Meanwhile, back in the quiet of her office, Roxanne sat behind her desk, her brows pulling together as her fingers glided across the mousepad. She carefully searched the company’s internal client database, filtering through endless lists of partners for one specific contact number.
Her eyes scanned down the brightly lit monitor until she finally spotted the entry she needed. "There you are," she murmured, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
She stared at the name for a long moment, her pulse quickening as her mind raced through every possible outcome. I need to take charge of this situation, she told herself, swallowing down a sudden wave of hesitation.
Roxanne picked up her smartphone and manually punched Cara’s digits into the keypad. Her thumb hovered over the call icon for two steady heartbeats before she pressed down.
She lifted the phone to her ear, listening to the ringtone echo in the receiver. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She had no idea how Cara would react upon hearing her voice, but taking the risk felt better than allowing this war to continue through lawyers, headlines, and accusations.
The line rang three full times before a sharp click sounded, followed by Cara’s cool voice. "Hello?"
Roxanne took a quiet breather, grounding herself before speaking. "Hello, Cara. It is Roxanne."
An abrupt silence filled the line. For several seconds, all Roxanne could hear was the faint sound of Cara’s breathing through the speaker.
"Are you still there, Cara?" Roxanne asked smoothly.
Cara did not answer immediately. When she finally spoke, her voice dropped into a defensive edge. "Why on earth are you calling me?" she demanded, scoffing loudly. "I probably should record this entire call for my safety, because I know nothing good can come from you."
Roxanne let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. Typical Cara. She exhaled through her nose, keeping her posture upright and confident. "If recording gives you peace of mind, go right ahead," she replied calmly. "However, I am calling with a simple proposal. I want us to meet. Just the two of us, face to face."
Cara fell silent once more, as if struggling to process the unexpected request. "And why would I ever agree to sit down with you?" she asked, her tone dripping with suspicion. "That is not happening."
"Oh, come now, Cara. You know as well as I do that we need to talk," Roxanne said, rolling her eyes in the quiet office. "We are currently the two most talked-about women across every major media outlet. And while I am sure you adore the attention, this mess was definitely not how you envisioned things unfolding."
Cara let out a long, frustrated sigh over the receiver. "And?" she asked, her sharp edge softening just a fraction.
Roxanne’s eyes glinted with sharp focus. "We need to sit down and talk before this gets any worse," she pressed, laying out her logic piece by piece. "For starters, we need to defuse the scandal before it destroys both of our reputations. I know I barely know you, but I can tell you prefer being the author of your own story rather than a pawn in someone else’s game."
Cara exhaled loudly into the speaker again. "I hate to admit it, but you are right about that," she conceded reluctantly. "Although I assume you are also coming to tell me that you plan to step aside and leave Richard to me?"
Roxanne smiled, choosing to bypass the question entirely. "Would you like to select the venue, or should I pick one?" she asked smoothly.
"I will choose the location. I am certainly not trusting you to set up a meeting spot," Cara answered quickly, her voice dropping into a mutter. "I do not trust you as far as I can throw you."
"That works completely fine for me," Roxanne replied. "Forward the address and time whenever you are ready, and I will meet you there."
"Fine," Cara muttered.
"There is one thing though," Roxanne added, her tone instantly hardening into pure authority.
"What now?" Cara asked defensively.
Roxanne’s grip tightened around the cool metal of her phone. "If you leak a single detail about this meeting to the press, you will find yourself—"
"You do not need to lecture me," Cara interrupted sharply before Roxanne could finish the threat. "I am smarter than that."
"Good," Roxanne said, lowering the phone as the line went dead.
She had not even set the device back onto her desk when it vibrated violently in her palm with a text notification. She blinked in surprise, tapping open the fresh message. "She sent the details already? She certainly does not waste time," she whispered to herself.
Her eyes widened as she read the simple text string. Flowergarden Cafe. 12:00 PM.
"Twelve noon," Roxanne murmured, a resolute smile spreading across her lips. "She wants to do this immediately. Excellent."
She stood up from her desk, smoothed down the front of her dress, and dialed Richard’s direct line.
It rang once before his deep voice filled her ear. "Hello, Roxanne."
Roxanne took a subtle breath. "I just wanted to give you a quick update and let you know I am stepping out of the building for lunch."
"Ah, I am so sorry I cannot accompany you, love," Richard replied, genuine regret in his tone. "I have an urgent meeting outside the office to attend in a few minutes."
Roxanne nodded to her empty office, her thumb twitching over the screen. She opened her mouth to tell him about Cara, but stopped herself just in time. If I tell him, he will insist on coming along or forbid me from going entirely.
She let out a soft sigh instead. "Alright then. We will catch up as soon as we are both back."
"Please be careful out there," Richard reminded her softly. "We will talk soon."
"I will," Roxanne said before ending the call. She took a deep breath, grabbed her handbag, and squared her shoulders. "I need to handle this on my own terms," she declared, heading for the office door.
A few floors below in the executive parking garage, Richard sat behind the wheel of his car. He stared at his phone screen for a quiet moment, then released a long breath.
"If I tell her I am going to confront Christian directly, she will panic," he muttered into the quiet cabin of the car. "This is the only way to protect her."
With a firm set to his jaw, Richard pressed the engine start button. The car roared to life, and he shifted into drive, pulling smoothly out into the morning traffic.
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