Forget all about your ex-wife

In the heart of the bustling city, within the sleek, glass-clad walls of K, Daniel Kozlov sat behind his imposing mahogany desk.

As the early morning sun filtered through the towering skyscrapers outside his office window, the room was cloaked in silence, interrupted only by the distant hum of the air conditioning.

Daniel's thoughts were consumed by the events of the previous day when he had signed the divorce papers, sealing the end of his marriage to Emma, his now ex-wife.

He had accused her of orchestrating a one-night stand that had led to their ill-fated union, and his resentment had fueled the divorce proceedings.

But now, as he stared at the empty chair across from him where Emma had sat countless times before whenever she came to keep up appearances, he couldn't help but feel a gnawing sense of guilt and uncertainty.

Emma had left with nothing, not a single possession that he had ever bestowed upon her during their time together. Daniel couldn't deny that he had been blind to his own actions, too consumed by his pride and stubbornness to consider that he might have misjudged Emma.

Had he wronged her?

Was he mistaken about her involvement in that fateful night, branding her as the mastermind?

But the evidence provided was very clear!

Doubt had begun to worm its way into Daniel's conscience, his fingers tapping nervously on the mahogany desk.

As Daniel brooded over his past decisions, he was oblivious to the soft knock on his office door.

The door swung open with a sudden burst of energy, and a young woman walked in, her stilettos clicking audibly on the polished marble floor.

She exuded an air of confidence and seduction that would have made most men weak in the knees.

Her chestnut hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, and her emerald-green eyes sparkled with mischief.

It was Violet, the younger sister of Daniel's childhood friend, Jake. She had always harbored a childhood crush on Daniel, and now, emboldened by her newfound confidence, she had set her sights on him.

"Daniel," she purred, her voice dripping with sugary sweetness as she sauntered into the room, her high heels clicking on the polished marble floor.

Her black form-fitting dress accentuated her curves, and her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as she placed her diamond-inlaid black purse by her side.

She had come today with a mission and she must see it through!

Daniel, however, remained steadfastly focused on his thoughts. He barely spared her a glance. "Violet, what are you doing here?"

Her attempts at seduction were not lost on him, but he had no interest in entertaining such advances, especially not from a young woman who was Jake's sister.

He had known her since she was a child, and any romantic notions involving her were simply out of the question.

She was purely just a baby sister to him.

Violet leaned in closer, her perfume wafting towards him as she tried to catch his attention.

"I heard about your divorce, Daniel. I'm so sorry you had to go through that." She said halfheartedly.

Daniel's hazel eyes flicked towards her briefly, his expression unreadable. "It was a necessary decision, Violet. Let's not dwell on it." He said but didn't know why he immediately felt a discomfort in his heart when he did.

But Violet was undeterred.

She moved closer still, her dainty hand gently grazing his arm. "You know, Daniel, ever since I was little, I've always admired your strength and determination. You're a powerful man, and I've always been drawn to that."

Daniel finally turned to her, his gaze ice-cold. "Violet, don't mistake my politeness for interest. You're Jake's sister, and I have no desire for anything beyond a professional relationship with you."

Violet's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she refused to give up. She had waited too long for this moment, and she wouldn't be deterred easily so instead of retreating, she leaned closer toward Daniel, attempting to make her intentions even more explicit.

"Are you sure about that, Daniel? We can be discreet. No one needs to know. I could make you forget all about your ex-wife." she said, her finger already tracing the seams on Daniel's thigh.

However, she had misjudged the type of man Daniel was whose response was swift and merciless.

He swatted her hand away in disgust and spat, "On account of your brother, I'll try to give you face and not have security throw you out but give you the liberty to walk out just the way you came. Violet, leave my office now!"

At his command, the office door swung open once more, and a man stormed in, with a stern expression on his face. He possessed similar traits to Violet, one could even put them off as twins but the only difference was the cold aura around him which was almost similar to Daniel's.

This was Jake Montero, Daniel's childhood friend.

Donning an exquisite navy shirt and black pants, Jake hastily walked into the office, the air of elegance surrounding him not diminishing in the slightest.

