Chapter 6 Drop the Act

Hugh's voice cut through the silence, sending a shock through Jessica's chest. For an instant, everything around her seemed to fade, and she was flooded with memories—the coldness in his eyes, the betrayal that had tainted the wedding day. A chill crept down her spine, a feeling she hadn't expected to resurface. Hugh set the folder down on the desk, his gaze falling upon the woman seated before him. His face froze, his eyes narrowing as recognition hit him like a physical blow. "You ... Jessica?" The shock in his voice was unmistakable. She was here? After all these years? Before Jessica could utter a word, Charles, lounging in his chair with effortless authority, glanced between the two of them. His voice was cool, measured. "What's this? Do you two know each other?" "No," Jessica replied quickly, almost too quickly, the words tumbling out without thought. Hugh fell silent for a moment, then his lips twisted into a bitter sneer. "No, we don't. The Jessica I knew ... she's long gone." The words stung, but Jessica held his gaze, her eyes flashing with quiet fury.The tension between them was thick, suffocating, like an invisible weight pressing down on her chest. She fought to keep her composure, the anger inside threatening to boil over.This wasn't the time to lose control—not with her new boss sitting right in front of her. She took a breath, turned her face slightly, as if he were a stranger, just another face in a crowd she didn't need to recognize. "Uncle Charles," Hugh's voice was sharp, like a blade drawn from its sheath. "Who is she?" Charles watched the exchange with the kind of detachment that only came from years of dealing with tension. He didn't flinch. His tone was calm, almost indifferent. "She's the company's new designer." A designer? After all this time, Jessica had somehow become this? Hugh hadn't expected it. He'd thought she'd faded into the background, swallowed up by life's disappointments Instead, she stood there, poised, elegant, more polished than he remembered. She was different now—more refined, more commanding, and there was something about her that made her impossible to ignore. Frustration flickered across Hugh's face, his fists clenching at his sides. He struggled to contain it, the storm inside him barely held in check. Charles glanced at the folder Hugh had brought, his expression unreadable. "You're dismissed," he said, his voice cool, efficient. For a moment, Hugh lingered, his gaze darkening as it flicked back to Jessica. The storm within him was clear now, but he didn't speak it aloud. With a sharp nod to Charles, he turned and left, his footsteps heavy against the silence that followed. As the sound of his retreating steps faded into nothingness, Jessica exhaled slowly, the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She hadn't expected to find Hugh's uncle sitting in the CEO's chair. But ... Charles barely looked 30. Her thoughts tumbled, one after another, as she tried to steady her racing heart. She forced a calm smile, pushing aside the chaos inside her. "Mr. Hensley, may I return to my work now?" Charles's gaze lingered, his eyes dark pools of thought, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself held its breath. "Go ahead," he said, the words barely more than a whisper. He saw it then, a flicker of confusion in her eyes, a tell that confirmed Flint's findings—she was indeed his nephew's ex-girlfriend. Jessica exited the CEO's office, her thoughts a whirlwind, and walked towards the elevator. She barely registered the sharp motion at the corner before a hand shot out, gripping her arm tightly. A gasp escaped her lips as the figure yanked her into a shadowed alcove, his hand quickly covering her mouth before releasing her. "Hugh? What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, pulling away as her eyes locked onto his, fury bubbling beneath her skin. Hugh moved closer, his presence pressing in on her. "I should be asking you that. How dare you show your face here? What's your game at Vertex?" She held her ground, her eyes unflinching. "You heard me before. I'm here as a designer. I'm here to work. What else would I be doing?" "Work?" He laughed bitterly, his fingers curling under her chin, pulling her face closer. "Don't play games with me. You're here to get close to Uncle Charles, aren't you? To reel him in again?" Disgust flared in her eyes, but it was more than that—her resolve hardened. She shoved his hand away and slapped him across the face, the sound ringing through the air. "Hugh, if you don't stop with these accusations, I'll sue you for defamation!" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. His face flushed, and he wiped his cheek, eyes narrowed with contempt. "This is you, isn't it? Always playing the innocent act. How pathetic." "You can doubt me all you want, but you won't insult me like that." Her voice was ice. "You believed Rhea's lies without a second thought, but you won't trust me?" Hugh was still insulting her because of the photos he saw. She continued, "And what makes you think the photos are real? Ever wondered why they showed up at the wedding? Ever thought about how much of a coincidence that was?" Hugh's eyes were hard. He wasn't ready to let go of the past, no matter how much he pretended to be sure. "But can you say for sure that you did not cheat on me?" "I don't care if you believe me or not," she replied, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "We don't owe each other anything anymore." With that, she swept past him, leaving the anger and the weight of the past behind. Much later, she discovered the reason for Hugh's seemingly young uncle. Charles father had fathered a child late in life, nearing 50 when Charles had been born. Had she known that from the beginning, she never would have set foot in Vertex.