I had to hold a smirk at how slow he was in connecting the dots.
For a mathematics genius like Caleb, who used to win international Math Olympiads for the country, the idea that he was sometimes slow in comprehending the obvious was preposterous.
But he had always been like that. Caleb can easily solve mathematical equations but finds it hard to understand people well. His communication skills suck, too.
But that was the least of my concerns.
Not in the mood to enlighten him, I stepped to the side to dodge Caleb Kingston's tall frame blocking my path to resume walking. My action clearly conveyed that I have no intention of answering his question.
While I do not flaunt my connection to the Burkes of New York, I never hide the fact that I hailed from one of the richest families in the state with investments in banking, mining, and finance. Our family also owns an airline company, which my brother Adam oversees.I, on the other hand, run my own international publishing company, the sole publisher of the kiddie adventure series I was writing under a pen name.I took a deep breath when I realized what I put behind me when I applied as a secretary in Caleb’s company.It was an act of pure madness. A crazy, desperate act that landed me in this situation three years later.Having loved Caleb Kingston from afar, I responded to a want ad his company released to be close to him. I grabbed the opportunity upon seeing that it was my only pass and knowing my current status would not allow me the same privilege.Caleb and my brother Adam have been
The two shook their heads, declining my indirect invitation.“We left the others at the resort. And Tory was alone in the villa..” Tony reminded me. “Oh shoot!” I palmed my forehead when I realized I had forgotten about my best friend and quickly let the matter drop. “Will you take care of Tory for me?” Tony instantly grimaced. In the past, he and Tory used to bicker around each other. The presence of the other three assured me that Tory would be taken care of. The three would often diffuse any friction between the two.“We’ll go ahead. When your brother wakes up tomorrow, let him bring you to the resort so we can enjoy a few more days of sunshine and the beach before tackling our workloads on Monday.” Tony told me and gave me a buzz on the cheek. Cole did the same before jogging to the parking lot and their waiting car. I gave a little wave when the car’s engine started and stayed on the porch for a while, watching their car going farther until it rounded a bend and out of
The following weeks were hectic as I finally decided, after much deliberation, to hold a grand launch for the fourth installment of my book. It was not easy, but I figured it made good sense business-wise.Adam backed my decision one hundred percent.“You looked like h*ll! Did you not have a good night’s rest?” Adam commented when I joined him for breakfast that morning. I had a rough night because pregnancy symptoms started to act up, and I was up all night vomiting.I glared at him, but the allure of food was stronger. I salivated at the sight of the bacon served on a platter, and my stomach grumbled in protest.“Obviously, I didn’t.” I snarled before forking bacon from the serving platter.“Manners, young lady.”I rolled my eyes at him.“I used to smother you with my saliva, but
“Yeah!” I croaked while I clenched my fist, trying hard to control the little tremors that racked my body.I do not know if it was his presence or the accident that made me like this, but I feel so light-headed that at any moment, I would pass out.Caleb frowned when he looked at me. “You don’t look okay. Are you hurt anywhere?” he sounded concerned.I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.How many times in the past have I wished him to talk to me like this?“Caleb, she does not look good.”My body
“Did you know before today that we are having twins?” Caleb asked once more. I could not believe my ears. Last time I checked, Caleb wanted to conduct a DNA test to prove his paternity. Now, he was taking responsibility and owning my kids as his. Strained silence followed right after. I was in no mood to respond. But my companion seemed oblivious to my mood or he was just plain thick-skinned, I could not decide because this was the first time something like this happened between us. “When is your next doctor’s visit?” I shook my head. Well, I have to give him points for persistence. But it brought my long-buried resentment to the surface. I lashed out. “Why? Are you coming along?” I asked, voice dripping in sarcasm. Caleb ignored the barb. He shifted his gaze from his driving to me. It was just a quick look, but I was not comfortable with the expression I saw on his face. “Yeah.”His admission threw me for a loop. “Are you pranking me or pissing me off?” I could not
Caleb's POV"Boss?" My assistant Marco straightened when I reached the table reserved for our company. He motioned to one of the chairs so I could sit, but I waved my hand to decline and shook my head no. I prefer standing while watching my ex-wife bask in her popularity. Marco joined me, standing at the back while my eyes kept glued on the stage, still reeling from the explosive news that threw me for a loop. The great J. W. Croix was my ex-wife. "Why didn't HR fact-check her records before hiring her three years ago? Why did it slip our attention that Cassy was related to the Burkes of New York." It only came to my attention recently that my ex-wife was the heiress to the Burke’s fortune, and now this!Marco pulled his eyes away from the stage and replied."We never hire people based on their family background, boss. We hire them based on their skill set and job fit."“Why did she keep it a secret?” I persisted. Marco shrugged his shoulders. “Sir, Mr. Kingston, only Cassy
Caleb’s POVAmanda pulled her body away from me, but before that, she left a lingering touch, tugging gently on the end of my necktie.I lifted my hand to grab the end of the necktie from Amanda’s grasp and stepped back, giving her a wide berth.Then, I looked at Cassy.She had her head bent down to the shattered glass on the floor.“I am sorry, Ms. Burke.” One of the crew staff for the night was crouched near her legs, expertly picking up the pieces of broken glass on the floor.“It’s alright. Sometimes, people miss and make mistakes. Don&rsquo
CALEB’S POVI felt her body stiffen like she was disgusted by the skin-to-skin contact. Unable to stand the sudden tension between us, I pulled her to sit to the side. I was relieved when Cassy did not fight back. Instead, she kicked her shoes and leaned back. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on the side of her head. “Does your head hurt?” I asked when she started massaging her temples. She ignored me, but I was trying hard not to smile. At least she did not insist on leaving. After a while, she rested her head on the sofa’s back. Her position allowed me to see her face.There were shadows under her eyes. She was so pale that purplish veins showed on her face. “Are you hungry?” I remembered she had not eaten anything during the event and was concerned for the babies in her tummy. Since I learned she was pregnant, I read many books about expecting parents and read that pregnant women were always hungry. After a while, Cassy’s eyelids opened. I thought she would ig