The Past Comes Knocking
1102 Words
THREE YEARS LATER
Katrina’s hands trembled on the edge of the polished desk, though her face remained carefully composed. The name she had thought buried in the shadows of her memory had clawed its way back into the present. Don Santini.
Moments earlier, he had stood before her, thinner than she remembered, yet no less charming than before. Time had etched lines along his jaw, but his presence had the same pull as before. When he spoke, his voice carried an emotion she hated herself for still recognizing.
“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he had said, tone subdued, words steady. “But I need to tell you the truth about what happened. I need to make things right.”
Katrina had stared at him, unwilling to let herself be swayed. His eyes, hollow but burning, sought hers, but she had turned her gaze away to prevent succumbing to him. Then came his plea.
“Katrina, I need your help. I need you to join your business with mine. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m desperate. I need you.”
The audacity of it. The man who had once left her in the mud with betrayal now stood asking her to rescue him.
She swallowed hard and answered, each word clipped, brittle. “I’m sorry, Don. I can’t do what you’re asking. I can’t risk my business. I hope you understand.”
The rejection should have ended it, yet he lingered, his eyes dull with resignation. “Do you even remember me?” His voice cracked, catching her off guard. Katrina’s resolve stiffened. “That’s not the point.”
“Have you really forgotten me in your heart? Is there no space for me?” His words were not accusations but laments, delivered with such weariness she almost faltered.
Almost.
Instead, she turned her back, spine rigid. She refused to give him the victory of seeing her uncertainty.
By the time she reached her office back, her body was trembling with the effort of keeping herself composed. She sank into her chair, the weight of the encounter pressing her down.
“Ma’am, are you feeling okay?” Selene, her secretary, had asked cautiously, eyes searching Katrina’s face. Katrina looked up, startled, and realized the veneer of strength she wore was slipping. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.
Before Selene could press further, the door opened again. Emily, her closest friend, strode in, her sharp heels announcing her urgency.
“Katrina, what’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Katrina dismissed Selene with a nod. “That’ll be all, thank you.” When the door clicked shut, she whispered, “I saw Don today.”
Emily froze, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “You saw him? What happened?”
“He wants to merge businesses. His company’s collapsing, and he’s… desperate.” Her voice cracked. “But I think this is just another way to worm his way back into my life.”
Tears slipped free despite her effort to contain them.
Emily reached for her hand. “Oh, Katrina.” Her voice softened, warm but steady. “Of course you’re shaken. But listen to me. You did the right thing by saying no. You don’t owe him your business, your time, or your forgiveness. He made his choices.”
Katrina nodded faintly, though the hollow in her chest throbbed. “Part of me feels relieved. But another part feels like I’ve let my emotions of angriness cloud my judgement… like I should have helped.”
Emily’s grip tightened. “No. You cannot save him from himself. If you go down that path, he’ll drag you into his ruin. And you know it.”
Those words almost calmed her down, until the door burst open again. Selene stumbled inside, breathless, cheeks flushed.
“Miss Roberts, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s been a catastrophe.” Her voice shook with urgency. “One of our biggest clients just canceled their contract. The financial repercussions will be severe.” The floor seemed to tilt beneath Katrina. She pressed her palm to her temple, the weight of the blow nearly too much to process.
“There’s… more,” Selene added quickly, her tone shifting, brightening. “I found a file on my desk. A billionaire is interested in stepping in to fill the gap. Not only does he want to merge companies, but he’s offering to make you the CEO of the new entity.” Her face lit with cautious excitement. “It’s everything we need, Miss Roberts. A lifeline.”
Katrina’s head snapped up. “A miracle,” she whispered, though her voice was still strained.
A sliver of hope touched her eyes because her business was almost everything to her.
Emily leaned closer, her expression easing into cautious optimism. “You should learn to speak faster, I almost died of a heart attack. A billionaire checks out another one checks in, this sounds interesting.” Katrina drew a shaky breath, daring to let relief seep into her chest. “But who is this mysterious billionaire?”
Selene fished a folded slip of paper from her pocket and held it out. “The name is uhmmm Don Santini.” The words detonated inside the room.
Katrina’s pulse roared in her ears. Her chest tightened, her stomach churned. She seized the paper, her gaze burning over the name again and again as though it might change.
“Don?” she whispered, disbelief coating the single syllable. “Are you certain?”
Selene nodded, face grim with certainty. “I double checked ma'am. It’s him.”
Emily’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide, horrified.
Katrina’s world tilted once more. A bitter laugh almost escaped her lips, but she caught it in her throat.
She had thought her rejection would sever him from her life, yet here he was, reappearing with ruthless precision.
Her knees weakened, and she dropped into her chair, her body too heavy to support itself. She stared into nothing, her mind a storm of questions.
Had he planned it all? Had the canceled contract been his doing? Was this his way of forcing her into his orbit again, knowing she would have no choice? The thought dug sharp claws into her chest. She clutched at the arms of her chair, trying to steady herself.
“No, I can't take this. I can't fall into his trap." She whispered weakly to herself.
But would she make the company bankrupt because of trying to avoid her ex?
- Writer
