Chapter 159 HATED IT

Chapter 159 HATED IT
OWAIN

I'd spent weeks convincing myself Karima would be happier with someone else with her. Someone who could give her the life I no longer had any right to offer. And maybe... I hadn't been wrong.

Watching Isaiah with her, it wasn't difficult to see why she'd chosen him. He looked at her the way a man should. Like she was the only person in the room.

So why… Why the hell did every instinct inside me still scream to tear him away from her?

I forced myself to breathe. This wasn't why I'd come tonight. Tonight wasn't about Karima. It wasn't about the life I'd lost. It was about business. About moving forward.

So why did watching him kiss her make every lie I'd told myself crumble in a matter of seconds?

Isaiah finally pulled away, though his arm remained comfortably around her waist. Then he looked at me. "Mr. Marco." He stepped forward and extended his hand. "It's good to finally meet you."

My eyes dropped to his hand. Then drifted to Karima. She was watching me. Waiting. Almost as though she was afraid of what I'd do next.

I gave her nothing. Slowly, I reached out and shook his hand. His grip was firm. Mine tightened almost instinctively before I forced myself to loosen it again. "My pleasure," I said evenly.

Only then did my attention shift to the little boy standing beside them. He'd been looking at me the entire time.

The moment our eyes met, he lowered his almost shyly. I needed no telling. He was Julian. He had Karima's dark eyes. Her small lips. Even the way he stood reminded me painfully of her. A strange ache settled somewhere deep inside my chest.

Isaiah's voice pulled me back. "Thanks for inviting my family."

Family? The word landed harder than it should have. For a brief second... I clenched my jaw.

I forced myself to nod.."You're welcome. Please, make yourselves comfortable.".Then I turned to Karima. "There are a few investors waiting to meet you."

Her brows lifted slightly. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

She smiled politely before glancing at Isaiah. He gave her the smallest nod before she followed me without another word.

I wished I hadn't noticed it. Those tiny exchanges between them. The silent understanding. The effortless way they seemed to communicate without speaking. It felt painfully familiar. Once… That had been us.

I led her over to the group of investors. The conversation flowed almost effortlessly after that. Karima had always been good with people. She knew exactly when to joke… When to listen… When to challenge an opinion just enough to keep everyone engaged.

I forced myself not to notice how her face lit up whenever she laughed. Or how she'd occasionally glance at me, silently asking me to back up a point she'd made. Old habits neither of us seemed capable of breaking them.

"Tell you what, Ms. Heart." chuckled Craig as his gaze drifted between the two of us. "You and Mr. Marco make quite the pair."

Karima laughed easily. Not awkwardly. Just naturally. Her eyes flickered toward me for the briefest second before returning to Craig.

"I'm afraid you're a little late, Mr. Lewis." Her smile widened. "I'm already off the market."

Craig's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" You're married?"

"Yes." She answered without hesitation. "And we have a son."

The certainty in her voice settled like a weight inside my chest.

She didn't pause for a second thought. Just… The truth as she now chose to live it. I lifted the wine in my hand and emptied it in one swallow. Before anyone noticed, I reached for another glass from a passing server.

"My apologies," Craig laughed. "I never would've guessed."

The conversation continued around me. I barely heard any of it. A familiar burn spread beneath my ribs. It was sharper this time and hotter.

"Mr. Marco?" Craig's voice pulled me back. "You don't look too well."

Karima was already looking at me. Not casually now but with that carefully hint. Like she was trying to read something beneath my smile.

I looked away before our eyes could hold for too long. "I'm fine." The lie came easily. I forced another smile. "Excuse me for a moment." Setting my glass onto a nearby tray, I walked toward the quieter corner of the ballroom.

Each step made the ache beneath my ribs throb a little harder. Once I was out of everyone's immediate view, I slipped a hand inside my jacket and reached for my pain medication. My fingers found the bottle.

When I pulled it out, it was empty. I stared at it for a second. "Shit." The word left my mouth in a quiet breath.

ISAIAH

While Julian remained glued to his iPad, my attention kept drifting back to Karima. She looked... happy. Relaxed. She laughed at something one of the investors said, and I found myself smiling without realizing it.

I quickly looked away before she caught me staring. God. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to walk over there, kiss her again, and politely remind every man trying to charm her that she was already taken.

"Are you going to marry my mummy?" Julian's voice snapped me back.

I blinked and looked down at him. "What?"

"You kissed her earlier." He said it so casually I almost laughed.

Right. He'd seen us. A smile tugged at my lips. "I will." I glanced toward Karima again. "When your mummy is ready."

Julian frowned thoughtfully, his eyes dropping back to his game. "You're scared."

I caught the quiet mumble anyway. "Hey." I turned toward him, trying not to laugh. "That's not being scared. It's grown-up stuff. You'll understand when you're older."

He slowly lifted his head and gave me that suspicious little look he always used whenever he thought I wasn't making sense. "So..." He tilted his head. "You're not scared of that man?"

"What man?"

"The one that likes mummy."

My smile faded. "Hold on." I shifted in my seat. "Who's teaching you all this? How do you even know what liking someone means?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he crooked a finger at me. "Come closer."

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"Secret."

Trying not to laugh, I leaned closer. Julian cupped a tiny hand beside my ear and whispered, "Mummy said before she couldn't marry you because she liked someone else."

He pulled back as though he'd just shared the biggest secret in the world. I stared at him. For a second… I didn't know what to say. It was just something a child had overheard. Children misunderstand things all the time.

I knew that. I really did. Yet… The words settled heavily somewhere inside me. Almost against my will, my eyes searched for Karima again.

She was talking to Owain now. From where I sat, I couldn't hear a single word. But I noticed the way she looked at him. Not with love.

No. Just fucking stop it. She'd made that part clear already…Still… There was something there. Something gentle. Something familiar. A softness that hadn't completely disappeared.

I hated that I noticed it at all. I hated even more that I couldn't stop thinking about Julian's words. Before I realized it, I was already on my feet. There was only one thing I wanted right then. To go to her. But the moment I took a step, someone moved into my path.

Collins.

Exactly the person I had no interest in seeing tonight.