Mirage | 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣

Chapter 18

Exactly a week after Louisa spent thanksgiving at Michael's family home, she was surprised to find that the company's labor union had arranged a meeting with Michael and the press involved.

Daniel had looked over the papers himself, sighing happily at his boss' way to victory. "We have to get ready for this one, there will be blood", he said jokingly but stopped laughing at the sight of Louisa's face, expressing disbelief. "Is there anything wrong, Lou?", he asked, genuinely concerned for his co-worker.

"Um... no I...", she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "It's just that I have a lot of things to do", she laughed nervously and stood up, taking the notice with her.

As she was trying to cross the office's door unnoticed, Michael stepped in her way, looking down at her with a playful smirk.

"Where are we going?", he asked, furrowing his brows a bit as she wouldn't look up to him. "Is something wrong?", he now asked, worried.

"I'd like to have a private conversation with you, Mr. Jackson", Louisa said and even though it was common for her to address him that way when in work, he didn't liked her tone in that moment.

Michael nodded, scratching his chin softly before leading the way to his private office. He didn't sit down as Louisa neither did, standing in the middle of the room, silent.

"This...", she said, sighing and passing the paper to Michael, that took it from her hands.

"Is there something you'd like to know about this?", he asked, not understanding why she was acting like that, avoiding looking at him and everything. "Why are you getting so worked up about this?"

"I want to know your motive... your true motive to leave all these innocent people without jobs", Louisa finally said, looking up to him with sadness in her eyes.

Michael sighed. "I already told you I won't get you involved in—"

"But I want to know, Michael", she insisted, making him look at her in silence. She wanted to say something, he'd hear it. "Is your revenge really more important than these families that had been working for your father since the very beginning?"

At the mention of his father, Michael shifted his weight on his other leg, uncomfortable. He didn't know why, but it made him upset. He didn't like to speak about his father. Even though there was a hint of guiltiness in the bottom of his stomach, he wouldn't ever admit that.

"No but taking it all away from my uncle is", he said, emotionless and raw, looking away from Louisa's eyes. "Not that you'd understand—"

"Enlighten me, then", Louisa pleaded, making him look at her again. "Because I've come to know you better these past days and you're not an evil person, you'd never hurt someone willingly—"

"You don't know the awful things I've done before", he growled, making her look up to him, raising her brows. "All the people I've dethroned with just snapping my fingers, by hiring private investigators, finding the wife or husband cheating schemes, lies and destroying families with no doubt—", he breathed out, his eyes darkening at the memories of the past years, all that he has done to get to the top – just to destroy his uncle.

Louisa's held her breath, recognizing the old Michael, the one that has hurt her before. Averting his gaze, she understood that he has gone through so much that situations like these made him put up a wall to defend himself, to hide his feelings.

"Maybe I don't know what you've done before", she acknowledged, nodding. Michael started pacing back and forth, holding his head, trying not to unleash his anger on her. His father was somewhat a sensitive topic. "But that doesn't mean—"