Song - Hurt people , hurt people by The Script.
Hurt people, they hurt people
Is it ever gonna stop?
Hurt people, they hurt people
So give me everything you've got ...
~~
Logan's POV
Fucking Jake Hartley.
I am going to kill him.
This time he had crossed the fucking line . How dare he put his hands on my woman ? How dare he touch her in the way that he did ? How dare he out his lips on her and propose to her ? Who the fuck gave him that fucking audacity ? He doesn't get to mess with me and get away with it. Not when it comes to my woman. Not this time . And Emma...fuck. How could she let him do all of that ? I knew this or something more sinister was Jake's plan all along .
I had every reason to be insecure about her and Jake because his advances towards her were clear as day. He wanted her . He has always wanted her . Now I know that he was never okay with Emma and I being in a relationship again (even though that was an open secret) , what he did last night was take matters into his own hands .
Just the memory of the image of him kissing Emma made bile rise up in my throat. I was fucking infuriated right now . I told Emma that Jake was a problem but she never saw it that way. She always thought I was being unnecessarily insecure . From what I know , she and Jake had fallen out a couple of times and he had managed to swindle his way into her life again and she accepted him back. I'm all for forgiving people and giving them second chances but her being 'just friends' with Jake directly conflicted with our relationship. The fact that she couldn't see that maddens me .If only she had just stayed home like I suggested or at least put some fucking defined boundaries between her and Jake , none if this would have happened.
As for Jake Hartley, he was definitely going insane and I was going to reset his brain and bring him back to his senses .
" Don't do anything drastic, just back to the office and we'll figure out a way to tackle of all of this." Rachael said .
I was heading to Ross Mobile and she had been trying to pacify me for the past five minutes that I had been on a call with her but it wasn't working .
" This is a fucking mess, Rachael. It's a big fucking mess !" I told her . " This scandal has spread over the whole of America and maybe the other six fucking continents in the world . Do you know what everyone is saying ? They're all saying I'm the dumbass boyfriend who didn't know he was getting cheated on."
I was swiping at some blogs and their headlines were just outrageous. Some said that Jake , Emma and I were in a threesome. Other claimed that Emma and I were in an open relationship, others made me up to be some love struck man that knew his girlfriend was cheating in him but let her because of how in love I was with her . In the comments , some sympathized with me while and bashed Emma , calling her all sorts of names while others blamed me . This was all too messy.
" I understand how mad you are and you have every right to be but I have already contacted Mrs Priestly. She'll know the best way to tackle the situation ." Rachael replied.
Miss Priestly is my publicist and a fucking great one at that . She was a master strategist who could make you see even the darkest shade of blue as white . Rachael wasn't wrong when she said that Miss Priestly would know the best way to tackle this situation but that's the problem. With everything going on like Calvin's murder and making sure that Collin and Hugh do not go back on their word , (because Collin's stance still seemed fluctuant ) , the last thing I needed right now was a scandal as huge as this one . A scandal like this would require a thorough clean up process.
" I think logging out of your social media to avoid seeing those pictures and videos would do you good." Rachael continued but as she spoke, the next video that played on my phone was the one of Jake Harley proposing to Emma. He had the stupidest smile on his face but the emotion his eyes held were unmistakable. He was fucking in love with Emma and he couldn't even hide it if he tried to. It pained me that Emma just stood there staring at him when she could have fucking called him out on his bullshit.
He was about to take her fingers and slip the ring on and that's where I lost it . My eyesight was blurry to a point that I was only seeing red.
" Wallace, turn the car around ."
" Yes sir." He replied, turning the steering wheel almost immediately. My kids were home today because the summer holidays had begun so Wallace was driving me .
" Logan, stop. You'll only make things worse if you go over to Alpha virtual." Rachael said. " You could blow things out of proportion and dent your image. Just come back to the office - please."
