Chapter 20 Fault Lines

Author's Preface

[Cont.]

[Annie]

Morning light filters through the curtains, turning the dim suite a dull gray by the time I wake up.

I stare at the ceiling for a while, watching the room slowly brighten.

Beside me, Kai shifts and rolls onto his back, opening his eyes slowly.

His fever seems to be gone, but he still looks pale and worn out.

I sit up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, and slip into my heels.

"How do you feel today?" I ask, smoothing down my dress.

Kai pushes himself up against the headboard, a tight line forming at his jaw. "Good morning to you too, Annie."

"You still look rough though, Mr. Sterlings," I reply, taking my phone from the nightstand.

He holds my gaze for a moment.

Neither of us brings up my overnight stay or the fact that he had moved me to the bed.

We don't need to.

A double knock at the door breaks the silence.

I open it to find John holding a garment bag, a boutique bag, and a travel case.

"Good morning, Miss Annie," John says, handing me the boutique bag. "I had the concierge fetch a fresh blouse and a pair of trousers, coffee, and some essentials for you from downstairs."

"Thanks, John. I appreciate it," I say, with a grateful smile.

I look back at Kai. "The company again, I suppose?"

"Yes," he replies casually.

John steps into the entryway just as Kai walks toward the washroom.

His phone rings on the desk.

He turns back, picks it up, checks the screen, and answers immediately.

"Director Kane."

I watch Kai as he listens to the voice on the other end.

Whatever he hears makes him go still.

His hand tightens around the edge of the desk.

"Understood," Kai says quietly, his voice raspy. "I'll be there by ten."

He hangs up, resting his hands on the desk with a heavy exhale.

"John," Kai says without turning around. "Call Lawson & Burke and confirm we'll meet them at their office at ten sharp."

"Right away, sir," John nods, stepping out into the hallway to make a call, while Kai moves back to the washroom.

[ *** ]

By the time we freshened up, room service had already laid out a light breakfast spread on the small dining table.

I pull out a chair and sit down, opening my iPad while Kai remains by the desk, staring at his phone.

"Eat something," I say. "You're not doing anyone any good running on zero energy."

Kai doesn't move from the desk, his eyes still fixed on his phone.

He looks at me, rubbing the back of his neck. "An injunction was filed against the eastern site last night. Environmental buffer zone claim."

"That clearance was signed off months ago," I say, looking up from my screen.

"Doesn't matter. The hearing is at two," he replies, walking over to the table and pulling out the opposite chair.

He picks up his coffee cup, his hand still slightly unsteady. "If the stay order goes through, construction stops today. The launch campaign is dead."

"We'll review the PR strategy on the drive over," I say, pouring a splash of milk into my coffee. "Please eat your breakfast first. You still have medicines to take."

Kai looks at the plate, then at me.

He takes a slow breath, letting his shoulders drop slightly, and picks up a slice of toast without arguing.

[ *** ]

At nine-forty-five, John pulls the car up to the glass tower of Lawson & Burke Legal Services in the financial district.

We take the elevator up to the fourteenth floor without saying much.

Kai adjusts his suit jacket while I hold the file against my chest.

A receptionist guides us straight into a spacious conference room overlooking the city skyline.

"Mr. Sterlings, Miss Annie." Senior Counsel Mr. Kapoor stands from the main table to shake Kai's hand as we enter the conference room. "Thank you for coming on short notice. We have the draft affidavit ready."

"Thank you, Mr. Kapoor," Kai says, his voice quiet but steady. "Annie has the PR risk assessment ready for section four."

"Excellent," Mr. Kapoor says, nodding as he looks toward the side office. "Please take a seat."

He gestures toward the large leather sofa on the left, and Kai and I take a seat while Mr. Kapoor calls toward the entryway.

"Pull up the third annexure for Mr. Sterlings."

The office door opens as Mr. Kapoor sits across from us and lays out the documents.

A junior advocate steps in with a leather portfolio in hand.

I notice his height first.

He's tall, clean-shaven, and wearing a tailored charcoal suit.

He pulls out a stapled document, walks over to the table, and looks up.

My fingers tighten reflexively around my iPad.

He stops when our eyes meet.

"Mr. Sterlings, this is my junior associate, James Merren ," Mr. Kapoor says. "He has been handling the land boundary filings for this case. James, meet Mr. Sterlings and Miss Annie from SilverOak Group."

"Good morning, Mr. Sterlings." His voice is quiet and measured before his gaze shifts to me. "...Miss Annie."

I don't answer, only stare at him.

I can't believe he's standing in front of me.

Beside me, Kai stays still.

I see his eyes move from James to me.

He moves a little closer, his arm brushing mine as he reaches out to shake James's hand.

I watch as James takes a seat across from me.

[ *** ]

The blueprint sits between us like a wall—covered in red ink, floor plans, and empty coffee cups.

Mr. Kapoor taps his finger on the edge of the paper, his silver hair shining under the bright office lights.

"The foundation plans look good," Mr. Kapoor says in his calm, serious voice. "And James has already drafted the environmental clearance strategy. His background in land rights and boundary law has been invaluable in keeping the project moving."

James gives a small, polite nod. "The zoning board is tough, but the filings are solid. We just need to clear the paperwork tonight."

"Which is why we need to double-check these zoning codes," Mr. Kapoor says, heading toward the doorway. "Mr. Sterlings, please come with me to grab the survey file from my office."

I feel Kai hesitate beside me before moving closer.

"I can stay here and keep working on these calculations with Annie," Kai says, looking over at James. "We're almost done."

"It's fine, Mr. Sterlings," I say quickly.

I keep my voice flat and polite, staring at my ipad while typing as fast as I can.

"I have the reports right here. Mr. Merren and I can check the numbers together."

Kai doesn't move, his attention fixed on James.

While James just leans back, tapping a pen on his pad, completely unfazed.

"Five minutes, Mr. Sterlings," Mr. Kapoor calls out from the doorway. "Let's go."

Kai rests his hand gently on the back of my seat and leans down slightly. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," I whisper, giving him a quick nod.

The door clicks shut, and the room goes totally quiet, except for the hum of the air conditioner.

The silence feels heavy and uncomfortable.

I keep my eyes on my ipad screen, scrolling through the data just to keep myself grounded.

Across the table, James stops tapping his pen.

I can feel him watching me, but I refuse to look up at him.

"You still drink your coffee black," he says softly.

I don't stop scrolling. "The new plans are in the shared folder, Mr. Merren. I need you to check the work on floor two."

I hear him move a folder, but I know he isn't looking at it. "I saw your name on the team list last week. You were always better at this stuff than the rest of us."

"The second floor," I say, my voice turning cold. "Let's just stick to the work so we can finish."

He goes silent, but he doesn't look away.

He reaches across the table to move a sheet of paper, his fingers come close to mine.

I pull my hand away before they can touch.

"I didn't think I'd see you ever again." His voice loses its professional edge. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."

There's a short pause before he almost whispers. "I missed you, Annie."

My fingers freeze on the screen.

I slowly turn to face him, hardly believing what I'm hearing.

"You don't get to say that to me," I whisper, my voice sharp. "You don't get to act like everything is normal."

James doesn't pull away.

Instead, he just sits there, taking my harsh words without fighting back.

His expression softens, and for a second, I see the James I used to know.