and shattered it in half before replacing it with his actual one. "Not for too long," he remarked as he removed his card.

"You are bad."

*****

David, having confirmed Noah Jones' departure from London, returned to the office and was surprised to find Zoey in attendance. She sat at her desk, diligently working. The fact that she did not acknowledge David when he entered the room made it abundantly evident that she was holding her anger toward him.

Even though David tried to work, the room's tension prevented him. Despite their planned project collaboration, David was unable to even discuss it with Zoey. To add insult to injury, her phone had been ringing for the past fifteen minutes since he entered the room, but she had not answered it each time it rang. If that wasn't enough, she hadn't answered it. It troubled him, but he struggled to find the right words to express his feelings. As the phone rang for the nth time, he finally concluded that he could bear no more. "Aren't you going to take that?" He asked out of frustration, but he was careful not to hurt her feelings given their shared history.

As Zoey responded, "Nope," she popped the 'P' While David continued browsing his file, he occasionally glanced over at Zoey. He cleared his throat and continued. "What?" She inquired about it.

Before beginning work, he removed his glasses and positioned them firmly on the desk. "Zoey, I want you to know that I am sorry for how things transpired between us. He started to explain himself, but she interrupted him.

"Mr. Miller, I'm over it." While speaking, she did not take her gaze off the file.

"Mr. Miller?" The formality Zoey displayed surprised David.

When Olivia recruited Zoey two years ago, David made a pass at her, leading her to fall in love with him. She believed him when he told her he would supply her with the moon and the stars. Three months into their relationship, he revealed his true nature to her. Olivia had tried to warn Zoey about not having a personal assistant for more than a week, but she had not listened. She was deeply in love, and Olivia was not inclined to interfere in another person's personal matters.

On the other hand, when Zoey was affected by her brother's heartbreaking binge, Olivia became extremely enraged and informed David that she would not pay Zoey off or fire her. Instead, she bought a beach property for him in Fort Lauderdale and forbade him from entering the building to avoid potential conflict.

"Come on, we are alone. You don't have to call me Mr. Miller; it is David."

"Previously, when I 'didn't have to call you Mr. Miller,' things went from bad to worse. I'm done reliving that memory, and I think you should be too. I had an extraordinary sexual experience, but it's over now." As she prepared to leave, she gathered her files, pulled her chair out of the way, and stood up. After she had finished packing, she turned her attention to David and gave him a little smile. "If you want us to have a healthy working relationship, never bring this issue up again." As soon as her phone rang again, she made the statement. After hanging up, she tossed the phone into her bag. "I have to go now; Aria needs me." She delivered her words with a tense smile, and David averted his gaze. He knew Zoey was eager to talk further, but she refrained.

It was he who said, "Got it, ma'am." After giving him a perfunctory nod, she exited his office and left the building. David exhaled with relief as soon as she disappeared from view.​