Chapter 7

webs of lies

Chapter 7

It was 9:00 AM, and Ken was getting dressed for work. He stood in front of the mirror, combing his hair, but his mind wasn’t fully present. Flashbacks of the previous night haunted his thoughts. He had been thinking about Jenny all night. He didn’t exactly understand the feeling, but one thing was clear,he wanted to keep her around.

His phone buzzed. It was a text from Natasha:

“8 PM tonight, love. Can’t wait to see you ❤️”

He hissed. He wasn’t particularly excited to see her, but he had agreed anyway.

Ken finished dressing. His driver and team were already waiting downstairs. As he walked through the living room, he spotted Jenny dusting a shelf. He paused for a moment, just watching her. She looked so beautiful, and despite the tension, she greeted him formally, like nothing had happened between them just a few days ago. She was clearly uncomfortable, but doing her best to keep things professional.

Ken left for work, but he couldn’t get her off his mind all day.

Hours later, Natasha was getting ready for their meeting. She slipped into a red satin dress that revealed her thighs and cleavage. Arriving at the upscale bar they had agreed on, she spotted Ken from the entrance. He looked as handsome and put-together as ever—his presence commanding as always.

She approached his table with a smile.

“Hi baby, sorry I kept you waiting… You look so sweet,” she said, eyeing his luxury Rolex watch—the most expensive model she knew of.

“Hi, Natasha. It's fine. You look good too,” he replied, though the hurt from their past still lingered in his eyes.

They chatted for a while, catching up on life since their breakup. Natasha asked if he was seeing someone.

“No,” Ken replied flatly, making no effort to ask her the same.

She went on to talk about an NGO she had recently "started," claiming her goal was to feed the needy. She said she was currently looking for philanthropists to support her vision.

“Ken, I’m really sorry for everything that happened in the past. I deeply regret it,” she said, her voice shaking. “I was under duress and I didn’t even know how it happened. I… I just want to make things right. I want us back. I want our love back, stronger than ever. I’ve changed.”

Ken chuckled bitterly, leaning back in his chair.

“Oh, I see. It’s been two months now, and I’ve been doing just fine. I think we should let sleeping dogs lie. You can keep doing your shit and covering it up with stories about being under duress.”

Natasha flinched. His words cut deep. But she wasn’t ready to give up.

“Okay, Ken, it’s fine. Seems you’ve made up your mind already. But even if you don’t want me anymore, you can at least support my NGO. My goal is to feed ten thousand orphans this month,” she added, feigning emotion.

She pulled out her phone and showed him a website and photos of homeless children pictures she had faked, stolen from another organization, claiming them as her own.

Ken leaned in and nodded.

“Wow. That’s very impressive. It’s okay, I’ll send you $20,000. I like feeding the poor too,” he said with a sly grin, his eyes scanning her like she was the "poor" he meant.

Natasha froze. She hadn’t expected him to agree so quickly. Still, she was thrilled—this was a win. She could keep milking him while planning her next move.

He sent her the money. They had a few more drinks and eventually left for their separate homes.

Natasha returned to her hotel room, giddy with excitement. She couldn’t wait to share the news with Rumero, her secret partner in crime. But to her surprise, he was nowhere to be found.

She called his number—switched off.

Confused, she sat on the edge of the bed, wondering why he had left without leaving a message. She quickly dropped him a voice note, then proceeded to take a shower.

Still waiting for his call, Natasha fell asleep, unaware that the game she thought she was playing might be taking a dangerous turn.