CHAPTER 104

THE PAST

CHRISTIAN, 5 YEARS AGO

I sat stiffly at the table in the overly fancy restaurant my assistant had booked, wanting to be anywhere but there. A flurry of conversation and laughter continued around the table where the company staff sat with me, enjoying the vibe and their dinner. The sounds of cutlery and the occasional clink of wineglass against wineglass accompanied their satisfied laughter. I normally wouldn’t do something like this. I was perfectly okay with paying for the dinner and having them go enjoy themselves on their own—I figured they would even be more comfortable without me here— but Grandfather thought it was good rep. He thought I needed to bond with the staff outside of the office, and somehow, he managed to convince me to have a group dinner with them. On the bright side, I’d expected them to be all awkward with me being there, but they seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Me on the other hand… my head was clouded with thoughts of her.

Hazel…

It was one