MIMI

Mimi sat in a large chair, her legs crossed while her frosty eyes stared intently at the man sitting across from her – an emotionless smile spread across her lips.

"So, tell me, Mr. Holt, why do you wish to pull out your investment after two years of using my work?" Mimi"s calm, smooth voice spoke with a lilt of amus.e.m.e.nt.

The man across from the boy stared at him with a mocking, contempt-filled gaze.

"It"s simple. After the first year your program worked well, however, the second year it suddenly crashed and stopped working. Do you expect me to invest in a broken program?" The man scoffed.

"I see. I find that hard to believe, after all, that system is worth more than a billion dollars and made by me personally. To suddenly crash seems unlikely."

Mr. Holt sneered. "Do you think so highly of your work that you believe my words are lies? Maybe your work isn"t as great as you think it is."

The man expected the young man to break out into a raging fit and curse at him - but in the end, he remained silent. If anything, he looked like he was delighted by everything he said.

Holding back his irritation, the man sneered.

"Anyways, no matter what you say I won"t continue to invest in a useless program."

"Is that so?" Mimi arched a brow, the previous mirth in her eyes darkening. "Then do you mind if I take a look at my system that you claimed to be "useless"."

Unprepared for Mimi"s question, the man choked on his words. However, calming himself down, the man continued to express a look of disdain.

After all, the person before him was just a kid who happened to be successful over a simple system.

"Why? So you can replace it with another one and claim that my words are false? Do you take me for an idiot?"

"At this very moment, yes."

Stunned by his direct insult, the man"s face flushed red with fury.

"You…!"

"Jean, do you mind waiting outside for a moment? I"d like to have a private conversation with Mr. Holt."

"Yes, sir."

Jean bowed her head before exiting the conference room to wait outside. With just the two left inside the room, the look in Mimi"s eyes dimmed.

"Mr. Holt, I"m a rational, understanding person. There are very few things that irritate me in this world." Mimi slowly stood up and walked toward the conference window to close the curtains.

"One of them is having filthy, dirty pigs lie to me."

Mimi"s calm, chilling voice echoed throughout the room causing Mr. Holt to shiver. Her figure continued moving toward the last window, slowly closing it - the room"s light dimming slowly.

"And second is being called useless by no good sc.u.m," Mimi said menacingly.

Turning around, Mimi"s expression darkened even further. All traces of her smile disappeared.

However, what caused the man to feel chills run down his spine and complexion to shift white was the threatening, chilling glow in the boy"s eyes – a flash of violet could be seen.

"Now tell me, Mr. Holt, how do you wish to be punished for your sins? It"s been a while since I"ve played so I"ll allow you to choose."

"Gulp…"

Ah! Why did he have to encounter such a s.a.d.i.s.tic character?!

…

"Landon…"

Outside the conference room, Emilia stared blankly at the young man staring wide-eyed at her. She couldn"t help but notice that his previous fresh and attractive appearance was much more haggard - as if he hadn"t slept in months.

The man in front of her was no longer the Landon from her memories. After what took place that night at the Hirogori event, Emilia permanently cut all ties with him.

It had all suddenly dawned on her why she found her surroundings to be so familiar the minute she entered.

This was Landon"s father"s company, WT Corporation!

A year ago, she visited Landon"s company to give him lunch, but upon arriving she was told to leave - his staff had told her he was busy.

Landon agreed that he"d meet her at a nearby café for lunch that day.

He never arrived.

For five hours, Emilia waited at that café for him with the homemade lunch she personally made for him.

After a while, she received a call from a company employee telling her Landon couldn"t make it and was caught up with his father"s business.

Feeling frustrated, she yelled at the employee bitterly over the phone before hanging up.

Emilia stared at Landon absentmindedly.

Landon looked at Emilia surprised by her sudden presence. He never thought he would see her at his father"s company.

What was she doing there?

However, recalling his goal for over the past few months, Landon"s eyes brightened even further and ushered for the man beside him to leave without him. The man beside him furrowed his brows.

"But Mr. Williams we have…"

"We can reschedule it." Landon coldly glanced at the man beside him.

Landon"s cold look sent chills down the man"s back.

What was he saying?

The company was currently experiencing a drop in sales, and investors were pulling out for the past few months.

They were currently on their way to discuss ways to improve their situation, yet Landon was here telling him to reschedule something so important?

What did he mean reschedule it?

However, not wanting to get on Landon"s bad side, the man bit back his words and walked away.

Turning around to look at Emilia, the previous cold expression on his face was replaced by a radiating smile as he slowly walked toward Emilia.

"Emilia…I"ve wanted to talk to you for so long. There"s so much I have to apologize to you for."

Breaking from her daze, Emilia clutches tightly onto her notebook and stands up from her seat, taking a few steps backward. Noticing her movements, his steps paused and a look of pain displayed on his face.

"I…I"m sorry. I understand you must still be angry at me for what happened."

Emilia was silent.

Angry? No, if anything anger was the last thing she felt. He would never understand the pain and turmoil he caused within her.

Landon noticed Emilia"s silence and thought of it as her giving him her usual silent treatment. Feeling as if there was a glimmer of hope, Landon"s eyes gleamed darkly.

"That night, I admit it was my fault, I should"ve never said those things to you. But please know, none of what I said was true. Ever since we were kids I"ve always thought and cared for you. You"re special to me."

The more Landon spoke the more Emilia felt her heart turn cold. She didn"t know whether to laugh or cry.

How had she been so blind not to notice the lies in his words?

The dark, greedy glint in his eyes as he spoke was as clear as day to her as she stared at him.

His eyes from the beginning had always been empty, never once showing a trace of warmth in them.

Not like Andras. Andras was always honest with her.

He never gave her special treatment and treated her just like he"d treat anyone. He treated her like a human being.

Remembering the light caress Andras gave her on her head that day, Emilia"s eyes softened.

Unaware of her thoughts, Landon a.s.sumed her current expression was in response to his words. Smiling even wider, Landon walks closer toward the girl.

"Emilia…"

"You say I"m special to you?"

Finally, hearing her voice, Landon"s face lights up.

"Yes! I do! From the beginning, you"ve always been special to me!"

Tilting her head up and revealing a smug expression, Emilia laughs.

"Hmph! As flattering as your words are, what makes you think you"re special to me?"