I honestly wanted to go over to Alpha virtual and teach Jake how to keep his fucking hands off my woman but unfortunately for me, Rachael had a point. I breathed in to repress the boiling anger I was feeling.
" Let's go to Ross Mobile ." I told Wallace.
The moment I walked into Ross Mobile, Rachael met me in the lobby.
" Wow , you look like you haven't slept in days." Rachael pointed out, judging from my eye bags.
" That's because I haven't."
" I'm sorry about that and sorry for everything that's happening. Mrs Priestly will be here soon."
" How soon ?" I asked Rachael as I noticed the eyes of my staff looking at me apprehensively and turning away like I would yell at them any minute . I was on the verge of doing that anyway . They had definitely heard the scandalous gist but that doesn't mean they should stare at me instead of doing what I fucking pay them for.
" She'll be here by eleven ." Rachael replied as she managed to get into the elevator with me before the doors closed. I usually speed walked when I was angry and that was to her disadvantage.
I turned to her, my displeasure clearly written on my face , I was sure. " Eleven is too far away."
" Eleven is only forty minutes away. Besides, she just has a little emergency to deal with."
" I'm her highest paying client, I should be her number one priority or else get me another publicist right now."
Rachael looked at me like I had just said the most absurd thing. " I can't get you another publicist . Mrs Priestly is the best publicist in New York."
The elevator doors open and I walked out .
" Fine." I grunted.
" In other news, Mr Gray sent an invite for you. He's having a birthday and recovery party tomorrow at his house." Rachael said.
" Great." I replied non-chalantly.
When I finally got to my office, I sat down and spun my seat around to face my tall glass windows. Maybe taking in the beautiful scenery of New York would help calm my nerves.
I stared at it for some minutes but it didn't do anything to help. If anything, the light emanating from the sun was making the throbbing in my head worse.
I spun my chair around again and met with Rachael who was still standing there, staring at me worriedly.
" I have a headache. Please get me some aspirin."
" Alright. I think I should have some in my purse." She said as she left my office.
Seconds later, she came back with two tablets and a glass of water in her hands.
I took the tablets and glass from her , throwing them down my throat and gulping the water.
" Thanks." I told her gratefully as I set the almost empty glass on my table.
She picked up the glass and sighed. " Look Logan , and I'm not just about to speak to you as your personal assistant but as your friend. I know you didn't get the Armstrong brothers to come to an agreement and you're pretty stressed about that but the issue on ground is a delicate one. You have to thread carefully. If Jake Hartley could pull off a scandal as big as this then who knows what else he's capable of ?"
" He doesn't know what I'm capable of." I looked up at her. " I dealt with him and his father once and I can do it again."
" I know that you're capable of a lot of things but right now, he has the upper hand , so you have to be smart . Have you even considered the fact that this could be his revenge for what you did to his father ? You did send his father to jail and made them lose a billion dollar company."
I paused to reflect on Rachael's words. Jake Hartley holding a grudge against me ? That was very likely. The fact that this whole charade was his attempt at revenge was also very likely . It sounded like the perfect explanation as to why he did all that he did last night. I knew that Jake wasn't to be trusted even though he had called a truce. Unfortunately, Emma had let herself be used by him one too many times. He had been planning this all along. Maybe, he wasn't even done yet. Maybe , this was just the beginning.
" I think you're right." I finally admitted to Rachael.
" It all makes sense now."
" I'm glad you're seeing things from my perspective now. That's exactly why you have to handle this carefully. It looks like Jake Hartley is more complex than we thought."
With the insight Rachael just gave me, I began to wonder if Jake Hartley was more dangerous than I thought. Not just with his ability to manipulate the media but the chance of him being a physical threat to me or my family. The conversation I had with Detective James few days ago crossed my mind and I wondered of Jake had anything to do with Calvin's death. Could there be even a tiny chance that they knew each other ? No , I crossed that possibility out, although not completely. I would have to mention my thoughts on the matter to the detective, the next time we meet.
