Chapter 124: Work Calls
After the nerve wrecking encounter with his uncle, where he had just barely been able to throw the man off his scent. Derek had known that he had to handle the situation with Emily and he had to handle it fast. But it seemed that somewhere out there, some higher power had looked at his plans and laughed.
Back when Derek had not been thinking of apologizing to Emily. Back when he had been visiting the diner because he had missed her. There had been absolutely nothing that had been stopping him from going to the diner whenever he had wanted. The only limit that he’d had on when he went there, and how many times he went, had been himself. He had often stayed late at the office so that he did not look too eager to see her. If Derek ever happened to run into his past self, he was pretty sure that he would knock past Derek down with an uppercut to the cheek.
Clearly his past self needed to be taught a lesson. He’d had the chance to see Emily whenever he wanted and he had blown it.
Now Derek really found himself missing that time. The first night when he had missed an opportunity to see Emily. It had been because he was being a coward, playing games when he should have just gone to the diner and apologised to her. When he got held up on the second night Derek had not minded as much, thinking that by the third night, he would be able to go see her, no problem.
But his assumptions turned out to be his undoing.
Thursday night was supposed to be a good night. After all, he had nothing planned for that evening. So it should have been as easy as pie to be able to go see Emily and apologise to her. But that was not how things were working out for him. It was Thursday evening, and rather than being at his office, or in his car on his way to see Emily, Derek was seated in his private jet, looking outside as the plane ascended to the sky.
He watched until the lights of the city completely faded from view. But even then, he did not stop looking outside, into the darkness of the night. He was not really seeing anything his mind far away, his thoughts racing. But no matter how fast they went, they went round and round the same thing.
Emily.
After the encounter with his uncle, it had become even more important than ever to get in touch with her. But it seemed that, that would have to wait a little while longer.
Word had come in that a client that Derek had personally signed, was slowly being poached away by a rival. And Derek had to be the one to step in. He had to go see them personally to make sure that they understood what would come with that action. And it had to be him. Since he, as the CEO had brought them on, he had to be the one to cut them off. But, the catch was that they were in a different city. So once more, there would be no Emily. And Derek just hated it.
On the outside he might have looked calm, but internally, he was seething. He did not care whether the client left or whether they stayed but what really bothered him was the disrespect. If he let something like this slide, then others would take note. They would think that they could just walk out on deals with Haven Group. Do as they pleased and there would be no repercussions.
So there was only one thing for it. Derek had to use the client as an example, to let everybody out there know not to mess with him.