XAVIERI stood in the middle of my office, the scent of her perfume still lingered in the air like a memory that refused to fade. The severity of her word echoed in my ear like a silent mantra. A part of me wanted to chase after her, to explain, to scream that this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. But the rest of me – the part I had buried under layers of ambition and damage – was frozen, paralysed. I needed to scream my lungs out and ask her for certain explanations. Asked her why she thought I let my father take away the only reason I was able to push through. There was a video of her clearly trading our relationship for a measly amount of dollars.Doubts had started to creep in, but I couldn’t bring myself to believe her, to trust the fact that my dad was the one who ruined what we once had.But then, she had signed the contract.I should have felt victorious. I should have smirked, tossed back a drink, and moved on.But instead,
SKYLAThe city hadn’t changed. Same concrete jungles, same impatient horns blaring in the distance, same glass towers looming over like silent jungles.One would have thought that the entire time I stayed cooped up in Ed's little apartment, the whole world would have changed, maybe a new technology that would have cured all forms of heartaches would have been created.The world hadn’t changed, but something in me had shifted.I had barely slept, barely had the time to think this through. The weight of the ring, the invitation - it had all settled into my bones like lead. Even now, as I stood in front of the Andersons enterprise. A business that focused on bringing life into people’s home with their self-made furniture pieces. Even then, when I stood at the entrance of the building, all glass and steel, I realised I was still breathing. Still standing. Still ready to fight.The receptionist barely glanced at me, her stoic gaz
XAVIER The silence in my office was suffocating. Only the loud persistent ticking of the grandfather clock echoed through the silence of my office like an accusation. My eyes hadn’t left my phone screen in the last ten minutes. No message. No calls. Nothing.It had been four days since I gave Ed the contract. Four agonising slow days of silence, without even a whisper from her end. And that only meant one thing. She hadn’t signed it. At least not yet The glass of scotch in my hand warmed against my palm, but it did little to chase away the cold knot in my chest. I didn’t even want the drink anymore. All I wanted was some clarity. Closure, and maybe even control.Control.That’s what this had always been about, hadn’t it?I ran a hand down my face, my jaw tightening as I leaned back in my chair. The city stretched out beyond the windows in a canvas of light and motion, but I felt empty and lost.I felt dread curl itself in my
SKYLA The contract sat on my nightstand untouched, it’s presence looming over me like a storm cloud. I had been avoiding it for days, the weight of my decision pressing down on me like a vice. Every single day, I kept on telling myself that I needed more time_ more time, for what exactly?More time for myself before whatever this thing with the Andersons pulled me in, before they sucked me into their bleak dark world.But who was I kidding?Signing this contract wasn’t just about a job, it meant surrendering, not just to Xavier’s demands, but to the past. To the pain, the betrayal, and the tangled emotions I had spent years trying to bury. Signing it meant giving Xavier total control over my life again. If I signed this darned contract, I would be tied to Xavier once again. But this time, not as his lover, or the woman he once loved, but his employee, bound by the cold calculating terms of a business deal.But
SKYLAThe chilly air bit at my skin, as I stepped out of the café. The weight of Mr Andersons words pressing down on me like an iron chain.The choices he left me with all the more confusing. Either I stayed far away from his sons, or my mom would pay the price.But the problem here was, I wasn’t in anyway done with his sons, not by a long stretch.They needed to pay for the heartaches they caused me, for the trauma they put me through. The life they made me loose out on.So I was going to make preparations for my mom to be sent to a rehab home, somewhere far from the reach of Mr Anderson.I clutched the gift box that sat snug in my arms, and my fingers trembled against it slightly. My breath came in sharp bursts. Thoughts of what could be inside terrifying.My heart pounded against my rib, the thoughts flickering through my head sickening I needed to move.I needed to think.But just as I took a step forward
SKYLAI trudged slowly towards the café, my body aching with each step. The bell above the door chimed softly, signalling my arrival. The smell of freshly baked pastries, nd roasted coffee wrapped around, temporarily easing the ache in my chest. “Welcome,” The café owner greeted warmly, the smile plastered on his face contagious. His voice carried a certain warmth that made my stomach twist with unease. I forced a small smile, my eyes darting fearfully round the small cosy café. The rustic decor, the wooden tables, and the low amber lightening reminded me too much of the bakery back home. A pang of longing surged through me, but it was quickly replaced by the cold grip of fear.“What would you like to have.” He says in a warm tone, his smile kind, but his gaze lingering too long.“She is with me.”A deep authoritative voice shattered the moment, shattering whatever hopes and bubbles I might have had. My breath hitched,The