Chapter 14

The person who walked in wasn't the one he'd been hoping for. It was Mia. She'd clearly heard him call out Freya's name, and she couldn't understand why some secretary kept getting between them. She stared at Jasper's obvious disappointment, her blood beginning to boil.

"Seriously? Freya again? Do you actually have a thing for her?" she demanded.

Jasper didn't answer. The moment he realized it wasn't Freya walking through that door, he'd mentally checked out. His detachment only angered Mia further. Tears welled in her eyes as she lost control.

"She's just your goddamn assistant! A nobody! I knew from day one she wanted you. Good riddance she's gone! Jasper, you told me I was the only woman you'd ever love. What the hell is happening? Are you actually into her?"

Faced with Mia's barrage, Jasper's thoughts were a jumbled mess. He remained silent. But Mia was used to being worshipped. The more he ignored her, the more she hated Freya. She violently swept items off his desk.

"I heard everything just now! You were asking where Freya went. You want to track her down and bring her back! You've got feelings for her!"

At his limit, Jasper looked at Mia and saw nothing of what had once captivated him. He couldn't understand how he'd fallen for someone so petty and demanding—someone who had driven Freya away. The realization snapped his last thread of restraint. His eyes burned as he finally answered:

"And what if I do? Do you have any clue what you've done?"

Once the dam broke, his fury poured out unchecked. Jasper stepped toward her.

"You chased off my entire staff. You deleted critical emails without asking, nearly tanking several partnerships! I gave you a position in my company, and you turned into a complete tyrant—making everyone's life hell until they all threatened to quit. Do you know how much money your little power trip has cost this company?"

"I could let all that slide, but why did you have to go after Freya? You set her up over and over until she couldn't take it anymore!"

"You're right—I do have feelings for Freya! You disappeared for years, and she was there every damn day! Who the hell are you to look down on her?"

His booming voice and dark expression terrified her. She trembled, tears ready to spill, but her pride wouldn't let her back down.

"Because she's just your assistant. She's nothing but a—"

CRACK!

Before she could finish, Jasper slapped her across the face. The sharp sound echoed through the office. He had actually hit her. Her tears instantly cascaded down as she sobbed, flailing at him wildly.

"You HIT me! You actually fucking hit me! You said you loved me, and now you're slapping me over some pathetic secretary!"

But her struggles were useless. Now that he'd faced his true feelings, Jasper looked at her with nothing but contempt. He caught her wrists and, without hesitation, slapped her again. The sound cut through the room like a whip. Mia's head snapped sideways, her cheek instantly reddening, but the fury in his eyes remained white-hot. His words came out like ice.

"Freya went through worse than this every day. This is nothing compared to what you deserve. You WILL apologize to her!"

Chapter 15