Capítulo 4: Unwelcomed Guests
Noah
Damn it, where is he.
Punctuality is everything, even to someone like me who's foreign to the concept. But if you're going to be late, keep it under twenty minutes late, not three freaking hours! My fist tightens around my phone as I check the time for what feels like the hundredth time today.
It's my official first day as COO for our soon to be company "PROJECT A square"—a collaboration between, Eclipse Altier and Appura Studios. My father decided that I should take this position because, well, Ray has beaten us three times in a row now, and to be honest she deserves it. Anyway, I have an impression to make—for the job, for my reputation and for Ray. But here I am in the airport waiting for an asshat, I don't even want to be here.
I dial his number furiously, "Damn it, Liam I swea—"
"Noah!"
His voice cuts through the noise just as I'm about to leave an angry voice mail I would have ended up sugarcoating. Reluctantly, I turn around and there he is—my brother—grinning like there's nothing in the world that could bother him. He stands tall, just as he always has, but not quite as tall as me. His red hair gleams under the airport lights and his green eyes are filled with some kind of infuriating mischief, like he's enjoying the fact that I've been waiting for him all this time.
A flicker of hope—small and fleeting but it's there—sparks somewhere deep inside me. Maybe this time it'll be different maybe things will be better.
"You're late," I huff with a smile, despite the emotions swirling in me.
He scoffs rolling his eyes in his usual careless manner, shoving his box to me, dismissing the apology he owes me with a casual wave. "Doesn't matter, I'm tired," he mutters already turning towards the exit like the conversation is over.
Tired?
My grip tightens on the boxes handle as I stare at his back.
Tired?
I clench my jaw. He has no idea what being tired is.
He stops and glances over his shoulder with a look that says, "Aren't you coming?"
I plaster on another fake smile, one so convincing it could fool anyone, "Yeah sure" I reply, my voice strained, dragging the box behind me.
I glance at my watch. 9:45. I'm so late. Thankfully the moment we step outside, a taxi pulls up
He frowns. "Why didn't you come with your come with your car?"
"I did" I reply flatly, hoisting his luggage into the trunk, "but have to go work now."
His face twists into a scowl, filled with irritation and barely contained contempt. "Oh, right you're too busy running the company…the one you stole from me."
The box freezes mid-lift, my grip faltering. A familiar surge of anger surges through my chest, but I force myself to stay cool.
"What?" He leans against the taxi, grinning like a wolf smelling blood. "It's not like I'm lying."
Bastard.
I practically throw the box in, slamming the trunk harder than necessary, the dull thud echoing in the humid air. My jaw clenches so tight I can feel the pressure building in my temples. I turn to face him masking my rage behind a smile so polished it'd take a microscope to detect its cracks. "I'd love to take you home, but as you said, I'm busy. You know the passcode."
Without waiting for a response, I turn and walk away, my spin stiff and my hands trembling. Each step feels like a fight to keep myself from snapping. As I head toward my car a doorman accidentally bumps into me.
Wrong time, buddy.
I almost lash out, but I catch myself just in time.
Breath. Noah breath
I don't remember how I got here—my car pulled to the side of the road, my breathing ragged and my vision blurred with the sharp edge of rage. The driver in the car I nearly hit, is screaming cusses at me, laying on his horn like a madman.
Let him honk. I don't care.
"…company, you stole from me."
Liam's words echo in my mind, louder than the blaring horn.
I grip the staring wheel tighter than I already am, my knuckles turning white.
"Don't try so hard, it still won't make us want you."
His words haunt me, slicing through the veil of composure I 've been holding onto for years. The memory surfaces before I can stop it—Liam, looking at me like I was worse than the dirt beneath his shoes.
You're so irritating," He sneered with a sharp jab to my chest, causing me to stagger back, "Crawling about like you own the place. You keep forgetting that you're nothing but an—"
My breath catches in my throat. My visions swim.
My knuckles turn white, as I grip the steering wheel harder, trying to anchor myself in the present. I'm not that kid anymore. I've earned my place here, no matter what Liam says.
But the sweat dripping down my forehead tells a different story. I wipe it away with trembling hands, trying to shake off the memories that cling to me like shadows.
"I've earned my place," I tell myself again, louder this time, trying to drown Liam's voice and the old wounds he ripped open just by standing there.
Taking a deep breath, I force myself to focus. The dashboard door clock blinks at me—10:15. I'm already late but I can't walk into that office looking like I'm about to snap. Not today.
I close my eyes for a second, letting the hum of the engine steady my focus.
In through the nose out through the mouth.
The breathing exercises are supposed to help with the anger, with the resentment that keeps boiling beneath the surface, waiting for a crack in my armor to spill out. Today, I can't afford any cracks.
Another deep breath, and I release my grip on the steering wheel. Slowly, the tension in my body unwinds, bit by bit.