" Fine. I'll wait for Mrs Priestly." I sighed.
" Much better ." Rachael smiled satisfactorily.
" Now you're going to pay me for being both your best friend, personal assistant and voice of reasoning." She replied.
" Remind me to add that to your paycheck this month ." I teased.
" Will do." She chuckled.
She was about to leave , then she turned back. " Do you really think Emma cheated on you though ?"
I stared into space thoughtfully. I did trust Emma. I trusted her a lot. Jake was who I didn't trust . Since we started dating, I never had a reason to believe that Emma was cheating on me . But then again , when I was with Amy , If anyone had told me that she would cheat on me to the point of having a child with another man , I would have called bullshit immediately. That's how much I trusted her. I know that Emma and Amy are definitely not the same person and she hasn't given me any reason to doubt her love for me. Still, her relationship with Jake made me jealous , especially since I knew what he felt towards her.
Thinking about it now, I didn't know why I insinuated that she actually cheated on me with him back at her office. She made it clear that she didn't have any feelings for Jake and the both of them together would never be a possibility. I guess I was just too angry that she ignored my warnings about Jake and it all led to this scandal. Seeing him kiss her and touch her the way that he did, made me go crazy. I can't believe I actually thought for a moment that Emma would cheat on me.
" Logan ?" I heard Rachael's voice and it brought me back to reality.
" No. I don't think Emma cheated on me." I told her.
" Me too." She replied . " I didn't even know Jake Hartley had a thing for her. Now that's what surprised me the most."
" Oh, he does alright. He's been trying to get his grubby hands on her for the longest time. I knew something like this would happen and I told Emma but she thought I was being too cynical."
" Maybe you were coming on too strong ." Rachael said .
I frowned. " Coming on too strong ? I'm her boyfriend and most importantly, I'm a man. I'm sure I'm well enough to know how another man behaves when he wants a girl and Jake played all those cards."
" I understand you perfectly." She agreed . " You had a right to feel insecure but maybe Emma and Jake had a special bond that she didn't want to let go off. You said, they knew each other in high school. She tutored him or something ?"
I looked at her for a moment but I didn't see her . All I can picture was that video of Jake saying he and Emma were 'good friends' as he slid his hands down her waist and tightened his grip . This happened on the red carpet of his show and the Instagram page I saw it on made sure to zoom Jake's every hand gesture in the video and the caption read , ' When she says we're just besties." My jaw ticked. " Yes, they we're friends."
" He said they were 'good friends'." Rachael corrected me. " You know what good friends are ? Friends that almost dated but didn't get the chance to. I don't think Emma cheated on you with Jake but they had a special bond that was probably hard for her to let go off. You should be more understanding."
" Really ? I should be more understanding ? Do you see the mess that fucker made ? Rachael all I've been is understanding. I never obstructed Emma's friendship with Jake because she's her own person and I can't tell her who or not to be friends with but her being friends with him is what led to all of this."
Jake Hartley could never get over the fact that Emma didn't want him , even after their New Year rendezvous , ( yes Emma told me all about it). After that kiss they shared , he definitely thought something more would bloom between them but Emma said she wasn't ready. Of course said he would wait , like all men in love do and he did just that. Then he went ahead and kept showing her attention, bring her flowers and they went to lunch almost every afternoon but he probably saw those lunch break rendezvous as 'dates.'
When Emma and I got back together, he couldn't take it. He probably did everything in his power to stop her from being with me again but he did it subtly. Of course he didn't want to fall out with her but he couldn't hold his true feelings in for so long. He probably burst and Emma cut him off. He's angry, mad that I 'stole' Emma from him and he decided to get back in Emma's good books by showing up with those god forsaken flowers that night and apologizing to her. Emma as the kind hearted person as she was forgave him and he used the opportunity to carry out his perfectly planned revenge.
I had to give it to him for pulling this one off. Only a pyscho could pull a scandal as perfectly planned as this one.
