Chapter 5
Eden’s POV
I shot up to my feet in panic, horror, bewilderment, every emotion possible raced through me one after the other. First Eli and then Mr. Blackwell. This year’s annual family lunch was turning out to be quite the shock.
“Mr. Blackwell, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?” oh God, had the company fallen apart while I was out here flirting with Trevor? He cocked his head at me. He looked unusually large standing there, He wasn’t in one of his usual designer. suits, instead he was in a pristine white polo and dark corduroy pants, dark shades hooked into his collar. He didn’t look like my unapproachable boss, instead he was the very picture of a GQ model.
“Don’t be rude, Eden.” Mum said in a scolding tune. “He’s joining us for lunch” she asserted living no room for arguments,
“No, he’s not.” I mumbled to myself and laughed nervously. There was no way my boss, billionaire CEO of Blackwell Worldwide, was going to sit in my parents‘ dining room and have lunch with my whole family. Stuff like that did not happen in real life. At least, not in my reality.
“Eden!” mum scolded, glaring at me. I glared ba at her. Hadn’t she been the one whining endlessly on the phone about how my boss was the big, bad ogre for keeping me away from my family, I wondered.
“Please take a seat, Mr. Blackwell,” Eden’s mum gestured politely.
“You can call me Hunter.” He said humbly. My mouth dropped to the ground. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and nope, I was wide awake. Another place setting was arranged for him on the other side of the table. Right in front of me. I dropped down to my seat.
“That’s your boss?” Trevor asked.
“You work for Hunter Blackwell.” Oh right, I had forgotten that he was something of a celebrity as one of the wealthiest, most successful men in the country.
“Are you about to start fangirling over him?” Ruby asked from his other side.
“Maybe.” Trevor grinned.
“Same.” My sister waggled her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes at her antics. When I looked over at Mr. Blackwell, his eyes were fixed steadily on mine as thou i was in a deep
Chapter 5
trouble that coming out of seems impossible looked away immediately.
“Eden said you were going sailing today. How was that?” mum asked.
“I don’t know. I couldn’t make it.” He replied.
“Why not?” I asked.
“I can’t exactly go sailing without my assistant now, can I?” he replied equivocally. Everybody’s eyes swung to me. Trevor’s head swung from me to Mr. Blackwell in clear confusion. Well, I was as confused as he was, their gaze got my stomach running with the feeling of heat from my Inside I got wet with sweat.
What did he even mean by that? Inez was the one to break the puzzled silence.
“What does that even mean? Does Eden drive the boat?” I didn’t actually do anything at all when we went sailing. I found a hidden corner and played Candy Crush on my phone. I don’t know why he even insisted on me always being there.
“I’m starting to think you just like to bother Eden.” Inez continued as politely as she could.
“Inez.” I hissed.
“Bother her?” he asked.
“Yes, if we hadn’t insisted, she’d have missed this year’s annual family lunch because you just wanted her around like an accessory on your yacht.” His eyes hadn’t left mine: the whole time. It was more than a little unsettling.
“But she’s not on my yacht right now, is she? And why do you think that is?”
Inez looked at me inquisitively. I swallowed. My family didn’t exactly know that I had never tried saying no to him. I had been way too much of a scaredy cat to ever try saying no, and so I had gone along with all his emergency summons and told everyone that the one time I had dared to refuse, he had told me I may not have a job come Monday.
“Inez and Reese got engaged.” Ruby blurted out, breaking the tension at the table.
“How very exciting.” While congratulations went up from everyone except my boss. who hadn’t yet taken his eyes off me and my brother who hadn’t yet taken his eyes off Inez, I considered sneaking away and escaping to my apartment, or just about anywhere where this cloying amount of tension existed. I glared at Mr. Blackwell for showing up here, turned the glare on my mum for inviting him in and then finally on Inez for being a fucking loud mouth. I was going to give her a long set down about this
12:50 Tue, Oct 8
Chapter 5
later.
She could make me lose my job with her stupid questions. I hadn’t given up a life for this job just to lose it because my non biological sister couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
My brother stood up and Jealously left the table, walking towards the kitchen, I could see how he struggled to act normal and cool with everything.
“What’s up with you and Blackwell?” Trevor whispered with a shake of curiosity.
“What? Nothing!” I whispered back, averting my gaze not to meet his.
“Then why is he looking at me the same way Eli is looking at Reese?” I glanced at the dark haired man, and true to his word, his eyes were narrowed on Trevor dangerously. I shivered at the deadly look in his eyes.
I had had enough. I rose to my feet and looked at my boss.
“We are leaving. Thank you for the meal, dad, mum. I’ll text you later, Ruby.” I didn’t wait to hear any protests, I just whirled around and marched right out of the house. Annual family lunch and courtesy be damned.
I should really have just gone sailing today I thought regretfully.
