Leo is fuming. He understood why Kevin agreed to marry Claire and why Ida was framed and pushed out of Kevin's life. He was cheating on Ida and he made it look like the other way around. Ida is innocent in this scenario, but they are making it look like she is the bad guy.
He doesn't want Kevin to announce Claire as his fiancee.'She is not fit to become his wife. A woman who is so cunning cannot become a good wife and daughter-in-law. She is a gold digger and trapped Kevin for his money. Like an Idiot, he fell for it ' he thought with anger.On the other hand, Ida is tense. The anger radiating from Leo is scaring her. She is worried that he is angry with her.'He believed the lies Claire just made up. Will he fire me from my job? If he does, then where will I find a good job again so soon? I wasted all my savings on Claire for her stupid start-up business which was a waste of money. I have to tell him that Claire is lying and hope he will believe me ' she thought with panic."President Hamilton, she was lying. I am not a cheater. Please don't fire me.. " she started explaining what happened that night and how she ended up in his bed."Ms. Wilson, Ms. Wilson, Ida, ..." he wanted her to stop.Leo already understood everything. He is not going to fire her. But she doesn't know that. So she kept begging him and giving him explanations when she didn't have to. Her pink lips, and the way she was talking caught his attention. He is listening to what she is telling him, but he is watching her lips move and how she is moving closer to him unintentionally. When she was just feet away from him, he pulled her closer by holding her waist and placed his index finger over her lips.A gasp left her lips and she stopped talking. He noticed how her breathing picked up and how her eyes became wide with shock. They are so close, that every inch of their upper half is in contact with each other. He is loving the feel of her in his arms."Did I tell you that I am going to fire you?" he asked her calmly.She shook her head."Did I blame you for anything?" he asked again.She shook her head again."Then why are you explaining?" he inquired curiously.She wanted to tell him that she didn't want to lose her job, but his finger was tracing her lower lip, distracting her."Tell me, Ida, why are you explaining? I know you were a virgin and I am the only man who touched you. I saw the blood stains on the sheets. Whatever your ex-best friend said is a lie. I understood Kevin cheated on you and they framed you instead. When you are not wrong, you don't have to explain anything to anyone. Not even me. Is it clear?" he asked softly.After being betrayed by the people she trusted, these soft but comforting words spoken by a man who was said to be cold and almost a stranger to her felt good. It soothed her aching heart. The fact that someone trusted her is a relief.She nodded her head again. This time her gaze is soft and not in despair.Reluctantly he let her go and took a step back and away from her. She is testing his self-control. The feel of her in his arms is tempting. He wanted to kiss those soft pink lips again. But he restrained himself from doing so. She is the only female who is having this kind of effect on him, and it bothers him."Now go outside and inform Mark that the announcement is canceled and we are rescheduling it to some other day. He will deal with the rest" he instructed her.There is no way he will allow Claire to marry Kevin.Ida is dumbstruck to hear this. She looked at him with shock.He snapped his fingers in front of her face. That pulled her out of her trance."Yes President Hamilton" she rushed out with embarrassment.She found Mark outside. He was on the phone with someone."Yes, the lunch meeting is scheduled in an hour. Alright," he disconnected the call."Mark, Boss wanted you to cancel this announcement" she informed him.Mark raised his eyebrows with shock."What? Why?" he inquired curiously.Ida can guess why, but she didn't disclose anything."How would I know?" she lied.Mark nodded his head thoughtfully."Right, how would you know? I have been working for our Boss for three years now. I couldn't understand why he did certain things. You just started today" he said before walking away to cancel the meeting.On the other hand, in the same mansion, Grace Hamilton is standing in front of a window on the first floor and watching the reporters packing their stuff and leaving one by one. She is in her late sixties and has a head full of grey hair. Her skin is wrinkled. But despite her age, she is looking regal and graceful. She is Leo Hamilton's mother. Kevin is her grandson. She was blessed with Leo when she was in her forties. By that time her elder son was in college. Leo was a surprise baby, whom she loved the most. She is dying to see him find a nice girl and settle in his life. But he refused to date or pick anyone. When her grandson introduced Claire as his fiancee today, she instantly disliked her. She knows Leo will not allow Kevin to announce her as the daughter-in-law of the Hamilton family and make a fool of himself. And her younger son didn't disappoint her.That's when she saw the girl. The same girl who saved her a year ago. Grace went for a walk one fine morning. Halfway through, she started feeling dizzy and fainted. That's when this girl came and rushed her to a nearby hospital. The doctors diagnosed that she had a heart stroke and if not for the girl, she would have lost her life that day. Leo went on a business trip that day and Grace couldn't ask for the girl's phone number or details then. But now, looking at the same girl speaking with Mark, who is Leo's assistant, she felt really happy.She rushed out of her room in a hurry to meet the girl and thank her properly for what she did.Leo wanted to meet his mom before leaving the mansion. When he walked out of his office, he saw his elderly mother almost running outside the mansion in a hurry."Mom?" he called her, but she was in a world of her own. She didn't seem to hear him. She rushed out. Quickly he followed after her to see why she was in a rush.He stopped in his tracks when his mother touched Ida's cheek tenderly. And what surprised him the most was the smile on Ida's face. Both the ladies are happy to see each other."Mom know who Ida is? Did Kevin Introduce her as his girlfriend?" he wondered.The thought of Ida and Kevin together left a bad taste in his mouth. He approached them casually. He is curious. "I am so glad you are doing well now" Ida was saying.Grace smiled fondly."And I should thank you for that. If not for you, I wouldn't have been breathing today" she told the fact.Leo frowned. He didn't understand why his mother was speaking like this. "Mom, you know my new assistant?" he asked casual
