Chapter 2: A Cold Nightmare

Sansa's POV

I stood frozen in the doorway, my heart hammering so loudly it drowned out every other sound in the room. 

My hands were shaking, my feet could barely hold me up.

I couldn't breathe.

Astrid. 

My best friend. 

Her unmistakable golden hair was splayed out around her, her eyes rolled back in the back of her head as she gripped his biceps like her life depended on it.

My stomach turned and a strangled gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Killian's head snapped toward me at the sound and that's when he pulled away from her. Slowly.

Then he looked at me with an expression of pure irritation. Annoyance. Like he was mad that I was disrupting his fun.

Astrid, who was struggling to pull down her dress, simply smirked. 

“Oh, look,” she purred, sitting up lazily on the mahogany desk. “The dutiful little housewife has arrived.” 

My breath came in ragged gasps and the room spun around me. 

This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. This had to be a nightmare.

I took a shaky step forward. “K-Killian?” 

He didn’t move to cover himself. He didn’t look ashamed. If anything, he looked bored. 

He sighed and ran a hand through his tousled dark hair before grabbing his discarded pants from the floor. Slowly, carelessly, as if I wasn’t standing there, as if my world hadn’t just been burned to the ground, he pulled it on. 

“What the hell are you doing here, Sansa?” His voice was cold.

What was I doing here? That was his question?

“Don't act dumb! Why did you come to my office?" His tone was upset.

I flinched. “I—I wanted to surprise you. It’s our anniversary.” My voice cracked. 

Astrid let out a mocking laugh. “Oh, sweetheart.” She dragged out the word mockingly. “You didn't have to surprise him, can't you see he was having his anniversary surprise right here?” 

I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't believe my eyes. This had to be a sick prank.

I looked at Killian, searching his face for something, anything, that said this was a mistake.

But there was nothing. 

No guilt. No regret. Just cold indifference and anger.   

"You shouldn’t have come," he said simply, buttoning his shirt. “I’m working.” 

My throat tightened. Working? 

I stared at him, then at Astrid, who was still lounging on his desk, stretching like a satisfied cat. 

"Working?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper. "This is what you call working?" 

Killian let out an irritated sigh, finally looking me in the eye. “Yes. And now you’ve ruined the mood.” 

I felt like I'd been slapped. Killian was a player. I had heard stories of his escapades. But none of it made sense.

I loved him. I wanted us to work. I always forgave him.

But this was different. This was my best friend.

Astrid finally slid off the desk, her silk dress slipping down her legs as she stepped toward me. 

“Oh, Sansa.” She tilted her head to the side, her eyes dancing with wicked amusement. “You always were so naive. Did you really think Killian was at work?”

I couldn't hold back the tears that slipped down my eyes. She was mocking me. Right in my face.

“Come on, darling, did you really think Killian could ever be happy with you?” She looked at me down to my shoes and scoffed.   

“I told you everything,” I whispered, my hands trembling. “I shared everything with you, Astrid. You helped me pick out our anniversary gift.” 

Astrid’s smile widened. “And that was your first mistake, darling.” 

Killian scoffed. “Enough with the theatrics, Sansa. You coming here, unannounced, barging into my office like some crazed wife, this is exactly why I can't stand being around you. You're too needy and desperate!” 

My heart skipped. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

Killian hissed. "You're suffocating me, Sansa. Always waiting for me to come home, always clingy, always begging  for attention. Look at you. Standing here like some wounded puppy." 

Astrid laughed again. “No wonder he’s sick of you. You're pathetic.” 

The room blurred around me. My fingers tightened around the door handle so much that my knuckles turned white.

I had spent weeks choosing the perfect gift. A Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, the most expensive watch in the world. Something timeless. Something that meant forever. 

But there was no forever. 

Not with Killian. 

He would never love me.

My eyes were still on the discarded gift box on the floor and he must have noticed because for the first time, he moved to grab it at my feet.

As soon as he opened it, his eyes widened first in surprise and then darkened in anger.

"Are you stupid?" His voice was furious, "how dare you treat my gift so carelessly?!”

Before I could react, his hand landed on my face.

The sound echoed through the room as pain exploded across my cheek from the slap. 

I stumbled back, my skin burning where he had struck me.

Astrid’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. 

Killian, however, wasn’t done. 

He crouched down, picked up the fallen box, and opened it. His brown eyes gleamed in excitement as he took in the watch. 

“Well,” he muttered, admiring it under the dim office light. “At least you’re good for something.” 

He tucked the box into his pocket, then turned to me. 

“Now get out, Sansa. Don't show up at my office again.” 

The words hit harder than the slap. 

He stepped closer, gripping my arm with bruising force.

Before I could even process what was happening, he dragged me toward the door and shoved me out into the hallway. 

I stumbled, barely catching myself against the wall. 

Killian stood in the doorway, “Don’t come back,” he said flatly. “You’re embarrassing yourself.” 

Then, without another glance, he slammed the door shut.

I could still hear Astrid's laughter from within. I stood there, trembling, my vision blurring as tears spilled freely down my face.

I couldn’t stay. Not here. Not in this city. Not with them. 

With shaking hands, I reached for the elevator button and rode down.

As soon as I stumbled to the car, the driver looked at me curiously. “Is everything okay, Mrs. Wolfe?”

I could only nod as the tears streamed down my face. "Take me to the airport, now.”