Chapter 8
1286 Words
Serena adjusted her blazer as her assistant, Emma, stepped into the office, a clipboard in hand.
Her presence reminded Serena of the embarrassing scene earlier. She avoided Emma’s gaze, forcing herself to maintain composure.
“Emma,” Serena started, pretending to be engrossed in the files on her desk, “what’s next on my schedule for today?”
Emma hesitated, her usual cheerful demeanor a bit restrained.
“Well, you have a dinner meeting with Mr. Pierre Rousseau from Paris. He flew in specifically for this meeting, so—”
Serena sighed heavily, cutting her off. “Cancel it.”
Emma blinked in surprise. “Cancel it?”
“Yes,” Serena said briskly, still not looking up. “Tell him something came up. Reschedule for another day.”
Emma’s face twisted with discomfort.
“I would, Ms. Serena, but… Mr. Rousseau made it very clear how important this meeting is. He flew all the way from Paris, and it’s regarding the joint venture proposal.”
Serena groaned, leaning back in her chair.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on her.
“Fine. I’ll go,” she muttered reluctantly. “What time is it?”
“Seven o’clock at The Ivy,” Emma replied, glancing at her notes.
“Great,” Serena said sarcastically. “Add that to my list of things I’m dreading today.”
Emma chuckled softly, then added, “Do you want me to pick up Amy from school? I can take her to my place until you’re done. You can swing by and grab her on your way home.”
Serena’s lips twitched into a small, grateful smile. “Yes, please. That would be perfect. Thank you, Emma.”
“No problem. I’ll leave now to get her.” Emma gave a small nod before exiting the office, leaving Serena to gather her thoughts.
Serena sighed, glancing at the clock.
“Another long day,” she murmured to herself as she returned to the stack of files on her desk.
At the Winters Mansion, Kate sat in the lavish living room beside Mrs. Winters, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
Her voice quivered as she spoke, her tone drenched in self-pity.
“Mrs. Winters,” Kate began, sniffling dramatically, “I don’t know what to do anymore. Ryan… he’s been so distant. He doesn’t come visiting, he doesn’t talk to me, and… I think he’s cheating on me.”
Mrs. Winters frowned, patting Kate’s hand sympathetically.
“Oh, dear, I’m sure you’re mistaken. Ryan loves you. He’s just… busy with work, that’s all.”
“Work?” Kate scoffed, her voice rising slightly. “Work? when he isn’t answering my calls or when he doesn’t even return back home at night?”
Mrs. Winters sighed, clearly torn between loyalty to her son and her fondness for Kate.
“Ryan has always been… complicated,” she said gently. “But I know he cares about you, Kate.”
Kate shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“It doesn’t feel like it, Mrs. Winters. It feels like I’m losing him, and I can’t… I can’t lose him.”
Moved by Kate’s despair, Mrs. Winters squeezed her hand. “You’re not going to lose him, dear. I’ll make sure of it.”
Kate looked at her hopefully. “You will?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Winters said with conviction.
“I’ll call him right now. I’ll tell him you’ve planned a lovely dinner for the two of you, and he’d better not stand you up.”
Kate’s lips curled into a small, triumphant smile.
“Thank you, Mrs. Winters. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Mrs. Winters smiled warmly and reached for her phone. “Anything for you, dear.”
After a few rings, Ryan’s voice came through the speaker. “Mom? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, darling,” Mrs. Winters said cheerfully.
“I’m calling to let you know Kate made dinner reservations for the two of you tonight. She’s been feeling neglected, Ryan, and I think it would be nice if you spent some time together.”
Ryan hesitated. “Mom, I—”
“No excuses,” Mrs. Winters cut him off firmly.
“She’s your girlfriend, Ryan. The least you can do is show her some attention. Promise me you’ll go.”
Ryan sighed, his frustration evident. “Fine. What time?”
“Seven-thirty,” Mrs. Winters replied.
“Got it,” Ryan said flatly before ending the call.
Mrs. Winters turned to Kate with a reassuring smile.
“There, you see? He’ll be there. And don’t you worry—I’ll make sure he realizes how lucky he is to have you.”
Kate threw her arms around Mrs. Winters, her face alight with triumph. “Thank you so much! I won’t let you down.”
That evening, Kate arrived at the restaurant dressed to kill. Her sleek black gown hugged her figure perfectly, and her makeup was flawless.
She sat at the table she’d reserved, her fingers tapping impatiently against the linen cloth.
Minutes turned into half an hour, and Kate’s irritation grew.
She checked her watch for the tenth time, muttering under her breath, “If he doesn’t show up…”
Just when she planned to storm out, Ryan walked in. His dark suit clung to his tall, athletic frame, and his confident stride turned heads as he approached the table.
Kate’s anger melted away as she took him in. “You’re late,” she said, but her tone was softer than she’d intended.
“I’m sorry,” Ryan said, pulling out a chair. “Work ran longer than I expected.”
Kate bit back her retort, unwilling to ruin the moment. “It’s fine. You’re here now.”
They ordered their food, and Kate tried to engage him in conversation. “So, how’s work been?” she asked, twirling a strand of her hair.
“Busy,” Ryan replied curtly, his eyes darting around the room.
Kate frowned. “Anything exciting happening?”
“Not really,” he said absently, his attention focused on a table at the far end of the restaurant.
Kate turned to see what he was looking at but saw nothing unusual. She sighed, trying again.
“I’ve missed you, Ryan. We haven’t spent much time together lately.”
Ryan hummed noncommittally, his gaze still fixed on the other table.
Kate followed his line of sight again, yet saw nothing.
But right there, Ryan had noticed Serena. She was laughing at something the man across from her had said, her smile radiant.
Ryan’s jaw tightened.
Kate didn’t notice, too preoccupied with her next question. “Why don’t you come home with me tonight? We could… spend some quality time together.”
Ryan’s gaze snapped back to her, his expression unreadable. “I can’t. I have work to finish.”
Kate’s face fell. “But—”
“I’m sorry, Kate,” he interrupted. “Maybe another time.”
The rest of the dinner passed in strained silence.
When they were done, Ryan insisted on dropping Kate off at her place.
She leaned in for a kiss at her doorstep, but Ryan barely responded, his mind elsewhere.
Once Kate was inside, Ryan drove off, his grip on the steering wheel tight.
He couldn’t get the image of Serena and that man out of his head. Instead of going home, he found himself driving to Serena’s house.
When she opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Ryan,” she said cautiously.
“Who was that man?” he demanded, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
- Writer
