Edible Arrangements (The Hollens Book 6)

Chapter 54: Apology From The Enemy

Zenobia's POV

"Zen, you'll never believe who's at the entrance gate!" Tiff said as she came dashing into the lunchroom where Kyle and I were sitting.

"Who?" I asked, forking my salad to bring it to my mouth.

"LaTasha," she answered.

I froze. Kyle and I looked at each other at the same time in bewilderment until it sank in that she was really outside at the entrance of my company. The very entrance where all the shit occurred.

I rose. The chair scrapped against the tiles  as I did.

"Zen, what are you doing, you're going out there to see her?" Kyle asked.  Without a response from me, he too stood up quickly and followed me outside.

"Zen, I'm with Kyle on this. I don't think you should see her, she's a compulsive liar," Tiff added.

"I want to hear what she has to say," I simply said and continued to the exit.

Getting outside, I allowed security to open the gate and to be certain a security camera was functioning properly and pointed in my direction.

~
"What do you want?" I asked her, studying her aftermath. Her left arm was in a sling, her left eye was swollen with a dark ring around it from one of the blows, her lips were bursted and there were several bruises on both her cheeks.

"Can I talk to you alone?" she asked, eyeing Tiff and Kyle on both sides of me.

"No. You can't. Tiffany and Kyle aren't going anywhere so if you want to say something, then say it. My lunch is waiting," I told her.

"Zenobia, I'm extremely sorry for what happened between us."

"An apology? You came here to apologize?" I asked, folding my arms with a stone expression on my face.

"Yes. I do have a heart, Zenobia, and you didn't deserve that. You didn't do anything wrong to me but there I was hating you for nothing. Jealousy perhaps."

"You damaged my newly found company. You tarnished my image. Even though a statement was released to clear me from all this shit you started, there would always be a question mark by my name because of you!" I let out.

"I'm sorry. I never should have listened to Jordan," she said with a breaking voice.

"Jordan, what does he have to do with this other than attacking you?" Kyle asked her.

She looked between us and her eyes stopped on me again. She opened her mouth to speak but then shut it, shook her head and looked up to the sky. I saw the evil tears escaped her eyes.

"Speak up! You were very loud in the media," Tiffany cut in.

"And my lunch is waiting," I said again, tapping my foot on the ground.

"Jordan and I came up with a plan after we found out I was pregnant. He said that you were spoiled and entitled and you deserved every bad thing coming your way. He said that I should show up at your new company, appear to be intoxicated, told me that I should lie about getting rid of his baby and that he would attack me for it. He had one of his friends video the scene and posted it to social media. He said that I should sue you and him and I would have millions."

My heart raced so quickly that I was hearing every beat of it in my ears. My blood ran hot and I ached to scream in anger but I managed to control myself.

"Wait, wait wait. So this is all a big set up to get money out of Zenobia?" Kyle asked her.

"Yes. Jordan knew the focus would be more so on Zenobia. He told me to lie on her, that she issued the attack on me."

"I can't believe this bullshit. The people who ought to be protecting me are the ones against me!" I shouted.

"I'm sorry," LaTasha said.

"Why are you selling him out now, I mean, your pathetic plan did fail but why are you here really?" Tiffany asked.

"Because I at least owe Zenobia an apology."

"You don't owe me anything. I don't want you to owe me anything and I don't accept your apology. I'm so sick of people thinking that everything I own was handed to me when I actually had to work my ass off to own almost everything and to show my worth to my family. Everything didn't come as easy as everyone thinks it did. Get out of my face and get off my premises!" I yelled at her.

She nodded, turned on her heels and walked away.

Kyle and Tiffany followed behind as I stormed back into the lunchroom. I took my anger out on my salad, knocking it off the table. Kyle closed in the door and that was when I screamed my loudest scream.

~

"All better now?" Tiff asked, patting my back. I sat down next to her.

"I'm highly disappointed in Jordan, especially after his uncle, Kenneth, vouched for him."

"What exactly you knew about him?" she asked me.

"He was military. Two years older than Kyle and me. Got discharge for disciplinary issues towards his commander, moved back to LA with his mother and appeared to have turned over a new leaf. After Kyle left, Kenneth thought Jordan would be a great fit. He contacted me and I hired Jordan without a second thought," I explained to her.

"Where did Kyle go?" she asked, looking around the room. I glanced at my wristwatch. 12:55 pm.

"He probably went back to work," I answered.

"Zen, you really should have a bodyguard. I have a bad feeling about Jordan now. If he's willing to go through all that trouble, attack his pregnant girlfriend, you really think he'll stop there?"

"I can't trust anyone right now, Tiff."

"Have Kyle stay with you until your father could find a replacement. Jordan sounds like bad news, Zen. And he's familiar with your property because he's been there. You need to be careful here."

Lunch was up. Tiffany stood up to leave. She gave me one more glance before she walked away and left me thinking.

I called my father and informed him of the situation. The information LaTasha gave and the fact that Jordan wasn't put away.

"I swear, if that piece of shit comes after you, I'll put him in the ground," dad said on his end of the phone.

"I'm just unsettled," I told him.

"And I can understand that. Why don't you move back in with your mom and I until this settles?" he asked.

"I've already left the nest for good reasons. I still have nightmares of you and my mother."

"Hey, it's your own fault you walked in on us. You didn't knock and I wasn't going to stop because I was just about to...."

"Dad! Don't you finish that sentence. I'm getting off the phone now. I'll call you when I'm out of the office."

"Okay. Please be careful and be safe."

"I will."

I hung up and ran my fingers through my hair. I stood up to leave and saw Kyle was there, standing by the door.

"Hey," I said.

"Zen, I'm quitting," he said back.

What the actual fuck!!!