Merrick

I take a deep breath as I adjust my bow in front of the mirror. It's an important day not just for my company but also for me. I check the time on my wristwatch and think how I am just a few hours away from bringing my dad's dream to life. This launch will take us to an unbeatable position in the business, and it wouldn't be just for the sake of my father's wish, but also because of the hard work that we all put together to make it happen.

It's true that my palms are sweaty thinking about how this night is going to turn out, but at the same time, I am also very excited. It's a great opportunity for us because we will be having all the prominent investors, clients, and other influential people from the corporate world present there, and in any case, I wouldn't want to fail this chance of impressing them.

I walk down to the living room and find Claire standing by the cloud couch.

"Good luck, kid. I am sure you are going to get this." She kisses my forehead and I smile. I look into her eyes and my chest tightens, imagining how it would have been rarely different if it was my mother.

When I step outside, I see the chauffeur already waiting for me. He nods and steps up to open the car door for me. I stare out of the window with an overwhelming feeling stirring in the pit of my stomach when the car hits the road. The night city looks vibrant, like always, as we drive through it and I keep wishing that everything goes well as I've been planning all this time. We reach the conference venue soon, and I realize how big this event is when I see the lights flashing around. I can see men and women in their lavish outfits making their entrances as I step out of my car.

I unbutton my suit jacket, suddenly feeling hot, and then take a deep breath. After having a moment with myself, I make my way inside the building. When I step into the hall, I look around and it takes some time for my eyes to adjust to the shine of the chandeliers hanging above. I see people laughing and clinking their glasses as they give an amicable start to their night in this grand chamber. I look around with a smile plastered on my face as I try to find any familiar face, though I know I'll be meeting mostly my competitors today.

The faint music playing in the background reaches my ears, and it somehow eases my nerves. As I am trying to make myself comfortable in this dazzling environment, I feel a pat on my shoulder. I turn and see Dean grinning at me. Unlike me, he is wearing a white tux. My eyes move behind him and I see Anthony walking towards us.

When Anthony joins us, Dean looks at me and says. "Wow...you look like you are going to nail it." I roll my eyes at his comment and turn towards Anthony.

Anthony smiles as he asks. "Nervous?"

"Do I look so obvious?" I frown, making them both laugh.

"Not at all." Dean shakes his head with an amused look on his face. I chuckle as I try to enjoy the evening with them rather than stressing too much, and that's when my eyes fall on Zelina, who is walking into the hall. I am awestruck for a moment as I look at her. She is wearing a red sequin gown that hugs her body flawlessly. The halter neckline is giving her a perfect classy look as the gown flows down graciously. She smiles at the people she meets and I notice that her blonde hair is wavy around her shoulders and my throat gets a little dry when I notice the high slit on her right thigh.

I watch her confident strides and I can sense without moving that everyone in the hall is looking at her just like me. That's the thing about Zelina. She doesn't have to do much to grab attention. Her mere presence in the room is enough for people to lose their tracks.

It takes her hardly any time to figure out where I am and in that moment I literally freeze when our eyes lock. I try to hold my breath when she smiles at me and for a minute I forget where I am. I don't know why my stupid heart flutters crazily every time she smiles at me.

Everything around us suddenly seems to fade away as we stare at each other, but then I hear whispers around me and I quickly look away.

"Well, I am not sure if you are still going to nail it..." Dean says amusedly, and I narrow my eyes at him.

"Shut up," I mutter. I know it's my fault that I had been looking at her for way too long. God, what is going on?

I look at Anthony when he clears his throat and I can see that he is trying to fight back a smile. "So, who is going to bear the marketing lectures with me?" He asks.

"Oh, no...I am not here for that boring shit." Dean whines as he shakes his head. "Maybe we can skip all those and come back for the demos." He says, trying to convince me, but I shake my head in denial.

"No, we are not doing that," I say in a serious tone. "Come on, Dean, we can't afford to waste our time. It's just equally important."

There are going to be some organizational lectures and introductory presentations, after which the actual launch demos for the companies will proceed. However, I am not willing to miss any opportunity of getting to learn something new, so I am up for anything and everything that this conference is going to offer me tonight.

"Whatever. Let's go." Dean sighs as he begins to lead his way and we follow him.

