Chapter 3
1427 Words
The day Stellan returned, the sunlight was unusually harsh.
During the company's quarterly meeting, Amaris made an appearance for the first time in ages.
"Amaris? Why have you come to the office?"
She turned, her gaze drifting past the necklace around the girl's neck, the very necklace that had once belonged to her, and landing on Stellan, who had just stepped out of the elevator behind her.
He stood in a crisp tailored suit, his wedding ring back in place on the ring finger of his left hand.
The moment he saw her, he paused noticeably.
Stellan's brow furrowed tightly.
"What are you doing here?"
He walked over quickly, a small plush bear keychain hung from his briefcase, a gift from Annika.
Amaris shook her head and pulled a carefully wrapped box from her bag.
As the paper tore open with a soft sound, a deep navy blue tie lay neatly against velvet, matching the shade of the dress Amaris was wearing that day.
"Will you put it on now?" Amaris spoke in sign language, her eyes fixed directly on Stellan.
He stared at her unreadable expression for two full seconds, with no clear idea of what she intended by this gesture.
"Very well."
Right there in front of everyone, Stellan pulled off the burgundy tie Annika had chosen for him during his business trip, and let Amaris' slender fingers brush lightly against his hair as she looped the new tie around his neck.
The entire conference room fell silent, every person in attendance watched the scene unfold.
Amaris reached into her bag again and took out a small box, then turned toward Annika.
The girl accepted it stiffly.
When she opened it, her face turned pale.
Inside rested the matching drop earrings for the crescent-shaped diamond necklace.
She looked up frantically at Stellan, only to find him gazing steadily at Amaris' calm profile.
Standing behind him, her secretary, Celia Whitaker, spoke in a clear, steady voice, repeating what Amaris had communicated.
"The earrings and necklace are a set. Madam says it would be a shame to separate them."
A heavy hush settled over the room.
Nearly everyone at Blackwood Enterprises knew the necklace had been a gift from the CEO.
Over the past few days, Annika's frequent social media posts had already made their supposed connection common knowledge throughout the office.
Now, in front of every witness, Amaris was handing over the matching earrings.
It was not an act of charity, nor was it a sign of surrender. It was a declaration.
'Since he gave you the necklace, let me give you the earrings, so the set is complete. After all, they were mine from the start,' she thought.
Annika gripped the earrings tightly between her fingers, and her eyes welled up instantly.
She lifted her head to look at Stellan, her lips trembling as if waiting for him to speak up. But he remained silent, standing perfectly still.
"I… This isn't what... "
No one spoke in her defense.
Everyone in the room stared at her with mixed expressions, some held mockery, others pity, but most carried the detached curiosity of spectators watching a drama unfold.
She finally understood that the ambiguous intimacy she had worked so hard to build over the past few days had collapsed into nothing more than a ridiculous joke at Amaris' simple, quiet response.
The 'special bond' she had imagined turned out to be completely meaningless in the presence of the person who truly belonged there.
The moment the office door clicked shut behind them, Stellan loosened his grip on Amaris' wrist.
He rubbed his temples, his tone sounding weary.
"You didn't need to do this. These are only professional matters. She is just an assistant."
Amaris pulled up Annika's social media feed on her phone and placed it firmly on the desk.
"She added me herself, just so I would see these posts."
Stellan's expression shifted.
As he scrolled through the images... seeing himself smiling at Annika in one setting after another, his words of explanation died in his throat.
Without another word, he drew Amaris close and held her.
She caught the faint scent of citrus cologne lingering on his skin as he rested his chin gently on top of her head.
"I will never let you feel unsafe again."
That same afternoon, Stellan issued a formal transfer notice sent to every employee's inbox.
Annika Sutherland was reassigned from the Executive Assistant role to a position in the Warehouse Division of the Logistics Department.
The decision landed like a hot iron, immediately silencing the gossip and speculation that had been spreading through the company.
For the next few days, Amaris and Stellan enjoyed a period of quiet peace.
She sat with her sketchbook, glancing occasionally to see Stellan leaning against the window frame, watching her work.
This marked the third time in a single week that he had canceled meetings just to stay with her, as if trying to mend every c***k in their relationship with doubled affection and attention.
When she turned to look at him, she noticed his gaze was not fixed on her drawing at all... instead, he kept glancing repeatedly at his phone, which lay face-up and set to silent mode.
The instant the screen lit up, he practically lunged forward to answer the call.
"What is it?" His voice was low and urgent, but Amaris still heard every word. "She fainted in the warehouse?"
A sharp, jagged streak of red dragged across the canvas as Stellan hurried to her side.
"Amaris, something urgent has come up at work."
Amaris did not lift her head, her hand continued moving across the paper, turning what had been a peaceful seascape into a scene stained with deep red.
"I'll be back soon." He kissed the top of her head, though the gesture felt hurried and distracted. "We'll go to that French restaurant you like for dinner tonight."
As soon as Stellan left, Amaris washed her hands and picked up her own phone. She opened the company chat group, where photos had already been shared.
Annika lay pale and motionless among stacks of cardboard boxes in the warehouse, a bandage wrapped around one wrist, her skin as white as paper.
Annika had originally joined the company as a university intern, and had only been promoted to assistant with Stellan's direct support.
Having grown up in comfort, she was clearly not suited for such heavy, manual work.
A: She's really going all out, isn't she?
B: I heard Mr. Blackwood drove her to the hospital himself.
C: Wasn't she moved to the Logistics Department just a while ago?
Message after message scrolled upward.
Amaris swiped through them mechanically, until her thumb stopped on one particular photograph.
Stellan was carrying Annika in his arms toward the elevator. The girl's face rested against his chest, and his brows were drawn tight with a look Amaris recognized instantly.
It was the same expression of concern and reluctance she had seen six years before, the exact same look he had worn while holding her through the night of the fire.
Water continued running from the tap...
Amaris closed the chat group and opened Annika's personal social media page.
The latest post had been published just three minutes earlier.
So sorry for causing everyone trouble.
Attached was a photo taken from inside a hospital infusion room.
In the corner, a hand was visible, tucking a blanket over someone's shoulders.
The knuckles were prominent, and the wedding ring on its finger glinted coldly under the light.
Amaris suddenly laughed softly, then turned off the running tap. As she had expected, Annika was soon reinstated as Stellan's personal assistant.
That evening, when Stellan returned home, he was barely able to stand on his own feet. Annika was half-supporting him the whole way.
His body swayed unsteadily, and he mumbled incoherently under his breath.
"Mr. Blackwood has had too much to drink," Annika said quietly.
She forced a faint smile toward Amaris and tried to guide Stellan further into the room.
Amaris stepped silently aside to let them pass. She watched as Annika helped Stellan stumble across the threshold, one strap of her dress had slipped down her shoulder, and on her collarbone, fresh marks from a kiss stood bright red in the glow of the lamp.
Just as Annika turned to leave, Stellan reached out and held her wrist firmly.
"Annika…" His voice was rough and hoarse, and he lifted his head with blurred, intoxicated eyes.
"Stay a little longer. Talk to me," he continued.
- Writer