" I just think you might have been too hard on her . I don't think Emma would have cheated on you, at least not on purpose but people change, who knows ? Just settle your issues with her amicably and wait till Mrs Priestly comes in today before you make any bad decisions."
I glared at her. " You can leave now , Rachael thank you for your help."
She looked offended that I told her to leave but she left anyway.
When I was alone, I let out a huge sigh as I ran my hands through my hair. Today was not what I expected it to be at all. I thought about the words Rachael said and I thought about Emma. I knew that I hurt her with the words I said and I didn't listen to her but I was mad at the things I saw on the Internet. They looked too real and too convincing.
However, I know that images can be doctored and videos can be edited to make things appear differently than what they are . I also know that is not the first time something like this is happening to us . When Emma and I were newly in a relationship, someone released very personal videos of us and made some mean and derogatory things about Emma. I thought we would never be able to recover from an attack like that but we did and even came back stronger -well , that was until I fucked it up again.
Maybe I shouldn't have been too harsh with Emma. What was happening was more of Jake's fault than hers. I knew she was surprised at the way I reacted back at her office but the news was overwhelming for me. I picked up my phone and debated on whether to call her or not. After the heated argument we had in her office , I didn't know if she was ready to hear from me. Still, I dialed her number .
The phone rang for a couple of minutes but she didn't answer. I was about to dial her number again when the landline on my desk started to ring. I placed my cellphone on the desk and picked up the landline.
" Hi Logan , Mrs Priestly is here and she's heading to your office right now." Nancy told me from the reception.
" Alright." I told her . I would head to Gray Enterprises later today to see Emma. Hopefully, she'll want to speak to me.
In less than ten minutes, I heard a knock on my door before Mrs Priestly used the key card to unlock the door .
" Logan !" She said with a bright smile as she walked in. Unfortunately , I was unable to return the smile because I just wasn't in the mood to move my facial muscles .
" Mrs Priestly." I said as I extended my hands and she shook hands with me . She was about my age , with short wavy blonde hair that stopped right above her shoulders. One thing I did like about her was how she was always corporately dressed . She exuded professionalism and class not only in her dressing
" Please sit." I gestured to the chair opposite me.
" Thank you." She said as she made herself comfortable and placed her bag on the empty chair beside her.
" So, I hear there's fire on the mountain."
" Apparently so."
" Not to worry. You know I specialize in putting fires out." She gave me an assuring smile.
" What do you propose ?"
" Let's start with what we know then we'll move on to what we'll do ." She responded.
" Very well then."
~~
Emma's POV
The day moved on in a blur .
Somehow, I was still stunned at how things escalated between Logan and I this morning. I did expect him to be angry. I just didn't expect him to speak harshly the way he did to me. He not only blamed me for all that Jake has done but he insinuated that I might have actually cheated on him with Jake. I still wonder if he truly believed that I did. After all we've been through together, after how much I've shown him that I love him and only him , I can't believe a thought that I might have actually cheated on him could cross his mind.
I was appalled by his imputation. I was appalled by everything that happened this morning. I was appalled by Logan. Yes , I bore some fault with regards to Jake but everything I did, I did innocently. How Logan spoke to me and the things he said have shown me that I probably thought too highly of our relationship. Maybe our foundation wasn't as solid as I thought. Maybe, we had no foundation at all.
I dragged myself out of the board meeting that just concluded and as I passed Penny's office , I saw a familiar head of hair sitting opposite her. She stood up the moment she saw me, her face full of tension.
" Um, Emma, Jake Hartley is here to see you ."
My heart started beating fast the moment she said that. Not in a nervous kind of way but in a ' what the hell is he doing here ?' way . I had already resigned that I wouldn't go to Jake's office anymore because thinking about it, that would only make matters worse. The paparazzi would gladly love to spin the narrative if they spotted me even remotely near the vicinity of Alphavirtual, which makes it more concerning that Jake came here to mine.
