I went on with my days in a numb daze. Sawyer and I didn't speak after he dropped me in front of my car. Well, not unless it was work-related mutterings in the passing. I hadn't even stepped inside his cabin, not that there was any need either. We were playing the perfect role of supervisor and junior employee.

Devon had called me in his office on Tuesday out of the blue. I remembered the sigh I breathed out right before entering the once-familiar office.

He had been sitting on his leather throne like a king, working on his laptop.

The second I had stepped in, he looked up and gave me a beaming smile like a kid on a Christmas morning.

"Miss Hayes! Come, sit."

I silently took his pro-offered seat before his glass desk and crossed my legs.

"Any news? How's work?"

"Fine."

"Good. Good. Everything is going well then."

"Yes."

"And Sawyer?"

"Busy."

"With what?"

"Work."

He scoffed. "Mirasol, you know I didn't call you here—"

"Miss Hayes."

Now, he frowned. "What's wrong? You're not backing out on me, are you?"

A short pause.

"No."

"Then what?"

"Nothing. There's nothing to tell."

"Nothing? What do you mean by nothing? You've been with him for days—"

"He doesn't trust me."

His frown deepened. "Why?"

I leveled him with a cool gaze. "Would you have trusted your rival's former PA, sir?"

Devon sputtered. Loss for the word, maybe for the first time since I had been working for him.

An odd sense of satisfaction washed over me at the sight and I uncrossed my legs.

"If that's all..."

After that, even Devon stopped with his texts and calls.

Soon enough, it was the day before the big launch and we were running around like headless ducks for the final stage of preparations.

Sawyer scarcely spared a word with us as usual unless it was to bark orders. He was a tough boss to work with under pressure and right now the heat was at boiling degrees.

I was securing a fast customer when I spotted Juliet twist her heels mid-rush and swiftly regain her balance like nothing happened before diving inside Sawyer's cabin with files.

She had taken the role of impromptu assistant of Sawyer while spreading her load of work among the wide-eyed interns. Those new lambs joined the butcher field a little more than a week ago.

I gave my current gray-haired patron a parting smile as he strode away with his pre-ordered model and ran back to my desk for a quick sip of water. The piranha group of customers was already frowning on my cue.

Sean, Mary, Trent were already sweating over theirs beside me.

I was about to sit and attend my next glossy-haired teen when Juliet popped out of nowhere and huffed, "Sawyer."

I frowned. "Right now?"

"Now." her clipped tone and clicky heels didn't wait as she trotted away.

My jaw remained hung open as protest and scream stuck in my throat.

Fuck. Just fuck it all! I was so done with that guy I could strangle him in cold blood!

"Go. I'll cover."

I looked up to Sean wiping his forehead. The air conditioner was in full swing and yet the ugly crowd inside was making the whole place feverishly hot.

"It's okay. I'll just be a minute." I turned back to my scoffing teen, eyeing Sean's cue.

His own line was no less longer than mine.

"Just go. It could be urgent."

"But—"

"Uh, hello? Any day soon?"

My temper was lurching high and the darn sweat was not helping the case.

"I'll get the interns. Go."

"Juliet has them all."

"I'll manage. Now, hurry. Sawyer's waiting."

I groaned and apologized to the frowning teen before rushing to his highness.

If this was about another barking order and nitpicking, so help me God—

I knocked and entered, without waiting for his reply. I sauntered inside and closed the door.

Sawyer was frowning at the laptop. His blond hair was mussed up from constantly running his fingers through them. As much as that twisted my stomach in a buttery knot, I was riding a higher wave at the moment.

"You summoned?" I stood before his desk, crossing my arms.

"Goodwill refused."

"Who?"

"Our final shareholder. He rejected a meeting."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Don't know. I've been trying to reach him since we got back from Dallas and finally, when we got a response from his secretary, it was negative."

"Yeah... But why did you approach him directly? We surely could've squeezed in a scheme, couldn't we?"

"No. We couldn't." It was the first time his honey-gold eyes met mine since I came inside.

The look in them had my inside in tight coils and not in the least bit nicer way.

"What happened, Sawyer? You did the same with the Winters."

His eyes flashed. "Did what?"

There was an edge to his voice. He did not even joke about not calling him sir and that was the second warning sign.

"You were upfront with them about your intentions firsthand. Laura told me."

He sighed. Sawyer did not need me to spell out the hidden 'why' in my words. He understood well enough.

"I didn't want to trick them, okay? I just..." Sawyer huffed. "They were already struggling with their cafe, they didn't need extra pressure from me. I was only—I'm not always the scheming bastard, Mirasol. I don't want to. I didn't want to. Not with them."

