Chapter7
781 Words
Maya stood alone inside the conference room, carefully arranging the files in front of each chair. That morning sunlight streamed through the glass walls, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside her chest.
For the fifth time in less than two minutes, she adjusted the stack of documents in front of the projector.
Anything to stop herself from thinking about him. About that night.
About the way Edward had looked at her afterward, like she still belonged to him.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she placed another bottle of water on the table. The sound of the door opening made her freeze. She didn't need to turn around to know it was him.
Edward.
Even after all these years, her body recognised his presence before her mind did. His footsteps were slow, controlled, and confident. Maya kept her eyes fixed on the laptop. "Good morning, sir," she said quietly.
silence.
then
"Sir?"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Maya swallowed.
" I've been busy preparing for the meeting." Edward stepped closer.
" So busy that you ignored every one of my calls?" Her grip tightened around the remote in her hand. "I didn't think there was anything to say." A humourless smile crossed his face. "Really?" He murmured. After what happened between us?" Heat rushed to Maya's cheeks instantly. She finally looked at him and immediately regretted it. He looked unfairly composed in his black suit, one hand tucked into his pocket while his grey eyes pinned her in place. Maya quickly looked away. "We shouldn't talked about that here."
Edward took another step toward her. "Then where, Maya?" He asked softly." "Because every time I try to talk to you, you disappear." Her heartbeat stumbled. Before she could respond, the conference room door suddenly opened. The director and executive walked inside laughing among themselves. Maya instantly moved away from Edward, forcing herself back into professional mode.
" Good morning," she said quickly.
Edward said nothing as he returned to the head of the table like nothing had happened. But Maya could still feel his eyes on her. The meeting started a moment later. Maya tried focusing on the presentation, but her nerves were ruining everything. She almost handed the wrong files to one executive. And every single time she glanced up, Edward was already watching her as if he could see straight through her. Maya's stomach tightened.
Get it together.
She inhaled sharply before connecting her laptop to the projector. "Now, if everyone would please direct their attention to the screen."
But instead of charts and financial reports..
A photograph filled the screen. Maya stopped breathing. It was old, years old.
A younger Edward stood beside her, smiling while she laughed in his arms under the rain.
The entire room went silent.
Maya's blood turned ice cold.
No.
No no no
Her trembling fingers scrambled over the keyboard. But before she could close it, Edward calmly reached over and shut the laptop himself. The silence somehow became worse. "We'll take a fifteen-minute break," Edward said smoothly. Nobody argued. Maya couldn't move. Humiliation burned through her chest. The second the room emptied, she grabbed the laptop and hurried towards the door. "Maya." She ignored him.
Her pace quickened. But Edward caught up to her in the private hallway beside his office. "Maya, stop." She spun around sharply.
“Come with me.” He said dragging her into his office as Maya struggles to free her hand.
" This is exactly why I wanted distance!" she said as soon as they got to his office.
Edward's jaw tightened.
" Distance?" He repeated. "After what happened between us?"
Her breathing became uneven. "I was drug, that night was a mistake."
The word hit harder than she expected.
Edward went completely still.
The warmth disappeared from his face instantly, replaced by something cold enough to hurt. He knows she was drugged, but if she didn't want it she could have resisted. But she didn't. Then his gaze narrowed slightly. "If it was a mistake," he said quietly, "why do you still have that picture?"
May froze.
Edward stepped closer. "You kept it all these years." Her throat tightened painfully. Because she has not answered. Or maybe she had too many. "I forgot it was there," she whispered weakly.
Edward stared at her for a long moment before laughing softly, painfully.
" Four years, Maya." His eyes lifted to hers.
"And somehow... I'm still the man you hide." She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then Edward reached for a file on his desk and tossed it toward her.
Maya caught it clumsily.
When she opened it, her blood went cold.
- Writer
