Chapter 2

If there was something worse than a bad day, Sean Derero was currently having it. He paced his office, trying to clear his head. In one hand was the report from the asylum his ex-girlfriend had been confined in and in the other was a note from her. She was finally going to get him.

“Slow down, man. I’m sure this is a prank or something,” Dex said. His supposed best friend tried to get his friend to stop pacing. He hated that he was in a situation like this because of him. He had introduced Sean to Betty two years ago when Sean launched one of his various clubs. It had been all rosy at first until she had seen the unsigned love note that had been sticking out of Sean’s diary.

“She almost killed me the last time! How am I supposed to deal with this right now?” Sean rubbed his forehead before finally collapsing on the couch in his office. He loosened his tie and threw the file on the ground. How a petite girl of barely five feet could escape big, muscled men was beyond him. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had seduced them. Sean couldn’t deny the fact that she was beautiful despite how much he wanted to. He had fallen for her looks. If he had used his head instead of his eyes, there was just a little chance he wouldn’t be in this situation.

Sean’s phone rang. It was the detective. Betty is still in the asylum, man. I don’t know how you got that note, but I can assure you it wasn’t her. She’s sound asleep as we speak. Stay safe, man. That was all the information he was given. Sean groaned deeply. This was her handwriting; he was sure of it.

“Why don’t we just chill at the club, so you can cool off,” Dex said from beside him, clasping a hand on his shoulder. Sean shrugged his hand off. He wasn’t in the mood to be surrounding by loud music and half naked girls.

“I’m alright, man. I’ll just head home and take a nice cold shower,” he said. Dex gave him a sly look. “Not for the reason you’re thinking of,” he added before flipping his friend off.

“I’m not taking no for an answer, Sean. You’re coming with me” Dex took the files carelessly strewn across the floor and put them on the pile on Sean’s desk. He would have to deal with that later. Dex’s phone rang, but he made no move to pick it up from the table.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” Sean asked him. Dex ignored the question. “Want to fire up before we get to the club? You know it’s easier to handle the girls when you’re a little buzzed,” he said instead. Sean nodded absentmindedly as his phone rang again. This time, it was a number he hoped would stop calling.

“I told you to leave me alone” he said once he disconnected the call. Dex perked up at his voice but said nothing. Sean gripped his phone harder as the unmistakable voice of the person that claimed to be his father filled his ears. He was tired of this crap. The same old voice calling to say he was his father and wanted to meet up. For all he knew, he had no parents—abandoned and left for the worst in front of an old orphanage when he was born. Now that he was rich and had everything he thought he wanted, someone was trying to play father.

A knock interrupted his thoughts, and he put his palm over the speaker. Anna, his personal assistant, poked her head through the door. “You have a phone call, sir. Mr. Grata wants to set up a meeting,” she said, reading off the giant tablet she held.

“Tell him I’m busy. I’ll contact when I deem it necessary”

Anna nodded. It was exactly the answer she had expected from him. She looked further into the office to see his best friend Dex. She had been hoping her boss would be alone—seemed like the short dress she was wearing under her long jacket was all in vain.

Sean’s gestured his hand towards the door, and Anna took it as her cue to leave. One day, she promised herself, she was going to get him to love her.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said immediately after he hung up. He took his suit jacket from the arm of his chair, and Dex followed with a glass of scotch in his hand.

“Take it. You need it more than I do,” Dex said. He thrust the bottle into Sean’s hand as they entered the elevator. Sean gulped it down, feeling the fire burn through his throat down to his stomach. When the two got out of the elevator, half the staff were already gone, taking the buzzing feeling of the building away. Sean acknowledged no one as he strode out of Derero Corporation; his usual cold demeanor was back.

Sean reminded himself that he was a successful businessman and the most sought-after man in the entire state. And not even a crazy ex was going to ruin it for him. His driver opened his car door, and they drove with Dex following with his own car.

The Dark Hour night club was already full even though it was barely even dark enough to club. Sean went through his private door at the back entrance to the club. Dex shut the door as they walked through the narrow dark passage to Sean’s office.

