Soren stared at her.
In his previous life, he had given her that position without hesitation, not checking whether she was capable of carrying the responsibility. And after his accident, when his legs were ruined, he had made her the CEO and given her all the responsibilities of the business.
He had trusted her. He had given her power, access, and his wealth. But in the end, she had ruined him.
Soren wished he could kill her right there. But he wouldn’t do that yet. He had to find out who the man who had helped her was, the one who had conspired against him, hiding behind Tahlia.
He smirked. "Vice president? Are you worthy of it?"
His mocking tone stunned her. Her smile vanished. Tahlia felt humiliated.
"You promised you would give me an important position in the office," she snapped impatiently. "Why can’t I get it?"
"Listen carefully, Tahlia. I agreed to let you work in my company only because your father asked me to. You did nothing special to get a promotion. Instead, your poor management is costing the company. Last time, the client wasn’t happy with you. The deal got canceled."
Tahlia’s face paled.
"For that alone, I could have fired you. But I didn’t. I gave you another chance. You need to work hard. If you keep making such mistakes, forget about promotion, you will be sacked."
Tahlia’s shock deepened. Then her lips trembled. Tears gathered in her eyes. The shock transformed into panic.
"How could you say that to me?" she complained. "You love me. You said you would always take care of me. And you are now threatening me?"
Soren wanted to shove her out of the office. But he needed her around him to find out the man hiding behind her.
"Don’t be dramatic, Tahlia," he said coldly. "This is an office. The qualified ones get promoted. Performance matters. If you have capabilities, you will get your desired position. There are no shortcuts."
His tone turned even colder. "Don’t bring up personal feelings here. Be professional."
Tahlia’s mouth formed a tight pout. "You never talked to me so coldly before. What’s wrong?"
She moved in closer, studying his face. "Are you upset? Did Elowen make you angry again?"
Whenever he got angry, it was always because of Elowen. Tahlia thought Elowen had done something that ruined his mood. And that was why he was so grumpy.
The moment she mentioned Elowen, Soren lost his patience.
"Why did you bring her up?" he growled. "Whether I am upset or not, what does it have to do with Elowen?"
The fire in his eyes terrified her. She stepped back.
"What’s wrong with you, Soren? You were always gentle with me. Why are you angry with me today?"
Soren was starting to lose control. He knew he would do something that he would regret.
"Leave," he hissed.
Tahlia gasped. "What?"
"Are you deaf? I said leave." His voice thundered inside the office.
Tahlia flinched. She didn’t dare to spend another second there.
She spun around and dashed out the door.
The moment the door closed behind her, the panic disappeared from her face. Resentment churned inside her.
’That bitch,’ she muttered under her breath. ’It’s all because of her. She made Soren upset. Or he wouldn’t have talked to me like that.’
Hatred burned hotter. "If she had boarded that taxi, she would have been dead by now. But she somehow escaped. No worries. I’ll eliminate her anyway.’
Inside the office...
Soren fumed in anger. He wanted to break everything around him. And his phone was the nearest object. He picked it up to hurl it away. Before he could do that, it rang.
It was his friend, Alex.
"Hello," he said grumpily.
"Soren, are you free tonight?" Alex asked, his voice alight with excitement.
"No..." Soren replied grimly.
"Come on, Soren. Don’t always be busy. Come to the club tonight. Theron is back. He is throwing a get-together party."
"Theron?" Soren raised an eyebrow. "He is back?"
All his anger vanished, and surprise took over.
"Yes."
Soren’s mind went blank. He didn’t remember Theron returning from abroad in his past life.
’Why this time?’
He had been reborn and changed the course of Elowen and Seraphina’s lives. Had his actions changed the other events as well?
A strange uneasiness settled over him.
"Theron wants to meet all his old friends. We are all going. You should come too."
Soren didn’t reply instantly. He remembered their last meeting.
Ten years ago, they had fought over something insignificant. That fight had destroyed their friendship. They had not contacted each other since.
And now, after ten years apart, meeting Theron again felt awkward.
"Theron didn’t call me. He didn’t tell me he had returned. If he couldn’t bother to call me, why should I go?"
"Soren, don’t be like this. You two used to be best friends. I know you miss him, and he probably misses you too. Don’t ruin this because of your ego."
