Mr. Billionaire, I'm Back!

Chapter 23: Saying Goodbye

"Did I make you angry?" Joanna asked.

"A little bit," Brian replied. "But at least you're out of that house. Just don't go back again, okay. If I find out that you even want to go back, I will show you what real anger looks like."

Now that Brian had said everything that he'd intended to say, he released the child lock, and Joanna scurried out of the car. He watched as she ran towards the villa and hopped out of the car and followed after her. Brian caught up with Joanna as she reached the door. Then he grabbed her arm and pressed her against the wall. He kissed her, and she was helpless to stop him.

Once Brian was done kissing Joanna, he touched her lips and said, "It's just a good night kiss. Don't make more of it than it is." Then he returned to his car, started the engine, and drove away.

Once Brian was gone, Joanna hurriedly opened the door and rushed in. She couldn't believe that Brian had forced himself on her. The nerve! - she thought - The utter nerve!

***

The next day, when Joanna arrived at Devine's, Steve came in with a few dozen documents. He smiled and said, "Ms. Devine, these are the files you need to review today." Joanna nodded and said, "Okay. Leave them there."

After Steve went out, she received a text message from Olivia. It said: "Steve is 30 years old. He graduated from a famous university in Kentucky and his wife passed away last year. Our people visited his home, and they came away with a good impression of him."

Joanna frowned as she reread the message. She felt that Steve was more complicated than he seemed. "His wife passed away last year," she murmured.

If she wanted to prevent Steve from tripping her up, she needed to understand what kind of person he was. But, based on the information she had on him, he seemed perfect. She knew, though, that everyone had their skeletons. And, Steve – she thought – I will find yours!

When it was almost time to finish work, Steve came to her office and took out all the documents that were ready to be given to Mike. When that was done, Joanna went to wait for the elevator, where she happened to run into Steve. They greeted each other, and when the elevator arrived, they stepped into it together.

As the elevator doors closed, Joanna received a text message from an unknown number on her mobile phone. It said: "I'm in the parking lot."

Joanna immediately knew that the message was from Brian, and after reading it, she sent him a message of her own. It said: "Your location means nothing to do me. Leave me alone!"

As Joanna put her phone away, she frowned. She knew that Brian knew a lot about her, but she hadn't given him her cell number. So how did he know it? – she wondered. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of the night before, but it almost seemed inevitable. She looked up, then, and saw that Steve was smiling at her. He looked insidious and particularly terrifying with his wide-open mouth and sinister eyes. His expression was not like a ray of bright sunshine. Instead, it was morbid and distorted, like a viper or a devil. The expression was only there for an instant, though, and once it was gone, Joanna couldn't help but wonder if it had ever been there. Once again, Steve looked like his same old serious self.

Joanna had planned not to go to the parking lot, but now she changed her mind. So long as she knew nothing about Steve, she did not want to deal with him by herself, and there was some comfort in knowing that Brian was waiting for her.

When they arrived at the parking lot, Steve followed after her at a steady pace, and when she changed her speed, he changed his to match hers – and a cold chill ran down her spine.

Brian spotted Joanna as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, and the man behind her made him uncomfortable. His eyes narrowed, and he strode towards Joanna, and when he reached her, he took her into his arms, and he ran his fingers through her hair. He smiled and said, "Sweetheart, how was work?"

"It was work," Joanna replied without emotion.

When Steve saw Brian, he stopped dead in his tracks. He nodded to Joanna, said goodbye, and turned in the direction of his car.

Brian glared daggers at Steve's back. "Who is he?" he asked.

"My new assistant," Joanna replied. "What a creep!"

Brian squeezed Joanna, and then he asked her what she wanted for dinner. Joanna gave him a questioning look and pushed him away. "I'll figure out what I'm going to eat," she said, "when I get home. I don't know what you think you're doing here, but we are nowhere near as close as you think we are!"

Brian frowned, and he took Joanna's hand and began to pull her towards his car. Joanna squealed and said, "Brian! I said that I'd pass!" But Brian would not take no for an answer. So, in the end, she allowed him to drive her home. Then, when he stopped at a restaurant, she figured, in for a penny, in for a pound, and she went to dinner with him.

After dinner, Brian drove her home, and on the way there, Joanna looked at him and said, "Brian, please don't come to see me again." Her voice was cold, and she wouldn't have said it if she'd know how much it would hurt him. They hadn't known each other for long, but the time they had spent together was enough for him to fall in love with her. She couldn't get too close to any man, though, or fall in love. After all, for her to carry out her plan, she needed to be single and unattached.

Brian frowned and said, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't try to win your heart."

"I don't want to hurt you," Joanna said, "which is why I haven't been blunt with you, but you're forcing my hand. The truth is that you don't make me happy. In fact, you annoy me. So, please, just stay away!" It was tough for Joanna to say this, and it broke her heart to hurt Brian, but she had no choice.

After a moment of undisturbed silence, Joanna said, "Good night, Brian. Drive safe. And thank you for all the help you have given me." She got out of the car and walked into Grace House without looking back.

Brian watched as Joanna disappeared into the house, and then he began to cry.

***

Once Joanna had the door closed and locked behind her, she leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. And she began to cry. It had been a long time since she'd felt that kind of pain. Even when she'd caught Ken and Jane having s*x, she hadn't felt this shitty.

Once she'd settled down, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Olivia.

Olivia picked up right away, and when she heard the sadness in Joanna's voice, she said, "Hey, Joanna. Is everything alright?" She had never heard Joanna sounding so helpless.

Joanna sighed and said, "I'll be fine. I just need something to distract my mind. Maybe you can tell me how everything is going with the divorce agreement?"

Olivia brightened up and said, "It will be done soon. Don't worry about it."

Joanna: "Okay."

After getting off the phone, Joanna went upstairs to her bedroom, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked out through the window. She jumped when she saw that Brian's car was still in the driveway, and she waited there until he moved on.