Jake's POV
Richmond Corp. Headquarters, NYC
I left that conference room without looking back. I did not had the courage to stay or be around her even for a second more. Before turning to work this morning, I couldn't have imagined even in my most implausible dream that destiny would get me face to face with her again, sitting right in my office, attending one of my biggest victories at work.
Emma, the girl I met in Corsica.
The girl with a broken heart.
The girl I lost, and could not find. She was sitting right across me, her angelic face donned with shock and confusion.
When she ran away sobbing, losing from my grip in Corsica, I knew nothing about her, except for the fact that her name was Emma. I didn't even know her full name and was not sure if we lived in the same country, let alone the same city.
Her quivering lips, spoilt mascara and deserted spirit told the tale of her broken heart. I had no clue of what exactly led her to such a sorry state, yet when I watched her curl up like a ball, sad and fragile, crying her heart out, I felt something inexplainable for her.
I had this strong urge to comfort her and help her through whatever she was facing. I never felt this drawn to a stranger. She was beautiful, sure, but I think it was her innocence, the serenity in her eyes that made her stand out.
The moment we parted from the kiss, I immediately missed her touch, craved for her soft lips and longed to take her slender body in my embrace again. I was amazed at how perfectly she fit in my arms, as if she belonged there and nowhere else.
I was not done with her, I had to discover a lot more.
Even though I had been with more women than one could even count, nobody ever touched my heart the way Emma did. I had many flings, but I never got emotionally invested in any of them. That kiss with her was the best kiss of my life.
Deep down I knew, her act of passion was an outcome of immense pain and wrongness that she felt due to some asshole's action.
I knew she was grieving and maybe was a bit drunk too, and for her, this kiss might turn into regret the next morning. May be she won't even remember it.
What hit me next changed my life ever since. When my heart fluttered and longed for Emma, I got an emergency call from my mother.
"Jake.. it's your dad" Her trembling voice barely stuttered, leaving me in shambles.
My father had met with an accident. He couldn't survive and was declared dead on the spot.
That day every thing I owned, believed or was bestowned with, was snatched away mercilessly. I felt devastated in thousand different ways, as God decided to take away my biggest support.
His love for his family, and the community as a whole reflected in his acts of kindness. I did not even get a chance to hug him one last time. I did not even get to say goodbye.
And the next thing I knew was, I suddenly got pressured with a lot of responsibilities.
My mother was inconsolable, and Richmond Corp desperately needed a leader. The moment I joined office, a lot of mysteries started unfolding. It's been seven months since, and still my heart yelped in pain whenever I remembered him.
Suddenly a knock at my cabin door distracted me from my thoughts. It was Mark.
"Hello Boss, hope I am not interrupting."
"Mark. Come on in."
"That conference room was no less than a war zone today. Quite a close call. Ben Murial was ready to attack with his claws out." Mark gushed as he took a seat across from me.
"Absolutely. Thanks to Ms. Carter. She saved the day." I muttered dodging eye contact. Her mention alone raced my pulses.
"Emma, right? She was amazing. I was blown away by the level of her research. I haven't seen such attention to detail and poise in a long time. She sure looks like a potential asset to the firm." Mark ranted non stop praises at the girl who had already shaken my world and caused me sleepless nights.
Listening her name from Mark, in such high virtue and admiration, poked my instincts on a different level.
"You look floored by her skills. That's impressive." I cleared my throat, my jaw was stiff. Finally, I let out a deep breath, gulping the lump in my throat.
"No doubts I am. You rarely get to see such excellent combination of beauty and brains. I think we should consider getting her onboard, think about it." He suggested.
"I will. Do we have an update on the Norway Project?" I had to change the topic before the volcano of emotions stirring inside me exploded in his face.
"Yes. I had emailed you the progress report earlier..."
Mark began providing updates, and honestly I was only physically present in that room listening to him, but mentally and emotionally, I was with Emma.
Mark was right.
Emma Carter. She was like fire in that room.
