Chapter 89. Unsettling

Chapter 89: Chapter 89. Unsettling

Chapter 89. Unsettling

"What do I do?" she thought, staring down underneath the table at her trembling hands.

She had never felt this level of conflict in her life before. Time seemed to freeze around her, rendering everything else completely irrelevant. The distant humming of the air conditioner in the far corner of the room faded into background noise. Her entire focus was locked onto her palms—sweaty, shaking, and cold. She clenched them tightly together into fists, her brow furrowing with raw, simmering rage.

"Rosa," Mrs. Lee called across the table. Her voice was wickedly seasoned, soft, and dripping with fake warmth.

The sound made Rosa squeeze her eyes shut tight. She exhaled slowly. What was the point of refusing? What was the point of even saying yes? No matter what choice she made, it was all going to end up in a disaster anyway.

If all she wants is for me to get married to Mac, would it really be the worst thing to do? she thought bitterly. It’s not like I’m going to be entangled with him forever, right? Once the whole PR campaign is finished, I can just break it off. It’s not as if I’ll actually be living with him. I have nothing left to prove. Let the public get what they want. Let the lawyers get whatever the fuck they want, and then I’m going to be done with this family for real this time.

She needed to try to find a way to break away from them completely, but first, she had to escape this immediate trap. She couldn’t afford to be kicked out of school. Her education couldn’t end halfway—it wasn’t even halfway yet. She was only in the second semester of her first year.

Squeezing her eyes shut once more, she let out a long breath. Her eyelids fluttered, and she slowly lifted her gaze to face Mrs. Lee.

Mrs. Lee was resting against the wooden table with one hand, leaning her head against her fist while her other hand casually tapped manicured fingernails against the polished surface. One eyebrow was raised. The wicked look and cruel smile on her face said it all. She was sitting back comfortably, patiently waiting for the rat to fall straight into the net.

Rosa glared at her, her jaw set tightly.

"There’s no need to give me that look, Rosa," Mrs. Lee said softly. There wasn’t a trace of struggle in her voice, and Rosa hated her for it with every fiber of her being.

Before Rosa could open her mouth to force a response past her lips, a loud knock reverberated against the office door. The sharp sound made Rosa flinch. Mrs. Lee blinked, her composed expression wavering slightly as she lifted her head toward the door.

"Who’s there?" she asked coolly, a sharp edge of annoyance cutting through her tone at the interruption.

"It’s me, ma’am," came a deep, authoritative voice from the hallway.

Rosa frowned, recognizing the tone. It was one of Mrs. Lee’s personal bodyguards.

"What is it?" Mrs. Lee snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin.

"Ma’am, there seems to be a situation at the entrance of the building. A man came in here and demanded to speak with you specifically and urgently. We didn’t let him in because we do not recognize him as any of your associates, and he looks deeply suspicious. We told him to come back at a time you have available, but he insisted he needed to see you right now, without hesitation."

Rosa’s frown deepened, and she looked up at Mrs. Lee.

Mrs. Lee narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting to the side with skeptical detachment as she analyzed the situation. She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. "Okay, fine," she murmured. "Give me a few minutes. I’ll be out there."

Even with the unexpected disruption, Mrs. Lee still exuded absolute confidence, as if every moving piece in the room remained under her complete control. She turned her sharp focus back to Rosa, locking eyes with her straight on.

"Wait here. We’re going to continue our discussion by the time I’m back," she said.

She pushed back from the desk, her executive chair rolling smoothly over the floor as she got up. Walking confidently around the table, she stepped out of the office and shut the door gently behind her.

The moment she had gone, the tight tension that had filled the room suddenly snapped. Rosa gasped for air, collapsing forward and pressing her forehead against the cool wooden table in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut so tightly her vision went dizzy.

"Fucking Lord!" she exclaimed silently into the empty room.

She pushed back strands of hair clinging to her face and tucked them behind her ears as she looked ahead. Glaring at Mrs. Lee’s empty seat across from her, she pointed an accusing finger at the leather chair as if Mrs. Lee were still sitting there.

"You are preposterous," she uttered under her breath, her chest heaving. "Fucking ridiculous!"

She tightened her fingers together, her eyelids fluttering in sheer frustration. What the hell do I do now?

Mrs. Lee stepped out into the grand hallway, her hands casually buried in her pants pockets.