Silence thickened in the room after that.

Saw closed his eyes and clenched his hair in his fists.

Another few minutes passed and I breathed out.

"What about Goodwill? Is he bankrupt too?"

Sawyer shook his head.

I hummed, tapping my chin. "Let me guess. He lost a gamble and now needs money but he's too proud so you're stepping in to save the day with this deal. Did I miss something?"

Sawyer deadpanned.

I shook my head. "All I need is for you to communicate with me, sir. I don't want to keep guessing why you do what you do, at least, regarding this matter. I'm your partner, for heck's sake!"

Sawyer's silence only helped my hackles rise higher.

"Say something!" I flailed my arm when I got nothing again and looked away.

"This was a mistake."

My head snapped at those mumbled words.

Sawyer's jaw twitched. "I shouldn't have involved you."

What in the—

"Are you high?"

"No," His cold eyes met mine. "I've never been thinking clearer."

I. Couldn't. Fucking. Believe. This.

"Sawyer, I'm not in the mood for joking."

"Neither am I," His back straightened as he clasped his white knuckles together. "You want me to talk? I'm talking. I'm releasing you of any such obligation to follow our plan from now on."

This had to be a nightmare.

"I don't understand. Why?"

His eyes flickered with something for a second before turning frozen gold again. His throat bobbed as he raised his chin.

"Because I've dragged you too far into this mess. I realized this the second I learned Devon has been planning for a legal investigation ever since Ben and Sutherton filed complaint. I tried to distance you from our scheme ever since then but one way or another, I needed you. I'm a selfish shit, yeah. But not anymore."

He shrugged with an air of nonchalance before looking away. But my mind was reeling. It was too difficult to speak as his words rendered me speechless.

Sawyer. The smirking sales devil who had been hell-bent on me joining his quest just the other day, now wanted me to bail out because it was getting too much for me?

Wow. I mean, yeah, I had been thinking about the pros and cons—cons, especially—of this grand revenge scheme. But I didn't need anyone to become a martyr for my sake. Least of all, Sawyer Ronnes. We were both devils here.

"Who the hell do you think you are to decide things for me?" my voice was surprisingly calm for the turmoil raging inside me.

Sawyer flinched but never met my eyes.

I took a shaky, deep breath, clenching and unclenching my fists.

"Listen up, while I appreciate your concern for my wellbeing, I don't like you manhandling what I should or should not do, Sawyer Ronnes. We're in this together. I'm in this together. And I'll see it through to the bitter end. Just because there are bumps on the road, I ain't gonna throw away my shoes and stop walking, you hear me?"

"Mira—"

"Don't Mira me! I can't believe you've been acting like a prick over this simple matte—"

"It's not a simple matter!" He snapped. "This is about your future. Yuvan's future. Anything can happen tomorrow. Things can go south. They already suspect it's me and I'm having a help. Do you have any idea what will happen if they can sniff you out?"

I didn't respond.

Sawyer huffed, resting his fisted hand over his eyes. "I'm just trying to soften the blow, Hayes. It doesn't have to be both if we go down. I'm already ruined. They can do nothing new to me. But you can still save yourself. I just need to tweak a footage here, a video there and bam no one can suspect it's you."

"Devon does."

He froze.

"He already thinks I know what you're up to. He wanted me to spy on you while we were in Dallas. He was asking for update just the other day."

"Mirasol..."

"I denied. It wasn't hard. Your skeptic ass made it easier for me claim you don't trust me so he backed off."

Sawyer sighed. "That's... I don't know, Hayes. I don't trust him. He doesn't step back without a reason. But thanks for backing me up."

I shrugged. "He might suspect me. He might have played me to see how loyal I am, either to him or to you. He may be setting a trap for us right now as we speak. Whatever it is, one thing's for sure."

Sawyer's honey-gold gaze held resignation while mine turned colder with determination.

"We're not going down without a fight."

A long pause.

A heavy silence.

His shoulders turned stiffer, his posture straighter.

"We'll have to make do without Goodwill then. He's a big shot of this shareholder game. But we got other votes. They should be enough. Hayes, let's meet at my place after hours and discuss tomorrow's strategy."

I smirked. "Yes, sir."

"Nope," he smiled. "Only Sawyer. You burned that bridge long ago."

Hey all, we are finally back! Although it took almost a year and a half (more than half, but that besides the point. Life happens yada yada). Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the read and do let me know what you are thinking about it.

See you in the next chapter. Till then, take care of your mind, body, and soul. It's really important.

Love,
Sabrina ❤️

See you guys in the