"You are a natural, Mr. Hamilton," one of the clients Mathew Roderick praised Leo. He is the CEO of one of the most prestigious companies in the world. They have been supplying raw materials to the Hamilton group for a few years now. Today they met to finalize the details of their new project. Mathew is in his late fifties. He lost his wife and son to an accident fifteen years ago. From then on, he was single and buried himself with work. He never looked at any other woman, until recently.They are playing golf in a popular golf club where the membership is offered only to a limited number of clients who are the richest in the city. Leo Hamilton was one of the very few men who was invited to join this club as a member. Most of the people had to apply for the membership. This meeting was lunch only. But Mathew requested Leo for a golf match, to which the latter agreed. Leo and Mathew swung their golf clubs, and Leo's ball reached near the hole, hence the praise.Ida offered a napki
Ida splashed some water on her face. She clutched the sink in a tight grip. She is hurting. Her pain is still new and raw. Twenty-four hours ago, she didn't know that her life was going to take a turn for the worse. All her dreams of a happy life with Kevin are shattered by his betrayal. She never thought that Clare was hiding so much jealousy and bitterness towards her. Two people whom she trusted dearly slapped her so hard, that she is now left picking up pieces of her life from scratch. She took a deep breath and willed her tears to not fall. She quickly composed herself and left the washroom. She doesn't want to keep her boss waiting. Hurriedly she walked towards their cabin, only to come to an abrupt stop when someone called her name."Ms. Wilson" Sean stopped Ida when she walked past him. "Hey," he greeted her with a small smile.Ida gave him a forced smile in return."I am sorry. It looks like i kept you all waiting. Let's go" She misunderstood his intentions. He shook his h
She froze with shock. Slowly she understood what he meant. It might be her emotional turmoil or the betrayal of the two close people in her life. His question broke the lid she was trying to keep on her emotions.Slowly she approached his desk and flattened her palms on the desk before leaning down towards him. To an onlooker, it looks like she is trying to flirt with him. But only he can see the storm brewing in her grey eyes. She is killing him with one look. And he is feeling like an assh*le for even asking her about Sean. For some reason, he trusts her. He knows she is not like that. But still, he allowed his conflicting feelings to get the better of him.Ida's heart is feeling battered and bruised. His words of comfort and his trust which he showed back in Hamilton mansion gave her heart some solace. It felt like a salve, a comfort blanket. But now, his question is feeling like a stab. Her eyes pooled with unshed tears. Her breathing became choppy and her lower lip wobbled."I kn
The next morning, Ida woke up feeling tired. She couldn't fall asleep the previous night. She couldn't forget the slap on her cheek or the slap on her life. She can never forget or forgive what Claire did. She might even forgive Kevin sometime in the future. Maybe five or ten years down the line. But Claire used to be her best friend and she was like Ida's family. Her betrayal hurts the most. Ida got up and freshened up on autopilot. She quickly got dressed and pulled her hair into a tight bun. She is not much into makeup. But one look at her left cheek made her wince. Her cheek is not as swollen as it was last night. But now, it's not as swollen, but still red and tender. One side of her mouth is also a bit red and swollen. When Claire slapped her yesterday, her lower lip was split, and started bleeding. Now that the bleeding has stopped, it's still an angry red and swollen. Everyone can see this. Today she is forced to apply makeup to hide the abuse from Claire. In the Hamilton bu
"Who did this?" he demanded.Ida is both amazed and shocked. She was not expecting anyone to see past her makeup. Everyone saw how she looked and a few of them even complimented her. But no one knows that she doesn't like attracting attention to herself. She'd rather remain as a wallflower than become popular. She wanted to just work and wanted to be left alone. But still, she is forced to apply makeup and doll herself up today. 'Beauty is deceiving. Put on an expensive dress and cake your face with makeup, and done. No one will bother to look past that mask ' These are the words Kevin once told her when she expressed her apprehension of accompanying him to a party. And his idea worked too. No one bothered to look past her forced smile and the mask she wore. But she knows differently. She knows that beauty is only skin deep. A person who can look past that mask named beauty can never be bad. He is perceptive. "Ida" Leo cupped her cheeks with his fingers and gently pulled her face
One hour ago...As soon as Leo walked inside the meeting hall with Mike and Ida, everyone stood up to show their respect to the most talented and smart president of the Hamilton group. The aloof, cold, and calculating Leo Hamilton is an enigma in the business world. He is a mystery to everyone. No one managed to even scrape the surface of what Leo could do. Leo managed to turn the entire Hamilton group into profits after the demise of his father and brother one after another. People whisper that they were killed. But no one knows what the truth is. "Good morning, President Hamilton" everyone greeted him.Mike distributed the details of the quote from the Hamilton group to the Nelson group, so they can read it and there will be no confusion. While Ida arranged the head of the table for Leo. Even though Leo is ignoring her, and she wants to be anywhere but here, still they mask their emotions well and she arranges everything for him that he might need during the meeting. A few men from
Leo read the surprise that registered on her face. She looked at him with her innocent grey orbs."I can do that?" just like he thought, she asked innocently. He nodded, thinking what made her feel that she shouldn't defend herself. Ida is really surprised. She thought no one would bother about a new assistant like her. And most importantly, she doesn't want to impact the negotiations negatively. The Nelson's group is one of the groups that supply the raw materials for the Hamilton clothing business. The Hamilton clothing brand has both high-end limited edition designer wear and regular affordable wear for everyone. The Nelsons have been supplying raw materials for over ten years now. They have a great rapport with the Hamilton group. She doesn't want to damage that by upsetting them. When she was in foster care, one of her foster brothers tried to touch her forcefully when she was sleeping. But she slapped him. Instead of him, it was she who was thrown out of that foster home. No