Beneath the scars

Chapter 6

Asia’s pov

Racheal had dropped me off with a hug,she had dinner plans with her husband later that evening.

When I stepped inside the house, the maid hurried over to take the flowers I had brought back from the cemetery. I'd left most of them with my father, but I always brought a few home to place beside his photograph in my study.

"Would you like some tea, Madam?"

"Please."

She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen while I carried the flowers upstairs.

My study had slowly become the only room in the house that still felt like mine. My father's photograph sat on one corner of the bookshelf, smiling exactly the way I remembered him. I placed the flowers beneath it, stood there quietly for a moment, then whispered, "I kept my promise. I came."

For the first time that day, I allowed myself to close my eyes still trying to feel what’s left of him.

A little while later, I changed into something comfortable and settled behind my desk.

I had contacted Daniel brooks,Racheal’s husband who is a lawyer earlier today regarding my divorce process.

Daniel's notes were spread neatly in front of me. Every file I opened reminded me why I couldn't rush anything. There were still too many signatures, too many records, too many pieces of my father's legacy tied to Fletcher Group.

Walking away now wouldn’t be easy unless I was ready to loss all that my father had built.

That, I couldn't do.

By the time evening settled over the city, I heard the front door downstairs.

Kelvin.

I didn't bother checking the time.I already knew he'd be home much later than usual.

Footsteps crossed the living room before stopping.

Then I heard his voice.

"Where's Madam?"

The maid answered politely.

"Madam came back a little while ago, sir."

A pause.

"I thought she went to visit someone."

"No, sir."

Another pause.

"She went to Mr. Richmore's memorial this morning.”

Silence.

The kind of silence that told me someone had finally remembered something they should never have forgotten.

After several long seconds, the maid spoke again.

"She looked tired when she came back. She's upstairs resting now."

I heard nothing after that.Then slow footsteps started climbing the stairs.

I didn't move from my chair.

The shopping bag he was carrying brushed lightly against the hallway wall before stopping outside my bedroom.

Three soft knocks followed.

"Asia."

I looked at the closed door and just then another knock came at door.

"Asia?"

I stayed exactly where I was, my fingers resting on the file in front of me.

He waited.

When no answer came, I heard the handle move slightly before stopping.He wasn't the type to enter without permission.

Not when he thought I was asleep.

A quiet sigh escaped him.

"She must be sleeping."

His footsteps lingered outside for another moment before slowly fading down the hallway.Only after I could no longer hear them did I lean back in my chair.

I simply wasn't ready to have that conversation.

Not tonight and I already knew how tomorrow would go.

Kelvin would convince himself that today had been an unfortunate mistake. He'd probably apologize in his own awkward way, tell me work had gotten busy, hand me whatever was inside the shopping bag, and expect everything to settle back into place.

That was how he'd always handled guilt.

I looked down at the open file in front of me and smiled faintly.

Maybe I'd let him believe it had worked.

Maybe I'd even thank him.

If tomorrow really brought an apology, I could use it.

Daniel was still preparing the documents we'd discussed over lunch. Once everything was ready, there would be a few company papers that needed Kelvin's signature. Perfectly ordinary on the surface. The kind of paperwork he usually signed without much discussion when he trusted the person placing them in front of him.

I gently closed my father's file and rested my hand on its cover.

"Just a little longer, Dad."

My voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'll bring everything home."