Ashes Behind Her Smile

Chapter 14: The Face Behind the Message

The drive back to the city felt different from the journey down to Aetheris Isle. There was no carefree wind tangling their hair, no soft songs playing on the radio, no quiet laughter shared over silly old memories. Instead, a faint, unspoken heaviness hung in the air, even though Brylen tried her best to smile and act like everything was fine. She kept her hand tucked securely in Zhaiven’s, but every now and then, her fingers would tighten almost imperceptibly, as if she was terrified that if she let go for even a moment, he might vanish or slip away. He noticed it immediately, of course—he noticed everything about her now—and he would give her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze in return, his thumb rubbing slow, soothing circles against her skin. But even that couldn’t completely chase away the lingering, anxious thoughts that had taken root in her mind the night before.

When they finally arrived back at Valdez Group headquarters, the towering glass building loomed large and imposing against the afternoon sky. Stepping through the grand double doors felt like stepping back into a world of sharp suits, tight schedules, and unyielding expectations—the very world Brylen had spent years feeling so alone in. But Zhaiven stayed right by her side the entire way, never straying even a single step ahead, guiding her gently through the busy lobby and into the private elevator.

“Just take it easy,” he murmured softly as the doors slid shut, leaving them in quiet privacy. He turned to face her, resting both hands lightly on her shoulders so he could look straight into her eyes. “We don’t have to rush into anything. If you get tired, or if anything feels too much, you just tell me, okay? We can stop. We can go home. Whatever you need.”

Brylen nodded slowly, leaning forward until her forehead rested gently against his chest. “Thank you. I think… I think I’m just still getting used to it all. To having someone I can actually count on. It still feels a little unreal sometimes.”

He kissed the top of her head tenderly. “Give it time. I’ll spend every day proving to you that it’s all very real.”

When they stepped out into the spacious, sunlit hallway leading to his office, his assistant was already waiting there with a stack of messages and updated schedules. Zhaiven took them calmly, flipping through the pages while Brylen wandered over to the large window that overlooked the sprawling city below. She was just thinking how different the skyline looked now—brighter somehow, less gray—when the telephone on the reception desk rang, and the receptionist’s voice carried clearly through the open doorway a moment later.

“Mr. Valdez? There is a Ms. Lisa here to see you in the lobby. She says she’s an old childhood friend, and that you are expecting her visit today.”

Zhaiven went still for a heartbeat, his expression shifting—any trace of softness faded, replaced instead by a look of quiet wariness. He closed the folder in his hands with a soft snap. “Thank you. Please send her up to my office right away.” Then he turned to Brylen, his voice gentle but serious as he walked over to her. “That’s her. Lisa. Just… please be yourself, alright? Don’t let anything she says or does unsettle you. I know how she can be, and I am right here. Nothing will happen, and nothing she says will change how I feel about you.”

Brylen’s heart gave a small, nervous flutter, but she lifted her chin and offered him a brave, albeit wobbly, smile. “I’ll be fine. I promise. I can be polite. I know she’s been an important part of your life for a very long time.”

Before Zhaiven could say anything else to reassure her further, the office door swung open without even a knock. A woman stepped inside, moving with effortless grace and confidence, as if she already owned every inch of space she walked through. She was tall and slender, dressed in expensive, stylish clothes that looked like they had just come straight from a fashion runway, with perfectly styled hair and makeup. This was Lisa.

At first, she didn’t even glance in Brylen’s direction. Her entire focus was fixed entirely on Zhaiven, her face lighting up with what seemed like pure delight, her arms already opening wide as she hurried toward him.

“Zhaiven! Finally!” she cried out, her voice warm and melodic, sounding exactly like someone who had truly missed the person they were seeing. “Oh my goodness, it has been so long! I have missed you more than words can say!”

She moved as if she intended to wrap her arms tightly around him, but Zhaiven stepped back just enough to keep a respectful distance, offering her nothing more than a polite, brief nod. He did not return the enthusiasm she showed.

“Welcome back, Lisa. It is good to see you have arrived home safely.”

Lisa paused in her tracks, the bright smile faltering just for a split second—so quickly that someone who didn’t know her might have missed it entirely. But she recovered almost instantly, turning slowly toward Brylen at last, and began looking her up and down from head to toe with a slow, deliberate gaze that felt far more like an inspection than a friendly greeting. Her eyes were sharp and assessing, and there was absolutely no warmth or kindness in them at all.

“And you must be Brylen, I assume,” she said, her tone deceptively sweet but carrying an undercurrent of disdain. She extended one hand lazily, barely holding it out, as if even reaching out felt like a great inconvenience. “I’m Lisa. Zhaiven’s closest friend since we were practically toddlers. We grew up side by side, you know—did everything together, knew every single secret about one another. Way before you ever came back into the picture, of course.”

