Chapter 105 Table and tension
Timothy
After Hannah left the dining room, I stood there for a moment longer than necessary.
Staring at nothing.
Or rather staring at the space she had just occupied.
Another time.
That was what she said.
I exhaled slowly and ran a hand through my hair.
It shouldn’t have mattered.
It was a simple suggestion. A casual offer. She had things to do. That was normal.
So why did it feel like something had quietly shut between us?
I didn’t have the patience to unpack that.
Work was easier.
Work always made sense.
So I turned on my heel and headed straight to my home office.
The moment I stepped inside, I closed the door behind me and shut everything else out with it.
The room was quiet, orderly, exactly the way I liked it. My desk sat untouched from the night before, files stacked neatly, laptop waiting.
No complications.
No emotions.
Just work.
I sat down, opened my laptop, and buried myself in it.
Emails first.
Then reports.
Then contracts.
One after the other, I moved through them with mechanical precision. Calls were made, decisions were signed off, instructions sent.
Time blurred.
At some point, the morning turned into afternoon without me noticing.
The only thing that pulled me out of it was a soft knock.
“Come in,” I said, not looking up.
The door opened.
“Sir.”
Lisa’s voice.
I glanced up briefly.
She was carrying a tray.
“I brought you lunch.”
I frowned slightly.
“What time is it?”
“Past two.”
I blinked.
That explained the dull ache forming at the back of my head.
“Leave it there,” I said, nodding toward the side table.
She hesitated for a second.
“You should eat while it’s warm.”
“I will.”
She gave me a look that said she didn’t entirely believe me, but she didn’t argue. She set the tray down and left.
I worked for another ten minutes before finally pushing my chair back and standing.
The food was still warm.
I ate quickly, barely tasting anything, my mind already halfway back to the documents waiting on my desk.
By the time I was done, the plate was empty, and I hadn’t registered a single bite.
I returned to my chair and kept going.
More work.
More numbers.
More decisions.
Anything to keep my mind occupied.
Anything to keep it from drifting….
To her.
It worked.
For a while.
Until another knock came.
“Come in.”
The door opened again.
Lisa stepped in.
“Sir.”
Something in her tone made me look up.
“The time?”
She gave me a small, knowing smile.
“It’s evening.”
I stilled.
Then glanced at the clock.
Six.
Damn.
Dinner.
I leaned back slightly and rubbed my jaw.
“Alright,” I said, closing the file in front of me. “That’ll be all.”
She nodded and left.
For a moment, I stayed seated.
Just… breathing.
Then I pushed back my chair and stood.
Time to get this over with.
I headed to my room, showered quickly, letting the hot water wash away the stiffness from hours of sitting.
Then I dressed.
Dark trousers. Crisp shirt. Jacket.
Composed.
Put together.
Exactly what my parents expected.
Exactly what tonight required.
When I stepped into the foyer, I checked my watch.
A few minutes to spare.
I waited.
And then…
Footsteps.
I looked up.
And for a second, everything else fell away.
Hannah descended the stairs.
She looked absolutely gorgeous.
There wasn’t a better word for it.
Effortless. Soft. Put together in a way that made it impossible not to look.
My gaze lingered longer than it should have.
I cleared my throat lightly, straightening.
“You’re ready.”
She nodded.
“Yeah.”
I stepped forward and offered my arm.
She hesitated just a fraction of a second.
Then she took it.
We walked out together.
The car was already waiting.
The drive was quiet at first.
I tried.
“How was your day?” I asked.
“Fine,” she said.
Short.
Distracted.
I glanced at her briefly.
She was staring out the window, lost in her thoughts.
“Do what you needed to do?” I asked.
“Mm-hmm.”
That was all I got.
I let the silence settle after that.
Whatever was on her mind, she wasn’t ready to share it.
And pushing wouldn’t help.
So I leaned back in my seat and let the quiet stretch between us.
By the time we arrived at my parents’ house, the familiar sense of irritation had already settled in my chest.
The staff ushered us in immediately.
“Good evening, sir.”
I nodded and stepped inside with Hannah beside me.
My father was in the sitting room.
He stood when he saw us.
“Timothy.”
“Father.”
We shook hands.
Firm. Brief.
Formal.
“How’s business?” he asked.
“Running as expected.”
He nodded once, satisfied.
Then…
“Timothy!”
Yvonne’s voice cut through the room like a blade wrapped in silk.
Before I could react, she was already in front of me.
And then, she hugged me.
So clingy and unnecessary.
I stiffened immediately.
“Yvonne,” I said flatly.
She pulled back with a bright smile, completely unbothered by my lack of enthusiasm.
“It’s been so long.”
“It hasn’t,” I replied.
She laughed like I’d made a joke.
Hannah stepped forward politely.
“Good evening.”
She greeted my father first, respectful.
Then turned to Yvonne.
“Good evening.”
Yvonne glanced at her.
And then looked away.
Like Hannah didn’t exist.
My jaw tightened.
I didn’t say anything.
Not yet.
“Shall we?” my father said, gesturing toward the dining room.
We moved to the table.
Took our seats.
Food was served quickly.
Conversation started almost immediately, about business, investments, the usual topics my father preferred.
I responded where necessary.
Kept it short.
Kept it controlled.
Then Yvonne started.
“Timothy, I heard about that deal you were working on.”
“Yes.”
“Did it go through?”
“It’s in the final stages.”
“And what about the expansion you mentioned last time?”
“It’s progressing.”
She kept going.
Question after question.
Each one directed at me.
Each one answered by me.
As if Hannah wasn’t sitting right beside me.
Even when the questions brushed close to personal matters.
To things that involved her.
She still didn’t look at her.
Didn’t acknowledge her.
Like she wasn’t worth addressing directly.
I felt my patience thinning.
Rapidly.
Hannah stayed quiet beside me.
Too quiet.
Answering only when absolutely necessary.
Playing along.
Enduring it.
And that…
That was what snapped something in me.
Yvonne asked another question.
Something that very clearly involved Hannah.
And once again, she looked at me.
Waiting for me to answer.
Like I was her spokesperson.
That was it.
I set my cutlery down harder than necessary.
The sharp clink echoed across the table.
Silence fell immediately.
I turned my head slowly toward Yvonne.
My voice was calm.
Too calm.
“Hannah can speak.”
The words landed heavy.
“She’s right here.”
I held her gaze.
Unblinking.
“I’m not her mouthpiece,” I added, my tone tightening just slightly. “If you have something to ask her, ask her directly.”
The room went completely still.