I'm Engaged

Garrett’s booming, joyous laughter echoed continuously through the open-plan office room. The sound bounced off the walls, turning the heads of several curious coworkers. "Valerie, you won't believe this," he announced. He practically vibrated with energy as he delivered the shocking news to a stunned Valerie. "Desmond Hayes officially agreed to the exclusive interview."

Valerie blinked, struggling to process the sudden shift in reality. Her mind raced back to her unanswered texts. "Seriously? Desmond himself said yes?"

"Yes!" Garrett patted her shoulder with enthusiasm. "He is waiting in the glass-walled meeting room right now. And here is the kicker—he specifically requested that you be the one to conduct it. Maybe your voice left an impression on the phone. Whatever his reason, we are counting on you to make the operations team proud today."

Interviews were far outside her usual job description, and a wave of professional anxiety washed over her. She opened her mouth to object, but Garrett leaned in, dropping the ultimate bait. "Pull this off, and there is a massive three-thousand-dollar bonus waiting for you by the end of the month."

Three thousand dollars. The number echoed in her mind. It was money she desperately needed to cover Arthur's mounting medical bills and ensure he got the care he deserved. The thought of her son’s frail smile was all it took. Valerie forcefully pushed past her deep-seated skepticism, straightened the lapels of her blazer, grabbed her clipboard, and strode confidently toward the meeting room.

She pushed the heavy glass door open. Desmond was already there. He sat on the sofa, exuding a quiet, undeniable power that seemed to shrink the space around them.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hayes," she offered, keeping her tone brisk and strictly business.

"Ms. Lockwood," Desmond murmured in return. He greeted her entrance with a casual, almost arrogant tilt of his head. A teasing, dangerous sparkle danced in his dark eyes as his gaze swept over her.

For a fleeting, terrifying beat, Valerie found herself helplessly captivated by his overwhelming charisma. The sharp lines of his jaw, the tailored suit clinging to his broad shoulders, the effortless way he commanded the room—it was a sharp reminder of exactly why she had fallen for him in the first place.

A sudden, loud cough from the accompanying cameraman quickly snapped her back to reality. Her spine stiffened into unflinching professionalism. She had almost let her guard down.

Taking a seat directly beside him on the plush leather sofa, Valerie maintained a deliberate physical distance. She refused to let him rattle her. Clicking her pen, she kept it poised over her notepad. "Mr. Hayes, what prompted you to agree to this interview with us?" she asked steadily, meeting his dark gaze head-on.

Desmond leaned back, crossing his long legs, the epitome of relaxed confidence. His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed her formal, detached demeanor. "To be honest, I was just bored," he admitted lazily.

Valerie’s lips tightened into a thin line. His arrogant tone made it painfully clear that he was still bitter about being left hanging the day before. He was using his power to subtly punish her, ensuring she knew he held the upper hand.

She pressed on regardless, ignoring the petty jab. "What inspired you to start your own massively successful company from scratch?" she inquired, keeping her focus razor-sharp.

Holding her gaze with an intensity that burned, Desmond stopped lounging. When he spoke, it was with deliberate, calculated calm. "It's because someone showed me that a guy needs serious cash to feel confident talking to her."

The thinly veiled reference to their past financial disparity hung heavily in the air between them. He was throwing her old wealth and his past insecurities right back in her face. Valerie maintained her flawless composure, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"You certainly proved your point, considering your esteemed status as Oakhaven's youngest billionaire," she acknowledged smoothly. Steering the topic away from their fraught history, she dived into his family life. "Everyone's aware your mom raised you. What are her thoughts on your career?"

Desmond relaxed back into the sofa cushions. A genuine look of appreciation crossed his face. "She supports me, but stays out of my work."

Valerie rolled her eyes internally, fighting the physical urge to scoff. She might stay out of his corporate work, but his personal life was an entirely different story. Valerie felt a profound, overwhelming surge of relief wash over her. Their divorce had finally put a definitive end to the old, toxic resentments and the petty, endless arguments she had endured with her former mother-in-law.

Flipping carefully to her final note on the clipboard, Valerie kept her tone thoroughly and strictly professional. "One last question: Are you dating anyone?" she asked. It was a standard media question for a billionaire bachelor, but the atmosphere in the small room instantly thickened.

Desmond's gaze intensified a hundredfold. He searched her face, scrutinizing her features for any microscopic flicker of a reaction or a hidden trace of jealousy. He was testing her.

Valerie held an impenetrable poker face. Her expression gave nothing away as she stared back at him with the cold detachment of a stranger.

Seeing her unbothered stance, his demeanor shifted drastically. The teasing edge vanished, turning deeply serious and almost vindictive. He turned his head away from her, fixing his eyes on the camera lens as he announced deliberately, "I'm engaged, actually."