Falling for her oppressor

chapter 13

Jason arrived at the airport, moving through the motions of check-in and security as if on autopilot. The routine didn’t register—he handed over his ID, slipped off his shoes, passed through the metal detector—all while his thoughts circled back to Kyra. He reached the seating area, slumping down into a chair, the bustling airport around him fading into the background.

He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen for a moment before dialing her number. His heart always quickened when he thought of her, even though she never returned his smile, never looked at him the way he wished. Instead, her eyes were always cold, filled with an anger he couldn’t quite understand. Those sharp glares she’d give him flashed in his mind—how she would look at him as if he was the last person she wanted to see. He could never figure out why.

The phone rang once, twice, and then went to voicemail. She’d dropped his call.

He sighed, pocketing his phone, the sting of rejection settling in. Kyra never smiled for him. Not once. And now, as he sat there waiting for his flight, all he could think about was the last time she looked at him, that same cold, angry expression searing into his memory. He leaned back, closing his eyes, trying to shake off the frustration, but it lingered, heavy and unmoving.

Kyra finished her breakfast in silence, pushing her chair back as she stood up. She carried her plate to the sink, her hands moving automatically under the warm water as she scrubbed the dishes. The morning light streamed through the kitchen window, but her mind wasn’t on the day ahead. Instead, it wandered to Jason.

Where could he be traveling to? The thought slipped in, uninvited, as she rinsed the last plate. Was he going somewhere far? How long would he be gone? She frowned, scrubbing a little harder, trying to focus on the task at hand.

After drying her hands, Kyra made her way back to her room, her steps slower than usual. As she sat down on the edge of the bed, she realized something that made her stomach flip—she had been thinking about Jason this entire time. Concerned, even. Her brow furrowed, and her fingers tightened around the blanket.

That’s not what she wanted. She didn’t want to care about where he was or what he was doing. Not after the way things were between them. She hated how he lingered in her thoughts, even when she tried to push him out. With a frustrated sigh, she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind battling between pushing him away and being unable to stop thinking about him.

Kyra's chest tightened as she stood up from the bed, a sudden wave of dizziness crashing over her. She blinked, trying to steady herself, but the room spun. Without a second thought, she bolted toward the bathroom, her feet barely touching the ground as nausea gripped her.

She barely made it to the toilet before she threw up, her body heaving as all the food she had just eaten came up. Her hands gripped the edge of the sink for support, her heart racing as she gasped for air between the waves of sickness. For a moment, she stood there, leaning over the sink, trying to catch her breath as the dizziness slowly faded.

After rinsing her mouth and splashing some water on her face, Kyra’s legs felt weak beneath her. She stumbled back to her room, the exhaustion hitting her like a weight. She crawled into bed, pulling the covers over her, her body trembling from the sudden rush of nausea and fatigue.

As she lay there, her mind a hazy mess, she stared at the ceiling, feeling drained. She didn’t understand what was happening to her, but right now, all she could do was close her eyes and let the heaviness pull her into the comfort of sleep.

*******

It had been two weeks since Jason left for abroad. In that time, everything had felt like a whirlwind of stress and tension. He had barely touched the ground when the legal troubles started piling up. Two of his workers had tragically passed away in the building collapse, and their families had wasted no time in suing his company. The weight of it all pressed heavily on his shoulders, and each day felt like a battle to contain the damage.

Meetings with lawyers, back-and-forth negotiations—it all seemed endless. The more Jason tried to fix things, the worse they seemed to get. No solution came without a complication, and it started to feel like the walls were closing in. Every attempt to resolve the issue hit a new roadblock, and the pressure was mounting.

Just when things seemed impossible, his dad’s friend stepped in, offering a lifeline. He helped mediate with the families, calming the situation enough to get things under control. The lawsuits were settled, and the tension finally eased. Jason knew he should’ve felt relief, but there was a knot in his stomach that wouldn’t go away.

His father’s friend had always been helpful, but Jason wasn’t naïve. He knew there would be a condition—some favor or demand waiting for him on the other side of this "help." Nothing came free, especially not when it involved someone like him. Now that things were back under control, Jason couldn’t help but wonder what the real cost of this help would be, and how long it would take before the favor was called in.

As he sat in his hotel room, staring out at the foreign city below, his mind wandered back to Kyra. She hadn't spoken to him since he'd left, and somehow, despite everything going on, he couldn't stop thinking about her. But for now, he had bigger issues to handle—ones that could haunt him far beyond this trip.