Brylen felt a familiar tightness creep into her chest—the same feeling she used to get whenever people judged her or looked down on her in the past. But she forced herself to stand tall, meeting Lisa’s gaze calmly as she reached out to shake her hand, albeit briefly. “It’s very nice to meet you, Lisa. Zhaiven has told me a little bit about you.”

Lisa pulled her hand back the very moment Brylen let go, and even went so far as to brush her palm lightly against the side of her skirt, as if she had touched something dirty or unpleasant. Then she turned right back around to face Zhaiven again, moving closer to him, leaning casually against the corner of his large mahogany desk as if it were her own. She pitched her voice to sound soft and playful, but her words were clearly intended to push Brylen out of the conversation entirely.

“So! Since I am finally here and settled in, I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us? Like we always used to! I have so many stories and updates from all my years abroad that I really can only share with you in private—things only you would understand. And I brought back that special gift you told me you wanted ages ago, remember?”

Zhaiven shook his head firmly and without hesitation, his tone kind but leaving absolutely no room for argument.

“I’m sorry, Lisa, but that won’t be possible. If we go anywhere, Brylen will be coming with us. We do things together now. There is absolutely nothing you have to say that cannot be said right here, right now, in front of her. She is a very important part of my life, and she has every right to be included.”

The bright, practiced smile on Lisa’s face vanished completely in that moment. Her eyes narrowed, and the hurt and anger she had been hiding so well rose to the surface, sharp and clear.

“Oh come on, Zhaiven, seriously?” she exclaimed, her voice rising slightly, sounding frustrated and almost betrayed. “Can’t we have even just a tiny bit of time alone together? It’s been years! Years since we actually got to talk properly! Why does she have to tag along everywhere? You never used to act like this before you met her! Everything was so much simpler back then!”

She shot a sharp, pointed glare straight at Brylen as she said those last few words, making it more than obvious exactly who she thought was the problem and who she blamed for everything changing.

Brylen’s heart sank deep within her chest, and she instinctively took a small step back, lowering her gaze toward the floor. See? a quiet voice whispered inside her head. This is exactly what you were afraid of. Everyone sees you as nothing more than a nuisance, someone who just gets in the way and ruins everything good. You really are just intruding where you don’t belong…

But Zhaiven saw the change in her posture instantly, and he moved to stand between them right away, shielding Brylen partially behind him. He looked at Lisa steadily, his voice calm but firm, and carried an unmistakable warning.

“Lisa, stop. Right now. Brylen has done absolutely nothing wrong, and she has every right to be with me. If you came here expecting to see only me, or if you came here with the intention of speaking poorly of her or trying to separate us, then you came for all the wrong reasons. She is not the one who changed things—this is the way things were always meant to be. If you truly want to remain friends with me, then you will treat her with the same respect you would show me. That is not a request. That is final.”

Lisa bit down hard on her lower lip, gripping the strap of her expensive handbag until her knuckles turned white. She stared at Zhaiven for a long moment, clearly stunned that he would speak to her that way, then forced another tight, fake-looking smile onto her face and nodded slowly.

“Alright… fine. I understand,” she said, though it was obvious from her tone that she understood nothing at all, and that she was far from finished. “I suppose… I’ll see you around then. Maybe I can catch you at a better time.”

Without saying another word or even glancing back in Brylen’s direction, she turned on her heel and marched straight out of the office, letting the heavy door click softly shut behind her.

As soon as she was gone, the silence that filled the room felt almost deafening. Brylen stood perfectly still, her hands clasped tight together in front of her, feeling small and out of place. Zhaiven turned to her immediately, stepping close and gently lifting her chin with his fingers so she would look at him. His expression was full of nothing but concern and affection.

“Are you alright, love? I am so sorry about that. I should have prepared you better, or warned you more clearly about how she can be. I honestly didn’t think she would be that forward that quickly.”

Brylen looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears she was trying hard to hold back, and gave a small, trembling shrug. “I’m… I’m okay. Really. But Zhaiven… she really dislikes me already, doesn’t she? She acts like I’ve stolen you from her or something.”

He pulled her gently into his arms, holding her close and tight, resting his chin on top of her head as he rubbed slow, soothing circles up and down her back.

“It doesn’t matter what she thinks, or what she feels,” he said softly but with absolute conviction. “The only opinion that matters to me is yours, and the only one I choose is you. Nothing she does or says will ever change that. I promise you.”

Brylen leaned against him, letting out a long, shaky breath, but deep down she couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling that had settled over her. Lisa had only just arrived, and she had already made it very clear that she had no intention of stepping aside or giving up easily. Brylen had a feeling that this was far from over, and that there would be much more to come before all of this was truly settled.