Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning to my head splitting in two from a migraine. I groaned and pushed myself off the bed, dreading the work day ahead of me already. After that dinner with Killian and Kade, well, the train wreck I barely survived, I had headed home and forced myself to go to bed. Unfortunately for me, my mind kept me awake for hours on end, thinking of how I would be able to salvage the huge mess I had gotten myself into.

I sighed and wasted no time getting ready and soon enough I was at my workplace. Ferguson and Co. An accounting and litigation firm merged into one. We handled legal and financial matters. Recently I had gotten a promotion and now I was the managing director of the litigation team. The salary was decent but the work hours were gruelling.

Still, I walked into the building, ready to start the day and get my mind off those twins. But it seemed the universe was against it because my phone buzzed the second I stepped through the door. Without looking I was sure it would be Killian trying to apologize for last night. I ignored it and silenced my phone, taking the elevator ride to my floor in annoyance.

I got off, headed straight to my office and plopped down on my chair, tossing the phone on the desk. I ran a hand through my hair when it vibrated again. Then again. Then a call came through, the screen lighting up with an unknown number. I almost ignored it. Something made me answer.

"Hello?"

"You left."

I froze. Kade's voice echoed in my head, his voice making chills run up my spine.

I said nothing for a second, unsure of how to even play this when my mouth moved before my brain could process this.

"How did you get this number?"

A pause.

"I have my ways." He admitted shortly before moving on. "I just wanted to say sorry about last night. My brother and I have a complicated history."

"I noticed." I breathed out.

Another pause, longer this time. And then something I hadn't expected.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you came." His voice dropped just slightly, like he hadn't entirely meant to say it out loud.

I opened my mouth and closed it again.

"I do know you from somewhere, Mia Perez," he mentioned, his voice now serious.

The line went dead before I could respond.

I sat with the phone in my hand for another minute, the beating of my heart filling my ears. Killian was basically obsessed with me and Kade was now crawling under my skin in a way I hadn't accounted for, which is what I wanted in the first place but it was getting too messy. This was already so much more complicated than I planned.

"God, I need to focus." I muttered under my breath, silently praying that by the end of the day I could find a way to get Killian off my back and end up with Kade without causing a huge fallout.

I dropped my phone on the desk. I had to work.

•••••

About three hours had gone by before I got a knock on my door. I looked up from my files, pushed my reading glasses up my nose and spoke.

“Come in.”

My assistant, Madeline, popped her head in with a small smile.

“Good morning Ms. Perez. Mr. Bendel wants to see you in his office.”

“Is it urgent?” I asked, mentally rolling my eyes at the order of a man who was only above me in station because he was simply a man.

Madeline shrugged.

“I’m not sure.”

I sighed and took off my reading glasses, rising from my seat.

“All right. I’m coming.”

Madeline disappeared behind my door and I followed suit, taking the hallways to my superior’s office. Once I got to his door, I knocked and waited.

“Come in.” His voice sifted through.

I opened the door and walked in.

“Ah, Mia. Good to see you. I have great news.” He blurted out immediately he saw me.

I watched this heavy set man with already graying-brown hair and took a seat, seeming interested. Bendel was already grinning when I sat down, which was never a good sign.

“What is it?”

"The company has been bought out," he said, barely letting me settle down.

My stomach dropped.

"Wait, what?" I questioned, panic surging through me, my mind wondering about the layoffs that would happen when we were under new management. Would I lose my job?

"Don't fret. We're all keeping our jobs. Courtesy of the new shareholders or should I call them CEO's now?" Bendel added, muttering the last part to himself.

I exhaled but the unease didn't fully leave. I leaned forward, interlocking my fingers.

"Who bought the company? They would have to have at least 700 million just to open that conversation. And I'm a managing director, how did I not hear a single word about the shareholders wanting to sell?"

"It happened impromptu. The buyers came in this morning, we held an executive meeting…"

"Which I was not a part of," I added, frowning so he would know I was pissed. Bendel tugged at his collar, gave me a look of apology and continued.

“We ended up selling the company for 2 billion dollars.” He finished, beaming like a child at the fair.

I scoffed. The price was outrageous. The company would be listed for at most 900 million and that’s if I was being generous. So why spend double the money for a place like this?

“Regardless, we are under new management soon and I would like it if you got acquainted with the new heads of the company.”

I sighed and finally gave in. There was not much I could do at this point. I just had to accept it. I leaned back in my seat and asked, “Very well. Who are they?”

"Oh, here they are actually." Bendel's eyes lifted to somewhere behind me and he smiled, rising to his feet.

I heard the door open with two sets of footsteps trailing into the office.

At his words I got off my feet and turned around with a smile, ready to greet my new bosses but as soon as my eyes landed on them, my heart dropped. Standing before me with a smile and a smirk were the two men that I was not willing to see again anytime soon.

"Mia, meet the Carter brothers. Our new CEO's." Bendel's voice reached me from somewhere far away.

Neither of them moved for a moment. Then Killian stepped forward first, hand outstretched, smile widening.

"Ms. Perez." His voice was smooth. Delighted, even.

Kade followed, extending his hand beside his brother's. His expression was harder to read but his eyes weren't. They were steady on mine in that particular way he had, the way that made it feel like he was waiting for me to confirm something he already knew.

"It's nice to finally see you again." They said it together, and I wasn't sure if they had planned that or if years of being the same person had just made it happen naturally. Either way, it creeped me out.

I stood there with both their hands in the air between us and absolutely nowhere to go. Of all the places they had to buy out, it had to be mine. Of course it did.

I bit the inside of my cheek, smiled with everything I had, and shook both their hands.

I was so completely screwed.