The moment he stood up and turned to me, I felt anger wash over me. I wanted to walk up to him and give him a dirty slap but I restrained myself. The last thing I wanted was to create a scene.
" What are you doing here ?" I asked him with a straight face. If eyes could kill, Jake would be long gone by now. " You came to finish what you started ?"
" I came to see you." He responded.
The nerve of this man.
I turned to Penny with a straight face. " Show him out and don't let him back in."
" Emma please, just hear me out." He pleaded.
" Hear you out ? Oh my God, you have the audacity to come in here and ask that I hear you out ? What do you want to say ? Huh ?" I was aware that the tone of my voice had increased considerably but I just couldn't help it. Jake had caused probably the biggest scandal of my life and career and he had the freaking nerve to still ask favors from me.
In that moment, Sierra walked towards us. She looked from me to Jake . " What's he doing here ?"
" He was just leaving." I told her .
" Better , because I'm tempted to bitch slap him right now." She replied as she folded her arms and shot daggers at him with her eyes.
Me too , Si, me too.
Jake glared at her and she moved closer to him.
" What ? You want to say something?" She asked him daringly . " That was fucking messed up thing you did , Jake. So messed up. You need to get checked in a psychiatric ward ."
Jake sighed, ignoring Sierra. " Emma could you just give me five minutes of your time ? I promise I'll leave right after ."
" Boy get away from her before I get my taser." Sierra responded on my behalf. She turned to me. " Emma, you want me to get my taser ?"
Yes.
" No, that won't be necessary." I replied.
I noticed people started coming out of the elevator and they looked over to us . I noticed their eyes and whispers when they saw Jake.
" Five minutes." I told Jake . It was only because I wanted to tell him to end this whole nightmare and I couldn't do that with prying eyes around. It would only make things worse.
Sierra frowned. " You're letting the crazy person into your office ?"
" Only for a few minutes." I told her .
" Fine but if you do something to make her uncomfortable, I will tase you till you taste like fried chicken, you get that ?!" She threatened Jake.
He didn't say anything but he looked a little scared. This is why I love Sierra.
" I'll stay out here with Penny, just to make sure." Sierra added.
" Thank you, Si." I told her as I opened the door to my office and Jake followed me behind.
Once we were in my office , I kept as much distance as I could away from Jake. At this point , I was both infuriated and scared of him. His actions reminded me of Calvin and there was no doubt this kind of person may try to hurt me. Luckily, I had a couple of vases in my office and Sierra and Penny were right outside my office incase Jake wanted to try anything.
" Emma, I'm..."
" Save your apologies." I raised my hand to cut him off because I knew where this was going and right now , I didn't need his crappy apology. " All I want is for you to go on your social media accounts or set up an interview with the ' Good morning show', Steve Harvey or whoever and let them know that everything you said last night was a lie."
He stared at me for a moment , his eyes drifted to the floor seconds later. " I can't."
" You can't ?" I repeated . " What do you mean you can't ?"
" I mean that I can't take back any of the things I said last night , Emma." He looked up at me. I saw remorse in his eyes but I knew it was fake. Everything about him was fake. My friendship with him, the thought that he cared about me, all fake.
I pointed a shaky finger at him. " You're crazy ."
" I know I hurt you, but..." He started to come closer to me.
" Don't you dare come any closer." I warned him.
" Stay back."
I hated how shaky my voice sounded. When predators smell fear, it strengthens them . But at this point , I didn't know who Jake was anymore. Maybe I never really knew who he was . He had probably put up a façade just like Calvin did and I fell for it.
He stopped moving but my heart didn't stop palpitating.
His face twisted and he did a very good job of pretending he was hurt . " Are you scared of me now ? Emma , I would never hurt you. I would never lay a finger on you."
" You're a fucking liar Jake , so guess what ? I don't believe you ." I laughed dryly , convinced that I would soon go crazy . " You would never hurt me ? That's exactly what you've done. Jake you freaking kissed me in front of the whole world and you proposed ? What the hell was that for ?!"
