The look on her face when I demeaned her and her working ability in the conference room, somewhere made me feel guilty. Whatever I said was a damn lie. She was one of the most hard-working, smart and efficient employees but I wouldn't say that. I quickly pushed away any kind of remorse that was trying to dig it's way in.

She sat silently for the rest of the meeting, her eyes fixed on her fiddling fingers.

Before she could leave the room, I burdened her with some more work. I didn't want to lose my mind thinking about her . The slightest movements confused my head.

Taking my blazer off, I exited the room and started walking towards my cabin but the scene in front of me boiled my blood. Brae stood there talking to Mr. Walker. He was a reputed pervert and didn't mind hitting on any and every beautiful woman. Coming closer, I heard him saying how a beautiful woman like her didn't deserve such harsh words. I felt like smashing his head on the wall.

I cut Brae off before she could give her name. I gritted my teeth , not allowing my patience to seep out of my system but once I looked at her face , I lost my calm.

She stood there looking like an innocent scared kitten. Was she so naive that she couldn't perceive the intentions of the people around her?

Naive, my ass! A big pretense is all it has ever been.

When I spoke , I thought those were the rightest words to say but the pain on her face crushed my heart. I knew I had totally degraded her self respect by questioning her professionalism. I had accomplished my mission, I had squashed her, made her feel cheap and humiliated but why wasn't I happy ? Looking at her tears, why didn't satisfaction course through me?

I was frustrated with everything and needed some time for myself.

"What is your problem man?" Ryan barged into the cabin. I looked up to see him seething at me. Not this now!

" I think I said that I don't want to see anyone." I rubbed the temple of my forehead with my fingers.

" And you think I care? " He banged his hand on the desk.

" Ryan, can you not shout ? What is it?"

" You're asking me what is it? Are you stupid or what? How can you humiliate Brae like that in front of everyone?" Ryan normally doesn't get angry easily. To see him so concerned about Brae and shouting for her was irritating me.

" I don't want to talk about it." I opened my laptop only for it to be slammed shut the next moment by Ryan.

" You have to. You can't humiliate her like that and run away." I banged my palm on the table and shot up.

" And what about her? Didn't she do the same ? Didn't she shame me, humiliate me in front of everyone and run away?" I shouted.

" What is it about, Evan? You only said you had moved on. Then why does it still affect you? Why are your actions based on that incident?" I clenched my jaws in anger. Anger on the fact that I didn't have the answer myself.

" Ryan, leave !" I gritted out.

" Do you know what you have done? You had just made her the biggest topic of gossip for the whole office. You have given everyone the license to humiliate her." I stared at Ryan who was breathing hard by now.

" Can you make yourself clear ?" He turned his head away for a second , his lips pressed against each other in frustration.

" Two of the employees just abashed her in front of the whole canteen saying that today morning you exploded because Brae was trying hard to get into the pants of either Mr. Walker or more evidently yours." My jaws ticked, enraged at the thought itself.

" Don't dare make that face. It's no one but you who is responsible for this. You are the one who tarnished her image in front of everyone." Blinded by my rage I didn't realise that I had questioned her character in front of the whole office. I felt remorse no matter how hard I tried not to. I wanted to hurt her and I did but that brought me anything but satisfaction.

" You should have seen her face when the whole canteen was laughing at her expense. She apparently wanted the ground to swallow her up." The guilt hit me like a truck. I never wanted everyone around her to humiliate her, degrade her but the damage was done and I was the one who did it.

"I never saw her more crushed but I am sure you would have enjoyed the view. You would have been absolutely pleased to see her in so much pain." I gritted my teeth trying to control my anger. Breaking her down was not my intention but I had gone too far with it.

" I should have filmed a video. You would have loved it , no?" He was trying to hurt me with his words and it was working. I felt pathetic about myself.

" Ryan just stop it okay? Why don't you understand that I am in pain too?" I went and stood in front of the glass wall thinking of nothing specifically. So many thoughts were running in my mind that I felt like at any time it would explode.

" Evan." Ryan came and stood beside me looking out as well. We stood beside each other silently lost in our own thoughts.

" Have you really moved on?" He asked me just the question, the answer to which I was hunting for. A thick silence prevailed between us before I answered.

" I think not."

……………..

For the past fifteen minutes I had been sitting in my car outside Brae's house. Coming to this place brought back so many memories.

" Evan ? What are you doing here?" Brae came out, zipping up the jacket around her.

" I never left?" I straightened up.

" What does that mean? Were you here all night ?" Her eyebrows furrowed in an expression that she hoped to be wrong but she wasn't. I pressed my lips together and gave a small nod causing her eyes to widen.

" Evan , are you stupid or what? How can you spend the whole night here?" She stared at me like she was mortified. I circled my hands around her waist and caged her between me and the car.

" I am. I am stupidly in love with you." The rose tinge on her cheeks was prominent and she was trying hard not to smile.

" Evan, be serious." The smile threatening to fall on her lips.

" I am serious Bella, You were upset with me and I wanted to talk-" She cut me off.

" And I told you I didn't want to talk-" This time I cut her off.

" Then, you said you didn't want to talk last night but we can talk right now." She huffed looking like an annoyed kid.

" That doesn't clarify why you were here all night." She put her palms on my chest lightly.

" I wouldn't have been able to rest unless I persuade you to forgive me. So… I decided that I will spend the night here and the first thing in the morning will be speaking to you." I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

" I don't know what to do with you." She whispered looking deep into my eyes.

" You can do anything you want with me. I'm all yours but for starters, can you forgive me?" I don't know why we were whispering to each other in the middle of the empty street but whatever it was, it felt special.

She nodded at me before getting on her tippy toes and attaching her lips to mine.