Chapter 110 Chapter 110
His expression softened in that rare way that always made my chest tighten a little.
“She meant it,” he said.
“I know.”
The silence settled between us in a comfortable and steady way that had become our thing lately. We didn’t fill space just to fill it; we just existed in it. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
“Take a break,” he said.
“I’m working, Kai.”
“You’re drowning in ribbons.” he said
“Same thing in your language. Besides, I’m going back to work in a few days.”
He laughed under his breath and stood, grabbing my hand and pulling me up with him.
“Okay, okay, come on, let’s go,” he said.
“Where were we going?”
“Kitchen,” he said.
“For what?”
“Food solves most problems,” he said, dragging me along, and honestly, he wasn’t wrong.
Dad had already taken over the kitchen by the time we walked in. He was standing at the island slicing fruit like he owned the place; I just shook my head. He was wearing his gardening shirt and slippers like he refused to upgrade his personality just because he lived in a multi-million dollar house now.
“Morning,” he said without looking up.
“Morning, Dad.”
“Have you two eaten yet?” he asked.
“No,” Zaiel answered.
He slid a bowl toward us like this was routine now. Which… it was becoming routine. Watching them exist in the same space still amazed me sometimes. My dad, who had spent half his life locked away and feeling like he failed his daughter. Now he casually discussed irrigation systems with landscape architects hired by the Rhylands, and Zaiel respected him. That part meant everything to me. He glanced between us and smirked slightly.
“You’re sleeping better,” he asked Zaiel.
“I am,” he admitted easily.
“You needed it.” he said
Their conversations always felt simple but layered, like they understood each other through tone instead of words. My phone buzzed across the counter, and I groaned when I saw Alina’s name lighting up the screen.
“She found something,” I said.
Zaiel winced. “Answer it.”
I hit accept.
“Tessa, sweetheart,” Alina said instantly, her voice full of organized panic. “I was reviewing floral installation plans, and I needed your opinion on suspended arrangements versus cascading arrangements over the aisle.”
I blinked. “Those were words.”
“Which one feels like you?” she asked.
I looked helplessly at Zaiel, and he mouthed "good luck" and took a sip of coffee.
“I liked the cascading ones,” I said slowly.
Alina gasped like I’d just saved the economy.
“Perfect. I knew it. I’ll finalize it,” she said and hung up before I could even breathe, causing Dad to chuckle.
“She is intense,” he said.
“She is unstoppable,” Zaiel corrected.
The next morning I headed back to Rhyland Global and to my cubicle. I was trying to catch up on my work because apparently the internet didn’t care that I was getting married soon. This reminded me I still had my own brain separate from wedding chaos and family expectations. Selena knocked lightly, and I looked up.
“There is a delivery for you,” she said, placing a small velvet box on my desk.
I frowned. “From whom?”
“No name attached,” she said.
I stared at it for a long second before opening it. Inside sat a simple silver charm bracelet; there was no note. Just one tiny engraved charm shaped like a broken ring, and my stomach dropped instantly. Avani, it had to be her. Nobody else would be that weirdly poetic and passive-aggressive. I closed the box slowly, my fingers steady even though my chest had tightened a little. I didn’t panic and didn’t call Zaiel.
I just placed it in my desk drawer and locked it. She wanted a reaction, but she wasn’t going to get one.
Zaiel
Joe walked into my office already knowing I wasn’t in a patient mood.
“The madam received something today,” he said.
“From Avani.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes.”
I leaned back in my chair slowly, staring at the skyline through the glass walls. The city looked calm from up here. Organized and predictable, but I knew better.
“Has she contacted anyone?” I asked.
“No. She’s still isolated, moving between hotels,” he said.
“That means she is planning something,” I said quietly.
Joe nodded once.
“You wanted her watched; she’s being watched,” he said. “But she hasn’t crossed any legal lines yet.”
“She is circling emotional ones.”
“Yes,” he said.
I rubbed my jaw slowly. “Double security for the wedding venue,” I said.
“Already arranged, sir,” he replied.
“Guest verification layers,” I asked.
“Done.”
“Transportation routes locked.”
“Done,” he replied.
I exhaled slowly.
“She isn’t going to ruin this,” I said, more to myself than to him.
Joe hesitated before speaking again.
“She wants attention,” he said carefully.
“She isn’t getting it.”
That night when I got home, Tessa was sitting on the living room floor surrounded by fabric samples again, but this time she wasn’t working. She was just sitting there staring at nothing, and I knew that look.
“You’re thinking too hard,” I said, setting my briefcase down.
She looked up and smiled, a small smile, but it was real.
“I’m just tired,” she said.
I sat beside her, stretching my legs out in front of me.
“You’re lying,” I said calmly.
She laughed softly. “You’re learning my language.”
“Yeah.”
She hesitated, then reached for my hand, linking our fingers together.
“Someone sent me something today,” she said, but I already knew.
“What was it?” I asked anyway.
She told me. I stayed quiet while she spoke, listening to her tone more than her words. She wasn’t scared; she was annoyed and slightly shaken. She was mostly angry she even had to think about it.
“I didn’t react,” she finished.
“I knew you wouldn’t.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder.
“She isn’t going to stop, is she?”
“No,” I said honestly.
“Okay.”
That was it, not panic or fear. Just acceptance and quiet strength. I turned my head and pressed a kiss into her hair.
“She isn’t touching this wedding,” I said.
“I know,” she said quietly.
“You trust me?” I ask.
“Always,” she replied.
That word landed heavier than vows ever could. Later that night, as we lay in bed, her fingers traced lazy circles on my chest while the silence stretched comfortably between us.
“You’re excited,” she said suddenly.
“For the wedding?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“I am,” I said truthfully.
“Aren’t you nervous?” she asked.
“I’m marrying you,” I said. “Not performing for people.”
She hummed softly, shifting closer until her leg hooked over mine.
“That helps,” she whispered.
“Good.”
Her hand slid across my skin slowly, her breath warm against my collarbone, and the room faded into quiet heat and closeness that had nothing to do with ceremonies or planning or expectations. She rested against me, her heartbeat slow and steady against my ribs, and I stared at the ceiling, knowing one thing with complete certainty. Everything ahead of us was loud and complicated and public.
But moments like this were ours. And nothing, no family drama, no past mistakes not even my sister was taking that from us.