" I'm sorry for doing all of that, Emma, I truly am. " He ran his hands through his hair. " You don't understand..."
" What do I need to understand Jake ? I already understand everything I need to know. You're obsessed with me. Hell, maybe you've been stalking me and doing other weird shit all this time and I didn't know. You've been pretending to be my friend !"
" Emma..."
" Stop calling my name! Do you know what the tabloids and magazines are saying about me ? Everyone has branded me a cheat since you made them believe that we've been having an affair. Logan is so mad at me and maybe he believes that you and I were actually a thing ."
" Then that's all on Logan ." Jake replied fiercely.
" Logan isn't a saint Emma. He doesn't even trust that you didn't cheat on him, what does that say about your relationship ?"
I refused to allow Jake be right, even though he was leaning towards that area.
" Stop talking about Logan for Pete's sake ! You're far worse than the devil right now." I spat at him . " I can't believe I trusted you. I can't believe I called you my friend. Jake, I cared for you." I felt my throat tighten . It was a sign that tears were about to unleash but I braced myself. " And I thought you cared about me ?"
" I do care about you, more than you can imagine and that's why it pains me that you're hurt."
It pains him that I'm hurt ? God , I've been dealing with a lunatic all these time and I didn't know it.
" Shut up! Just shut up! You deceived me into thinking that we could just be friends and God , I was such a fool to believe that we could at least have a civil relationship. You're ruining my life , Jake, please just make everything stop." I was resorting to begging him now because maybe that's the only way I'll let him know how all of this is affecting me and will continue to affect me. " Tell people the truth. Please. If you care about me and you don't want to see me hurting like you said then you'll tell the truth about you and me."
I wanted to believe that somehow he would come to his senses and tell me that everything he said and did last night was just a prank, I knew deep down in my heart that he wouldn't . I could tell by the way he shook his head slowly.
" I told you, I can't do that."
I blinked hard to stop the tears from falling . With blurry vision, I stared at him but I couldn't find the Jake that I was in love with in High school. I couldn't find the Jake that I had become friends with while I tutored him. I couldn't find the Jake that I was happy to reconnect with , the Jake that was there for me while my life was going to shit last year , the Jake that told funny jokes and the person I had movie nights and lunches with . The person standing in front of me was a monster who had betrayed my trust and my friendship. Right here and now, I knew that I would never have anything to do with him again.
" Get out of my office." The words came out slowly and painfully. " Delete my number. Delete every memory of me. I never want to see you anywhere near me again. If you ever try to contact me or visit me here or at my house, I will call the cops on you and file a restraining order against you. It has taken you showing me your true colors to do what I should have done a long time ago . I guess I deserve all of this. We're done ."
He opened his mouth to speak but I didn't hear any words. He looked like he was finding it hard to believe what I had just said .
" Emma, you don't mean that. Look , I know that you have every right to be angry but we've come a long way . I'm..."
" Get out !" I yelled at him. " Get out now !"
He stepped back in surprise but he looked like he wasn't going to be deterred easily so before he said anything, I grabbed the landline on my desk and began to call security.
" Yes , hello ? Could you please come up to my office and escort..."
" That won't be necessary. I'll leave." Jake held his hand up to stop me .
Even though I would have loved to see the security personnels escort Jake out , I paid him my last respect by dropping the phone back on the island.
" I'm sorry once again. I won't bother you again." Jake replied as he turned around to leave . He opened the door and to my surprise, Sierra was standing outside with a taser in her hands.
" I heard you yell so I rushed to get my taser . Do I need to use it ?" She looked at Jake in a menacing manner .
" No , it's fine." I told her .
" I was just leaving." Jake said as he turned back and held my gaze one last time. I glared at him defiantly and with one shake of his head, he walked out.
" Good riddance." Sierra said to his hearing before she came into my office and closed the door behind her.
