"Welcome to Trusk industries Mr Trusk."

Angelo's secretary greeted him as he got down from the car, gracefully placing the button of his jacket into its hole.

"Thank you Tim."

Angelo gave him a quick pat on his shoulder.

"Mrs Trusk."

Anna watched her secretary bow slightly to Angelo before she rushed towards her as fast as she could the moment she got out of the car while her bodyguard shut the door behind her.

"it's okay Mariam."

Anna had to stop her from trying to help her walk. It was bad enough that she looked exactly how she felt like, sick to her stomach but she didn't need to be ushered into the company, she didn't need anyone else to notice.

"Thank you."

Anna tried to watch her step even as she wasn't in her heels. Her legs were still shaky from that morning and her face was still pale. She could remember Angelo trying to talk her out of coming to work that day but she didn't listen.

" Are you okay?"

Angelo opened his arm so she could slide hers in. She did. Anna nodded slightly. She turned to her bodyguards.

"You don't have to come with us. Just wait by the car."

She stopped them from taking another step towards them. She knew she didn't need them anymore, she trusted him, she knew she was safe with Angelo.

"Mr Trusk, I already canceled your meeting with the board because you asked me to, I had no idea you were still going to make-"

"It's alright Tim, the meeting can hold some other time. We won't be staying long."

Anna and Angelo walked down the long hallway while Tim and Mariam walked behind them all the way to the executive elevator.

"Good morning Mr and Mrs Trusk."

Anna forced a smile on her face in response to everyone that greeted them on their way to The elevator.

"And Mrs Trusk, Mrs Beakly called. She wanted to know if you'd still be able to visit the foundation tomorrow as scheduled?"

"Yes please."

Anna said as she and Angelo got into the elevator with Tim and Mariam behind them.

"Call her, tell her I'd be there."

Anna said as Mariam quickly typed into her iPad. Anna rubbed her forehead. She was a lot stressed than she was the day before. She could feel her head like they were about to split in halves. Angelo noticed. He was worried about her, especially since she had been that way all through their journey. He squinted his eyes

"Are you okay?"

She exhaled and then forced a smile On her face. She slowly turned to Angelo. She didn't want to worry him.

"I'm fine. It's just a headache."

"I knew letting you talk me into this was a bad idea." He exhaled weakly. "I shouldn't have let you leave the house."

Mariam and Tim looked at each other, they snickered. It was unbelievable, they couldn't believe how Angelo and Anna were actually saying more than three words to one another, what was even more shocking was how they had their hands locked into each other.

"I just need to do a few things, it won't be long."

Buzzz

Angelo's phone buzzed like a text had come in. Anna watched him reach for his phone slowly for a minute, watching how his frown got worse when he looked into it. She gave him a minute while she watched. It didn't get any better.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Angelo raised his phone behind him so Tim could take it. He did.

"it's mum. She wants the whole family over for lunch this afternoon."

Oh.

Anna slowly turned back. She was barely surprised by it but she knew one thing for sure, whatever  it was that Angelo's mother wanted to talk about, it definitely wasn't going to be in her favor. It was definitely not worth getting worked up for, Anna knew how the Trusks felt about her, she wasn't sure showing up to their doorstep in her state was exactly a good idea.

"But you don't have to worry, I'd tell her we won't be able to make it."

"You don't have to." Anna cut him off.

Angelo slowly turned to her. She managed to force a smile on her face so she didn't worry him.

"it's just lunch, probably our first lunch together as a family since we got married, we should go."

Angelo blinked, he watched her for a minute.

"A-are you sure?" He asked not exactly waiting for a response before he went on. "Anna we're talking about mum here, you two don't exactly get along."

"Even the more reason I should go. I should at least try to ease things between us, besides, I don't think she'd be mean to me, last I remembered, she was trying to get on my good side so I could let her get the company back."

Anna smiled. Anna was right, ever since she got the company, she hadn't been much of a problem to Juliana or Micheal. They tried to stay out of her way as best as they could, probably because they knew getting on Anna's nerves were only going to tighten her guard on the company rights. Anna knew they weren't going to be a threat to her or Angelo. They were too busy trying to figure out a way to steal the company from under their noses to even bother about her.

Anna slowly placed her other hand on Angelo's arm and squeezed it as the elevator opened. They both turned with huge smiles on their faces that slowly started to fade away the moment they found her.

Angelo swallowed hard when his eyes met Patricia's. She was standing there, flowers in her hands and her jaw almost dropping from shock with what she saw. She didn't understand, she couldn't understand, but she glared at them, lowering her gaze on their joined hands as they walked out of the elevator.

"Patricia," Angelo broke the awkward silence. "What are you doing here?"

Anna quickly pulled her hand out of Angelo's. Something about what was going on made her feel a type of way. It made her really nervous for some reason especially since Patricia didn't stop glaring at her. She inhaled sharply and turned to Angelo, feigning a smile on her face.

"I'd just give you two a minute." She volunteered to leave first, turning to her secretary and giving her a signal so they both walked away. Mariam hurried along behind her, Tim too.

Angelo drew a deep breath, watching Anna walk away until she was far from his sight, he slowly turned to Patricia, watching how she was still glaring at his hands, in shock too of what happened.

