CHAPTER TWO
1238 Words
CHAPTER TWO
Through the cab window, Kaia gazed blankly. Outside, Milan buzzed as if nothing had occurred. Couples walked hand in hand, pedestrians moved slowly, and the occasional motorcycle sped by. Everything was incorrect—too quiet, too typical.
Something seemed to have exploded inside her chest.
She forced herself to breathe slowly while clenching her jaw. Holding it together, she maintained composure until the meeting concluded.
Kaia's hand flinched on the strap of her bag as the cab jerked to a stop at the red light. She looked in the mirror at the driver, who was still checking on her.
"Signorina, are you okay?"
She blinked. The voice had been tentative and soft.
She replied hastily, hardly recognizing her voice, "I'll be fine." "I appreciate the tissues."
He nodded slightly and averted his gaze, sensing she was unwilling to speak.
She didn't. She was unable to.
Her mind, however, would not stop talking.
What on earth just took place? Why didn't I anticipate this? No, I did. In my heart, I did.
A dizzying storm of memories and regrets whirled through her mind. How many times did she justify Jaxon's tardiness at home? How often did she excuse Jaxon for his constant attention to his phone? For his unexpected outbursts of charm after hours of being absent?
At that point, I ought to have left. Foolish. So foolish.
The taxi pulled up outside Tai Family Holdings's glass office building. Before the driver could respond, Kaia shoved some cash into his hand and left.
As she approached the building, her heels clicked on the shiny sidewalk. She nodded slightly to the security guard, who recognised her as she passed the sliding doors. Inside, it smelled of expensive ambition and lemon polish.
The receptionist grinned as she looked up.
Greetings, Miss Morgan. Mr. Matthews' appointment remains scheduled. He is located in Conference Room B.
With icy eyes, Kaia nodded. "Thank you, Lina."
Lina noticed the stiffness and blinked. Kaia, however, continued.
The mirrored walls were too candid, and the elevator was too bright. Her pale cheeks and swollen eyes gazed back at her reflection. She had lost her lipstick, and half of her hair had fallen out of the bun.
She appeared to have survived a conflict. She had, in a sense.
When she arrived at the conference room, she stopped at the door. She could hear voices inside—Aria's vivacious laugh, Levi's cool, collected tone.
After inhaling deeply, Kaia squared her shoulders and entered.
There was silence as soon as her heels touched the ground.
Levi looked up, and his smile vanished as soon as he saw her.
"Kaia..."
Before he could say anything, she held up a hand. "Let's just have the meeting."
Aria glanced between them, perplexed but quickly grasping the situation. Leaning closer, she whispered something to Levi. After giving her a slight nod, he brought a chair for Kaia.
A spread of documents was already neatly arranged in the cool, well-lit room. The documents included summaries, graphs, charts, and figures. Lovely, emotionless figures.
Sitting, Kaia unfolded the folder before her.
"I've already looked over the third-quarter projections," she stated. "The Riva project must reduce by 10% to meet its goals."
"Kaia—"
With her eyes on the paper, she whispered, "Don't."
Understanding flashed across Levi's face as he slowly leaned back. "All right. Let's continue.
As if nothing had happened, the three talked about logistics, vendors, and numbers for the next twenty minutes. Kaia's voice remained steady throughout. With mechanical accuracy, her pen scrawled notes. Her eyes remained arid.
But she got up too soon and muttered, "Be right back," as Levi signaled for a break.
She didn't go very far. She ventured into a side hallway located just outside the room. Finally, she allowed her body to tremble as she leaned against the wall, out of sight.
She appeared to be holding herself together as her arms encircled her midsection.
She whispered to herself, "He's not worth it."
She said it three more times, sounding slightly less broken each time: "He isn't worth it."
"Are you alright?"
Kaia glanced up quickly. Levi stood a short distance away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He appeared uncertain, which was unusual for him.
She didn't respond.
He moved in closer. "I can reschedule the remainder of today if you'd like. Nobody made any inquiries.
Kaia snorted softly. Should I allow Aria to believe that I've gone insane? Thank you, but no.
After hesitating, Levi asked, "What happened?"
Kaia was reluctant to tell him. She didn't want the words to linger in her thoughts.
Nevertheless, they arrived.
She whispered, "I walked in on Jaxon." "He was with someone."
Levi winced. "Oh."
She gave a headshake. "Don't 'oh' me, please. I ought to have known. The signs were there, after all. in the late evenings. The justifications. The unexpected fascination with cologne has captured my attention.
Levi attempted a feeble smile. "Perhaps he just realized that he smelled like coffee and stress."
Kaia let out a sharp, acrid laugh. "Levi, he smelled like betrayal."
A pause.
"I apologize," he said softly.
Kaia looked over at him. "I believed we were building a life,children, and a house. It turns out he was simply planning where to stick it next.
Levi flinched. "Gosh."
Kaia turned away, no longer laughing. "And the worst thing? I feel foolish. It's as if I stood in front of a loaded gun and handed it to him.
Levi leaned against the wall across from him. "You didn't. He pulled the trigger. He is to blame for that.
After silence, she asked, "How do you do it?"
"What do you do?"
"Remain composed. Be kind even when others disappoint you.
Levi shrugged. "I don't. I simply pretend until nobody notices.
Kaia took time to process that. Then gave a nod. Indeed. I can also pretend.
He looked at her tenderly. "You're not required to."
"Yes," she replied. "I'm going back inside."
As if nothing had happened, she pushed off the wall and returned to the conference room.
Her shield was now working.
But she couldn't keep her mind quiet. Even as she sat through more timelines and numbers, her thoughts twisted and spiraled. Behind each chart, Jaxon's face continued to flash. His touch, his voice, and his foolish justifications are all false.
By the end of the meeting, her head was pounding. She went outside and began to walk in the evening air.
Her cell rang. Jaxon texted.
Can we have a conversation?
She gazed at it. Then she switched off her phone.
When Kaia returned to her apartment, the scent of his cologne hit her right away. He left his jacket on the chair, his mug on the counter, and his keys on the dish.
Her stomach churned.
She picked up the jacket and threw it in a garbage bag. She also disposed of the toothbrush, the half-empty shaving cream, and the mug. Everything.
Then she stopped.
She entered the bedroom.
They were still visible to her. The woman is scurrying. Jaxon froze. Her heart broke.
She exhaled and removed the sheets. It was all moving. There was a memory of him in every inch.
Her apartment looked different an hour later. Cleaner. Colder. But hers.
Sinking onto the naked mattress, she gazed up at the ceiling.
"Now what?" she muttered.
There was no response.
She didn't cry, though, for once.
- Writer