She finally brought the taser down . " I'm guessing he refused to come clean and retract his statements ?"
I nodded , unable to bring myself to speak. I was too angry and whenever I was super angry like this , I always resorted to crying.
" Hey, it's okay hun." She said sadly as she hugged me . " He's an asshole and it's good he finally showed his true colors. I spoke to Killian and we agreed that he'll give the company's publicist a call. Mr Armani deals with stuff like this. He'll know how to handle this."
" Thanks Si." I sniffed as tears ran down my eyes. I had never been more grateful that I had a friend at Gray Enterprises like I did right now.
My door suddenly swung open and Penny rushed in with an anxious expression on her face . " Emma , Sierra you have to come see this !"
" What's going on ?" I asked her as Sierra and I pulled away from each other.
" Mr Ross and Mr Hartley are fighting in the hallway ."
Shit.
~~
Logan's POV
After the meeting with Mrs Priestly, I was assured of the ways that this 'situation' could handled. Consequently, my anger had reduced to almost the bare minimum. I got through the meetings and other things I had to do in the day and when it was time for lunch, I decided to go and see Emma at Gray Enterprises. I wanted to apologize for how I spoke to her this morning. I really came out harsher than I intended and I needed to let her know.
The elevator stopped at her floor and the doors open. As I walked towards her office , my eyes met with the bastard that had caused everything and from the look of things, he was coming out of her office.
What the actual fuck ?
The anger I was feeling earlier this morning immediately came back. This bastard had the audacity to walk to grounds of Gray Enterprises to see Emma after everything he had done ? The fucking nerve of him. This was the height of it all.
We both met at the middle of the hallway he looked surprised to see me.
" You don't know when to stop , do you ?" I asked him.
" Logan Ross. What are the odds, that I'd meet you here ?" He replied with a smirk.
I chuckled dryly, darting my tongue out to wet my lips . I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face with my fist. My patience was running thin and I didn't know how long I had left till I was going to lose it .
" What the fuck were you doing in there ?" I questioned him , pointing to the door of Emma's office.
" That's none of your business." He replied defiantly.
My fist tingled as I turned around , debating on whether I should listen to Rachael or give Jake the beating of his life .
" Look Logan..."
He didn't finish before I turned around and collided my fist with his jaw . He stumbled back in surprise as his hands touched his jaw. I guess the latter seemed more appealing to me. Sorry , Rachael.
His eyes brows drew together as he looked at me with spite " You fucking luna..."
I didn't let him finish before I pulled him by the collar and punched him again across his lips. I almost smirked seeing his lips bust open. This fucker didn't know that I had no time for talking .
" You had the guts to kiss my girlfriend ? To propose to her ? To even touch her inappropriately. Are you fucking crazy ?!" I raged.
He touched his lips this time and felt the blood covering the spot. From the look on his face , I could tell I had really struck a nerve . Yes , this was what I wanted. He should show me what he's got , man to man.
" You asshole !" He yelled as he lurched towards me and I swerved to the right. He hit the shelf behind him instead, causing him to fall back inside of one the cubicles around. The guy that owned the desk, quickly stood up, going far away from the scene. I watched as the others pulled their seats out of their cubicles to watch the show down with interest.
He was really disappointing me. With all the fitness training he does, you'd think he would be a fit opponent.
In that moment, Penny , Emma's receptionist showed up to the scene. She looked terrified.
" Oh my God, Mr Hartley and Mr Ross, please stop!"
" You're a weak man and what you did last night tells it all." I spat out the words to Jake, ignoring her.
" You think you can have Emma by manipulating her and making the whole world believe your lies ? If you think you've won , think again. You've only succeeded in making yourself a fool and you have lost Emma forever."
