The Truth Too Late

Chris's POV

I had messed up really badly.

The problem wasn't Ayesha. It was me.

I had known her to be a dramatic woman, so when she got on one knee in front of everyone, my first reaction had been disbelief. But I couldn't give such information to the public.

We were dating secretly, yes. At least, that was what I had always considered it. I cared about her. I checked on her whenever she looked stressed. I spent time with her outside work. Looking back now, maybe I had blurred some lines without realizing it.

But when Gemma told me she was pregnant, I didn't know what to think.

How could I accept Ayesha's proposal when another woman was claiming she was carrying my child? A big scandal would brew and it would affect my company's image badly.

The whole mess started because of a single invitation to a business collaboration. My uncle, Gregory Evans, had invited me over to GG Hotels to meet with two other business associates I wasn't really fond of. They were Paulus McCoy and Steve Daniels.

I don't usually do those kinds of discussions, but I accepted because they kept begging. During the meetup, we were served alcoholic beverages which I drank from. Normally, I handle my alcohol pretty well, but I felt really off and hot at that gathering, so I decided to take a break in one of the VIP hotel rooms.

I gave instructions to my PA and while inside, my discomfort grew worse. I deciphered that I might have been drugged with something. As I tried to pull myself together, I heard the door click shut behind me. Someone had entered the room. Or better still, someone had been planted there.

So this was their plan all along. To lure me here, plant a woman in my room, and then compromise things further. Whatever they had put in my drink, I wouldn't give them what they wanted. I promised myself that.

"Why did you come in? Did I permit you?" I asked the woman who was in a see-through nightgown.

I chuckled lightly. If she thought that would move me, she was wasting her energy.

"Uh, I'm sorry, sir. I must have missed my way. You don't seem alright. Is there anything I can do to help?" She stepped closer.

"You should leave now. Whatever they paid you, that's your business. But don't come close."

But she wouldn't listen to me. She kept coming closer. Even wrapping herself around me. Did she think I would lose to a woman?

I grabbed her wrists and pulled her towards the bathroom. When I pulled her in, she fell on her backside and I locked the door. After that, I stumbled back to the bed. Everything was spinning. The last thing I remembered was closing my eyes.

By morning, I woke up with a headache that felt like someone had struck me with a hammer. The woman was sitting on the bed staring at me and she was crying. I looked properly at her face. It was Gemma Arterton. One of my staff from Azul.

She was the woman from the previous night.

"What's going on? How did you get in here?" I said slowly.

"What are you talking about, Mr Chris?" she cried. "You're acting like nothing happened."

"I don't understand. You snuck in here yesterday, didn't you? I put you in the bathroom so you could calm down. Now you're saying nonsense out of nowhere."

"Look at me. Just look at me." She broke down again. "My life is ruined."

I stared at her. For the first time, doubt crept into my mind. I couldn't remember everything that happened after I fell onto the bed. That bothered me a lot.

But no matter how hard I searched my memory, there was nothing there. Nothing.

"You don't know what you're saying," I said firmly. "Get out before I call security."

She saw the fierceness in my gaze and left. The moment the door shut behind her, I held my head in my hands. Did I really do something? I wasn't myself that night. But no. I couldn't accept an accusation based on missing memories. Something about the entire situation felt wrong.

I drifted back to the present. After I had seen the pregnancy report and Ayesha left my office, I told Gemma that my personal doctor would conduct another ultrasound test. If she was telling the truth, I wanted proof. Then I asked her to leave. She had already caused enough damage.

The moment she was gone, I leaned back in my chair. Ayesha's face flashed through my mind. The shock in her eyes, the hurt and the way she had quietly walked out.

I rubbed my forehead. I shouldn't have raised my voice at her. The timing had been terrible, but none of this was her fault. She had already been humiliated enough.

I picked up my work phone and dialed the supervisor's number.

"Send Ayesha to my office. Tell her it's urgent."

His voice came from the other end.

"A minute, sir... it seems she left the office not too long ago."

I frowned. "Did she give any valid reason for her sudden departure?"

"No, sir. I stepped out of my office for a bit. Other employees saw her leave."

I looked at the phone for a moment. Leaving work in the middle of the day wasn't like Ayesha.Not at all.

"It's alright. See if you can reach her."

"Yes, sir."

I put my phone down. Don't tell me she left work over this. I sighed. Maybe I should have explained things properly instead of losing my temper. But the situation had already been tense and the moment she walked in couldn't have been worse. I tried to focus on work. Unfortunately, my mind kept drifting back to her.

When I got home, I didn't even take off my clothes first. I called Ayesha. The call rang and rang. She didn't answer. I called again later. Still nothing. Night came suddenly and she still wasn't picking up.

I stared at the screen of my phone. This wasn't like her either. Maybe she was angry. Honestly, she had every right to be. I eventually put the phone away. Maybe she didn't intend to answer me in the first place.

By eight the next morning, I was already at work. I would request her to be sent to my office immediately she arrived. We needed to talk. I picked up my work phone.

"Mr Smith, send Ayesha to me. Tell her it's urgent."

There was silence on the other end. Then he said

"Good morning, sir. She won't be coming in."

My grip tightened around the receiver.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"She just handed in her resignation letter."

I froze. For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.

"Ayesha resigned?"

"Yes, sir."

I sat there in complete silence. Out of all the things I expected to hear this morning, that wasn't one of them. Ayesha had worked at Azul for four years. She never quit anything or walked away. Yet somehow, she had walked away from me.

And for the first time since the proposal incident, a feeling I couldn't quite name settled heavily in my chest.