2

Charles' POV

I stood outside the balcony with a cigarette in my hand.

I puffed the smoke into the night and thought about my life.

The glass of alcohol on my other hand was my normal routine of trying to drown away my sorrows.

Still, I liked the silence of the balcony because the party was too chattering for me.

I felt someone behind me, but I didn't bother to turn around.

" What's the issue now, Linda?" I puffed smoke into the air.

Linda was my secretary, the one person I could tolerate on days like this.

I was so familiar with her that I didn't need to turn around to know that she was the one.

" Sir, you can't be drinking and smoking." She gently said.

" I'm fine." I took another drag. " Now what do you have for me?"

" May Russel be at the party." She announced. " And she has been pestering me about you."

I lowered my gaze, I couldn't help but sigh.

May was the daughter of one of the billionaires in town.

She was a platonic friend, but I knew that she wanted to be more with me.

I had someone else on my mind, she wasn't who I would get into a relationship with.

" You can tell her anything," I said. " But not where I am."

" Got it." She nodded. " And oh, I saw the CEO of Wilson company, he has arrived."

I turned to her sharply.

" Why didn't you say so?"

The CEO of Wilson company was the main reason why I attended the party in the first place.

I was looking to gather some business partners for my new artificial intelligence company and the CEO of Wilson was just the man I wanted.

I threw the cigarette on the ground and squashed it till the flame went out.

I handed her the glass and adjusted my suit.

" How do I look?" I spread out my hands.

" Handsome, but you smell slightly of the alcohol." She shook her head.

" I see." I didn't care. " Well, that's a masculine scent."

She didn't agree because she took out chewing gum from her purse and handed it to me.

I took it and tapped her shoulder before I left.

The party wasn't overflowing with people, that's because only a billionaire and millionaires were in attendance.

I was weaving through people when I felt a hand slip into mine.

It was May, I didn't know how she found me and so quickly.

" Charles!" She giggled. " You won't believe it, I have been looking for you everywhere!"

I tried to take her hands off me, but it was futile.

" Have you now?" I smiled at her. " Are you enjoying the party?"

" Without you? No." She pretended to be sad. " Why not take me home? I'm sure you and I will enjoy each other's company alone."

" I can't do that, may." I succeeded in taking her hand off me. " I have to take care of some things."

I was still trying to get her to hop off my back when I noticed someone in the bar, at the other end.

No, it wasn't the CEO of Wilson – I wouldn't have been this shocked to see him.

I saw Erika, my girlfriend from five years ago.

I remembered our failed engagement party and how she disappeared from my sight.

It had been five years since I last saw her and boy had she changed.

She was alone, drinking from her glass of cocktail and looking so expensive.

" Charles!" May touched me to get my attention back. " I was telling you that my dad wanted a meeting with you... Are you even listening?"

" Tell your dad my secretary will contact him to fix a date." I firmly peeled her fingers off my bicep. " Now, I have to go."

She gave me a frown of disapproval, but I still walked away from her.

My heart was racing in my chest when I got to the bar.

Thankfully the chair next to her was unoccupied, so I sat beside her.

She kept on drinking, she didn't even bother to look at me.

Girls always noticed me, it was either she was pretending not to see me, or she wasn't like other girls.

" A shot of vodka, please," I spoke loudly to the barman.

It was only to get her attention and I was grateful that it worked.

She gave me a stare but didn't say anything to me.

" Another for the lady," I added. My eyes were on her.

" Erika." I nodded at her. " It has been a while."

" Oh, Charles. I didn't know that it was you." She didn't sound like she cared very much.

" I was your boyfriend throughout your days in college," I grunted. " How could you say that you don't recognize me?"

" Maybe I just don't want to." She rolled her eyes. " Why are you even here at the bar? I thought you were getting all cozy with May Russel."

Wait, is this attitude because she saw may with me?

I almost laughed at that. The drinks arrived and hers was kept before her.

She gave it a nasty look, before pushing it away with her left hand and screwing her nose.

" I don't drink alcohol." She said,

She was the coldest she had ever been towards me, but I wasn't noticing. I spent my time greedily staring at her.

It was very unfortunate that our engagement was never concluded, but I knew I wasn't over her yet.

I was still staring at the beautiful damsel when someone walked over to her and slipped his hands behind her seductively.

He kissed her neck and she smiled with him. My eyes bated angrily, what the hell was this?!

" Hello, Mami?" He kissed her neck again. " Hope I didn't leave you for too long."

" You didn't." She laughed. " It almost got too long, but thank God you came."

I was greatly astonished that this man was going to ignore that I was sitting right in front of him.

Did he know who I was? I would beat him up so that this pretty face would cease to exist.

" Who is this fool, Erika?!" I angrily demanded to know. " Does he have no respect to see that I was occupied with you?!"

Erika didn't answer me, it was the man who looked at me.

" I am David Wilson, CEO of Wilson company." He answered and I went mute. " Do you have a problem with me, my friend?"

I was almost thrown out of my seat in surprise. Erika and the CEO of Wilson company?!

" Watch yourself, Charles," Erika warned. " Whoever I am with has nothing to do with you. When you got my parents' shares and cheated on me, we have had nothing to do with each other since then."