Chapter 117

Chapter 117
Jayden couldn't stop thinking.

Not for one second.

The words Athena said that morning had buried themselves in his chest and refused to leave. No matter how much he tried to shake them off, they kept coming back, over and over again.

"She's married now, Jayden."

"She moved on."

He sat by the window, staring out like a man lost. His heart wasn't just broken. It was torn. Crushed. Bruised beyond what he could put into words.

The image of Monalisa in a wedding dress, smiling at someone else... letting another man hold her, kiss her, call her his wife, it made his stomach turn.

He pressed his hand against his chest.

The pain felt real. Physical.

He had never imagined this day would come. That she would truly let him go. That she would find someone else to build a future with. Someone who wasn't him.

"Why didn't she wait?"
"Why didn't she fight?"
"Why did she move on?"

And then another voice echoed inside him , a louder one.

"Why did you leave her, Jayden?"

His eyes burned. He stood up, pacing the room, one hand pulling at his hair.

He couldn't live like this. Not with all these questions choking him. Not with this pain dragging him into a darkness he didn't know how to escape.

The morning sun peeked through the blinds, but Jayden barely noticed. His world felt dim, quiet... heavier than usual.

He stood in front of his mirror, dressed in a dark navy suit, his tie neatly tucked into his crisp shirt. His black loafers gleamed under the soft lights, but nothing about him felt put together on the inside. His face looked tired. His eyes had bags underneath them. He hadn't slept much. He couldn't stop thinking  about Monalisa. About her marriage. About the look on her face yesterday. The silence. The way her eyes screamed without saying a single word.

He grabbed his bag from the bed and walked out of the room.

Downstairs, the dining table was already set. His breakfast was waiting ; toast, scrambled eggs, and black coffee. But he had no appetite. He sat down anyway, forcing himself to eat a few bites. Everything tasted like paper. Bland. Meaningless. He swallowed it anyway, sipping the coffee like it could drown the ache in his chest.

Once done, he picked up his car keys and walked out of the house without saying a word to anyone.

He had work to do  or at least, he pretended he did.

At the Office....

Jayden stepped into his office with slow, heavy steps. His assistant gave him a quick "good morning" as he passed by, but he barely responded.

He opened the glass door to his office and walked in.

The air-conditioning greeted him first, followed by the silence he had come to love  but today, it felt colder than usual. Emptier.

He placed his bag on the table, loosened his tie a little, and let out a deep sigh. His fingers reached for his phone, his hands shaking slightly.

He stared at the screen.

Then without wasting another second, he dialed Monalisa's office number.

It rang.

Once.

Twice.

Then a woman picked up.

"Hello, good morning," the lady answered politely.

Jayden cleared his throat. "Good morning. Uhm... Jayden James Bruno speaking. I want to book an appointment with Miss Monalisa. I need to see her today. It's really urgent."

There was a short pause.

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman replied gently, "but Miss Monalisa won't be coming in today. She isn't well."

Jayden's heart skipped.

"What do you mean? Is she okay?"

"She called in sick. We can book you down and reach out to you once she's back on her feet."

"Oh... okay. Thank you. I'll appreciate that," Jayden whispered, his voice low. He ended the call and slowly placed the phone back on the table.

His head dropped.

He leaned back into his chair, eyes closed. Something didn't sit right in his chest. Something was off.

She was perfectly fine yesterday.

Now she's sick?

His mind refused to accept it. The Monalisa he saw yesterday was strong. Calm. Bold. Not sick.

Unless...

The door opened.

Athena walked in with a bunch of files in her arms.

Jayden didn't lift his head.

"Good morning, sir Jayden," Athena said as she dropped the files on his desk.

A low hum escaped his lips. "Hmm."

Athena paused. "Are you okay?"

Jayden looked up slowly, locking eyes with her.

"No," he said flatly. "I called Monalisa's office to book an appointment..."

Athena's face lit up slightly. "That's good."

Jayden scoffed. "Turns out she won't be coming in today because she's unwell."

Athena's eyes flickered. "Uh uh."

Jayden raised an eyebrow. "Uh uh? What does that mean?"

"Nothing," she said too quickly, backing up a little. "I should get going..."

"Athena..." His voice was firmer now. "What did you do?"

She turned to him slowly, pretending to be confused. "What?"

"You did something. You did something. Out with it."

"I didn't..."

"Athena, do not lie to me." Jayden stood now, his voice sharper. "What did you do to Monalisa?"

Athena bit her lip.

She looked away.

Jayden stepped around the table and stood right in front of her.

"You know... you said you needed results," she muttered.

"Results?" Jayden narrowed his eyes.

"You needed me to find out the truth. So I did what I did," she said, not meeting his eyes.

"You did what you did?" Jayden's voice dropped, deadly calm now. "Athena, don't taste my patience."

"Promise you won't get mad at me."

Jayden took a deep breath. "I promise."

Athena hesitated for a moment, then slowly took a step back.

"Fine," she said, brushing her long hair behind her ear.

She took a deep breath and began to explain.

She told him about what she had done at the gym house.

Athena didn't leave anything out.

When she was done, she looked up, only to meet Jayden's horrified face.

He was staring at her like he didn't know her anymore.

"You... did... what?" His voice rose sharply.

"I...I'm sorry... you promised not to get mad."
"Wow! I'm speechless. You are one naughty kid, Athena. I should go see her"
"No don't. You'll ruin all my hard work. You can see her when she's back on her feet. Maybe tomorrow or a day after tomorrow, or sooner. Not like I broke her bones. It's just a sprained ankle and she'll be back on her foot"
"Sprained ankle!!! I'd hit you if you were a guy. I'll transfer some money, you get her drugs and some nice things and go pay her a visit. Report back to me, got it?
"Aye aye captain " Athena chuckled.
"You may leave "

Later in the evening, Jayden received a call from Monalisa's office, informing him that he would be meeting with her the next morning. Jayden's heart skipped a beat as he heard the news. He couldn't contain his feelings, and a mix of emotions flooded his mind. He felt a sense of relief, knowing that he would finally get to talk to Monalisa and clear up the misunderstandings between them.

That night, Jayden couldn't sleep. He was lost in thought, replaying the conversation he would have with Monalisa in his mind. He thought about what he would say, how he would apologize, and how he would make things right between them. His mind was racing with possibilities, and he couldn't wait to see Monalisa the next morning.

The next morning, Jayden got ready for his meeting with Monalisa. He dressed in his best suit, made sure his hair was perfectly styled, and headed out the door. As he arrived at the company, he was shown to Monalisa's office. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he could feel his palms sweating.

As he walked into Monalisa's office, he saw her standing by the window, looking beautiful and poised. She turned around as he entered, and their eyes met. Jayden's heart skipped a beat as he saw the look in her eyes. It was a mix of anger, hurt, and sadness.

Monalisa rose on her feet the moment she saw Jayden walk in, her eyes flashing with emotion. Jayden smiled at her, trying to break the ice. "Finally, we can sit and talk," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

But before he could take another step, Monalisa's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. "Security!!!!" she called out, her voice ringing through the office.

Jayden's eyes widened in surprise .