Trapped Between Two Possessive Billionaires

Chapter 8

The silence was deafening; the only sound that could be heard was the rhythmic beat of their hearts. Every breath felt like a struggle. The silence felt like a heavy presence, suffocating them.

He kept his eyes fixed on her, his gaze intense, as if looking for answers in her eyes.

Madison could feel the weight of Liam's stare; the intensity of his focus made her heart race faster.

She adjusted her seat, returning his stare.

"Still waiting for a response, Madison," Liam finally spoke after the long silence. "What is going on? I need to know."

Madison stared into the fading sky painted in shades of gray, concealing her emotions like a mask.

"These past few days have been quite the rollercoaster ride for me, you know," a sad smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, "with challenges that have tested my strength like never before."

Liam could see the pain in her eyes, even though she tried so hard to hide it. He felt his heart racing with sadness.

"Madison, I can't tell for sure what you are going through, but you can always talk to me. You can consider me a friend. Share your burden with me; I'm eager to help." Liam hoped things were different at this moment.

As Liam drove down the bustling 5th Avenue towards The Fare Gallery, he couldn't help but secretly hope to bump into Madison. He knew it was a foolish desire, realizing she would undoubtedly be busy working in her office. She wouldn't be standing in the street, eagerly waiting for him to come across her. The absurdity of his wish made him chuckle as he parked his car in front of the gallery.

This wasn't the picture he had all day when he anticipated his meeting with Madison. She had dominated his thoughts throughout his time in the office, and he was excited to see her, spend time with her, and learn more about her.

"I lost my job today, Liam." She finally let out.

Liam furrowed his brow in confusion. "Is there a reason for that? Did you do something wrong?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a slight chuckle.

Madison couldn't comprehend the meaning behind Liam's expression, but she dismissed it and proceeded, "So, I arrived at work, all set to begin my day, and guess what I received? A beautiful parting gift - my termination letter." Her eyes concealed an indiscernible emotion.

She took a deep breath and spoke sarcastically, "It's truly heartwarming to know that my time there was so highly valued."

Liam listened to her attentively, studying her every expression. He couldn't help but like her even more. She was one strong woman.

"I'm so sorry about your job, Madison, but you don't have to beat yourself up about it. It's just a job. Your life doesn't end there, you know?" He said, hoping it would make her feel better. "Perhaps, one day, you might end up buying the entire company... You'll take your pound of flesh." Liam winked at her, gently squeezing her hands to comfort her.

Madison laughed at his joke. It was pretty funny, but she wished it would be true someday.

She had always dreamed of the day she'd own her art gallery. That was a big dream she knew might never come true since she'd lost her father. And her aunt, Vanessa, Jenna's mother, has taken her in and treated her like her own daughter. They were not wealthy, but they were comfortable. She wasn't blind to the fact that Aunt Vanessa couldn't afford to send her to an arts institution, and she never faulted her for it.

After a momentary pause, Liam spoke up. "Hey, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself, Madison?" he suggested. "I'd really like to get to know you better. Having an interesting person like you as a friend wouldn't be a bad thing, you know," he added, determined not to take no for an answer tonight.

***

He stood beneath the vast expanse of the night sky, his eyes fixed on the infinite darkness as if searching for meaning in the void. But all he could feel was a sense of emptiness, like a gaping hole in his soul that threatened to consume him.

The silence of the night wrapped around Julian like a blanket, muffling the sound of his heart as it ached with a deep sense of sadness.

"Sometimes we tend to make sacrifices, huh?" He scoffed, taking a sip from the glass in his hand.

The toughest people always make the hardest decisions.

Julian had sat by his phone all day, waiting impatiently for his cousin's call, carefully rehearsing all he'd say to Adi when he finally spoke with her over the phone.

He memorized and rehearsed each sentence carefully as beads of sweat stemming from anxiety ran down his forehead.

The shrill ring of his phone pierced through the quiet room, jolting him out of his reverie.

With a fast reflex, he picked up the ringing phone and eagerly answered it when he saw it was from Liam.

"I'm sorry, bro, but this was another dead end," Liam announced, "No one seems to know the person you're looking for. In fact, the receptionist I saw was a man, not a woman." Silence followed his last statement.

"Thank you, Liam. I appreciate your efforts. Sorry for putting you through all the trouble in the first place." Julian responded when he finally found his voice.

"If there's anything else you'd have me do for you, I'm always available. You know you can call me anytime, right?" Liam tried to sound supportive. He felt sad for Julian. If only he knew how else to help.

"Whoever this person is, she seems really important to you. Why not share proper information about her? I'll have my men search properly for her," he offered once more, hoping Julian would see sense in his suggestion.

"It's fine, man; I'll call you if the need arises. For now, you've done enough already." Julian truly appreciated Liam.

Liam is a simple guy. Always ready to help. His beautiful heart was something Julian envied. His charming personality has also helped him greatly in the business world since his father retired.

Fate had finally played a fast one on him, as he was now presented with two gut-wrenching options to pick from. He had desperately wished he could get to talk with Adi as anticipated earlier; it would have prevented him from making this rash decision.

He had given it a long, hard thought, and he seemed to have come up with a final decision that was going to have a negative impact on his life. But he prayed silently to the heavens to give him the capacity to handle the aftermath of this decision.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, signaling the end of the internal battle he had been fighting for some days.

Julian's eyes drifted to the phone in his hand, its cold surface like an icy void that mirrored the emptiness he felt inside. His thumb moved swiftly across the screen, tapping out digits to make a call he wished he didn't have to make.

"Mr. Julian?" The voice at the other end of the line sounded as soon as the phone was answered.

A deep silence hung heavy like a stormy cloud as he slowly closed his eyes, inhaling fresh air into his lungs.

"Make the necessary arrangements. We stick to the plan as earlier discussed." Julian instructed, dropping the call immediately.

A temporary relief washed over him like a cool breeze as he made his final decision. Deep down, he knew that the consequences of his decision would catch up with him eventually, but right now, the consequences could wait.