Employing His Heart.

Episode 12: The False Ceiling.

Episode 12: The False Ceiling.

​ The afternoon heat hung heavy over the estate, the kind of still, suffocating air that made everyone irritable. Kira sat on the shaded veranda, supposedly skimming through a digital ledger for her social development course, but she hadn’t flipped the page in twenty minutes.

​Her eyes kept drifting toward the gravel driveway.

​Lately, things had gotten messy inside her own head. Ever since the incident with the rogue vacuum cleaner, the safe, predictable wall she’d built between herself and Kaelen had developed massive cracks. She found herself checking the windows to see if his truck was parked by the sheds. She noticed the exact shade of his hazel eyes when the sun hit them. Worse, whenever Chloe or Maya brought up his name in the student lounge, a sharp, ugly knot tightened in her stomach. She hated it. She didn't want to care, but the jealousy was there, irrational and heavy, clawing at her throat every time another girl walked too close to him on campus.

​A sudden, unfamiliar sound broke the quiet the puttering engine of a dented, bright blue scooter rolling up the main driveway.

​Kira stood up, leaning against the stone balustrade.

​A girl hopped off the scooter. She was pretty in a completely effortless, unpretentious way, wearing denim shorts and a faded vintage t-shirt, her curly hair tied up in a messy bandana. She didn't look like anyone from Kira’s social circle. She didn't look intimidated by the massive Vance mansion either. She walked straight toward the western greenhouse, carrying a brown paper takeout bag.

​Kira’s blood turned to ice.

​She walked down the veranda steps, her boots clicking sharply against the gravel as she followed the girl's path. By the time Kira reached the greenhouse doors, Kaelen was already coming out, wiping grease off his hands with a rag.

​When he saw the girl, his entire face changed. The heavy, guarded expression he usually wore around the estate completely vanished, replaced by a soft, genuine smile.

​"You’re late," Kaelen said, his deep voice carrying a warmth Kira had never heard before.

​"Traffic by the bridge was awful," the girl laughed, holding up the paper bag. "But I brought the spicy noodles you like. And your aunt said you forgot your leftover vitamins on the counter."

​Kaelen took the bag, his fingers brushing against hers, and he let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "She's going to mother me until I'm ninety."

​Kira stood ten feet away, completely frozen. The sight of them together the easy familiarity, the casual touch sent a blinding, hot wave of rage straight to her chest. She didn't just feel jealous; she felt completely displaced. She looked at the girl with a raw, unshielded fury, her glare so intense that the girl finally noticed her, her laughter dying down as she blinked in confusion at the wealthy daughter of the house.

​"Kaelen?" the girl whispered, shifting uncomfortably under Kira’s gaze. "Is everything okay?"

​Kaelen turned, his eyes locking onto Kira. The warmth in his expression instantly froze over, his jaw setting as he stepped slightly in front of the girl, shielding her. "It's fine. Go wait by the truck, I'll be there in a second."

​The girl nodded quickly, giving Kira one last wary look before hurrying down the path toward the staff quarters.

​The moment the scooter girl was out of earshot, the dam broke. Kira marched right up to Kaelen, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her breathing shallow and ragged. She couldn't hold it in a second longer. The elite composure she had spent her whole life practicing completely disintegrated.

​"Who was that?" Kira demanded, her voice shaking with a dangerous, sharp edge. "Who is she to you, Kaelen?"

​Kaelen tossed his grease rag onto a nearby bench. He looked down at her, his hazel eyes entirely unreadable, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his brow at her tone. "Why do you care, Kira? I'm on my lunch break."

​"Answer me!" she snapped, stepping closer, completely invading his space. "Who is she?"

​Kaelen pulled himself up to his full height, staring her down with a cold, level look. "She's my girlfriend."

​The words hit Kira like a physical blow to the stomach. The air left her lungs completely. Her mind went entirely blank, a sickening shock vibrating through her nerves. Girlfriend. It hadn't even crossed her mind. She had spent weeks convincing herself he was off-limits because of her father, because of class, because of his pride never because there was someone else.

​"How could you, Kaelen..."

​The words slipped out before she could stop them, a desperate, broken whisper that betrayed every single hidden emotion she had been trying to suppress.

​Kaelen blinked, his forehead creasing in deep, genuine confusion. He looked at her like she had just spoken a foreign language. "How could I what?? Kira, what are you talking about?"

​The confusion in his voice was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head. Realization slammed into her. She had just exposed herself. She had just acted like a betrayed lover in front of a guy who thought she couldn't stand the sight of him. The humiliation was instantaneous, burning hot across her cheeks.

​She scrambled to pull her armor back on, her expression twisting into a mask of pure, defensive hostility to cover up the pain.

​"Nothing," Kira lied fiercely, her voice cracking slightly as she backed away from him. "Just... nothing. I don't want to see her here again. This is my family's private property, not a lounge for your friends. Keep your personal life outside the gates."

​"Kira, wait" Kaelen stepped forward, reaching out a hand as if to grasp her arm, his eyes searching her frantic face with a sudden, sharp intensity, as if he was finally starting to piece together the bizarre puzzle of her anger.

​"Don't touch me!" she yelled, flinching away from his hand. "Just do your job."

​She turned on her heel and practically ran back toward the mansion, her vision blurring slightly at the edges. Behind her, Kaelen stood entirely rooted to the gravel path, staring after her with the takeout bag heavy in his hand, his mind spinning as the line between them became more tangled than ever.