Iris:
After all the chaos, I finally settled in, only for my babies, though. They didn't seem too worried or scared, so I stayed quiet, letting them believe it was a safe place. Even though I knew their father was incapable of keeping anyone safe.
The worst part was that I wouldn't just face this man at home anymore. I had to face him every day now, because we fucking worked together.
"I think someone who's famous on social media could do just as well," Walkin suggested. I tapped my fingers on the file, staring at it.
Since we had started working together and signed a contract, we were planning to do a small advertisement for our company. We were going to introduce it, set it on the market first, and we needed a model for that.
It was clear we were going to disagree, mainly because our ideas didn't align. They wanted heavy promotion but didn't realize that influencers often brought a lot of drama with them.
"How about we hire a popular runway model? Or someone who's been a black sheep in the modeling industry?" I suggested.
As soon as I spoke, I noticed Walkin smirk, almost as if he found my approach amusing.
"Why? Did I say something funny?" I questioned, clenching my fist under the desk.
He was sitting in my office. My mother had decided to stay home. I had cameras everywhere and was keeping an eye on her. Thankfully, she wasn't near my kids.
At the same time, I knew Kash wanted to enroll the kids at Pack's School. Honestly, it sounded like a good idea, it would keep them away from my mother for a while.
While Walkin and I were still discussing things, Kash stormed in without knocking.
"Please knock," I grunted.
He ignored me, dragged a chair next to Walkin, and sat down, making me roll my eyes.
"So, what's going on? Did you guys come up with a plan?" he questioned.
"We're kind of running into a disagreement," Walkin replied.
"And—" Kash turned to face me. He gave me a quick, judgmental look.
"Do you know anything about marketing?" he pressed, and I instantly knew where he was heading.
"I don't," I admitted.
But before I could say more, he raised his hand to silence me.
"Well then, what's the problem? If you don't know anything, why are you interfering?" His tone was sharp and demeaning.
I noticed that every time Kash spoke, his friend smirked. It was his way of showing support for his friend and his nonsense.
"Well, that's because, as stated in the contract, I will be a part of the discussion and final decision in almost everything," I replied simply before returning to the files.
I was so annoyed with him. So damn annoyed.
A little while later, Kash brought in a creative director who started sharing a few ideas he had in mind for the beginning and launch of our brand. We sat together, listening to everything, and honestly, I couldn't double down on my idea more.
As soon as he finished, Walkin let him know that we were having a disagreement about which model to cast. The man, probably in his early forties, introduced himself as Franz and smiled at me.
"I thought you were going to model it yourself. I mean, you have all the looks, the feel, the emotions. You're so beautiful," he said.
As soon as he started complimenting me, I began to feel nervous. I anxiously tucked my hair behind my ear, and I swear my cheeks turned rosy.
"Thank you, but no. I'm just— I'm just one of the owners of the company," I said with a shy smile.
"And she's also a mother of two and has a boyfriend," Kash added, completely ruining the moment.
I hadn't been complimented like that in years, so it felt amazing, but he had to ruin it because he was a fucking jealous ass. I glared at him for his response.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, but wow! a mother of two? You don't look it," Franz continued, and I gave him a shy smile.
Meanwhile, I noticed Kash shifting a lot in his seat.
"Okay, Franz, we'll meet again, and I'll let you know what we've decided, okay?" Kash spoke up, dismissing him.
Walkin stood up to walk the director out of the company, leaving Kash and me alone.
"You really like compliments, the attention of men, don't you?" Kash remarked, leaning back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other, and playing with the paperweight in his hand.
I got up from my chair, reaching for the files on the shelf. At the same time, I grunted at his comment.
"Well, it has nothing to do with you, so you don't need to worry about me," I snapped, almost pissed at what he was suggesting.
"I mean, I obviously have to be careful because you're the mother of my children. I wouldn't want anyone to taunt them for having a mother who loves men's attention," he continued, making my blood boil.
I turned around sharply and glared at him.
"You know what? The meeting's over. Why the hell are you still sitting here? Go back to your own office and bother someone else," I retorted.
I couldn't believe I was talking to him this way. Once upon a time, I used to kiss the ground he walked on, but I guess it was time I accepted that some people just don't deserve respect, and he was one of them.
"Well, fine then. But don't expect me to sit silently and watch you flirt around my office. This isn't how professionals behave," he hissed.
The moment he started walking, I moved toward my table too. But as he passed, he pushed an empty chair aside, which got in my way. Trying to avoid it, I stepped back too quickly, and my heel snapped. My ankle twisted, and my body tilted forward.
But I never hit the ground.
My fingers clutched the soft fabric of his coat, his sandalwood scent flooding my senses, and before I knew it, I was hanging in his arms in the most awkward way. One of my hands had even grabbed his tie.
For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I just stared at his face.
Then, as I started to collect my thoughts, I frowned. He was still staring, shamelessly keeping me suspended instead of helping me up.