Two days later, Jason found himself sitting across from Mr. Harrison in an upscale restaurant, the clinking of cutlery and the soft murmur of conversations filling the air. They were both halfway through their meal when Jason finally looked up from his plate.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Jason began, his voice steady but carrying the weight of the past few weeks. “For everything you did. I wouldn’t have been able to settle things without your help.”

Mr. Harrison nodded, a small, knowing smile on his face. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before speaking, his tone calm but with an edge of something Jason couldn’t quite place.

“In the business world, Jason,” Mr. Harrison said, “people don’t do things out of kindness. They do things for a purpose.”

Jason blinked, unsure where the conversation was heading. His stomach tightened slightly, the food suddenly less appealing. Mr. Harrison leaned forward, his gaze sharp. “I helped you out because I see potential in you, and I believe our families can benefit from each other.”

Jason swallowed, feeling the tension rise between them. He knew there had to be a catch. There always was.

“I want you to marry my daughter,” Mr. Harrison said smoothly, as if discussing a simple business deal. “That way, we can become business partners and family.”

Jason’s fork froze midway to his mouth, his eyes widening in shock. "What?" he managed to say, his voice low. “But… we don’t love each other. I barely even know her.”

Mr. Harrison’s expression didn’t falter. He took another sip of his wine, his demeanor composed. “Love,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “isn’t what it takes to start a family. Not in our world. Stability, power, and alliances—that’s what matters. You’ll learn that soon enough.”

Jason shook his head, disbelief flooding through him. This was the condition for the help? To marry a woman he didn’t love, for the sake of business? His thoughts raced as he stared at Mr. Harrison, but the man didn’t blink, his eyes cold and calculating, like he’d already made up his mind.

Jason sat back in his chair, feeling trapped, his mind reeling with the implications.

Jason’s mind raced as he tried to process what Mr. Harrison had just said. His fork still rested in his hand, but he had lost his appetite. He looked at the older man, trying to find some way out of this unexpected situation.

“Is there… any other way I can repay you?” Jason asked cautiously, his voice steady, but inside, he felt the weight of the moment pressing down on him.

Mr. Harrison leaned back in his chair, a calm, almost amused expression crossing his face. “No, Jason. I don’t need money, or favors. What I want is for you to marry my daughter. That’s the only repayment I’m interested in.”

Jason’s heart sank. He could feel the walls closing in around him. He had always known there would be a cost, but this wasn’t something he ever imagined. He let out a slow breath, nodding, trying to buy himself time.

“I… I’ll think about it,” Jason said, his voice quieter now.

Mr. Harrison tilted his head slightly, watching him. “Good. Two weeks should be enough for you to make a decision.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Jason nodded again, his mind churning with thoughts of how complicated this had become.

Mr. Harrison stood up from the table, adjusting his suit jacket before giving Jason one last glance. “I’ll expect your answer soon,” he said, his voice carrying an underlying edge of expectation.

With that, Mr. Harrison excused himself and walked away, leaving Jason sitting there alone, the weight of the conversation hanging heavy in the air. He stared blankly at the half-eaten food in front of him, knowing that whatever decision he made, nothing would ever be the same again.

As Jason settled into his seat on the flight back home, a strange sense of relief washed over him. The past two weeks had been nothing short of exhausting, both mentally and emotionally. But as the plane began to ascend, his thoughts drifted to something—someone—else entirely.

Kyra.

He hadn’t realized just how much he missed her until now, sitting in this quiet cabin with nothing but time to think. He could almost picture her—those sharp, angry glares she always gave him, the way she looked at him like he was more of an annoyance than anything else. Yet, even that thought made him smile. There was something about her, something that lingered in his mind no matter how hard he tried to shake it off.

With a sigh, Jason leaned back, staring out the window as the clouds rolled by. His heart ached in a way he hadn’t expected. He was eager—eager to see her again, to hear her voice, even if it was just to tell him off. He needed that, needed her in some inexplicable way that he was only beginning to understand.

Once they landed, Jason grabbed his bags and quickly made his way through the airport. As soon as he was in a cab, he pulled out his phone and called his buddy, Mark. The phone rang a couple of times before Mark’s familiar voice came on the line.

“Hey, man. You back?”

“Yeah,” Jason replied, feeling a sense of normalcy in the conversation. “Just landed.”

“Good to hear, bro! I’ll come see you later today. We’ve got some catching up to do.”

Jason nodded, though Mark couldn’t see it. “Yeah, sounds good. I’ll be around.”

They exchanged a few more words before hanging up. As the cab sped through the city streets, Jason’s thoughts once again returned to Kyra. He wasn’t sure what he’d say or how she’d react, but one thing was clear—he needed to see her. He missed her more than he wanted to admit, and the thought of being back, so close to her again, made his chest tighten with anticipation.