Chapter 11

Martha appeared immediately with my usual order: black coffee and a bowl of the healthy stuff I forced myself to eat. I didn't even glance at Tanya as I started scrolling through the morning’s financial reports. I didn't need to talk to her; she knew the drill. She was just... there. Like furniture, but better looking.

She spoke quietly again. "The papers are already talking about that Gala you cancelled. They're wild, trying to figure out why you pulled the plug."

I didn't lift my head. "It was a global crisis, Tanya. Nothing for you to worry about."

"I know, silly," she said gently, not pressing it. That was the thing about Tanya. She knew exactly when to back off. She understood me; yeah, I just saw her as family, and I treated her like a little sister I had to look after. Nothing more.

Then Nova walked in.

I heard the tap, tap, tap of her shoes on the floor. I didn't look up, but I felt the shift in the room, like someone had turned on a cold tap. I braced myself. Here it came. The argument about Tanya. The shouting about the contract. The demands. That's what every woman I'd ever dealt with did when they wanted something or felt ignored.

But she didn't come near us. Not even close.

She walked straight past us to the breakfast table and loaded up a plate with a mountain of bacon and eggs, not that delicate fruit salad rubbish, and then headed for the exact middle of the table, placing herself as far from both of us as possible. She was completely isolated, sitting there like she owned the place but didn't even care to look at the owners.

She took a massive gulp of coffee and started eating. Fast, efficient, and completely focused on her plate.

Tanya tried to get her attention, of course. "Morning, Nova. You're looking..."

"Morning," Nova cut her off, not rudely, but just flatly, ending the conversation with the tone of a closing door. She didn't look at Tanya.

Tanya tried again, pushing the boundary slightly. "It’s nice of Killian to let me stay here while my house is being sorted. He's always so..."

 She interrupted Tanya, taking a huge bite of bacon. "Hope it gets sorted quickly."

I had to drop the tablet, resting my elbows on the table. My eyes were fixed on her, but I kept my face blank.

What the hell was wrong with her?

She was supposed to be demanding, angry, and causing problems. She was supposed to be asking about the Gala or throwing shade at Tanya for squatting in her contract home. Instead, she was treating us both like we were transparent. Like we were background noise she couldn't be bothered to engage with, she was sticking to the rules.

She had zero interest in me. And that was the problem. Every other person I knew, man or woman, wanted something: my money, my influence, or my attention. But Nova? She didn't want any of it.

She didn't try to look good for me. She was wearing faded jeans and a basic t-shirt, completely unlike the designer war paint every other woman wore around me. She didn't talk about money, didn't talk about the contract, and didn't even try to push for details about my life.

She just ate her breakfast, clean and simple, and then stood up, her plate still half full, like the scene was over.

"I'll be in the library," she announced to the room, not looking at either of us. "Don't bother me."

And then she was gone. Just like that. No lingering looks, no dramatic exit. She had come, eaten, and vanished.

I sat there, staring at the empty seat. My mind was churning like a broken engine.

Why did she keep doing that? Why was she so fucking indifferent? Most girls would have been trying to stake their claim, to use the situation to get closer to me. But Nova, she treated me like I was a broken toaster. Something necessary but ultimately useless.

It threw my whole game. All my rules, all my methods of dealing with people—the cold shoulder, the silence, the threats—they didn't work on her. She just met the coldness with colder indifference. She didn't fight back; she simply ignored the whole fucking existence of Killian Ashford.

Tanya broke the silence. "Well, that was strange. She is so...rude?"

I picked up my tablet again, my mind already miles away. "Work commitment, Tanya. Don't worry about it."

I couldn't stay there. I needed to get away from Tanya's sweet, constant presence, away from the silence of my own house, and try to focus on something real. I needed quiet. I needed to figure out why Nova was the only person in my life I couldn't seem to read.

I stood up abruptly. "I'm going to the office. Don't disturb me."

I left the dining room, walking quickly down the hall. I needed to isolate myself to get back to the only thing that made sense: numbers. I walked straight towards the library, the quietest room in the whole house. It was full of thick walls and heavy books; no screaming, no drama, no annoying questions.

I pushed open the heavy mahogany door, ready to drown myself in work and forget the absolute mess that was my personal life.

But there she was. Nova.

She was already set up at the massive central desk, laptop open, scrolling through some complex-looking spreadsheet. She had claimed the best desk, the best light, and the best chair. She had beaten me to my own sanctuary.

She looked up at me as I walked in, with a simple, bored annoyance, as if I were the most predictable thing on earth.

"Didn't you hear me say not to bother me?" she said, looking right back down at her screen.

I stood there, gripping the door handle. I wanted to tell her to pack up and get out. I wanted to claim my space, my silence. But something stopped me. Her complete lack of fear, her absolute calm in my presence. It was baffling. She was treating my quiet, private space like it was a coffee shop.

I closed the door slowly. This girl was a real puzzle. And I hated not solving puzzles.

I walked over to a leather armchair in the far corner, away from her desk, and sat down. I pulled my tablet onto my lap.

"It's my house, Nova," I said, my voice low and flat. "I need quiet."

She sighed, loud enough for me to hear it, but didn't look up. "Fine. But you owe me for the space."

I looked down at my tablet, but I couldn't focus on the figures. All I could see was her across the room, sitting there, quiet and completely self-sufficient. Every time I thought I had her figured out, she pulled another stunt that left me completely confused. I'd never been curious about anyone in my life, but this woman... she was getting under my skin, and I didn't have a damn clue why.

She was utterly indifferent. It wasn't hatred; it was worse. It was like I was a piece of the furniture she was working around.

I kept sneaking glances at her, trying to make sense of her. She was small, but she carried herself with a fierce, rigid backbone. She looked like she could take a punch and barely notice it.