At first, Xanthe had actually believed Barrington had changed–seeing how genuine he looked when he apologized.
But hearing him threaten her, she finally saw the truth for what it was–a narcissist man like him would always love no one but himself.
“I drugged you?” she scoffed. “Looks like you.”
u never bothered to check the flashdrive I gave
“Vionnet admitted it herself,” she revealed. “She was the one who drugged you back then. The woman you love the most–she’s the one who set everything up.”
Barrington’s eyes flew wide open, and he instinctively staggered back a few steps. “T–That’s impossible.”
“If you don’t believe me…” she replied, looking at him lazily like she was so done with the same shit. “Go home and check the security footage. It should explain everything to you.”
“But even if you find out now, what difference does it make?” She shrugged. “I heard Vionnet is pregnant with your child. Congratulations–I wish you both a long and happy life together.”
Watching Barrington reel from shock and regret, Xanthe felt a strange sense of
satisfaction.
She spinned her swivel chair, casually calling in her secretary. “Escort Mr. Connolly downstairs. And let the board know–from this day on, W Industries will never do business with BMC Global again.”
Zandra glanced at the two CEOs in surprise but followed orders without question. “I’ll show you out, Mr. Connolly.”
But Barrington wasn’t having it. In a heartbeat, he snapped out of his grief and frantically tried to plead his case.
“Xanthe, sure you hate me, but you should separate personal feelings from business. W Industries wants our tech–you can’t make decisions like this!”
Xanthe didn’t get angry. Instead, she let out a cold laugh, her voice laced with sarcasm as she began to explain everything.
“Tech? What tech does BMC Global even have?
“Don’t tell me you actually believe BMC Global made it this far because of you, Mr. Connolly.
“That company’s first major project came from Mr. Golloway. He’s a family friend. He saw me grow up–he only gave you that deal because of me.
“You think your office rent is cheap just by luck? I knew you couldn’t afford the full amount, so I asked an old friend to draft up a fake lease. You’ve only been paying 30%-the rest, I covered for you.
“And when BMC Global wanted to go public a while back–you thought that was your
effort? That a company like yours could succeed that easily?
“I went around calling in favors with all those relatives and family friends. They eased the requirements because of me.
“Back then, I was still trying to protect your fragile pride, so I kept quiet. But now I see- you’re completely delusional, Barrington.”
Barrington’s face grew darker by the second. Everything he’d once been so proud of–all his so–called achievements–had been thanks to Xanthe.
He looked both humiliated and furious. “If you did all that for me, why didn’t you ever tell me?”
Xanthe gave a faint, scornful chuckle. “What for? To me, all of that was just a few favors with my old folks. I don’t need to parade that around for credit. That’s not who I am.”
That lowered Barrington’s eyes as he realized that Vionnet was the complete opposite of Xanthe.
Every little thing Vionnet did for him, she made sure he knew–so he’d feel grateful.
His lips parted slightly, a touch of red rising in the corners of his eyes. “Xanthe, honey, you did so much for me. You loved me so much. Now that everything’s been cleared up, can’t we start over?”
He reached out, trying to pull her into an embrace. “I swear, from now on, I’ll only ever treat you right.”
But before he could touch her, Xanthe struck him–hard.
A crisp slap echoed through the room, and a red handprint bloomed across his face.
She took a step back, her voice threatening.
“I’ll press charges for sexual harassment next time you dare touch me, Mr. Connolly. Don’t forget–you’re in my company. In my city. Mess with me, and it won’t end well for you.”
Sat,
