Chapter 20

Sophia

“Aren’t you going to eat something?” Kieran called out behind me as I was advancing up the stairs.

I lazily turned around to face him. “I’m not hungry.”

“You haven’t eaten anything today.” He scolded me like a stubborn child, a deep frown settling between his brows.

“Like you care,” I retorted as I dashed off to my room.

The truth was I got over feeling hungry hours ago and was sick at the mere thought of food. I planned to go straight to bed and rest because my every muscle ached, my back hurt, my head was pounding, and Kieran’s silent company in the car during the ride from the office to the house was more than enough of him for the day. All I wanted was to be alone and sleep.

After the relaxing hot shower, I tucked myself under the soft sheets, but my plans were interrupted by the flashing of my phone. I grabbed it from the bedside table and for the next half an hour I watched the photos Ellie was sending, commenting on them, and chatting with my sister. She was happy; it was obvious in every picture she sent. Her facial expression told me all I needed to know. It was telling me I did the right thing.

~ ~ ~

The next morning brought a surprise, something I didn’t expect, not even in my wildest dreams. Kieran prepared breakfast for me.

It was the sight of a table stocked with food that stopped in my track on the way to the coffee machine. I hoped a healthy dose of caffeine would clear my mind, but it seemed as if it was too late since I had already started hallucinating.

“Sit and eat.” Kieran’s ordering tone startled me, and I turned around to see him closing the fridge.

“Good morning to you, too.” I ignored his remark and continued to get the coffee.

I filled a mug and took the same place at the table as yesterday. The food Kieran prepared smelled delicious, indeed, and it made my mouth water, but I didn’t have the slightest desire to eat anything he cooked. So I opted for a piece of toast and some fruit.

Kieran’s scrutinizing gaze was drilling a hole through my skull, boring straight into my brain. I raised my head to meet his eyes, but they told me nothing. How was it possible for a person’s eyes to tell nothing? Weren’t they supposed to be a way to the soul? ‘Does that mean Kieran doesn’t have one?’ I wondered.

“You cannot live on a piece of bread.” He scolded me. Did I hear a trace of worry in his voice?

I cocked my head to the side, analyzing him to the best of my power. I opened my mouth to send him to hell, to tell him that my diet was none of his business, but I changed my mind and bit on a grape instead.

At 7.30 am, half an hour later than the day before, Kieran got up, and I did the same. We drove in silence to his company, and I again wondered if this was what my life would be like from now on? How long will I be able to take it? Weeks? Months? Years? Before I lost my sanity. It was not a healthy atmosphere to live in.

And just like yesterday, Kieran and I rode the elevator to the top floor. After we got out, he headed to his office after he gave instructions to Clara, and I went to mine. As soon as I opened the door, I saw a pile, no, a hill would be a better word, of papers and files.

“Those are monthly reports on the company’s finances for the last five years. You need to go through them all and make a summary. You don’t have to do it all today.” Clara spoke behind my back.

I exhaled loudly, nodding my head in agreement because my tongue was tied with too much rage that threatened to spill if I opened my mouth. That poor woman did not deserve to witness what was brewing in me for that bastard!

Kieran’s sick game wasn’t over. He was testing me yesterday, and he was testing me today. My patience? My intelligence? Something! But I wouldn’t fail his tests. He was driving me crazy, and I hated him more and more with each passing day, but I swore to myself that despite losing every battle so far, I would not lose the war.

I was sure as hell that there was no actual need for me to summarize anything. The company had hundreds of employees, and someone had to have done it before. Why he was making me do it all over again was beyond me, but not doing what he said could as well have caused another retribution, so I got myself busy.

I’ve already done summaries for Mr. Saunders, so the process wasn’t unfamiliar to me. All I had to do was be thorough, organized, and careful not to miss anything. I was advancing through the pile of folders one by one while making notes on the side when Clara walked in.

“Want to grab lunch?” she asked.

I blinked once, not understanding what she was saying. I was so focused on the task that I needed a minute to snap back to reality.

“Thank you, but I want to…”

“I won’t take no for an answer!” Clara faked authority and made me smile. “Come. I’ll let you ‘interrogate’ me.”

For a forty-year-old, Clara was a cheerful woman when she wasn’t sternly serious, as she seemed when I met her. On the contrary, she was as normal and down-to-earth as she could be.

For the first time in hours, I got up from the chair and stretched my arms and legs; they were pretty stiff, and my back had already hurt. Come to think of it, a break was not something I should pass on, so I grabbed my purse and the two of us headed out.

Just a block down the street, not more than a few minutes of walking, was a cozy Italian place Clara chose for us. I wasn’t familiar with the restaurants in the area, so I asked her to pick, hoping it wouldn’t be the most expensive. I was the wife of a billionaire, but ironically, my own bank account was running on fumes. Luckily, the prices on the menu were reasonable, so I relaxed, but anyway, I ordered a chicken salad because burdening my stomach with anything more caloric would not be wise.

“I have to admit something to you because I think you are a decent person, and I don’t want to lie to you or pretend to be untruthful.” Clara’s declaration took me by surprise, and for a moment, I wondered what it could be when she made an introduction like this. “Mr. King asked me to take you out for lunch. He’s worried about you.”

My eyes opened wide against my will, and I swallowed hard. But then I realized he would be the one to blame if I died from starvation.

“You know, I’ve been employed at King Enterprises for almost 15 years. I started working for Mr. Alan before Mr. Kieran overtook as the CEO, and I consider them a part of my family. Mr. Kieran is the godfather of my kids… So, when I heard about you, I was delighted because Mr. Kieran deserves a woman who will take care of him. He was never the same after Nora… He’s a good man, and I believe you are a good woman, too. I hope you can help him heal. I can see it in the way he looks at you, I can see it in his eyes; he cares deeply for you.”

Her little speech was interrupted by a waiter who brought our food, and Clara frowned at the sight of my choice, but she refrained from commenting. We ate in silence, but all along, my mind was drifting to that faithful day when I went to seek Philip. Kieran did mention this Nora’s name, and I was curious to know who she was and what she did. Was she responsible for Kieran being as he was?

A thousand questions flooded my mind, and I wanted to smother Clara with them; her answers could shed light on a mystery called my husband. But no matter the friendly and protective vibe I was getting from her, my rational mind was telling me I shouldn’t trust her. Yet. So, I refrained from prying.

After lunch, we returned to the 21st floor, Clara to her post, and I to my office to resume my work. But focusing on the report alone was a challenging task because I couldn’t stop thinking about Clara’s words.