Soren remained silent.
"And Theron specifically asked me to invite you. You have to come."
Soren sighed. "Fine. I’ll go. But I won’t stay long."
"Alright, alright. Leave whenever you want. Just come."
Later that evening...
Soren arrived at the club and went straight to the private room his friend had reserved.
All his old friends were already there. Tahlia was among them. But Soren barely noticed anyone. His eyes fell on the man sitting beside Alex.
Theron.
Their eyes met.
Soren didn’t move.
It had been ten years since he had last seen him.
The young college student Soren remembered was gone.
Theron no longer wore glasses. His dark eyes were sharp and intense. His once thin frame had transformed into a strong, athletic body.
He looked mature, and somehow, more intimidating.
"Hey, Soren is here," Alex said with a grin. "Our busy man has finally decided to show up."
Tahlia stood up and hurried toward him with her familiar smile. "I have been waiting for you." She linked her arm with his.
But Soren pulled his arm away. He didn’t even spare her a glance. He walked straight toward Theron and stood in front of him.
"Long time, no see." He stretched his hand toward him.
Theron stared at him for a moment before taking it. "Long time, no see, Soren. I heard that you have been keeping yourself busy with work."
He smiled. But his fingers clasped tighter than necessary around Soren’s hand.
Soren frowned, feeling restless. He instantly pulled his hand away. He wanted to ask Theron why he had suddenly returned, but before he could utter a word, Alex grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the sofa beside him.
"Come on, buddy. Have a drink." Alex handed him a glass of alcohol.
Soren accepted the glass and took a small sip, but his eyes were on Theron. Even after all those years, the hostility in Theron’s eyes had not disappeared.
’Seems like he has not forgotten that fight,’ he thought.
"So, Theron. Ten years, bro. We all thought you had settled abroad. We never expected you to come back. What’s the plan?" Alex asked.
Everyone turned to Theron, their curiosity obvious.
Soren wasn’t exceptional either. He also wanted to know why Theron was back after so many years.
"Business, of course," Theron replied. "And I’m planning to get married."
"Oh..." Alex’s eyes lit up with a mischievous grin. "Finally decided to get married."
"Who is the lucky girl?" Tahlia chimed in.
Theron leaned back on the sofa, swirling the alcohol in his glass.
"There is only one woman in my heart. And I’ve finally made up my mind to take her away with me."
Everyone looked at each other.
"You mean your dream girl?" Alex asked, surprised.
"You are marrying that mysterious girl?" another friend exclaimed. "I still remember how you used to hide that woman’s photo."
Tahlia laughed. "Yes. He never allowed us to see it. He kept it locked inside his locker."
"And one day, Soren tried to steal it," Alex recalled, laughing. "And Theron got so furious that he punched Soren."
The room erupted into laughter. But when they met Soren’s serious look, everyone quieted down.
An awkward silence settled over the room.
"Hey, Soren, Theron..." Alex said nervously. "Let’s forget about the past. We are all friends here. Don’t hold a grudge."
Soren simply took another sip of his drink.
"You are right," Theron said, his voice calm. "It’s all in the past. I don’t hold a grudge."
He picked up another glass and held it toward Soren. "I shouldn’t have reacted that way back then. Can you forget about it?"
Soren didn’t take the glass. His eyes lowered to the amber liquid inside.
"I didn’t mind. I never did. You were the one who got upset and left the country."
The smile on Theron’s face disappeared completely.
The room fell silent again.
"Come on," Alex started, breaking the awkwardness. "We are here for fun. Don’t talk about what happened in the past. Anyway..."
He turned to Theron. "Now that you are finally getting married, can we meet our future sister-in-law? At least show us a photograph. We are dying to know who has captured our friend’s heart."
Then he lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Don’t start beating me, okay? If you don’t want to show us, we won’t pressure you."
Everyone started laughing except Soren.
Theron chuckled. "I’ll show you her old photograph, the one I used to hide in my locker."
He reached into his pocket. His gaze moved toward Soren.
"Let’s see if you can recognize her."
Theron placed the photograph on the table.
Everyone leaned forward, their eyes glued to the picture.
For several seconds, nobody spoke. They exchanged worried looks at each other.
"Elowen?" Alex exclaimed, eyes wide and mouth agape.