Genevieve's POV

My breath caught, and I froze at the sight of him, my blood running cold. He was seated in one of the chairs, accompanied by a woman. His black crisp suit accentuated his every feature. His eyes, still as captivating as I remembered, were a piercing gray. But this time, looking into them didn't evoke warmth; instead, I felt a bitter sensation towards him. His brown hair, once messy, was now slicked back, with a few stray strands escaping.

In conclusion, he was still the most handsome man I had ever met, but I would never admit that to him. My trance was broken when I heard the woman next to him clear her throat. My gaze shifted from him to her. She was stunning, with long black hair elegantly tied up in a bun, enhancing her beautiful face shape. Her deep green eyes, adorned with light green eyeshadow and bright red lipstick, were captivating. A slight pang in my heart reminded me that such a gorgeous woman was sitting beside him, but I had to remind myself that he was no longer mine, and he treated me worse than I deserved. I no longer loved him; he didn't matter.

Realizing I had been staring, I refocused my attention. Both the woman and Wesley were here for business. "Mr. Adamson," I said, maintaining composure in my voice. Internally, I commended myself for not stuttering and sounding perfectly professional.

"Aless—" he began, his voice desperate as he leaned forward towards me.

"You must have mistaken me for someone else. I am Natasha Chadwick. I apologize for my absence. We have a few more clients on the way, but once they arrive, we can proceed with the meeting regarding the investments," I stated, making my way to the other end of the table and taking a seat at the head.

"Um, we are here to meet the owner of the company. We specifically requested to meet with the CEO, not the secretary," the woman seated next to Wesley remarked.

I observed Wesley's fists clench and his jaw tense in response to her comment. Sighing, I hoped she was merely confused about why I was seated at the head of the table. "I am the CEO, Ms.," I replied, looking away from Wesley and directing my attention to the woman.

"Of course you are," she mumbled under her breath. She likely believed that no one else would hear, but unfortunately for her, she was unsuccessful.

"I will not tolerate people undermining me or questioning my leadership skills. If you can't keep your comments to yourself, I will withdraw my proposition. Not only will that cost you millions of dollars, but it will also encourage other companies to follow suit, as many look up to mine," I calmly asserted, growing tired of the sexism I faced not only from men but also from envious women.

Wesley clenched his fists even tighter, shutting his eyes as he attempted to calm himself. "I apologize on Ingrid's behalf, and she will refrain from speaking for the remainder of the meeting," he said, turning to Ingrid. His tone came across more as a threat than an order.

Ingrid's eyes widened, and she pouted, reaching out to touch Wesley's arm like a child. "But Wesleyyyyyy," she whined.

A small pang reverberated in my heart when she called him that, but I frowned, questioning why I felt emotional and physical pain. I had moved on from Wesley; I shouldn't care if he had found someone new. Perhaps I was on the verge of a heart attack. Huh.

"Don't," he threatened, forcefully removing her hands from his arms. She seemed to understand that he was angry and didn't push him further.

As he looked back at me, his eyes softened, but my body reacted differently. Even with his gaze upon me, my entire body tensed, and my chest tightened to the point where breathing felt difficult. Despite my attempts to pretend he was nothing more than a businessman, the reality remained: he was my husband, someone I used to love.

And on top of that, he betrayed me, accused me, and left me with nothing. I felt, and still feel, unloved, burdened with trust issues and numerous other problems caused by him. I felt suffocated in his presence, longing to leave the room and escape the memories and emotions I had suppressed. But I knew I would eventually have to face him, and now was the perfect opportunity to prove to both him and myself that I was okay without him.

"Ale—" he started, but halted when five other businessmen entered the room. I knew he wouldn't attempt to talk to me again because whatever he wanted to say, he wouldn't say in front of others. I calmed myself by taking a few breaths and waited for the remaining participants to settle in. Once everyone was ready to start the meeting, I began discussing my propositions for the companies.

Throughout the meeting, I could feel Wesley's eyes on me, but I never once looked at him. Instead, I focused on the other businessmen when he spoke. As much as I despised admitting it, he was excellent at his job. He spoke with determination and authority, leaving no room for questioning his intentions.

At the conclusion of the meeting, I felt a sense of pride. All the companies became my clients, investing in my company, and I left them with mutually beneficial agreements. The men stood up and bid me farewell with a small bow before exiting the room, except for one.

I could still sense his presence, his gaze, as I stood up and gathered my files from the table. "Ingrid, wait for me in the car," his low, husky voice commanded, sending shivers down my spine.

"I'll be waiting," she responded, raising her voice on pitch, a sound that made me cringe.

I continued organizing the papers into the files, focusing on the task at hand, until I could no longer hear their footsteps. Holding my breath, I collected the organized files in my hands and finally looked up to where Wesley was still standing. He gazed at me with his deep gray eyes, and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

Collecting myself, I offered him a small, insincere smile out of courtesy, even though he didn't deserve it. I began walking towards him, as he stood by the door, needing to escape his presence as quickly as possible—for his sake.

Holding my head high, I averted my gaze from him to the door, silently praying that he wouldn't speak to me, not wanting him to accuse me of false things, yet again.

