Raine
The restaurant Joshua picked was quiet, tucked away in a corner of Manhattan where the tables were spaced far apart.
It was exactly the kind of place I needed after the morning I had just survived.
“So, Kordell actually stood up to him?” He asked, setting his water glass down as he looked at me across the white tablecloth.
I was telling him about the drama that unfolded a few hours ago.
“He tried to,” I said, leaning back into the soft leather booth.
“But Kordell was shaking.
If I hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know what would have happened.
Miguel was pushing hard.
He knew something was wrong.” Joshua frowned, his eyes turning serious.
“Miguel is smart, Raine.
He knows you aren’t the same girl from years ago, but his instincts are telling him there is a puzzle piece missing.
And that’s why we have to make sure he never finds it.”
”I know,” I sighed, rubbing my forehead.
“I am doing everything I can to keep my distance.”
Joshua leaned forward slightly, changing the subject.
“By the way, the reason I text was because of the ball Friday night.
Are you ready for it?
Some wealthy business group in the city is hosting it, and all the top executives are expected to attend.” I took a slow sip of my water and looked out the window.
“I am not going, Joshua.” He tilted his head, looking surprised.
“Why aren’t you going?
An event like that is huge for exposure.”
”I didn’t even get an invite,” I said flatly, setting my glass down.
“And honestly, I don’t care.
I want to stay silent and hide in my office until this audit is over.
Going to a big party with a bunch of corporate people is the last thing I want to do right now.”
”Staying at home should be the last thing on your mind right now, Raine.
And about the invite, do not worry about that.
Trust your friend.” Joshua said smoothly, a small, encouraging smile breaking across his face.
“I’ll make sure you have one by tomorrow morning.” I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Joshua, I really don’t think…”
”Listen to me, Raine,” he interrupted gently.
“You absolutely have to go.
There will be hundreds of major investors there.
If you attend, you can meet people who can back your company.
Think about it…if you secure new investors, you have a solid backup plan.
If Miguel pushes you too hard, you can just withdraw from the deal entirely whenever you feel like it.
You won’t be trapped.”
I looked at him, realizing how brilliant his advice was.
He was right.
If I could get another wealthy client to invest heavily in our company, Miguel would lose his leverage over me.
“You’re right,” I murmured, a small smile finally breaking through my worry.
“It would give me total control again.”
”Exactly,” Joshua said, his voice warm and full of genuine care.
“You might not just get more investors, you could even see someone at the ball who catches your eye.
You’ve spent the last years working yourself to the bone.
You built this company, and you are an amazing mother.
But you are allowed to let go a little bit.
You deserve to give someone a chance to care for you, too.” I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head.
“Joshua, please.
I am not looking for anyone.
My plate is entirely full with my company and my boys.
I am not ready for that.
Don’t think if I’ll ever be.”
This wasn’t the first time he was bringing up something like this, and every time I’d remained clear.
I only want to focus on my boys and company.
“What about you?” Joshua blinked, looking genuinely confused.
“What do you mean, what about me?”
”I mean, why aren’t you also exploring?” I teased, leaning forward on my elbows.
“You are always telling me to open my heart and meet someone, but you are single too.
Every time the media links us together, you just laugh it off.
Why aren’t you out there looking for a partner?” He let out a low chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.
He looked down at his plate for a second before meeting my eyes again.
His expression was incredibly sweet, filled with a deep, steady loyalty.
“I used my youthful age to explore, Raine,” he said softly, his voice dropping into a quiet, honest tone.
“I did the dating scenes.
I did the parties.
That I almost lost myself and everyone that mattered.
Right now, my focus is completely different.
I just want to build my business, create something lasting for myself, and be there for you and the kids.
Just like I promised you that day, a few years ago.” A lump formed in my throat, and my heart felt incredibly full.
Joshua had been a rock for my family when we had absolutely nothing.
He had kept every single promise he ever made to me, never asking for a single thing in return.
“Joshua,” I said, my voice thick with emotion as I reached out to squeeze his hand.
“You are the best friend I could ever ask for.
But you need to know that I can take care of my kids.
You don’t have to put your entire personal life on hold just to be our shield.
I want you to find happiness, too.
You deserve to explore, and I don’t mind it at all.
You really deserve the best.” Joshua smiled, a warmth in his eyes that showed he truly appreciated my words.
