“Hmm? What kind of ‘hmm’ are you talking about?”
I said nothing. My eyes stayed fixed on the swirling chocolate in my cup. And then—tears fell again.
I didn’t want them to.
But my mind and my heart were no longer in sync.
They were screaming at each other, pulling me apart until my body decided to betray me, letting it all pour out in chaos.
He slid a tissue toward me, a small sigh escaping him. I grabbed it and wiped away my tears.
I knew Andi was sick of seeing me like this, but no one was more disgusted with me than I was.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay,” Andi said, his tone calmer.
Shaking my head, I tried to speak, but my voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. “He called me Sophie, and then, when I wanted to reply—” my throat tightened. It felt as if a clamp was crushing my mouth shut.
Andi didn’t interrupt; he waited. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, then straightened my shoulders. My voice trembled as I looked at him. “Turns out it wasn’t Zioh texting me. It’s his assistant or something.”
Andi frowned. “What?”
I lifted my shoulders in a helpless gesture.
His tone rose, narrowing his eyes. “Why the fuck would his assistant text you? In the middle of the night?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, voice weak. “For work.”
“Wo—work? What the fuck are you even saying?” His face twisted in confusion.
When I opened my mouth to explain, he cut me off. “Give me your phone, let me read it myself.” He snatched my phone from the table beside me without waiting for permission. I sat still, watching in silence.
His jaw dropped, and his expression twisted in disgust. “His PA is awful. She dared to call you Sophie and then casually asked to meet to discuss content introductions. And then apologized for texting so late, saying she had to use his phone because hers had run out of battery?” Andi scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. “And the first word, instead of a proper greeting, a simple good evening, Miss, she hadthe guts to call you Sophie? What the fuck is that? Did she think you were some old bestie of hers or something?”
Sighing, I lifted my shoulders a bit. “Maybe she’s not from around here, Ndi. And Zioh used to call me Sophie, remember? She might’ve been confused or something.” I shrugged again, trying to lean into optimism.
“Oh, please. Still, Bib.” Andi snapped. “A man like Zioh Danudara having a crap assistant?”
I said nothing. Too tired to argue with his unfiltered mouth.
He put my phone back in front of me, screen still lit with the text. Andi took another sip of coffee, muttering, “Figures.”
“What do you mean?”
“No wonder you’ve been such a bitch since last night,” Andi said, tapping the screen where the text was still displayed. “Because your guy turned into an asshole to you. You know what? Last night you were like a fucking cat on a hot tin roof, do you even realize that?!”
I lowered my head, stirring my long-cold chocolate, my eyes flickering toward the last text from Zioh after Natasha had taken over his phone:
Zioh my hero:Meet me at ten a.m. tomorrow morning.
Tshabina:Ah, okay, Zi.
Zioh my hero:Watch your language. There’s no need for such familiarity with me.
Tshabina:Yes, sir.
Andi’s voice pulled my gaze back to him. “Besides, out of everyone in the medcom team, why did they have to call you?” He let out a short breath. “Just don’t go.”
“I can’t. It’s an important project, Ndi.”
