DENIAL

I wake up before dawn, the fever and nausea finally receding. My body, battered by the lasagna-induced ordeal, is slowly returning to normal—if a little worse for wear. As I sit up on the edge of the bed, I force myself to ignore the sticky, half-forgotten taste of that ill-fated meal. I remind myself: that kiss meant nothing.

Nothing. It was nothing but a momentary lapse , a mistake in the midst of chaos. I can rationalize it away, bury it under layers of cold calculation and control. I tell myself it was a fleeting anomaly in an otherwise impenetrable fortress of discipline. And yet… the memory of it refuses to fade.

Five years ago, I learned what betrayal tastes like. I remember the moment Alexia shattered everything—leaving without explanation, leaving me with nothing but a void of anger and a hunger for revenge. That loss, that searing pain of abandonment, forged me into the man I am today. Every time I feel that ghostly spark, I recall the sting of her betrayal like a scarI lean back against the headboard, the remnants of my feverish haze slowly clearing as I replay that day in my mindThe office is already buzzing with activity when I arrive.

Employees rush around, drowning in work, while my assistant walks beside me, droning on and on about my packed schedule. I barely listen.Instead, I flip through some paperwork, skimming through financial reports and business proposals.Then, without knocking, Jasper walks in.

Self-made billionaire. Tech genius.And the most annoying friend I have.

He invented an app that blew up within months, turning him into one of the richest men in the country.

And yet, he still refuses to act like a normal humanbeing.He plops down in the chair across from me, grinning like an idiot."Your wife kick you out of the house?" I ask.

Jasper isn't an early bird. The fact that he's here this early is suspicious."Nah, I had to beg her to let me out of bed," he replies smugly.Then, with a knowing smirk, he adds, "Unlike someone, who I'm sure didn't even get a mere good morning from his wife."

I don't bother responding.

The last thing I want is to be reminded of Alexia.I shoot him a cold look, silently warning him to drop the topic.He laughs, completely unfazed.

"Don't give me that look. I know I'm right."He leans back, opening his laptop."Anyway, I'm here to discuss your security systems since I won't be around next week."Jasper can walk around half-naked, but he never goes anywhere without that damn laptop.I nod, waiting for him to continue.

"I already updated your security. No one can breach the system. It's self-destructive in a way, if anyone tries to hack it, they lose their own data."

I smirk.

That's why I keep him around.

He slides a hard drive across my desk. "I know you like to approve everything first, so here. Look through it. If you have questions, call me."Jasper is one of the best hackers I know. Sometimes, I regret that his app made him a billionaire, because if it hadn't, I could've hired him full-time.

I take the hard drive. "I'll check it out. Anyway where are you heading next week?"He places his legs in my desk like he owns the place then says, "My wife is taking me to Paris. All expenses paid. All I have to do is deliver myself. Gotta do what the wife wants."

I roll my eyes.

If there's one thing Jasper loves to brag about, it's his wife. And knowing that things between me and Alexia are a mess, he takes every chance to rub it in my face.

Not that I blame him.He married one of the greatest women I know.She used to be my assistant, and damn, was she good at her job.It was love at first sight for Jasper, and three years later, I can still see how mevenuch he worships her.

"Hope she comes to her senses soon enough," I say, half-joking.

Jasper snorts. "Keep dreaming."Then, his eyes light up with mischief. "Anyway, how are things with Alexia? Any luck getting laid?" I don't even look up from my phone as I respond. "Why the hell would I want to sleep with the woman who betrayed me? Does that make sense to you?"Jasper sighs dramatically, shaking his head.

"Man, I really don't believe you hate her."I ignore him.

"And," he continues, "do you even realize that hate sex is, like, the best thing ever? You should try it."

This fucking idiot.

I shoot him a glare. "Get the hell out of here and go to your wife."

He chuckles, standing up.

"Okay, okay. But seriously, consider my advice. It's worth it."He winks, wiggling his eyebrows like an idiot.I shake my head. "It's not happening. And before you go ,don't forget about Saturday. All the investors will be at the party."

Jasper salutes me. "Okay, boss man."Then he strolls out, still grinning like an asshole.