Chapter 89 A Doubly Proposal
Behind Annabel was a deep baritone voice that was both familiar and unsuited to the new life she was creating.
Her heart pounded more forcefully, already a drum against her ribs. She slowly turned, her eyes falling on a man standing at the building's entrance in a sharp suit.
His face brought back memories of her time spent with Carson.
Knowing that she had seen him previously. With a question in her eyes she remained motionless.
“Annabel?” he repeated himself.
There it was.
She thought of the name on his lips as a key turning in a lock.
“Jude?” she asked.
Jude Ashford.
The man Carson had laughed with at innumerable dinners, who had been a dependable friend and a fixture at the mansion.
Although he maintained his dignity, he was the one who had always appeared to be in Carson's shadow.
Now she recalled him, the silent observations, he would make the way his eyes followed her,a look she had never been able to read when she was with Carson.
With a look of surprise and worry on his face, he asked. “What are you doing here?”
Despite the warm day, Annabel felt a sudden chill and wrapped her arms around herself.
Her voice was steady as she said “I have a job interview.”
His lips formed a faint smile but it stayed out of his eyes.
He urged her to come inside. He turned and pushed the glass door open without waiting for a response.
The pressure of the moment caused her to pause for a moment. She followed him because of an unspoken urgency in his voice.
The lobby was filled with the quiet sounds of a bustling company and the symphony of polished marble.
Jude walked with effortless assurance to a man who belonged.
She trailed behind him to the elevators where a polished steel box was revealed by sliding doors.
The button for the top floor was pressed. The numbers illuminated, rising steadily reflecting her mounting anxiety.
The doors opened and they entered a large bright room. There was a breathtaking view of the city from the glass walls.
A big desk, several chairs and a modest little table with a bonsai tree on it were all located at the far end of the room.
This was his office.
He escorted her to a chair facing his desk. “Sit down please,” he said.
There was a new seriousness in his voice. With her hands folded in her lap, Annabel sat.
She found the chair’s leather to be cool against her skin. Instead of sitting at his desk, he leaned against it with his arms folded across his chest.
He gave her a fierce look.
“I've heard rumors,” he said. “Something I didn't want to accept. Annabel, what happened?”
It was a gentle soft question. It was a permission to speak an opening.
Annabel felt the words weighing heavily on her tongue as she swallowed.
“We broke up,”she said.
The words a sour confession were blurted out. The tiny space seemed big and deserted.
She prepared herself for a response for disbelief or condemnation. Jude, however, said nothing.
He stood motionless, his face unreadable, his eyes staring into hers. He remained unflinching. He merely observed her.
The calm coziness of Fred's apartment felt different from his silence. The quiet was one of listening, a stillness that inspired further.
“I left him…and he just watched me leave.” She said,
Her voice faltered a little. “I needed to leave. It was not safe.”
Jude eventually pushed off the desk and made his way to the window. He gazed with a detached expression at the city below.
His voice was a low rumble as he said “I used to work for Victoria, for his mother. She engaged me to assist her in growing the business. I worked long hours, gave it my all and helped build it from the ground up.”
He looked back in her direction.
“After it was all finished, she demoted me… claiming I was no longer needed. To her, I was merely a tool. Just one more piece of furniture that will be moved around before being discarded.”
Annabel listened, her head spinning.
Not only was the man she had considered a close friend of Carson’s an employee but he was also a victim of the same individuals who had harmed her.
Victoria’s once-warm and inviting photo now had a new ominous aura. She was an expert manipulator using others to achieve her goals.
Annabel now recognized the calculating, icy mind that lay behind the elegant exterior.
“I understand,” Annabel said. “She is using everyone as a pawn in order to achieve her goals.”
She was now aware of the actual evil that concealed itself behind the elegant façade and picturesque mansion.
Now the truth was evident.
Jude gradually nodded. “I refuse to watch you go through that. You can get back on your feet with my help.”
Annabel felt her heart fill with appreciation. “Jude… thank you” she said. “I am truly grateful.”
“Annabel,” he said, “I'm not doing this out of goodness of heart.”
There was a new edge to his voice, something focused and sharp.
“I want to see them fall, which is why I'm doing this. Both of them are dishonest. Thinking they can get away with anything, they conceal themselves behind their wealth and power.” He said.
He returned to his desk, sat down and stared at her.
“I have an offer for you. An offer that can help you exact revenge on them and transform your life.” He said.
Annabel felt her heart thumping in her chest.
An offer?
Jude was not the same person she had known. This man had a purpose and a plan.
He offered more than just a job, he offered a means of revenge.
“What is it?” She asked, her voice hardly more than a whisper.
Jude’s gaze remained fixed as he leaned forward resting his elbows on the desk.
For an extended period the hum of the city outside and the quick rhythm of her heart filled the void between them.
“Work with me, work for me.” he said. “Together, my company and you can achieve success.”