“Let’s get this party started!” Dex yelled as he popped open the wine he had retrieved from Sean’s stash hidden behind his shelf. He gave Sean the bottle and popped another for himself.

“Do you want to head downstairs? Pick up a few girls?” Dex asked and raised a brow in suggestion. Sean shook his head and discarded his jacket. He laid on the couch at the far end of the office. “I’ll just stay here for a while.”

“Okay, man.” Dex left the office to the club that bustled with life below them. He was surely getting wasted. A voice stopped Dex just as he got off the last stair.

“Is it safe assume Mr. Derero is upstairs?” the sultry voice said from beside him. The tall figure stepped out from the shadows and let the club lights illuminate her face. Dex nodded and walked past her in a haste. He hated the way she made him feel, like his heart was going to explode at any second. He knew she liked Sean instead so those feelings of his were forbidden.

Sean groaned when there was another knock on the door. “I’m not coming with you, Dex. Just leave me alone,” he said and put his arm over his face. The music from downstairs filled the room, letting him know the door had been opened. He waited for Dex to try to get him to stand up, but he didn’t see or hear him. He finally sat up, curious.

“You’ve been declining meetings with me, Mr. Derero.”

Sean froze at the voice. “Melissa,” he said. The lack of warmth in his voice didn’t faze Melissa a bit. She was used to it. “What are you doing here?” he asked, slowly standing up and sitting on his big chair situated perfectly behind his glass table.

“We need to talk,” she said.

Sean rubbed his temple, his forehead already aching. “I believe that’s what we’re doing now.” He watched her eyes turn into slits in irritation.

“The New Land Project. We want in,” she said.

“I’m not looking for a partnership right now. I made that clear the first time you called.”

“My dad is not one to take no for an answer.”

“There’s always a first time for everything. If we’re done, I’d like to get going,” he said, not even sparing her glance.

Melissa hummed slightly so Sean didn’t hear. She was here for two reasons. Now that the first one had been taken care of, she had to get the second thing she came for. A kiss. She stood up slowly and walked toward Sean with an exaggerated swing of her hips. Everyone knew Sean was a hard man to get, cold-hearted and hot as People Magazine put it, which only made her want him even more.

“You didn’t reply to my last text,” she whispered and leaned over his desk to give him a generous view of her chest.

“There wasn’t anything worth replying to.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, already tired. He hated it when women came onto him. It was like they were begging for his rejection. He stood up and gathered his jacket in his arms. “I’ll be leaving now. You know the way out.” He walked to the door, but Melissa stopped him before he could open it.

“Just dinner! I promise you’ll never set your eyes on me again,” she said. She was desperate, and Sean knew it. She only hoped she would be able to flush him out of her system then.

“I’ll have my assistant send you the details,” Sean said before leaving, making Melissa breathe out in relief.

Sean walked hurriedly out of the club through the back, so no one would see him. Luck really wasn’t on his side. A bunch of teenage girls that were trying to get into the club saw him and started screaming his name, making him turn, eyes wide in surprise.

“Sean!” the girls screamed, running towards him. His car was trapped between him and the girls. There was no way he would get to it on time before the girls. He turned swiftly and walked to the back of the club. He wondered who he had offended. It wouldn’t be long before the media would show up, always wanting a story.

He saw a cab waiting just outside. “Drive” was all he said before slumping into the seat in relief.

The driver looked at him. His eyes widened when he realized who it was “Mr. Derero? Where should I take you to?” he asked and sped off.

Sean thought about it for a while. He couldn’t ask him to go to his house. He couldn’t let anybody find out where he lived. It was the only place he could be away from the eyes of everyone.

“The train station. Stop at the mall first, would you?”

Sean walked into the station, pulling the face cap that was covering his head closer to his face. He walked onto the train, hoping no one would recognize in him. He remembered having to stay on the train when he was younger so he could beg for food to survive. He quickly pushed the creeping thoughts away, his eyes immediately stopping at girl with curly black hair framing her face. She wasn’t giving him the I want you in my bed eyes, so he walked to where she was and sat beside her.