" I made a fool of myself ? What do you think you're doing right now ? You don't deserve her either and she'll see through you too." Jake retorted defyingly. A smirk appeared on his lips. " You think she'll be happy that you're doing this? She said you're mad at her and that means you and her probably got into a huge fight about me. The problem isn't me , Logan. You don't trust her. Pretty sure she'll prefer me to you at this point."
Emma and Jake just had a conversation ? She was still talking to him after everything he's done ?
What he said struck a nerve . His words stung because they held some truth to them.
" You shut up about Emma. Keep her name out of your fucking mouth."
But he didn't stop.
" Do you know what I enjoyed most about kissing her ?" He asked as his smirk became mischievous.
" The taste of her cherry blossom lip gloss on my tongue."
My adam apple bobbed and an alarm went off in my head as my chest tightened in anger. I rushed to Jake and when I was about to swing, he managed to dodge my fist and punched me on my stomach. I grunted in pain, anger refueling in me as I grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed him against the glass walls . I punched him across his face and aimed for his nose and I just kept going at it while Penny fled the scene.
From my peripheral vision ? I saw some of the employees were peaking were already making videos with their phones while others were scrambling to get away from the scene.
" Both of you , stop !" I heard Emma's voice and noticed she was standing beside a frantic looking Sierra.
" Logan leave him alone !" She yelled.
With my brief distraction , Jake somehow managed to push me and I slipped, landing on the floor. The coward used the opportunity to get in a few punches but I toppled him almost immediately, punching him severally across his face. He tried to fight me off but gradually became weak and I had no greater joy when I saw the blood running from his nose and mouth.
" Stop making videos !" Sierra yelled at everyone else .
" What the fuck is going on ?" I heard Killian's voice. Someone must have alerted him about the brawl going on between Jake and I . " Someone call security!"
I didn't realize when I was pulled off by two strong arms on my shoulders. I realized that they were security guards and I fought them to get them off me. It was only after a moment that I realized where I was and who I was.
It was only then that they took they released me and I smoothed my suit and gave them angry glares to back away from me. I didn't mind taking two of them at the same time. I had engaged in enough boxing lessons to know how to take down two opponents at the same time .
Around me, I saw apprehensive eyes watching me from my semi - blurry vision. I couldn't care less about what they thought of me right now. I had every right to be angry and Jake deserved the beatings he got. It satisfied me seeing him like this, even though it had not taken away all the anger I was feeling. Emma had entertained him- again.
My eyes returned back to him as he scrambled up from the floor, exhaling loudly . " You stay the fuck away from my girlfriend." I warned , pointing at him.
My eyes met Emma's and she was staring at me in horror. I didn't know if she was scared of me right now . I knew I didn't have to chance to ask her . Not right now at least.
Killian turned to the security guards . " Please escort Mr Ross and whoever that is out of the building." Of course Killian didn't know who Jake was since he wasn't familiar with the business world . He turned back to the small crowd that had formed . " The rest of you , delete whatever videos you've made of what just happened. My father won't be happy to know that it was one of his employees who gave out vital information to portray the company in a negative light."
" Emma..." I began. I didn't even know what I wanted to say to her . I doubt I could get any words out in between my hard breathing.
She cut me off. " Please leave. Both of you."
" Look what your perfect boyfriend did to me." Jake pointed at his bruised face. I looked at him , quite satisfied with his new facial structure. " Hope you'll be happy with him." Jake said before storming into the elevator.
" Mr Ross, I think..." One of the guards started before I shot him a glare and he shut up. I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was my cue to leave.
I walked out of the building, aware of all the eyes and whispers that followed me through out the hallways and lobby. It was only when I entered the car outside and checked the rear mirror that I saw a tiny cut on my cheek and a bruise on my forehead . I smirked at my reflection . It was a small price to pay for putting Jake Hartley in his place.
Fuck you, Jake Hartley.
~~
Hey guys !!
How's your easter break going ??
Wow! Jake and Logan huh ? Can't say I didn't see this coming . They've been wanting this for a while now.
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Xoxo Kiara❤️❤️