The lady in Red (REWRITTEN!)

Chapter 22

What's he thinking? What's running through his mind? What is his eyes hiding? I wish I knew what this man was all about. Somewhere in the depths of my mind and heart, I know that he's much more than he gives credit for. I watch him circle the rims of his glass with his finger, his eyes gazing deep into mine. I circle around the island, and stand in front of him. Unknowingly, my palm finds his chest where his heart thumps. I'm not sure why I'm touching him there but I act on instincts rather than anything else. Even his heart is in perfect rhythms compared to mine. It's just not fair.

"There's no room for fear in my life, Catherine," he simply says, lifting the glass to his lips. Everyone is scared of something. Most people hide it very well. Others wear it on their sleeves unknowingly. I smile, shaking my head.

"I don't believe that." Reece leans forward, schooling his features to where he becomes completely unpredictable than he ever was before. 

"What do you think I'm afraid of?" He asks. I look deep into his eyes. I run through scenarios in my head, hoping to crack a code. A ghost of a smile playing on his lips indicates a challenge. Hoping to prove a point, I move away from him and sit on the chair couple feet away. 

"You're a man of control. What if you wake up one day and the control slips out of your grasp?" I'd be pretty upset if people stopped taking me seriously. That's one way to trigger fear. 

"That will never happen," he says, all too confidently.

"You don't know that."

"And you don't know me well enough." He sits on the chair next to me. He's all too focused on me now, wondering what I'm going to say next just to prove me wrong. But, that's not going to happen. I try a different tactic, hoping to get through a crack even if it's a small one. 

"Your deal with Mr. Ouishi will be off tomorrow morning." 

"He knows better." 

"Hypothetically speaking!" I mumble. The corner of his lips tilt.

"Then it's his loss."

"You're not afraid?"

"Not at all."

"Then let's say all your deals get booted out. No more deals, no more contracts." I lean forward, gazing deep into his eyes. 

"That's fine. On to the next project," he simply says, steepling his fingers on the island. I lean back against the seat comfortably and observe him. He's far too amused because he probably knows all of my scenarios are possibly impossible. 

"Tomorrow morning, you're going to lose every bit of money you ever earned in your entire lifetime. Poof, gone. Now, you're poor." That's got to trigger fear in someone. Losing billions of dollars in a blink of an eye will make anyone lose their ever loving mind. Reece doesn't blink, not even once. Both of us knows that will never happen but since we are talking hypothetically, he needs to come up with an answer to prove me wrong. He's quite for a minute, probably wondering what to say that will earn him brownie points over me. I almost smile, thinking I finally got the upper hand, but his next answer proves I'm a silly gambler playing into a deck I will never win. 

"I'm well educated, Catherine. Won't take me long to start all over. There's no fear in that." 

"You just lost your power of attorney," I try again.

"I'll void it just to get another one."

"Too late, it fell into the wrong hands."

"Whose hands?" I could say one of his enemies but what's the fun in that?