“Do you have a date for it yet?” Joshua shrugged, leaning back in his chair.
“No, I was just planning to go alone and talk to some clients.” I looked at him playfully, a mischievous grin hidden behind my smile.
“You know…
you could ask Lena to go with you.
She has been working so hard with the twins, and she deserves a night out to dress up and have fun.
I’m sure she would love to go with you.” Joshua blinked, looking genuinely confused.
“Lena?
Raine, I don’t think she’d want to hang around a bunch of corporate suits with me.
And besides, she’d have been tired and stressed.” I shrugged with a smile.
“You won’t know if you don’t ask.
Give it a try and see.” He looked at me, still trying to understand why I’d bring her up suddenly.
But I removed my face immediately.
“Alright.” I heard him say.
“Alright what?” I acted oblivious.
“I’ll ask her if she’ll be my date for the ball.” A big grin appeared on my face.
“That’s perfect.”
”It seems I am always interrupting your business meetings, Ms.
Argent.” A deep, smooth voice came from right behind my shoulder.
I looked up, my smile disappearing in a fraction of a second.
Miguel was standing by the edge of our table, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
He looked down at the two of us, his dark eyes instantly locking onto the fact that my hand was still resting near Joshua’s on the tablecloth.
His face was a calm, polite mask, but beneath it, I could see another look that he was trying very hard to hide.
Joshua didn’t pull his hand away.
He slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing just a bit as he looked up at the man who had just ruined our lunch.
“I didn’t realize you frequented this side of town, Miguel.”
”I have a lot of meetings in Manhattan lately,” Miguel said smoothly, his eyes never leaving my face.
“I was just heading to my car when I saw you through the window.
And I couldn’t help but wonder, Ms.
Argent,” he said, his voice dripping with cold sarcasm as he looked down at me.
“If you spend this much time eating heavy meals out during the day, how do you expect to get any actual work done in the office?
Are your employees currently running your company while you have fun with your lover?”
The insult was incredibly rude, completely designed to get right on my nerves.
It was pure bait, meant to make me snap and lose my temper in public.
Joshua’s jaw tightened, and he started to stand up, but I placed a hand firmly on his arm, stopping him.
I forced my face to stay completely blank, keeping my cold wall firmly in place.
“My relationship with my Joshua has nothing to do with you, Mr.
Harrison,” I said, my voice, cold and sharp.
“And my schedule is completely optimized to handle my workload.
If you are concerned about my company’s performance, you can check the revenue files.
Otherwise, my lunch choices are none of your business.”
Miguel tilted his head, his dark eyes narrowing as he stared at me.
He gave a sharp, formal nod, turned on his heel, and walked out of the restaurant without another word.
The moment the doors closed behind him, I let out a sharp breath, slumping back against the seat.
My head was spinning with confusion.
I truly could not understand why he was acting this way.
For the last few years, he had hated me.
He had cast me out into the cold and treated me like trash.
His attitude every single time we met lately kept surprising and confusing me.
Why did he care where I ate?
Why did he care who I sat with?
It made absolutely no sense.
As I stared out the window, a bitter, painful thought popped into my mind.
I couldn’t help but wonder why he was even in New York by himself.
Why wasn’t he back home with his wife?
I was completely sure that the moment I was out of the picture, he and Raina would have gotten married immediately.
They were supposed to be perfect for each other.
They were supposed to rule together.
Or is it a plan between him and my family to torment myself because I refused to be a sorogate mom for them?
Was it why he was back, to break me and turn me into that Raine?
Because I can’t begin to wrap my head around why he’s doing any of this.
Why won’t he just leave me alone and go back to his wife.
The thought of him being married to Raina made my heart feel a strange, sharp twist inside my chest.
It was a lingering ache from a past life that I hated myself for feeling.
I quickly shook my head, pushing the painful feeling deep down into the dark.
I was completely past all of this.
I was a CEO, a mother, and an independent woman.
I didn’t care about his marriage, I didn’t care about his anger, and I certainly didn’t care about any of their plans.
They can’t do shit to me.
“Raine?
Are you okay?” Joshua asked, his eyes full of worry as he watched my face.
“I’m fine,” I said, my voice returning to its steady, cold baseline as I gripped my napkin.
“He’s just trying to shake me, Joshua.
But it’s not going to work.
Let’s get the check.
We have a ball to prepare for on Friday.”