Chapter 189 No Longer A Friend

Chapter 189 No Longer A Friend


Brad had barely uttered a word when Amber stormed over. One minute, she had been checking the available services that worked best and their pricing, then she glanced over at their table and found Brad sitting in her seat. As soon as she registered his presence, something protective and fierce ignited in her chest.

Not today. She fumed.

"Leave," Amber said, her voice low and dangerous. "Now."

She crossed the distance quickly, planting herself directly in front of Brie like a mother hen, eyes blazing as she faced Brad.

Brad's jaw tightened, but he didn't move. He ignored Amber completely. His eyes shifted past Amber to Brie's face. "Brie, please. Just give me five minutes to explain—"

"She doesn't owe you anything," Amber cut him off sharply. "Especially not her time."

"Amber, I appreciate what you're doing, but this is between Brie and me." Brad's tone remained calm and measured, as if he were speaking to a subordinate.

Brie snapped. “Like hell, you will not talk to her like that. Who do you think you are? You should leave Brad. I don’t want to talk to you. In fact, we don’t want you in our space.” She picked up her purse, prepared to leave.

Seeing her defiance, Brad pressed harder. “Let me explain, alright…”

Brie looked up at Brad, and the disappointment in her eyes was palpable. "Explain what? What do you have to say that I don’t already know? Save it, Mr Knox. I have nothing to say to you."

"Then just listen—" Brad paused. “Mr. Knox? Is that what I am to you now?” She had addressed him formally, cutting him off completely.

"Yes." Brie's voice was steady, controlled, but underneath, she knew Brie was hurt. The kind of betrayal you feel when someone whom you never expected to take certain actions surprises you, making you question your own judgment. "I thought you were a friend. I actually believed you cared about me as a person." She shook her head slowly, disgust flickering across her features. "But you're just selfish. And honestly? I'm disgusted."

Brad flinched as if she'd struck him. For a moment, something raw crossed his face—regret, maybe, or shame—but he quickly schooled his features back into that infuriatingly calm expression.

"You have every right to feel that way," he said quietly. "But Brie, I did it to help you."

Amber actually laughed, a harsh, disbelieving sound. "Help her? Are you serious right now?"

Brad ignored her, his focus entirely on Brie. "Alex wasn't good for you. You were hurting, and working for him wasn't letting you think clearly because your emotions were involved. You couldn't see what it was doing to you. He was playing you at the same time, having a relationship with Sienna."

Brie's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "He wasn’t,” she closed her eyes to rein in her anger. When she opened them, there was no feeling whatsoever. She looked at Brad like a stranger, seeing that Alex’s opinion of him had been right all along.

How could she have been so blind? She should have known from the way he looked at her so intently, like he wanted to possess her. She had barely registered the intensity of his gaze back then. All she was consumed with was her feelings for Alex, and everything happening in her love life, from her ex Jeff to Alex, Sienna, and everything in between.

And now?

“So you decided to make that choice for me." It was more of a statement than a question. “I should have known.” She muttered, slowly regretting letting him close. “You used me. You’ve always wanted to destroy Alex, and then you thought using me was going to be the final straw that broke him.”

"No," His response was instantaneous. But she knew better. Brad’s voice dropped low, his voice taking on a reasoning tone that made Amber want to throw her remaining coffee in his face, "You were already planning to change companies, remember? It was supposed to help with your clean break from Alex. I was there for you as your friend, despite my feelings for you. I stayed, respecting you, and tried to help you. Let’s face it, Brie, Alex was not good for you. A man like that, stinging you along while he had another woman…”

“Enough,” Brie’s voice rose a notch. Her eyes turned cold in fury. “You said you were my friend. Do you know what that means at all? It meant respecting my decisions even when they don’t make sense. And you know nothing about Alex. He and Sienna had been over a long time. He had always had me in his heart ever since we agreed to be together. But I guess you already knew that, knowing who you are. You were only to play the role of nice guy, so I could trust you in my vulnerable moment, and you could sweep in like Prince Charming, completely blindsiding me so hard that I would have lost the man I love and hurt him in the process. I can’t believe I actually trusted someone like you and thought you were a friend. I let you in, and all the while you schemed. You tried to use me, and you succeeded.”

Brad opened his mouth, but Brie wasn't finished.

"You stole from us. You used your mole to do your dirty work and frame me in the process, and you have the nerve to stand in front of me and ask me to listen to you? To hell with you, Brad.”

She reached for Amber’s arm. “Are you done? We should go.”

The color drained from Brad's face as he watched them turn to leave. His control slipped, and he reached for Brie.

"Don't." Brie's voice cracked like a whip. "Don't you dare touch me.”

“You heard her, or you’d rather I scream blue murder,” Amber lashed out, equally pissed.

Brad laced his fingers through his hair, frustration setting in. He knew it would not be easy to convince Brie. She was smart. He had hoped to try anyway, especially now that Alex had sent a warning to him with picture evidence of the surveillance team he had on Brie. That was enough of a threat. He had to back down.

"You got it all wrong. You'd better than anyone should know that in our world, we work around the same systems.”

Brie scoffed before she could stop it. “Really? Down to the exact models, exact designs, and user interface? Cut the act, Mr. Knox. Stratson Group has never delved into the kind of tech PulseAI signifies, much less an enhanced version, which you creatively claim as yours. And since you so claim you never stole from us, then answer me this question. Why is Jen on your payroll?”

Brie’s jaw clenched. A muscle in his jaw worked furiously, but no words came out.

She let out a disbelieving scoff. “I thought so. Stay away from me, Mr. Knox. From today, we don’t know each other.”