Chapter 104: Unable to Distinguish Feelings

Chapter 104: Unable to Distinguish Feelings

James glanced at him and said nothing.

Daniel put down his coffee cup.

"Iris took a bullet for you. It almost shattered her bone.

She was in the hospital for nearly two weeks. How many times did you visit her?

Once? Twice?

You even had Matthew deliver your gifts. Couldn't you do it yourself?

Are you afraid you won't know what to say if you go, or afraid you won't be able to control yourself if you see her?"

"Daniel."

James's voice wasn't loud, but there was a warning in those words.

Daniel wasn't intimidated.

He'd been with James for almost ten years. He knew when to shut up and when not to.

He felt now was a time not to shut up.

"Boss, I'm not trying to meddle in your private life. But the way you're treating Iris isn't fair.

She likes you. Everyone can see it.

You have feelings for her too. Everyone can see it.

You two just keep avoiding each other like this—what's the point?"

Matthew chimed in from the side, his voice a bit softer than Daniel's, but his mouth even more talkative.

"Daniel's right. Boss, you're heartless.

If you don't like Iris, just tell her straight.

Being hot and cold like this hurts her even more.

And... you clearly like her. Why are you pretending?"

James turned his head to look at Matthew.

Matthew shrank back a bit, but still finished what he was saying.

"Don't glare at me. I'm telling the truth.

Back when you were supporting Iris in Novaria, how old was she?

Twelve? Fifteen? You had people send her things all the time...

Clothes, books, tuition, living expenses.

You think I don't know? Every time you had Daniel buy stuff, he made me do it. I even know Iris's shoe size!"

James's expression shifted slightly.

Matthew continued.

"You say you don't have feelings for her—do you even believe that yourself?

Someone you don't care about, you'd remember her all these years?

You'd call to ask for her dorm number on her first day of college? You'd have Daniel send flowers on her birthday? You'd insist someone watch over her whenever she went out alone. You protected her like a delicate flower, and now you're telling me you don't like her?"

"And those flowers were..."

Daniel interjected.

"Shut up."

Matthew didn't let him finish.

"Boss, Iris doesn't like you because you supported her financially.

She likes you because you've always cared about her. You've never forgotten her.

You didn't reply to her letters, but she knew you read them all,

because when you saw her later, you'd mention things she wrote about.

You remembered she got first place, remembered she got a scholarship,

remembered she chose finance as her major...

If you didn't care about her, would you remember all this?"

James said nothing.

He picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip.

The coffee was scalding hot, but he didn't blow on it, just swallowed it down.

Daniel watched him and shook his head.

"Boss, you're just being stubborn.

When Iris said those things to you in the hospital room, you ran away.

You ran, and you know how long she cried?

The nurse said she cried alone for two hours after you left.

Soaked her pillow with tears."

James's fingers tightened slightly, and the coffee cup handle made a faint creaking sound in his palm.

"Bianca doesn't mind, Cleo doesn't mind either. What are you worried about?"

Matthew's voice dropped, taking on a rare seriousness.

"Boss, are you scared? Scared that Iris doesn't really like you, that she's just repaying a debt? You're afraid you owe her, afraid you two can't tell if it's love or obligation?"

James was silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the city lights flickered in the darkness, like an upside-down starry sky.

James looked at those points of light, many images flashing through his mind...

Fifteen-year-old Iris looked like an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, underdeveloped.

Thin as a stick, with big bright eyes.

Her clothes were old, the cuffs frayed,

but she stood straight, her back rigid, like bamboo that wouldn't bend.

Later Iris grew taller, became prettier, walking through Apex Global Enterprises' hallways in a white shirt and black suit, her heels clicking on the floor like a metronome.

Actually, Iris had confessed to James more than once.

But James never took it seriously.

When Iris graduated from college, James sent flowers. Iris waited at the school gate for a long time.

James knew.

Later when Iris got her master's degree, she waited for James all afternoon, even missing the class photo with her classmates.

Later when she got her PhD, Iris called James. James didn't answer. He didn't even dare listen to the whole voicemail.

At that time, James was at a critical period competing for control of Apex Global Enterprises. He couldn't let anyone become his weakness...

But what about now? He already had complete control of Apex Global Enterprises. What exactly was he afraid of?

James put the coffee cup on the table and stood up.

"You two, get out."

Daniel and Matthew exchanged glances, stood up together, and walked toward the door.

When Daniel reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at James.

"Boss, Iris is in the hallway. She didn't go far. She's waiting for you."

Then he opened the door and walked out with Matthew.

The door closed.

James stood there, looking at the closed door. Suddenly he walked up and pulled it open.

Around the corner, he saw Iris.

She was leaning against the wall, crouched on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, face buried in her arms.

Her shoulders were trembling slightly. No sound, but James knew she was crying.

The hallway light cast a grayish-white glow on her, shrinking her shadow into a tiny ball, like a kitten abandoned on the roadside.

James walked up to her and crouched down.

He didn't say anything, just reached out and gently placed his hand on top of her head.

Iris's shoulders jerked.

She slowly lifted her head, revealing a face covered in tears.

Her eyes were red, her nose was red, and there was a deep tooth mark on her lip...

She'd bitten it herself to keep from crying out loud.

"James..."

Her voice was hoarse and rough, like sand scraping glass.

"Don't send me away. I won't pressure you.

It's okay if you don't like me.

I just want to stay by your side and work for you.

I won't compete with Bianca, won't compete with Cleo. I don't want anything.

I'll do whatever you tell me to do. Just don't send me away, okay?"

As she spoke, tears fell one by one, hitting the floor with soft pattering sounds.

James looked at her, his heart feeling like someone had squeezed it.

He remembered what Matthew had just said...

"You clearly like her. Why are you pretending?"

"Are you afraid you two can't tell if it's love or obligation?"

James reached out and pulled Iris up from the floor. Iris's body was so light that with one pull, she fell completely into his arms.

Her face pressed against his chest, her tears soaking a small patch of his shirt, cold and damp against his skin.