Chapter 814

Nikolas remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the scene playing out before him.

He noticed Alexander lingering long after the meeting had adjourned, clearly waiting for his moment.

Rather than leave with the others,. Alexander approached Daniela, wearing what he assumed was an irresistible smile.

"Daniela, what a surprise. I didn't expect our reunion to happen through a business meeting," Alexander said, tugging at the sleeve of his tailored suit-a choice clearly styled by Hamilton's assistant down to the last cufflink.

Confidence radiated off him as he leaned in slightly,hoping to catch her eye and charm his way into familiarity.

Daniela lifted her head for a second, giving him a glance devoid of any real interest. "The meeting is over. If you're still here, I assume there's a reason?"

Alexander faltered, thrown off by her clipped tone."Well, I was hoping you'd join me for lunch."

With a lazy shift in her posture, Daniela leaned back in her chair. A small, knowing smile tugged at her lips. "You're not in high school. Don't tell me you're still that bad at reading the room."

Nikolas watched as Alexander's confident grin cracked into something more uncertain.

Without waiting for a response, Daniela began straightening the scattered documents in front of her, giving no indication that his discomfort mattered in the slightest. "Do you honestly think this partnership happened because of you? If it weren't for the McCoy family pulling strings, you wouldn't even be standing in this room, let alone talking to me." Her expression was stunning, bright enough to disarm most men, but her words came with a bite sharp enough to cut through bone. "I have no interest in exchanging pleasantries with you. And I suggest you don't entertain any expectations from me beyond work. If you don't, you're going to make yourself look foolish. If I were in your shoes, I'd keep things strictly professional and avoid the lunch invitations. Want to know why?"

A wicked smile curled at the corner of her mouth,full of amusement at his expense.

Nikolas felt secondhand humiliation wash over him. lf he'd been the one standing across from Daniela,he'd have sprinted out by now.

Inside the room, Alexander stood frozen in place.

His pride urged him to walk away, but something about her-the poise, the brilliance, the sheer force of her presence-held him captive.

His legs refused to move. He remained frozen in place, his eyes fixed on her beautiful face. So much time had passed since he had last stood this close to Daniela.

The ache of missing her had become a dull, constant presence. Worse than that was the way he despised himself for still feeling it.

Without softening her gaze, Daniela met his eyes for a fleetingsecond, then delivered her words like a blade. "My time comes with a price tag in the thousands-per minute. Can you say the same? Be honest. Do you even make a hundred dollars a minute? Why should I waste my time entertaining you?"

She didn't let up. "You walk around with this smug idea that you're important to me because | used to chase after you. Let me correct that. I only ever thought you were the boy from my past. And even that turned out to be wrong. Without that illusion,there's absolutely nothing about you that draws me in. Alexander, I've been meaning to say this for years.The warmth I once gave you? It wasn't real. I mistook you for someone else. I never loved you. I never even liked you."

Alexander swayed slightly, as though her words had weight enough to knock him off his feet.

But she wasn't done. Rising to her full height, Daniela kept her dazzling smile intact. "You ever wonder why we never got intimate?"

A low, humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "It's not because I'm some untouchable angel. I have desires like anyone else. The truth is-I've just never wanted you.Not once."

Her eyes moved slowly over him,leaving no doubt as to what she saw. "You're not just uninteresting. You repulse me. So do us both a favor-stick to business and stop dreaming up anything beyond that. It's never going to happen."

Turning on her heel, Daniela strode out of the room with all the finality of a door slamming shut.

Just outside, she passed Nikolas, who stood frozen in place. She didn't stop. Didn't speak. Didn't acknowledge him at all.

Although Daniela's words were directed at Alexander,that didn't stop Nikolas from feeling the sting. He felt a sharp, sinking shame-not just for Alexander, but for himself as well.

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that Daniela hadn't only dismissed Alexander. Her words carried the weight of a rejection that seemed to reach him too.

The sting of it was so overwhelming that Nikolas caught himself wishing the floor would crack open and put him out of his misery.