Chapter 52
Elliot
I walk into the room for the creators' final meeting before the holiday break. While the employees will be taking time off, I'll be working day and night to put the finishing touches on my presentation for the board.
Tessa stands at the front of the room, and everyone nods in greeting as I take my seat. I scan the room, searching for the one woman I can't get out of my head. Mira's usual chair is occupied by one of her colleagues.
Not seeing her worries me, but the team leader makes no comment about her absence.
The first creator presents an idea that, while not bad, will never make it past today's meeting. I've already ruled it out.
Suddenly, the door opens behind me and Mira slips in quietly, aside from the clinking of her infamous backpack. The scene reminds me of our first meeting. The ghost of a smile touches my lips for a second.
Mira surveys the room before stopping behind the only empty chair, right beside me. If the seating arrangement annoys her, she doesn't show it. When she sits down, I breathe in her perfume and my entire body catches fire.
As her colleagues take turns at the front of the room, Mira sits rigidly and pretends I'm not there. Her attitude irritates me more than I care to admit.
By the time it's her turn, my mind is completely consumed by her.
Once she's standing, she clears her throat. The sound immediately makes me search her for signs that she might still be sick. She takes a sip of water before walking to the front of the room.
"Today, I'm going to present something a little different. It isn't exactly related to an attraction, so I'll understand if it isn't selected for Mr. Vale's project."
She doesn't even bother to look at me when she mentions me, which only deepens the ache inside me.
"What interests me is making Wondervale more inclusive for our guests. When I worked at the Magic Wand, I met many children who faced serious challenges. I started paying attention to their concerns and writing them down. After several years, I came to a conclusion. Having a sister with a disability made it easy for me to understand the main issues that trouble our visitors."
I'm captivated by Mira and the confidence she displays. The woman who didn't feel worthy of joining this team a few months ago has transformed.
"The park isn't only designed for the more privileged guests who can afford priority-access passes, hundred-dollar admission tickets, and overpriced snacks. It's also designed for guests in perfect health,for children who were born with a head start. So I propose changing the very foundations of Wondervale and rethinking the way we view our guests."
I hang on her every word as she moves through slides addressing ideas like wheelchair costumes and designated time slots for autistic guests. With a huge smile on her face, Mira presents all this material on behalf of the children and adults Wondervale usually overlooks. The longer I listen, the more the desire to be with her swells in my chest.
I want to pull her away from everyone and tell her how proud I am of her, and confess how terribly sorry I am for every action and word that hurt her.
Because I truly care about her, and I want to be with her, no matter the obstacles. Because I want to be a man my mother would be proud of, and I want to become that man beside Mira.
I sit straighter in my chair to catch her attention. I wish she would turn her smile toward me so she could see how thrilled I am by her presentation. But Mira never looks at me. It's as though I don't exist. I ask questions in an attempt to force her to look at me, and she answers them easily while keeping her eyes on the creators seated in front of her.
If anyone notices something is wrong, they don't show it.
With every opportunity she refuses to take, the burning in my chest intensifies. Suddenly, Tessa rises to hug Mira.
"You did an amazing job, Mira. You're going to do great things someday, I'm sure of it. It's such a shame we won't have you with us after the holidays."
I can't believe my ears.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Vale. I didn't think you wanted to be kept informed about those kinds of details."
I ignore her and focus on Mira. For the first time since the meeting began, her eyes meet mine, but they're completely devoid of emotion.
I hate that look with every fiber of my being.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes. I gave Tessa my resignation on Tuesday."
Which means she won't be coming back after the holidays.
"Today is your last day?" I snap.
Tessa decides to play peacemaker.
"We're all going to miss her."
Mira didn't resign as soon as she returned from sick leave. What changed in the meantime?
I remain silent. What could have driven her to resign? She loves Wondervale so much.
Tessa claps her hands to bring the discussion to a close and wishes everyone happy holidays.
Each employee approaches Mira to say goodbye, either hugging her or giving her a high five.
Fuck. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Why would she stay after everything you put her through? What have you proved to her except that you're a selfish asshole who chooses himself every time?
"Everyone may leave except Miss Damien," I decree, approaching the front of the room in the hope of stopping her from fleeing.
Mira freezes. Our eyes meet when I step into her line of sight.
The creators file out one by one as if nothing is happening. Delighted to have finished their workday early, they all wish me a "Merry Christmas."
I stand between Mira and the door, leaving her no choice but to pass by me.
"You can't resign."
"I can. In fact, I did."
"But we had an agreement!"
"Today was our last meeting devoted to your project anyway. The rest is out of our hands now."
"We'll still need creators to develop other concepts in the future."
"That no longer concerns me," she says, lifting her chin defiantly.
"Mira…"
"Why did you recruit me for this team?" she cuts in.
"Because you're talented," I answer without hesitation. "You dazzled us again with your presentation just now. Imagine what else you could accomplish…"
I can almost see the walls she built around herself come crashing down. Her entire demeanor changes, from the loosening of her shoulders to the tears clouding her eyes.
"Why couldn't you just leave me alone? Why did you have to manipulate my feelings for you?"
"What?"
"Did you hire me as a creator because you wanted me emotionally invested in the project before your grandfather's vote?"
The vote? No, impossible…
"The vote?"
"Owen chose me for his committee, but I'm sure you already knew that. Didn't you?"
Mira is on the committee? This has to be some kind of terrible joke. Of all the people he could have chosen, he chose her?
All the pieces fall into place. In his letter, he mentioned someone at Wondervale who helped him recognize his mistakes. I don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner that he might have meant Mira. Grandpa wasn't the kind of man to meet random employees, yet he discussed Nebula Land with her. He even helped her rework her original proposal. His damned sticky note in Mira's file was the biggest clue, and I completely missed it.
Oh, fuck… Mira looks at me as if she doesn't recognize me. It's like a knife to the heart.
I really did screw everything up.
"Was any of it real?" she asks in a small voice.
"Of course!"
I reach out to touch her cheek, but she pulls away.
"I had no idea you were one of the committee members."
"And I'm supposed to believe anything that comes out of your mouth? Since we met, all you've done is lie or tell half-truths."
Her laugh rings false.
Instead of simply begging Mira to stay at Wondervale, now I have to convince her I knew nothing about the committee.
Good luck…
"You have to believe me. I knew there would be a vote, that's true, but my grandfather didn't tell me anything else."
"I can't trust you," she says, shaking her head.
I take her hand and press it against my chest. The heat of her palm feeds the fire spreading through me.
"I swear I'm not lying. I know I've hidden certain truths and lied to you, but I would never use you to secure a vote. Never. I wouldn't stoop that low."
She tears her hand from mine.
"That's the thing, Elliot. You think you're better than that, but based on everything I've seen, I have no reason to believe you. You're so selfish. You always put yourself first."
Mira stares at me with a pinched expression. I've seen disgust in my father's eyes enough times to recognize it easily. And coming from her, it cuts far deeper.
"I'm resigning because I'm no longer interested in working for you or your company," she throws at me as she moves around me to collect her things. "I want to work for a company that wants to make a difference in people's lives, and yours clearly doesn't."
Mira turns on her heel, leaving me with nothing but the memory of her perfume and her tearful eyes filled with hatred for me.