Chapter Three

Aisha’s POV

Sunlight stabbed my eyes, and my head throbbed.

“Damnit, Isha. No more alcohol,” I groaned.

I scrambled for my phone. Gone. Where the hell did I put it?

The door burst open. Fiona grinned. “Morning, girl.”

“Fi… do you know what happened last night? My phone is missing.”

She smirked. “Ethan said Kyle brought you home.”

“What?!”

She nodded. “By the time I got back from the restroom, you were gone. You were drunk and loud.”

“Shit.” I slapped my forehead.

Her eyes sparkled. “So… what did drunk Aisha do with the grumpy man?”

“Nothing!” I groaned. “And my phone…”

She pulled it from her bag. “Here. Your boyfriend’s been blowing up your phone.”

I grimaced at Brandon’s texts. “He’s no longer my boyfriend.”

She grinned, falling back on the bed. “Amazing news.”

I frowned. She’d never liked him.

“Okay, tell me everything,” she pressed.

I threw my phone aside. “Fi… he cheated on me.”

Her eyes widened. “With…?”

“Aaliyah. My colleague. He’s been seeing her behind my back.”

Fiona pressed her lips together. “I knew it. Miss goody-two-shoes with her fake smiles.”

I sighed, my chest tightening. “Did you break some heads?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t confront them.”

“Oh, Aisha. You’re too nice,” she murmured.

“Maybe that’s why I didn’t see it sooner… or maybe because I didn’t sleep with him.”

The tears I hadn’t shed in London finally fell.

Fiona pulled me into a hug, cradling me like a child. “It’s okay, Aisha. Breathe. You’re not at fault. When a man loves you, he waits.”

I rested my head on her shoulder, letting her warmth calm the storm inside me. “I just… I can’t believe it.”

“I know,” she murmured. “You didn’t deserve that. But you’re stronger than him. And stronger than this shit.”

I sniffled, clutching her closer. “Thanks, Fi. I needed this.”

“Always,” she whispered. “You’re not alone, Isha. Ever.”

“My head hurts,” I groaned, pressing my hand to it.

“Mary should be here any second with tea—hangover cure,” Fiona said, propping her chin on her hand. “So… going back to London?”

“Maybe not,” I shrugged.

Her eyes widened as Mary walked in, handing me tea. “Good morning, Miss.”

“Thanks,” I said, sipping.

“So… is Kyle involved?” Fiona pressed.

“No. Kyle hates me, you know.”

She nodded. “For a moment, I forgot he’s the reason you fled Manchester.”

I stirred my tea and took a sip from it. “I applied to Apex Holdings in London. Internship approved, then transferred here. Part of the reason I accepted the transfer was because of Brandon and Aaliyah's affair. It felt like a fresh start.”

Fiona jumped, nearly spilling the tea. “Aisha!”

“Careful!” I laughed.

“I’m just glad you’re close.”

“Me too. But I haven’t officially gotten the job yet.”

“Why?”

“The owner has to accept me first. Arrogant. Tough to impress.”

“Never met him?”

I shook my head. “He came while I was on sick leave. If he rejects me, I’ll run somewhere else.”

“I’ll drag you back, and you can join the family business,” she teased.

I laughed. “I’ll be meeting him tomorrow. But first, we’ll visit my parents.” I got out of bed, dropping the cup.

Then last night hit me. Horror.

“Bloody hell.”

“What?” Fiona asked.

“I… asked Kyle to stay the night.”

Her eyes widened.

I paced, clutching my hair.

“How could I have done such a thing!”

“Calm down, girl. At least you didn’t have sex with him,” Fiona said.

I heaved. “True. Besides, I was drunk.”

“But it wouldn’t have been bad if you did,” she winked.

I froze. “Fiona!”

“What? He’s hot,” she smiled devilishly.

I reached for the pillow and playfully hit her.

“You love me,” she laughed, jumping on the bed.

|||

I placed flowers at my parents’ grave, sighing. I missed them so much. The plane crash that claimed their lives was still fresh in my memory. Fiona rubbed my back in comfort.

Suddenly my phone rang. Brandon. I ignored it. He kept calling.

Fiona snatched it. “You lying, cheating bastard! Stay the fuck away from her!” She ended the call and blocked him.

“Thanks, Fi. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” she said. “You have your meeting tomorrow. Focus on that.”

She frowned, and I let out a sigh.

|||

I sat at the far end of the reception area of Apex Holdings, my fingers twisting together as I stared at the glass walls towering above me.

The building reflected the city like it owned it. Every polished surface whispered money, power and silence.

This was not just a company.

It was a kingdom.

My anxiety crept in slowly, settling in my chest. The CEO hadn’t arrived yet, and the air felt tighter, heavier, as though everyone was holding their breath.

Then the atmosphere shifted.

“Welcome, sir.”

The words echoed, sharp and synchronized. Conversations died instantly.

He had arrived.

I tried to look up, curiosity battling fear, but my view was blocked by a woman clutching a stack of files as she hurried past me, her heels clicking with urgency.

Whoever this man was, people moved for him without being asked.

For a brief moment, I wondered if I should run.

A few minutes later, the same woman returned. Her eyes swept over me, cold and assessing.

“Follow me.”

I stood and did as told.

She opened the door and gestured inside.

“Sir, the transfer intern is here.”

He lifted his head from the file he was buried in.

My heart slammed violently against my chest.

Was the universe mocking me?

Kyle Leicester leaned back in his chair, his piercing eyes fixed on me. His index finger rested against his mustache, his thumb tucked beneath his chin.

“You can go, Serena,” he said.

She left. The door shut behind her, sealing us in.

“Are you stalking me now?” he asked, adjusting his cuff links calmly.

I scoffed. “You wish.”

“Why are you here?”

“Transfer intern,” I replied.

“And why did you choose to be transferred here?”

“The fuck, Kyle? Do you think I chose this? I had no idea you were the CEO of this company.” I snapped

How did a man who sold guns and was rumored to be an underground mobster run a respected corporation?

“Language,” he said coldly. “This is an office, and I am your boss.”

“Not yet.”

He stood and walked toward me.

“I’m not rejecting you.”

I swallowed. “Why? You literally hate me.”

“That’s exactly why, Aisha.”

He stopped in front of me.

“When your file was brought to me, I wanted to reject you. After all, I couldn’t work with the woman who put my sister in a coma.”

I backed away.

“That afternoon wasn’t my fault,” I said.

He didn’t care.

“But then,” he said quietly, “I had another thought.”

My back hit the wall.

“Why not make her suffer,” he murmured, lifting my chin so I had no choice but to meet his gaze, “the way Cara is suffering.”

My heart thundered.

“I’m not turning you away,” he said, dangerously calm.

“Why?”

His lips tilted slightly.

“Because I plan to make you suffer.”