KATERINA I was expecting anything. Perhaps a necklace or something else. However, I never expected the gift to be a key of all possible gifts.“For the house,” Lucas said as though it was pretty obvious.“House?” I repeated his statement, the frown on my face only deepening as I tried to make sense of what house he was talking about.“Yeah, Mackenzie's Villa. Which used to be your home.” He explained when he noticed the confusion on my face, my eyes widening when I heard his words.“What? Mackenzie’s Villa? How?” I asked, confirming if I heard it right or if my ears were playing some dumb game on me.“Please tell me this is not a joke because I swear I’ll never forgive you.” I threatened, my eyes never leaving his face as I tried to read his reaction.If my memory still served me right. I remembered the woman refusing to give up the house when my lawyer and I pursued her.
KATERINA Releasing a deep sigh, I collapsed on the high backed chair and closed my eyes, letting them rest after spending the whole day staring at the papers and computer. Thanks to the heavens I was done with the day’s work. There wasn't that much work to begin with because Lucas took care of everything while I was away. To be honest, I was thankful for his help because I couldn't imagine the amount of work that would be waiting on my working desk if he wouldn't have stepped in to help. I pushed the chair back, standing up and headed to the water station, fetching myself a glass of water. I have been sitting for long hours and that wasn't good for my health. I walked to the furthest end of the office to have a good view of Aurelian city, the floor to ceiling glass wall working to my advantage. God, I couldn't believe there would come a time when I would need to leave all this behind
KATERINA I wasn't expecting Lucas to remember my birthday. That's why I didn't tell him it was going to be my birthday because I thought…he forgot the exact date.“You thought I forgot about it?” He asked, creasing his eyebrows and emotions that I couldn't wrap my head around crossed his blue eyes.He looked somewhat disappointed or something in between.“I don't know. Sometimes we tend to forget about little details that aren't that important in our lives.” I shrugged nonchalantly. Letting him know I wouldn't be offended if he forgot about it. A small smile tugged on my lips, looking normal as if it didn't cause that faint discomfort at the tip of my stomach.“I would forget about everything, but not your birthday Kate.” He called me by the nickname which he loved to use.“I never did. Not even a single year for the past four years.” He was quiet, letting the words sink and his eyes never leaving mine.“Whenever it was that date of the month, I would visit the park we used to go to
KATERINA “Sorry for the delayed response, I was in the bathroom.” Lucas apologised, running his hand through his damp hair.“It-It’s okay. I think I should be the one apologising for calling you this late.” I let out a small laugh so that the conversation couldn't sound awkward.Damn it! What was I thinking when I called at this hour of the night?Perhaps I should have waited till tomorrow to call him. I swallowed when I gave it a thought. And David's words echoing in my help wasn't helping at all. It only made me feel more words.“You can call anytime.” Lucas responded way too fast. Perhaps he noticed the war going on in my head or maybe, he saw it on my face. “I called to inform you that…I did it. We did it!” The corner of my lips curved into a small smile as I told him about the news.“I thought you should know since you helped with the designs.” I elaborated so that he would understand the reason behind my call.A big smile took over his features, his blue eyes shining bright.
KATERINA Heavy silence fell between us. Not the kind that I enjoyed.I laughed as though that was the funniest joke that I had heard in a long time. “Is that all that you're going to say after I explained to you the reason why I would be staying in Aurelian city?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.“I don't remember mentioning Lucas on that list.” I heaved a deep sigh, trying my best not to lash out at him because I was tired and I didn't have enough strength for that kind of conversation.“I thought you out of all the people would understand me, David.” I looked in those grey eyes as though searching for something that was hidden deep within him.“I’m trying to, Katerina. I have always tried to understand you. I always do. And that's what I’m trying to do right now.” He said, his voice almost soothing but not like usual.“No. You don't.” I shook my head in disagreement, my vision blurry with tears but I pushed them away.“You know how important all this is to me but you don't u
KATERINA “Let's raise a glass to the most talented designer in the whole world. Mrs Katerina Mackenzie Madonna.” David said, raising a glass that was filled with amber liquid in the air, a big smile on his lips.My lips stretched into a big smile which matched his. His words reminded me of years ago when I used to be the head of the designer team in Thompson's company and Lucas assistant when we got married.I used to be among the best designers in Aurelian city. I had built a name for myself before my world crumbled into a million pieces. However, Paula gave me hope when she proposed the opportunity in her company after I helped her with the designs in the hospital four years ago.My heart twisted inside my chest when the memories from the past came back rushing in my mind. However, this time it didn't hurt that much like it always did. Perhaps it's because I talked to my therapist about my past and she has been helping me get through it.I felt that burning sensation in my eyes but