He had come to Daniel's office today to discuss a business proposal and had just raised his hand to knock on the door when he caught wind of his sister's inappropriate behavior, and he was none too pleased.

"Violet!" he scolded, his voice a thunderous reprimand. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Violet's face turned crimson as she quickly adjusted her provocative posture and stammered for words. "Brother Jake, I just..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Jake cut her off, his eyes flashing with anger. "This is Daniel's office, and you're embarrassing yourself and our family with your behavior. Apologize and leave now."

Violet's face flushed in anger and humiliation and she couldn't help but retort.

"Why? Did I do anything wrong?!"

"Violet! Have a sense of respect for yourself!" Jake bellowed.

Ignoring Jake, Violet turned her face to Daniel in anger and said,

"You know, Daniel," she began, her tone dripping with venom, "I couldn't stand your ex-wife, Emma. She was such a pain in the ass. Always trying to outshine everyone with her perfect image and charity work."

Daniel and Jake stared at her coldly, their patience worn thin. Jake was appalled by his sister's behavior, but Violet's spiteful words seemed to bounce off Daniel's stoic demeanor.

Violet, however, was oblivious to the tension she had created. She continued, a smug smile curling on her lips, "I'm just glad you finally divorced her. It was about time someone put her in her place."

Daniel's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, his anger and frustration boiling over.

Violet's words had crossed a line, and she had no right to speak ill of Emma. He had his own complicated feelings about his ex-wife, but that didn't give anyone else the right to disparage her.

"Violet," he said, his voice cold and controlled, "I won't tolerate anyone speaking about Emma that way. Leave my office now."

He had never seen this side of her before, and it disgusted him.

Violet's face turned even redder. She had hoped to win Daniel over with her charm, but she had clearly miscalculated. Who knew what drug Emma fed Daniel to make him protect her like this?

The hateful woman was finally out of Daniel's life yet she still wouldn't let him off?!

Tears threatened to spill out of her green eyes out of humiliation and she hastily turned on her heel and stormed out of the office, leaving behind a stunned silence.

Daniel watched her go, his jaw clenched in frustration. Violet's words had left him feeling even more conflicted about his divorce and the unresolved emotions he had buried deep within himself.

Undoubtedly, Violet's words had struck a nerve.

As the door closed behind her, Daniel and Jake were left alone in the office.

Jake sighed heavily, his frustration evident. "I'm so sorry about her, Daniel. She can be impulsive and foolish at times."

Daniel shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It's not your fault, Jake. She's young and still learning."

Jake couldn't help but chuckle, grateful for Daniel's understanding. "You handled that quite well, my friend. I was scared she'd be thrown out the window."

"She may be willful but she's still your sister. I have to look past her flaws and honor the dog behind her."

Jake's eyes widened in disbelief before he throttled, "So am I a dog now?"

Daniel smiled faintly, "I didn't say so."

In other words, YOU did.

Daniel's smile soon faded as he looked out the window at the rising sunlight. "Jake, do you ever wonder if you've misjudged someone or if you've wronged them?"

Jake had just sat when he heard Daniel's question. He furrowed his brow, sensing the weight of his words. "What are you talking about?"

Daniel hesitated, his voice low and filled with uncertainty. "My divorce with Emma... I accused her of planning the one-night stand yesterday night just to hear her response, but when I remember the look of heartache and despair in her eyes, I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe I was wrong."

"Didn't you say the private investigator was the top one in town? Could his investigations be wrong?" Jake probed, confusion apparent on his face.

That question stumped Daniel who got lost in his thoughts for a long time.

Jake leaned back in his seat as he silently observed Daniel. He was his childhood friend so he knew him better than anyone else and right now, Daniel wasn't acting in factory setting mode.

The private investigator provided a stack of irrefutable evidence pointing at Emma as the sole mastermind behind Daniel's ordeal a year ago.

The effect of the scandal was so bad that Daniel had almost lost K to the hands of the greasy old men of the industry so one could imagine Daniel's anger when he realized that he had been married to the same woman who was the cause of his problems.

If someone betrayed Daniel Kozlov, that person would regret ever doing so and he had expected Daniel to utterly destroy this scheming woman but why was he beginning to have second thoughts?

Or could it be?~