Chapter 33
878 Words
Elias POV
By the time I was done with Amira, I was alone in the quiet room, the hum of the air-conditioning the only sound. My eyes lit up the moment the door opened and she stepped inside.
“Mr. Lawson,” she greeted, bowing slightly as she sat opposite me. “I didn’t expect your invitation.”
Richard had told me her name was Vivian, from the Public Relations department. She had worked in the company for over seven years and had once been head of the department before it was reassigned to Mara.
A twist I hadn’t seen coming.
Without a word, I slid my phone across the table. The picture I had snapped last night of her and Philip stared back at her. I needed to watch her reaction. I needed answers.
Her eyes lingered on the screen, but she didn’t flinch. No flicker of surprise. Interesting.
“Took you long enough to find out.” she said, dropping the phone back on the table.
I leaned back slightly in my chair, jaw tight, eyes narrowing. “How long?”
“Long enough. I’m quite amused you don’t know much about Philip,” she said casually, almost too casually.
I narrowed my eyes. “You seem to know him very well.”
“He told me a lot about you,” she said, a faint smile curving her lips. I didn’t reciprocate it.
“How long have you been my brother’s mistress?” I asked, noting how her smile dropped instantly. She let out a small laugh, seemingly trying to stay composed, masking the discomfort in the question.
“Why do we always have to be called that?” she scoffed. “I wouldn’t want to be called that. We both know the reason why he married Mara.” Her frown deepened, bitterness coating her words.
I let her words hang in the air. She seemed to know far more than she should about the family, about Philip.
“If she hadn’t gotten pregnant for him…” she continued, her voice shaking slightly, “he would have been with me.”
I said nothing, carefully tucking my phone to my side and standing.
“We’ll have this conversation again someday,” I said, walking out. There was nothing more to learn about my brother’s messy life. He had been unfaithful to Mara. My mind drifted to when she had felt so hurt the first time she confronted me in the office.
I headed toward the elevator, pressing the button, only to immediately frown at the sight of David inside. I stepped in, letting the doors close with a muted thud. I intended to ignore him, but his voice cut through the silence.
“You really made me curious last time,” he said. “I expected an answer from you, but got none.”
I stayed silent, unwilling to say anything I might regret later. He didn’t speak again for a moment before throwing a bomb at me.
“I still love Mara” he said calmly. My teeth clenched, heat flooding my chest. “And I’ll do anything to have her back. At least I’m not hiding my feelings.”
Something inside me snapped.
My fist flew before I could stop it, slamming into his face with a sharp crack. His head jerked to the side as he staggered back, a curse leaving his mouth. I grabbed his collar, dragging him closer, my knuckles burning.
“Go near her again,” I growled, staring straight into his eyes, “and you’ll regret it.”
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Instead of fear, a laugh slipped out of him—low, mocking. It only fueled my rage. I hit him again. And again. Each punch landed harder than the last, my anger drowning out everything else.
Then the elevator chimed.
The sound cut through me like a blade.
I blinked.
My fist was still clenched at my side. David stood untouched in front of me, perfectly fine, his mouth unbroken, his shirt unruffled. The blood, the blows—gone.
Only the anger remained, coiled tight in my chest.
The doors slid open to his floor. He scoffed, casting me a sideways glance before stepping out.
I stayed where I was, jaw locked, breathing heavy.
I had only imagined it in my mind, but I knew how easily it could become real if I let it.
I stepped out as the elevator doors slid open on my floor.
Instead of returning to my office, my steps carried me toward Mara’s. I didn’t know why I felt compelled to see her, only that I couldn’t stop myself.
I pushed the door open, but the room was empty. Her scent—soft, vanilla—lingered in the air, pulling at me. I closed my eyes, breathing it in as if I could summon her presence closer. She affected me more than I wanted to admit.
Then the door clicked behind me. She entered, and I froze.
My chest tightened, my heartbeat hammering in my ears. It was madness. Absolute madness how much she unsettled me, how desperately I wanted her and couldn’t have her.
And still, David’s words lingered in my mind, sharp and unforgiving.
- Writer