If until now I reminisced her beauty and grace, today she stumped me by her intelligence and professionalism. She was brilliant and her detailed approach and perseverance saved the day for all of us. Destiny was sure playing a strange game. The universe conspired to make her find her way to
me.
This was the second time I saw her after Cosica. The first time was months ago, on a rainy night.
***
Four months ago
NYC
"Erica, I am here already. How much longer for you to make it?" I was irked at her being fashionably late every single time.
"Relax baby, I am just ten minutes away. The weather is bad and I don't know why do you like this tacky coffee house anyway. Such a hussle reaching there." She blabbered in a pompous tone.
"Just be here. Please." I controlled every nerve in my body to be patient with her. She nagged me to death.
She wasn't my girlfriend, but I was kind of seeing her since over a month now, for which I had my own reasons. I had to keep up with her.
It was a drizzly night and soon after rain started pouring in heavily, the cafe on the other hand was warm and peaceful. Not many people were present at that time. That's when suddenly a drenched girl rushed inside, panting and gasping for air. She was soaked from the rain and seemed to have had a nice run to get inside the cafe.
When my eyes scanned her from toe to head, I was shocked beyond imagination, as that girl was none other than Emma. I was speechless, I couldn't believe my eyes.
It really was her; looking at her alone made my heart skip a beat. I saw her on a random night in my own hometown and in one of my most favorite places.
If this was not God's little play, then what was it?
I had longed to find her but with recent events in my life, it just could not happen.
I am sure she didn't notice me, I could see water drops on her extremely beautiful face making their way down to her sleek neck. Her dress hugged her body exposing her very much perfect shape; however the innocence in her eyes could melt a stone. She looked so naive yet so desirable at the same time.
She was completely oblivious of the affect she had on people around her. Many waiters were silently admiring her beauty. When I saw them having eyes for her, I felt enraged. I felt a need to protect her from their wandering eyes.
I had a strong urge to go meet her, talk to her and ask her why she ran away that night. I stood up, but as soon as I managed to muster the courage to walk in her direction, I saw Erica walk in while Emma paid for her coffee and walked out. Erica jumped to give me a hug, and I reluctantly hugged her as I saw Emma disappear in the rainy night.
Reality hit me hard and I realized that I was in no position to follow Emma anymore, I must control myself and let her go. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and decided I will never go looking for her again.
Even though my gut hated me for my decision and after knowing that she was somewhere so close, finding her in the same city would have been a piece of cake. I resisted the urge with all my will and decided to never look back again.
***
Yet this morning had other plans.
"Boss? Are you listening? You think we should quote keeping 23% margins given the inflating prices of oil?"
"Umm... sure Mark. I trust your knowledge and expertise on the subject. Just go ahead and wrap this up before end of this week."
"Okay.... Are you feeling alright? You look uneasy."
"Umm yes, I think I might need to call it a day early today. Can you coordinate with Maria and be my proxy for all my meetings today? I would rather go home."
"Sure thing Boss. Consider it done. Take Care."
"Thanks Mark, and for the millionth time. Call me Jacob or Jake please. You are amongst my most trusted people, more like a friend, enough with this formality."
"I know Jake. I just go with the flow when at work. Don't mind me. Take good rest, I will manage here."
"Thanks buddy. As always."
Mark was by age and experience, a couple of years senior to me. When I was still in college, I rememberd how Dad used to always say great things about him. He had achieved a lot at a very young age. He was the youngest Vice President Richmond Corp had ever seen.
Dad even made me work in Mark's team as an intern during my fellowship days. We shared a great rapport then, that was until the unexpected happened and by default I became his boss.
Irrespective of the situation, Mark had always been extremely loyal and hard-working. He helped me a great deal in settling in when I took up Dad's position. I was grateful to have him in my team.
I drove back home, and strode straight to my room.
I could not stand to think or deal with anything else. For now, I had Emma all over my mind, and I needed time to calm myself.
I already had many problems to deal with. I had to protect my family and my father's empire. Nobody knew what I was dealing with. My family was at the centre of a huge conspiracy, and Emma would be better off without me.