Chapter 44: Intrusive thoughts

**Vincent**

I watched as she closed her eyes, and I brought my lips more closer to hers. It was like I didn’t have an ounce of control of my body. Just as I was about to kiss her, the handle of the door rattled and Michelle’s eyes flew open. She pushed me away, leaving a respectable distance between us.

The door opened, and the person I thought it was entered. I frowned at Liam who walked in like he owned the office. He pursed in his tracks, seeing my angry glare, and Michelle’s sheepish and blushing face.

“What is going on here?” He asked, closing the door gentle behind him.

“Huh…I have to go,” Michelle announced, ignoring my face and hurried dashed out.

“What’s wrong with her?” Liam asked, staring at me in question.

“Why don’t you run after her to ask?” I said, moving to sit and begin work as the lunch break was over.

“Grumpy ass,” he mumbled, but I heard him clearly.

“I heard that,” I said.

“That was for you to hear. Oh, that reminds me!” He sat down immediately, making me look straight up at him.

“What are you up to now, Liam. I’m not in the mood for this.”

“Oh, come on. Just a few minutes of relaxation won’t kill you,” he rolled his eyes at me. Ignoring him, I clicked on my system.

“Okay, okay. Tell me, what happened between two of you just now? Have you kissed her? Did you both confess to each other and before you can seal the union, I interrupted?” He kept on blabbering till I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Get out,” I ordered.

“Wait wait. I’m serious now, about the annual ball party, you know everyone has to go with a date. It’s not compulsory though, but it makes the party more fun. Who do you have in mind as your date?” He asked, wrinkling his eyes at me.

I immediately thought of Michelle, but dispersed it. Why would I suddenly think of her. “No one,” I answered.

“What? Are you sure? I mean think about it well. You don’t have anyone in mind? What do you mean?” He exclaimed, his eyes wide open.

I frowned at his reaction. What was he expecting? “Yes, now get going.”

“Well…yes, sir,” he stood up, stared hard at me before leaving. I shook my head at him. I tried to get back to work, but I couldn’t as the thought of me almost kissing Michelle flooded my mind. I was angry when I saw that text on her phone. I didn’t know why though. It wasn’t as if she was cheating on me or she belonged to me, so why was I getting angry because a guy asked her on a diner.

When she also smiled at the text, I got jealous instantly knowing she was goi g to say yes to his text and go see him. I didn’t want that. There are cases of kidnapping, rape and killing and I didn’t want her to be a victim of those. I tried to convince myself that was the reason I tried to stop her, but I knew deep within me it wasn’t because of that, but because of something else I couldn’t describe or name.

When she walked away angrily, and gave a sarcastic reply to my question, I didn’t know how I got to her side so fast, but I wanted her to submit.

If I was angry, everyone will cower, trying to escape my anger or offending me further, but she was different. Instead, she glared at me.

I had actually wanted to tease her, but staring at her lips made me forget what I originally wanted to do. Her angry innocent eyes which glared up at me drew me in. Fuck sake! What was she doing to me? She was getting into my head without my permission and it was disrupting my plans. I didn’t want this.

Women were evil, and I wasn’t ready to fall into the trap of another. They're all the same, they get you to fall in love, or at least like them, then they strike by getting your heart broken.

They all only have one motive and I've seen and learnt never to let my guards down for any women again, till she came around.

“But I don’t think Michelle is like them. She’s innocent. You deserve to let go of your past so you can see the future. Holding unto the past might let you miss the future. You deserve warmth in your cold life,” a tiny voice in my mind spoke.

“Don’t listen to him. If you do, you will keep getting hurt. Remembered what happened with Valerie, your ex-girlfriend? Don’t make that mistake again, and protect your heart!” Another voice said.

At the mention of Valerie’s name, my hand tightened in anger. That cheat of a woman. Buy then, my phone rang. I picked it up from the table. It was an unknown number. I wanted to ignore it, but picked it instead.

“Hey, baby! I’m trying to get into the company, but the security men aren’t allowing me in. Tell them to let me in and sack…..” I didn’t let her finish her sentence before disconnecting the call and placed the number on blacklist. It was Valerie.

I knew before she was not mentally stable, but now she was truly not okay in the head. Who was she to give me orders? The temperature in the room dropped as my mood worsened.

A quick knock on my door, then it opened and Liam strutted in. “Valerie is making a scene at the gate. Should we let her in?” He asked, staring at me.

“Call the police and report is going against the restraining order filed against her. I do not want to see even a single strand of her in the next five minutes,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir,” with that, he left. I sighed, going back to my unfinished business, but everything I did resulted in failure as I couldn’t think or concentrate well.

“What the fuck is going on?” I shouted, almost flinging the laptop out of the table. It was going to be a long afternoon.