She scoffed.

She couldn't believe it, she thought her eyes had been deceiving her but they weren't. It was suddenly starting to make sense to her now. Everything was suddenly starting to make sense.

"You've not been taking any of my calls, you've not returned them either."
Angelo exhaled.

"I'm sorry that I made you worry-"

Patricia raised her head to his quickly

"You're sorry?" She couldn't believe it.

"Patricia, I just needed time, some time alone and I thought you did too."

"Well it didn't look like that one minute ago. you didn't seem alone either." Angelo scratched his right brow

"Patricia, a lot has happened. I mean-I just got my life and family together-"

"Family?" She scoffed. "So what? you two are a family now?" She scoffed again.
"Angelo, I thought I was your family? "

Angelo exhaled.

"You are Tricia, of course you are-"

"So what has changed?" Patricia's voice broke. "Why are you doing this to me?" She was going to cry.

"You said you loved me."

"I do." he cut her off, reaching for her arms admit the large bouquet of flowers in them. "I do Patricia but just not in the way you want me to, not anymore. I can't be with Anna and keep these feelings for you."

"What?" She squinted.

"I love Anna Tricia."

"No." Patricia shook her head.

"I know it's hard to understand but it just happened."

"That's not true Gelo, that can't happen."she had tears in her eyes.   "I won't believe it." She shook her head.

"I can't believe it because you told me, you said I was everything to you. We were going to get married remember? You said once you got the company back, you'd file for a divorce so we could be together. Angelo, I'm right here," she leaned closer to him

"I'm still waiting for you."

"I asked you not to."

Patricia lowered her brows as she stared at him. She couldn't believe Angelo was saying all that to her. She couldn't believe any of the things her ears were listening to.

He exhaled. He was doing all he could. Patricia meant so much to him and the last thing he needed was to hurt her feelings even though he knew that he already did.

"Things have changed Patricia, I didn't intend for them to but they have. I'm married now, and I am just getting to know Anna, and I like where it's going. I know it sounds crazy but we are trying to give this a chance, to give us a chance. I can't possibly ask you to get in the way of your own happiness, I can't ask you to stop your journey towards your happiness while I try to find mine. You have to move on."

"No."

"Trisha." She shook her head. "I need you to find someone that can make you happy in ways I have not been able to. You have to let me go."

"I can't!"

Patricia raised her voice the highest it could go. Angelo froze for a minute and looked around. There were a lot of people watching. He turned back to Patricia, surprise written all over his face. The last thing he needed was another set of rumors breaking out.

"Patricia," he grabbed her arm. "I'm really grateful for all the love you've shown me the past years. You're one of the best things that has ever happened to me, that I would not doubt, you have no idea how much of the world you mean to me. I'd do anything for you, you know I would."

" Then leave her. "

" I can't. "

" why? " Patricia sobbed. "You belong with me, we belong together, you know this. This is what she wants, she just wants you under her control, that way she could keep this company in her control too. She doesn't love you, she's only using you Angelo, can't you see that?"

Angelo exhaled. He wished he could stay there and listen to everything she said, to all her accusations but he couldn't. He couldn't stand there and watch her describe Anna that way.

" I'm really sorry Patricia, you have no idea how sorry I am. "

Patricia sniffed.

"if there was some way I could make up for this-"

"Let's just meet later okay?" she forced a smile on her face, suddenly waving off the idea that she had been crying a while ago. There were a lot of people watching them now and she could see just how uncomfortable it made him. That was not the time, If she planned to convince him about how they mattered to each other, that was not the time to. She rather they had the conversation privately.

"I know you're just saying all this because there are a lot of people watching and you're anxious. Let's just talk when we both are calm and thinking straight."

Angelo shook his head.

" Trisha"

"My house, eight o' clock." She pushed the flowers into his arms.

"I'm sorry Trisha." He gave her back The flowers. "Not this time."

Patricia looked at him for a while, he meant every word. This wasn't the man she knew. Something about Angelo had changed and she could see it. He really didn't want her anymore, Patricia threw the flowers on the floor not bothering to clean her eyes again.

She felt extremely embarrassed by it all and she just couldn't stand it, she couldn't stand being in that hallway any longer. She turned to the elevator and began to storm towards it.

"Patricia wait-" Angelo grabbed her arm. He tried to stop her.

"Let me go." She said almost in a whisper as she jerked her arm away from his hold.

"I'm sorry miss, but this elevator is for executives only."

Patricia ignored the guard that tried to stop her from going into the elevator. She glared at him with fury in her eyes. He slowly turned to Angelo, anxious and scared to see what his reaction was going to be like.

"let her through." Angelo instructed.

The guard obeyed. Patricia pushed a button and the door opened. She got in and then turned so she could see Angelo one last time before the door shut slowly. Angelo could feel it. He couldn't lie to himself how burdened he was by all of it, how worried he was about her but at the same time, he could feel a weight get off his chest He felt so restless. He knew Patricia didn't deserve what had happened but he also knew it was useless leading her on.

You did the right thing Angelo
He told himself as he slowly turned. He exhaled.

Did he?