As we make our way to the next hall, I don't know why, but I keep looking for something, or more like someone in particular. Unfortunately, I don't see her and the disappointment hits me hard. The room fills in quickly and we grab our seats as the lecture starts. I try to pay attention to the guy that's speaking on the podium until my eyes catch something. I notice that to my side and exactly in my diagonal direction, Zelina is sitting in the front row. I am able to see just her side profile, but that's more than enough to bring a smile to my face. For the rest of the talk, I keep glancing at her and it actually makes me feel weird about my behavior.

So when the speech ends, I am the first person to get out of the room. I know if I'd stay there any longer, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from reaching out to Zelina and I don't wanna do it. I think about the Sunday we spent together and the cupcakes that she sent me, and it makes me feel so many things that I am not sure if I should be experiencing.

What the hell, Merrick? Don't lose your focus. You are here for the product launch, not for Zelina. I take a deep breath and try to remind myself of the purpose that I am here for. This is why I didn't want to see her because every time I am near her, all I could think about is just her.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you finally, Mr. Addington." A voice breaks my train of thoughts and I look at the person standing in front of me. It hadn't occurred to me that Ashton would also be present here until he is right in front of me.

"I wouldn't say likewise," I say, being honest as I look at his smug face. We never got a chance to meet before. Not like I was willing to see him, anyway. My father always warned me about the dirty business tricks that Ashton used to keep his game on, and those references instantly made me hate him. As much as it bothers me to see his face, I knew I had to face him one day. I knew that since the time I made that deal with Zelina.

"Straight, just like your father." He laughs. I look at his face and wonder if he ever gets old.

"Never learned the other way." I shrug, looking right into his eyes.

He shakes his head with a chuckle as if I just cracked a joke. "But honestly, I've been looking forward to seeing you for so long, and now that you are in front of me...I feel honored." He says with a smirk on his face.

I look at the people around for a second and remind myself that I can't blow up my reputation by making a scene here, especially when it's so crucial for me, but at the same time, I can't keep quiet knowing who Ashton Grey really is. I turn my gaze back to Ashton and ask him in a low voice. "Stop beating around the bush, Ashton. We both know you came to me with a purpose, so just spill it. What do you want from me?"

Aston doesn't seem surprised by my question, but I know he wasn't expecting it either. "I know we have met just now and you are just an immature kid trying to mark his place in this business after his father's death, but let me make one thing clear. I don't ask. I snatch back what's mine." He says and before I can ponder upon his words, I tense when Zelina appears in my view. She is standing at the other end of the hall talking to an elderly woman. It wouldn't be difficult for anyone to find her in this crowd because she is Zelina and her persona stands out naturally.

"You seem a bit distracted..." Ashton says, following my gaze and when he notices Zelina, he gets a weird smirk on his face. "Oh, Zelina. That beauty can drive anyone crazy."

"What?" I frown, not liking his comment even a little.

He looks at me. "Don't be silly, Merrick. It's not just you who's smitten by her charms."

I curl my fists, feeling the anger rush through my body. "Ashton, don't talk about her like that."

"Oh, dear. Is that so?" He laughs, before turning back to look at her. I hate the way his eyes are taking in her body, and it almost makes me want to rip his eyes out. "Sorry to break it to you, but every man in this room probably knows how good she has made them feel at some point in their lives." He says with a sick smile and I step forward, losing my mind.

"Ashton...." I look into his eyes and warn him.

"What?" He mocks me. "If you don't know what a cunning little whore she is, then you probably don't know anything about her."

I can feel the rage taking over me as I clench my jaw. "Ashton, say another word about her and I'd make sure you'd regret trying to make a conversation with me."

He shakes his head with a smile and I get angrier, realizing that all this seems just funny to him. "You are whipped, kid. I don't know how your father would have taken this. But one thing I can assure you, he would have been really disappointed." He says with a look of pity on his face.

"Don't speak for my father. You never knew him." I narrow my eyes at him. "And get out of my sight before I end up breaking your nose. It wouldn't be a pleasant view for your clients to look at, right?"

"I am not minding your words because you are Felix's son. He cherished his reputation and I don't wanna ruin it." Ashton shrugs with a stern expression on his face. "But it wouldn't be long before you two realize who you are messing with. Good luck and have a great night ahead." He says with an evil smile before he turns back and walks away.

