Chapter Six

Emilia

The last thing I wanted on my first day at Kane Group was to run into Jayden. But of course, fate had a twisted sense of humor. It was almost as if the universe had conspired to test my patience, throwing me directly into the path of the last person I wanted to see.

Standing in the hallway like he owned the place, Jayden turned at the sight of me, his brows furrowing in confusion before morphing into something even more insufferable—amusement.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked, his tone a mixture of surprise and arrogance.

I met his gaze without hesitation, keeping my expression calm, uninterested. “What do you mean, ‘what the hell am I doing here’?” I asked nonchalantly, as if his presence was nothing more than a minor inconvenience in my otherwise pleasant day.

His lips curled into a smirk. “Oh, no, wait…” He took a step closer, tilting his head. “Are you here because of me?”

The sheer confidence in his voice made my fingers twitch with the urge to wipe that smug grin off his face—preferably with a well-placed punch.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied coolly, refusing to let him rile me up.

Jayden let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as if he found me amusing. His smirk deepened, his expression exuding that same arrogance that had once made me believe he was someone worth loving. Now, it only made my stomach turn.

“You shouldn’t play hard to get, Emilia,” he said, his voice dripping with confidence. “I know you. You must have realized your mistake and come running back.”

I blinked at him, momentarily stunned by the sheer audacity of his words. Then, tilting my head slightly, I gave him a look of genuine disbelief.

“I’m sorry,” I said slowly, arching a brow. “What did you just say?”

Jayden stepped even closer, hands casually tucked into his pockets, his confidence radiating off him like a cologne I was all too familiar with. He looked at me as if he had already won some imaginary battle.

“Oh, come on.” He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “You don’t have to act. I know why you’re here—you regret breaking up with me and came crawling back. It’s cute, really.”

A laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it. A real, unfiltered laugh.

This man was truly delusional. If delusion had a face, it would be Jayden.

“Jayden,” I said, shaking my head in amusement, “I hate to break it to you, but my life doesn’t revolve around you. It never did.” I took a step back, putting a comfortable amount of distance between us. “I’m here for work.”

His smirk didn’t falter. If anything, his amusement only grew, as if he found the idea of me working at Kane Group laughable.

“Oh?” He crossed his arms, his gaze raking over me like I was an amusing little joke. “Let me guess… some low-level assistant position? Maybe a secretary?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “That suits you.”

The nerve of this guy. It was actually sad, really.

I had given up so many opportunities to support him, to push him forward, and yet he still saw me as beneath him. As if I had no worth beyond what I could do for him.

I met his gaze, my smile unwavering. “Yeah, whatever, Jayden. I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

Turning on my heel, I was ready to walk away, to leave him standing there with nothing but his inflated ego to keep him company.

But before I could take more than two steps, a soft voice called out to me.

“Ms. Emilia?” A voice behind me called out my name.

I turned to see a receptionist standing a few feet away, a clipboard in her hands and a professional expression on her face. “Please follow me.” She said gesturing me to go towards the hallway.

I glanced back at Jayden one last time, and the look on his face was priceless. That smug amusement of his faltered just slightly, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. It wasn’t the reaction he had expected.

I shot him a parting smile, one filled with amusement rather than the irritation he had likely been hoping for.

Then, without another word, I simply walked away, leaving him behind like the mistake he was.

As I followed the receptionist down the long, sleek hallway, I felt the weight of countless number of eyes on me.

Whispers flitted through the air, hushed but unmistakable. I could practically feel them sizing me up, trying to place me, already forming their own conclusions,making up assumptions about me before I even had a chance to introduce myself.

"Who is she?"

"She looks new."

"Probably another intern trying to sleep her way up the ladder."

The last comment made my jaw tighten, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I kept my head high, my pace steady, my expression unreadable. I had been through worse. This wasn’t the first time people had underestimated me—it wouldn’t be the last.

But what these people didn’t know was that I had a flair for proving people wrong.

If they thought I was here to play games or get caught up in office politics, they were sorely mistaken. I wasn’t here to be anyone’s pawn. I was here to win.

As we walked, I took in my surroundings. The Kane Group headquarters was every bit as prestigious as I had imagined—modern architecture, polished marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows that bathed the space in natural light. The people who worked here carried themselves with an air of confidence, the kind that came from knowing they were part of one of the most powerful companies in the country.

And now, I was one of them.

The thought sent a strange thrill through me.

I had earned this.

Not because of my last name. Not because of connections. Not because I had slept my way into it, as some might assume.

I had earned this because I was damn good at what I did.

A small smirk touched my lips at the thought.

Let them talk.

Soon, they’d know exactly who I was—and just how wrong they were about me.

My Husband.

My thoughts briefly flickered to Richard.

It still felt strange to call him my husband. Very strandge

I had expected him to be cold, distant, maybe even indifferent to my existence. After all, our marriage had been a business arrangement more than anything. I had braced myself for tension, for formality, for a transactional relationship where emotions had no place.

But instead… he had been considerate.

Attentive.

Caring.

Nice, above all.

A small, almost disbelieving sigh left me as I recalled the way he had looked at me this morning before I left. The way he had made sure I ate breakfast, how he had quietly slid a coat over my shoulders when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, murmuring that it was chilly outside.

Richard Kane, the man known for being ruthless in the boardroom, had been more tender with me in the past few days than Jayden had been in the years I had spent with him.

It was baffling.

And unsettling.

Because for the first time in a long time, I felt something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in years.

Safe.

And that?

That was dangerous.

A Call That Changed the Mood.

Just as I was lost in thought, my phone buzzed in my hand.

Snapping back to the present, I glanced at the screen with a faint expression on my face.

An unfamiliar number.

I hesitated for a moment, then swiped to answer.

“Ms. Emilia?” A polished, professional voice greeted me on the other end. “This is Colin, CEO Kane’s secretary. Mr. Kane has requested you in his office.”

I straightened, adjusting my grip on my phone.

“Understood. I’ll be there shortly.” I replied before hanging up

As I ended the call, I became aware of a sharp murmur to my left.

The Gossipers.

“She really thinks she’s something, doesn’t she?”

“Probably using her looks to get ahead.”

I turned my head slightly, casually, my expression neutral as my eyes landed on the two women whispering in the corner.

The moment they saw me looking, they stiffened.

One of them—a brunette with sharp cheekbones and a pinched expression—quickly looked away, pretending to busy herself with a stack of papers. The other, a redhead with narrowed eyes, held my gaze for a fraction of a second longer before she, too, averted her eyes.

Interesting.

I smiled—a slow, knowing smile—before turning back and continuing down the hall.

Let them whisper.Let them assume.It wouldn’t be long before they realized exactly who I was.

And when that moment came?

I wanted front-row seats to their reactions.

I was about to make my way toward Richard’s office, my confidence unwavering. Then she spoke again. 

"Hmm, she looks cheap." She said and that triggered something in me as I made my way over to her to see who it was.