I narrowed my gaze. “You’re certain they were INDTV people?”
“Maybe,” she said with another shrug. “I mean, he works there, right? Who else would he be meeting if not INDTV?”
I fell silent.
Was Tsabinu discussing Dad’s issues?
But why outside the company?
And hadn’t that all been settled already?
Or had Dad caused more bloody trouble again?
I forced out a harsh breath. Once. Twice. Tsabinu was only ever that busy if Dad had stirred something, or if Zaeem had ordered him to act.
I tried to think it through, but my mind circled back to Tshabina’s text.
Shit.
A loud sound swirled around me like a cloud of insects.Calm down, breathe, hold it, press it down.
Food. Natasha. Drinks. Tshabina—I shook my head. Table. Papers.Navy shirt—
Fuck it.
“Clear this up, Natasha.” My breath quickened as I strode around the table, grabbing my phone. Natasha’s confused eyes followed me as I headed for the door. “Afterwards, meet me at the INDTV office. I need to see some people there,” I said, my hand already on the handle. Then I paused, turned back to her, catching her gaze with mine.
“I’ll only say this once because I care for you. Tsabinu told me long ago that he doesn’t do dating.” I turned and left before she could demand the explanation written all over her face.
“W-what? Sir? Where are you going? What about the food—Zioh!”
I was already at the lift, jabbing the button, foot tapping as if the bloody thing was taking an eternity to arrive. My chest heaved—Andi mentioned a damn navy shirt, and the restaurant.
I clenched my fists. The lift finally arrived, crawling down to the car park. I stormed into my car, started the engine, and sped off towards the restaurant.
The same one where she and I had first met again. The one where we’d had lunch. The one where she’d cried.
This wasn’t an emergency. But my body reacted as though I’d heard news of a death. The message I caught a glimpse of when she set her phone down on the table kept replaying in my head. And it sounded like adate.
Within minutes, I arrived. I parked in front of the restaurant and sat inside my car for a while, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel as my blood started boiling.
“What the fuck am I doing here…” I muttered, bowing my head. “I shouldn’t be like this…” My jaw tightened. “Shouldn’t even be here.”Shouldn’t be.
My eyes kept darting back to the restaurant, and each time the storm inside me raged harder. I closed my eyes, drew a long breath, and tried to calm the tempest within.
“As always, you’ve got a spell on me, Sop—Tshabina.” I paused, staring again at the restaurant. “And that’s one of the reasons I’ve never been able to hold on to my hatred for you.”
Because I wasn’t supposed to be here.
Yet I climbed out, my strides hard, deliberate, carrying me straight to the entrance. I hated how easily she could tug the hidden string within me and pull me towards her, when I didn’t even know it was there.I hated you for this.
You made me sick. You were a mistake.
Inside the restaurant, my eyes swept the room, scanning, studying. I didn’t know what I was looking for, maybe something that could calm the heat that scorched me, leaving my brain and everything around it in harmony and at ease.I was not so sure.
Calm down. I shook my head and clenched my fists tighter, forcing myself to breathe.
And then, I saw her.