Don't let him win, Noah.
With that thought, I pull back onto the road and drive, letting the rhythmic movement of the car settle me into something resembling calm. The city blurs past, a mess of concrete and glass, but my mind is stuck in the past, replaying the moments I'd tried so hard to forget.
Liam.
I hadn't seen him in months, and yet in those few minutes at the airport, he'd managed to reduce me to that insecure, desperate kid again—the one who was always looking for approval, for acceptance that never came.
As I drive, the cold realization hits me harder than I expect: it still matters. No matter how high I climb, how many titles I earn, how many people I impress—Liam's words, his judgment, his dismissal—it still matters.
I slam the brakes harder than I need to, pulling into the underground parking lot of the office building. I sit there for a moment, engine still running, staring at the sleek glass doors that lead into Appura Studios.
Somewhere behind those doors, Ray would be there. I can't afford to let Liam get under my skin. I have a job to get done.
I exhale sharply, killing the engine, and step out of the car. My polished shoes hit the pavement with the kind of confidence I've mastered over the years, even when I don't feel it. I straighten my tie, roll my shoulders back, and make my way toward the entrance. By the time I walk into the building, I've wrapped myself in the armor I need—the chill, laid back, untouchable mask of Noah Blackwell, CEO of Eclipse Altier.
I reach the elevator, as the other employees step out. They greet with a smile and I return the same, because that's what I always to, that's what they expect, that's what everybody expects, not minding how I feel.
Luckily before anyone can come in, the elevator closes leaving me the comfort of being alone even if it's just for a moment.
In less than five minutes, I arrive at the twelfth floor and make my way to Ray's office.
I don't know how long I've been standing in front of the door or how many people have passed giving me questioning glances but every form of anger dissolve into nervousness. The last time I went in there she was colder than ice.
What's wrong with you Noah? This is Ray.
I nod to myself. This is Ray. I knock softly.
"Come in," her voice comes from inside.
I open the door and step inside. I don't even need to glance at her twice to know she's pissed. Right from high school, Ray has always been bffs with punctuality, in fact she made sure to come thirty minutes earlier. That was one of the things that made her stand out to me.
"You're late," says flatly
I sit across from her, keeping my expression neutral. "I know. Something came up last minute. It won't happen again."
Her eyes linger on me for a moment before she hands me a document. "Our schedule," she leans back into her chest crossing her hand. Something I knew she only did when she was feeling defensive.
She doesn't trust me.
"We're going to be extremely busy this month, considering we have to sign the office construction papers, go site seeing, have meeting with the executive and so on."
I nod. I should be concentrating on the documents, but rather I'm focused on how amazing she sounds. I've always known she was smart, but the confidence and determination in her voice is so impressive and honestly attractive. The way she maintains eye contact with me, she could never do that before. Even her posture is confident and majestic. Before I can stop it, a flicker of pride rises in my chest. But I push it down.
Someone knocks on the door, pulling back into reality and I realize she has stopped talking and I'm just staring at her like a creep. She stares at me back but with a scowl.
The person knocks again, a pattern—twice, thrice, then once.
"It's Lucy" Ray mutters to herself.
Lucy?
"Come in." she calls out loudly.
Lucy steps in holding a tab, dressed in her usual. She brushes past me and whispers something to Ray. I stare at her confused because I had no idea she worked here and as Ray's secretary, it seems, she should have known I'm teaming with Ray, yet she said nothing.
She glances at me and offers her usual nod; I narrow my eyes at her. Is she pretending not to know me? Ha! Fine if that's what she wants I'll be petty. But before I can, Ray gets up.
"You can leave, that's all I wanted to tell you, also we'll be having a meeting with the board tomorrow." She scowls at me. "It was supposed to be today but they got tired of waiting"
I get up to and nod. "I apologize again." Out of the corner of my eye, I swear Lucy just tsked at me.
I offer Ray a small smile which she doesn't return before I walk out.
I run my hands through my hair as I step into the elevator and press the eleventh floor which is where my office in Appura Studios was. Father had requested that he have an office here since Eclipse Altier is located in Boston and "PROJECT A square" is going to be built here in New York. It was meant to be on the twelfth floor beside Ray's office but I guess after she saw me, she decided she didn't want me on the same floor.
She probably doesn't even want me to breathe the same air as her.
Just as the elevator doors are about to close, a hand stops them. And when I see who it is, my stomach drops.
"Sheila?"
She smiles, but it makes me feel nauseous. She looks different, like she's trying to be someone she's not. Her blonde hair and hazel eyes could almost make me mistake her for—
My eyes shift behind her, and there she is. Ray. And standing beside her… Liam? What the hell is he doing here?
Worse, why is she smiling at him?
What the fuck is goin on?
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