Chapter 39: CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: TIGHT SITUATION

/JAMIE-/

The silence in the room edged on as I stared at the ceiling. How I loved the peace that came with being lonely, such an unimaginable degree of pain. 

Ever since I had trolled Artemis off like I had forgotten about her, my heart had come to the terms that I wasn't ready to be with her. She was the most beautiful thing that had ever happened to me; she was my second heaven. 

Buzz... Buzz... The phone vibrated on the desk, moving bit by bit towards the edge. I stretched my hand forth, lazily grabbing my phone. 

"Hey baby." Bella's soft voice crept into my ears. 

The thought of hanging up filled my head as she began talking about her day. I hated the way she behaved; a lady with hideous pride who was always demanding. She was the definition of annoying, a manipulator with zero dreams or inspirations for the future.

"Yes, Love." I forced myself to speak, clutching my hands as she tried to explain some things to me. She had already told the world about our relationship, which was uncalled for… Dad was definitely going to kill me. 

"So there's this house party coming up." She said. 

"That's great! Who's hosting the party?" I said lazily. 

"It's our house party, actually. Mom and Dad plan on hosting it because of Artemis and Alexander. Trust me, you're going to love it."

A house party hosted for Artemis. This would go a long way in getting closer to Artemis; maybe I could apologize for being a jerk. 

"Yeah, I will show up. What's the time?" 

"TPM sharp, don't be late. It's going to be classic with a combination of a pool party." She let out. 

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I held up a grin, terminating the call. 

It all felt like yesterday, the little lamb dancing in my arms as she tried to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, our first kiss, the strawberry taste of her lips as I swallowed her whole. If only I had been strong enough…

"Sir Jamie." Williams, my new secretary, walked in. He was fuming, his hand clutching onto a red file.

"What's the situation?" I rose from the chair, finding my way to the coffee mixer by at the other end of the room. 

"A letter from the Chairman, Sir." He dropped the red file, averting his gaze almost immediately. Usually he'd stand there and tell me what was in it, but he was silent.

The file was flat, unusual for a contract file with several portfolios and plans. I flipped it open, staring at the word okay. 

"Suspension of CEO Jamie Leonardo." 

I winced, wiping my eyes with my hands. It couldn't be true; nightmares couldn't possibly happen in reality, could they?

It wasn't a dream; I had been suspended from the position of CEO for two weeks by my father, the chairman. I expected a punishment for coming live with Bella on her commercial, but I never thought he would decide to punish me with such a feat. 

"Sir, are you okay?" Williams trembled, his hand reaching out for the file. 

How could I be okay with this? There was no way I was ever going to be okay with something like this. Telling me I wasn't worth it was better than suspending me from the position of CEO. 

"You can leave." He hurried to the door. "Not a word about this to any of the workers." 

He nodded severally before slamming the door behind him. I was perplexed, ashamed of the man I had become, all because I had fallen for her.

Ever since she had returned to Hyperion, I had begun to falter. My shoulders slumped at the sight of her beauty, my mind teasing my errors as she walked away from me every single time. Severally, I had tried to restrain myself. Tell myself I didn't need her, but it turned out I was goofing around. 

I picked up my car keys, heading for the parking lot. They all gasped as I walked past them, their eerie gazes falling on me as I turned my back on them. 

"Don't be late, Hun. Love you." I let out a sigh as I stared at the message Bella had sent. She had been keeping tabs on me ever since the commercial, taunting me with sweet words that I didn't deem as worthy. 

As I parked my car before the mansion, the guards ran towards me, rushing to get the door open before I could. "Young Master." They chorused. 

"Where's the chairman?" I groaned, placing my legs on the ground. 

"The chairman is having a massage in his bedroom. He pleads not to have any visit…" I walked out on them, not wanting to listen to the stories they have been told to share. 

"Young Master!" Their footsteps lingered behind me as I barged into his chambers. The room was hot, above the usual temperature he had loved to sleep with every night.

"Is he the one?" A young lady's voice penetrated my ears. I looked back, and the image of two young ladies in bikinis attending to my father in the Jacuzzi appeared. 

"This is my son, the prodigal child." He stirred up. 

"The prodigal child? I like that." The fair lady let out, her index finger playing along her lips as she stared at me. 

"Can I talk with you, Father?" I stood there, trying my very best not to look at the beauties he had kept with him.

"Leave us be, ladies." He groaned as the second lady's hand left the soapy water. I looked away, hoping she hadn't acted all dirty with him. 

"See you later, baby boy!" The fair lady whispered into my ear as she walked past me. 

He groaned a bit as he made himself comfortable in the Jacuzzi. I could tell he knew why I was here, so it was only natural that I get to the point. 

"Why did you suspend me?"

He chuckled, staring at me with disdain. "You really think I'd answer that question. Come on, Jamie, I thought you to be a strong, rigid, and ruthless man, but here you are crying over the Mercedes family girls."

"I have a reason..."

"Artemis?" He held up a grin.

I stood there, the words stuck in my throat. Had I shown my love for her so much that he had noticed? 

"This suspension is just the tip of what I can do. If you decide to keep on with this, one of you will lose your life, and it will definitely not be you."