"Genevieve," he said softly, his words almost compelling me to stop and look at him. But I refused, walking right past him towards the door. I exhaled once I was past him, almost out of the room. However, I held my breath again when I felt his grip on my wrists, pulling me into his chest.

Instantly, my other arm pushed against his chest, attempting to push him away, hoping to avoid having to engage in conversation. But he persisted, pushing me against the wall, trapping me with his presence, both his arms resting on the wall behind me.

"Mr. Adamson, would you kindly remove yourself from me," I said, anger slowly rising within me as I realized the gravity of the situation. How dare he accuse me of things I never did, throw me out of our house, leave me with nothing, and now, three years later, suddenly act this way.

"Fuck, Genevieve, don't call me that," he said, his eyes flashing with anger.

The rage burned within me, coursing through my veins as I heard Wesley's audacious demand. "My name is Natasha, and if you do not remove yourself from me, I will have someone else do it for you," I threatened, my eyes locked with his in a fierce glare.

His body heat radiated towards me, triggering memories of the last time we had been this close. It was the day before he accused me of cheating. Back then, I would have cherished this proximity and yearned for his touch. But I wasn't that person anymore. I didn't care for him, and his closeness only served as a reminder of how he had abandoned me.

"No, you're not Natasha, you're Genevieve. My Genevieve," he asserted, his hand gently caressing my cheek with his thumb.

Confusion washed over me as I questioned why he was being affectionate when he believed I had cheated. However, his touch snapped me back to reality, and I felt repulsed by his hands on me. No matter how much I told myself I hated him, his touch still ignited sparks within me, and I had to fight the urge to lean into it. But deep down, both my heart and mind agreed on one thing: I was completely and utterly disgusted with Wesley.

Ignoring his touch, I searched for Malachi through the glass walls of the conference room. I found him outside my office, his concerned gaze fixed upon me. I gave him a desperate look, and he instantly understood what I needed. Nodding in response, he strode purposefully towards Wesley and me.

"Get off of me, sir," I commanded Wesley, meeting his gaze with anger, only to be met with desire in his eyes.

"Genevieve, don't call me that ever fucking again," he retorted, his expression shifting from desire to rage. His hand retreated from my face, forming into a tight fist, while his jaw clenched and his body tensed.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Malachi intervened by placing his hand on Wesley's shoulder, causing him to spin around and face Malachi.

"Excuse me, sir, but if you have no other business with Ms. Chadwick, I must ask you to leave the building," Malachi said, his tone carrying a threatening undertone. Though when I looked at them side by side, Wesley definitely exuded a more menacing presence than Malachi did.

Tension filled the air as I anxiously awaited Wesley's reaction, but to my surprise, he released a deep chuckle, finding amusement in the situation. "And who are you to threaten me?" He asked in a mocking tone.

Malachi's expression remained devoid of amusement, replaced by a scowl. "I am her guard, and now I will escort you off the premises," he stated, his voice tinged with darkness.

"Well, she doesn't need a guard anymore. I am her husband, so you are fired," Wesley proclaimed, his voice devoid of humor.

Malachi's expression darkened further, but my shock overwhelmed me, and annoyance towards Wesley's childish and absurd claims began to rise. I took a deep breath, mindful that I was still in a workplace. As the boss of a company, I couldn't afford any outbursts. Not only would it raise questions among my employees, but as a woman, it could jeopardize everything I had worked for. People would question whether my company truly rose from nothing or if I had an unfair advantage, which was not the case.

I walked away from the wall, placing myself in front of Wesley with Malachi standing behind me. "I am your ex-wife. We are not married and haven't been since you threw me out of the house. Do not tempt me, Wesley. I will sue you if you repeat that sentence again," I snapped, making sure my voice was loud enough for both Malachi and Wesley to hear, yet not loud enough to attract attention from others.

Wesley's eyes shifted away from Malachi and locked onto mine. He slowly began to lean towards me, but I swiftly moved back and to the side, out of his reach. I had no intention of allowing him to touch me again.

Marching past Wesley, I positioned myself behind Malachi, using his presence as a shield. Wesley turned around to fWesley both Malachi and me. I held my breath, instinctively placing my body slightly behind Malachi for protection.

"Let's go now," Malachi asserted, stepping forward towards Wesley. Wesley glared at Malachi, but then straightened his suit and ran his hand through his hair before nodding in acknowledgment.

Releasing a small breath I hadn't realized I was holding, I watched as Wesley walked past Malachi and headed toward the elevators at the end of the hallway. As he took long strides, my muscles tensed when I noticed Wesley pause and slowly looked back at me.

"Why didn't you try to convince me that you didn't cheat? I know the truth, but why didn't you attempt to tell me?" He asked, searching my eyes with his dark grey gaze.

My face paled at his question, and for a moment, it felt as if my heart stopped completely. He knew the truth. He knew that I hadn't cheated.

A wave of relief washed over me, realizing that this might be the closure I needed to finally move on from him, once and for all. Redirecting my attention back to Wesley, I steadied my breath before responding.

"I don't care about you anymore, so I couldn't care less about your opinion of me," I replied, turning away from him before I could witness his reaction. I walked straight into my office, closing the door behind me. Sliding down to the floor, my back pressed against the door, I brought my hands to my face, feeling a pang of pain in my chest as I realized the weight of what I had just said to Wesley.

Fuck.