After he leaves, I stand there immobilized, trying to comprehend what the hell just happened. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with Ashton, but one thing I am sure about is that after the conversation we had, I probably hate him more than I did before.

I sigh and walk towards the bar to the right on my way. After what just happened, I think I really need a drink. I am not a person that loses his cool easily, but Ashton's words triggered me and now I know I definitely need a moment to cool off.

I lean against the counter as I take a sip of my whiskey after the steward hands it to me.

"Hey."

I look up and see a woman in a short white dress standing in front of me. She smiles shyly at me and I try to remember if I've met her before, but couldn't seem to get anything.

"Hey," I reply.

She looks at me and then asks with hesitation. "Are you alright?"

I know I am still tense from what happened, and it's pretty much visible on my face. I try to mask it as I say. "Yeah...I am fine."

She puts a stray strand behind her ear as she speaks again. "Umm...I am Keeva. I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Addington."

I just smile at her, not knowing what exactly to respond to that.

When I don't say anything, she laughs awkwardly. "The man that gave the speech about Diversification Strategy...that's my father."

I nod at her, realizing that she is talking about the lecture that we attended now. "Oh, right? That was great. I think I've met him somewhere."

"Yeah...he was there..." She begins to speak excitedly, but before she can finish, Zelina interrupts her.

Zelina puts her arm through mine as she stands next to me. "Excuse me. If you don't mind, I would like to get my man back." She says to Keeva, and I stare at her in disbelief. I wasn't expecting her to get here at all, and it takes me a minute to realize what she is trying to do.

She then turns towards me and frowns. "I was gone for a moment and women are already trying to steal you away from me."

Keeva looks a little embarrassed as she bites her lip. "I am sorry...I didn't know..."

But she is cut off again as Zelina nods. "That's fine, girl. You don't have to worry now that I am here. Have some champagne and enjoy your night." I feel a little bad for that woman, as Zelina pulls me away from her. But I don't know why I am not angry at Zelina. I guess I wasn't in a mood to have a conversation with that lady on my own.

"You didn't have to do that to her," I say to Zelina when she let go of my hand and stands in front of me.

"Of course, I did. Can't you see how flirty she was being?" She frowns and I look at the shimmery eye shadow she has that's making her look sexier. I clench my jaw, suddenly thinking about Ashton's disgusting comments.

"She was just telling me about her father."

"Oh, I believe you." She rolls her eyes and looks at me. "So, were you going to hide from me all night?"

"Why would I hide from you?" I ask her genuinely.

Zelina shrugs. "I don't know. So that you could refrain yourself from being mesmerized by my beauty?"

I don't say anything for a second as my eyes roam over her beautiful face, and before I can stop myself, the words come out of my mouth. "I am already mesmerized by you, Zelina."

"Merrick..." she gasps, almost looking at me in disbelief.

I step closer to her, having no idea what's wrong with me. I know I shouldn't be saying these things knowing how complicated things are between us, but I can't help. "Yes, you look gorgeous," I say, staring into her eyes.

She nods, still looking surprised. "Are you sure you are not drunk?"

I laugh as I turn to look at the glass that I left on the counter. "You didn't let me finish my drink, so I guess I am not." I shrug, making Zelina laugh with me.

We are smiling at each other, not giving a damn about what's going around us, but then I see someone and the blood running through my body turns cold. It's Monica making her way in with her boyfriend, Liam. I see them both holding hands as they walk in, and I clench my jaw. It's like you think you have moved on from your ugly past until you see that face that betrayed you come in front of you again and in that moment every single memory of that person comes crashing down on you, resurfacing the pain that you've tried hard to bury in your heart.

I look at the smile on her face, and it fades away the moment she sees me. She stops on her way as she stares at me, and I avert my gaze back to Zelina, not wanting her to know that I was looking at her. I think about how cruel Monica has been to me and then the conversation that I had with Ashton repeats in my head and everything makes me even angrier than I was before.

I notice that Zelina is staring at me with a worried expression on her face. Taking in my silence, I am sure she probably would have asked me something, but it just didn't reach my ears. I know this is stupid and it can cause havoc, but I also know that I will not be able to save myself from exploding if I wouldn't find a way to release out this rage, so I stop fighting and lean forward to close the gap between our lips.