Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Carmen couldn't forget what had happened.

She tried, but it was just so unexpected, awkward, and slightly embarrassing that the moment she reached her office, she couldn't help but think about her conversation with Eric.

She was happy that she had taken care of the situation like she was supposed to, but deep down, she felt... she didn't know what to call it. It just felt different. Maybe she felt bad for being so blunt, for turning him down and perhaps hurting him somehow.

Carmen hated the idea of hurting someone, not only physically but emotionally as well. The feeling just never sat right with her. It was her weakness and probably the biggest one. Sure, when her situation with Simon Walsh had escalated to the point where things became violent and dangerous, even she had to convince herself to resort to the same. But that was to protect herself from that man's ruthless intentions.

It was an exception.

That one incident couldn't possibly change who she was from the inside, could it?

Yes, she was more mindful and more alert now, but she was also the same Carmen who could walk over the burning coals for someone. She was still an empath to the core.

With a sigh, Carmen strode over to the desk and placed her hands on the flat of the table, her eyes taking in the neat surface and the clean room, trying to find something to anchor herself, to remind herself of the reasons she was there. The reason that was bigger than anything else right now—even bigger than her stupid emotions.

However, just when she thought she was stuck in the loop of never-ending thoughts, a knock arrived, and she jerked awake, lifting her gaze to see who it was.

"Come in," she spoke gently, pulling the back of the chair back and sitting on it.

Amy Everett, her loquacious assistant, walked into the room, her heels clicking gently behind her. "Good morning, ma'am."

Carmen smiled, although it never reached her eyes. "Good morning, Amy. What do you have for me today?"

Amy set a stack of papers neatly on Carmen's desk and began briefing her. "We've received the latest financial reports, and it seems that our projections for this quarter are slightly off track. Sales in the international market have slowed down, but the domestic market is performing well. The marketing team has some new strategies in mind to boost our international sales, and they'd like to schedule a meeting with you later today to discuss them."

Carmen nodded, her mind shifting gears to focus on the task at hand. "Alright. Arrange the meeting for this afternoon, and make sure to gather all the necessary data for me to review before we convene."

Amy jotted down a note on her tablet and continued, "Also, the HR department has compiled a list of potential candidates for the open positions in the marketing team. They'd like your input on the final selection."

Carmen leaned forward, showing a bit more enthusiasm—she had no other choice. "Great. Have them sent to me, and we can discuss them after the marketing meeting."

Amy left the office chamber after reminding Carmen of a few more tasks she needed to look over. But the moment she left, Carmen was back to feeling this hollow feeling in her stomach. Not wanting to feel that way the entire day, she grabbed her phone and dialled her best friend. Now, Molly was the only one who could save her from this freefall that was happening inside her.

Molly picked up in the second ring. "Hey, darling. What's up? Ready to take over the world, Ms CEO?"

Carmen couldn't help but scoff at the title, but she also couldn't deny that the cheerfulness and zeal in Molly's voice were already working their magic, drawing a smile on her face. "I just hope I'm not interrupting you. I do that a lot these days." she teased back, hoping she could see the blood rushing to Molly's face right about now.