As she entered the living area, she saw Mia sitting comfortably on the sofa, legs crossed, lazily typing away on her phone like nothing else mattered. Mac was still seated by the dining table, looking skeptical and confused. The moment Mrs. Lee stepped out into the room, Mac quickly got up from his chair.

"Oh, Mom," he called out nervously.

Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow, stopping in her tracks. "What is it?"

He blinked, chuckling awkwardly, and quickly sat back down. "Nothing," he said quickly, planting his focus right back on his phone.

Mrs. Lee’s eyes darted around the room. She saw her bodyguard standing by the main corridor that led to the entrance of the building. She frowned, breathing out and resting a palm against her forehead as if a headache were coming on. She collapsed back into one of the armchairs and waved her hand toward the bodyguard.

"Let him in, please," she said softly.

The bodyguard bowed. "Of course, ma’am," he said, stepping back into the corridor.

Mrs. Lee relaxed back against the chair and scrutinized Mia. Mia didn’t even acknowledge her. For once since Mrs. Lee had returned to the living room, Mia didn’t bother looking up from her screen, typing briskly as if she were involved in an urgent live chat.

Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow. No wonder the little girl is slowly beginning to develop some guts, she thought to herself. This friend of hers is starting to manipulate her. I really should have done my absolute best to separate them the moment I realized how close they were getting.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the double doors leading to the living room swung open.

The bodyguard stepped into view, followed by a tall, brooding, imposing figure that made Mrs. Lee flinch in her seat. The aura radiating from this man felt familiar—terrifying, even. It triggered something buried deep within her, something from a dark past that had terrified her to her core, something she had prayed she would never encounter again.

She suddenly got up from her chair, standing straight on her feet as she watched the man. He was dressed in a casual white T-shirt and black jeans, his hands thrust deep into his pockets as he strolled into the room like he owned the very air they breathed. His sharp, dark eyes scanned the space around him.

She took in his demeanor, his sharp, imposing broad features, his impossibly sculpted face, and those bold, dark eyes and arching brows that scrutinized the whole building.

Beside her, Mia looked up from her phone. Mia’s eyes widened, and she shot up from her chair. A strange sort of excitement flickered in her eyes—an excitement Mrs. Lee hadn’t expected to see—before confusion crept onto Mia’s expression.

"Mr. Don. What are you doing here?" Mia asked skeptically, scrutinizing him.

Mrs. Lee blinked in confusion, her eyes darting frantically between Mia and the man who had just entered the room.

First of all, why do I feel like I know him? she thought, observing him with a piercing glare. Second of all, how the hell does Mia know him? Does Rosa know him, too? What the hell is he doing here on the exact day I’m about to tighten my chains around Rosa to stop the danger crumbling around the Lee family business?

Don chuckled softly, stared at Mia, and then stepped over toward her. "Hello, Mia," he said smoothly. "This must be quite a surprise."

Mia raised an eyebrow as Don stepped closer and extended his hand in a polite gesture. She blinked, obviously not expecting that, before slowly dropping her hand into his. Don shook her hand casually, a bright smile on his face.

"How have you been?" he asked softly.

Mia offered a faint smile, though her eyes remained skeptical. "Good," she murmured, before narrowing her eyes. "Still, that doesn’t answer why you’re here. I believe I asked a question."

"Oh, yeah," Don said casually, as though he hadn’t even recognized Mrs. Lee’s presence in the living room. "I’m actually looking for your friend Rosa."

Mrs. Lee clenched her palms together into tight fists.

Such utter disrespect. He had stepped in here demanding to see her, only to talk to someone else as if she were completely invisible.

I don’t care who the fuck he is, but I clearly do not accept his presence, she thought, anger overpowering her initial shock. He is unsettling, and I want him out.

"Oh," Mia said, her eyes slowly shifting toward Mrs. Lee.

Don turned his head to follow her gaze. His smile brightened slightly, as if he were noticing Mrs. Lee for the first time. "Oh," he said softly. "Mrs. Lee. Didn’t quite see you there."

He took a step toward her and extended his hand in a polite greeting. Mrs. Lee refused it, leaving his hand hovering directly in front of her. She glared at him with narrowed eyes, scoffing in disbelief as she turned her head away.

"Get out of my house," she said softly.

Everyone in the room flinched—Mia, Mac sitting at the dining table, and the bodyguard standing by the entrance all stared at Mrs. Lee in shock.

Don slowly pulled his hand back, tilting his head.

"I’m sorry, what?" He asked.