But when she turned, glancing about, her eyes landed on my car.
On me.
Those wide hazel eyes fixed onto mine as if piercing through the tinted glass. Seeing them again after so long made me… flinch; my mind went foggy. I let out a strained breath and loosened my tie.
Those eyes reminded me of deep, excruciating pain.
And yet,shit,I faltered because they were hers. Eyes that had once made my heart thunder with excitement. I’d always looked for them every day, and I’d nearly tripped over my own feet every time. A strong, warm current jolted through my chest, and I trembled, looking at her. But the whisper came, and reality crashed back.I hated her now.More than anything. She was a ruin and a mistake that never should’veentered my life.
She should never have come, moved into our neighbourhood, or touched our lives.
The two of them looked towards me at once. Through the rear seat, awe flickered on the man’s face. Unlike Sophie’s, her expression tightened with unease.
Good.She should feel it.
She should feel worse, far worse, because what I endured was torture beyond anything she could have fathomed.
My heart beat like a warning, every breath choked in my throat as I closed my eyes, willing it to steady.Breathe… fucking breathe.
“Bib, come on, let’s go inside.” The man’s voice carried from outside.
Voices again. Loud.
My head was splitting.
I shouldn’t have returned. Shouldn’t have listened. Shouldn’t be here.
My body shook under the weight of it all. I balled my hands into a fist.
Hold it in. Press it down—calm down.
Be quiet!
At last, the sound of their car pulling away reached me. I opened my eyes, breath easing, though there was a fire raging inside me, refusing to die.
This was a mistake—a terrible idea.
My car door opened. Natasha and the chauffeur climbed in, and the engine purred to life. I stayed rigid, staring ahead at the space where their car had been.
I furrowed my brow as awareness dawned on me. “Andi…”
“Sorry, sir?” Natasha’s voice pulled me back. She and the chauffeur were both watching me.
Exhaling, I shook my head. “Nothing. Just take me home. The main house. I need to see that old man.” I rubbed my brow, then glanced at her. “And stop calling me that.”
She gave me a slight nod, lowering her gaze to her phone. In truth, she ignored me in the politest way she could manage. The chauffeur nodded too, pulling us out of the car park.
« -- * -- »
“Why didn’t you go straight home? Instead of coming back here, you’re off staying at a hotel!” My father pointed at me. “Tracked you down at a hotel, and then a penthouse!” He hissed, his gaze dragging over me from head to toe. “You’ve grown some nerve, Zioh! Do you think you’re so grand now? Successful on your own back, are you?” I didn’t move. “Would you have got anywhere if not for the Danud—”
The moment I stepped into the estate, more precisely, into my dad’s office within the grand house, I was met with the face I least wished to see. A parasite. His voice rang out, all too familiar.
The very last sound I wanted in my ears.
Home?
That word felt like a sharp tickle, made me want to laugh.
