Author's Preface
[Cont.]
[Annie]
The morning at SilverOak unfolds with textbook corporate perfection.
Kai and I move through the executive suite with seamless, practiced synchronization—passing signature sheets, clearing compliance hurdles, and managing high-level communications without a single slip in our professional armor.
To anyone watching, we are nothing more than a hyper-efficient executive and his unbothered assistant.
But beneath the calm exterior, my mind is spinning.
During my lunch break, I attempt a quiet sweep of the administrative access pathways from my terminal, trying to locate any trace of the diagnostic anomalies James hinted at.
I find absolutely nothing.
Every system log is either locked or shows no sign of an anomaly.
"You're creeping me out, Annie," Chris says, leaning against my desk later that afternoon as he drops a stack of printed press releases.
Amanda steps up beside him, crossing her arms and studying me with a narrowed eye.
"He's right, Annie. The entire legal team is running around Floor 16 like the building is on fire, and you're sitting here looking uncomfortably serene. It’s unnerving. Where is the usual dry sarcasm?"
"I'm just doing my job," I say, keeping my tone entirely neutral as I align the papers.
"Panic doesn't speed up document processing."
"Right, well, your eerie composure is terrifying," Amanda laughs, waving a dismissive hand.
"Anyway, I need a massive favor. My friend's baby shower is this weekend and I haven't found a single decent dress. Come to that boutique two streets over with me after work? Please? I need a second opinion."
I pause, glancing toward Kai’s glass office.
He's on a call, but his eyes flicker toward my desk for a fraction of a second.
I know he expects us to head back together tonight, but leaving with Amanda gives me a chance to step away from the suffocating tension.
Besides, we can just catch a ride together in his car tomorrow morning.
"Sure," I agree smoothly. "I'll come."
[ *** ]
When 5:30 PM arrives, Kai’s jaw tightens slightly as he watches me pack my bag and walk toward the elevators with Amanda.
The moment we step into the lobby, I pull out my phone and type out a quick message:
Going with Amanda to help her shop.
You can always wait for me at the apartment.
His reply comes back within seconds: I'll be waiting.
A sudden, strange feeling settles in my chest—a quiet, unaccustomed sense of domesticity.
The simple reality of someone waiting for me at home is entirely new, catching me off guard, but I shake it off as Amanda and I decide to take the subway instead of driving, dodging the heavy evening traffic.
[ *** ]
After an hour of dress-hunting, we take a table at a small, brightly lit bistro nearby for a light dinner.
I keep my portion small, knowing Kai is waiting at the apartment.
"I still can't believe how fast this year is moving," Amanda says, swirling her iced tea.
She and Kenny have been close since childhood, which is how I eventually met her through Kenny.
"I was checking social media earlier—Kenny tagged you in another meme, by the way. She and Henry seem to be loving London."
"She tags me in everything," I say with a faint smile. "Though I haven't actually spoken to her properly in over four months."
"They're thriving," Amanda says, leaning back.
"Kenny mentioned they might come back around New Year's to visit family. But honestly, Henry acted like he couldn't get on that flight fast enough. He was practically sprinting out of the country after graduation, like he despised being here or was running from something."
My hand freezes on my fork.
"Why would you say that?"
Amanda shrugs casually.
"Just an observation! When I visited you guys near the end of your MBA, he had changed so much in those final days. He was cold, irritable, and so distant. How did you not notice? You two were so close."
"I was completely buried in my exams and final projects," I say, keeping my voice steady. "Henry was busy with his own life."
I brush it off, but as Amanda continues talking, my mind drifts back to those final weeks on campus.
I remember the sudden, heavy silence that had settled over Henry—his cold, distant demeanor whenever I tried to talk to him.
At the time, I had assumed it was just academic stress.
Now, Amanda's careless comment leaves a faint, lingering chill in my chest.
[ *** ]
We finish up around 8:00 PM.
Since the boutique was only a few blocks from our building, I bid Amanda goodbye and decide to cover the rest of the distance on foot.
While I'm walking along the quiet side path, my phone buzzes in my hand.
It's Kai.
"Hey," I answer, pulling the phone to my ear. "I'm almost there. We took the subway to avoid traffic, so I'm just a couple of minutes away on foot."
"Alright," Kai's low voice comes through the receiver. "I'll head downstairs to meet you."
"You don't have to, I'm practically at the entrance— wait..."
My voice trails off as a shadow steps out from beneath the awning up ahead.
My heart instantly slams against my ribs.
Oliver steps into the light of the streetlamp, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.
"Annie? Who's there?" Kai's voice sharpens over the line, but my hand lowers from my ear in sheer shock, the call remaining open.
I take a swift step back, my pulse spiking with sudden fear.
"What are you doing here, Oliver?"
"No car tonight, Annie?" he asks, a bitter, taunting edge in his voice. "Walking on foot like the rest of the commoners?"
"Mind your own business," I say sharply, trying to walk past him, but he immediately steps into my path, cutting me off.
My fingers wrap tightly around my phone.
I look toward the glass doors of the apartment building, considering calling out for the front desk security guard.
"Look at you," Oliver sneers, taking a half-step closer. "Treating me like a criminal when all I ever wanted was to get you to like me. You acted so pristine, so unapproachable."
"Move out of my way, or I'm calling the police," I state, keeping my voice as rigid as iron.
Oliver erupts into a dark, spiteful laugh.
"Calling the cops? Or maybe you should call your boyfriend boss instead? Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? You and Sterlings played me like a complete fool in front of my friends."
"Stop talking nonsense—"
"Are you sleeping with him for promotions, Annie? Is that how it works for bitches like you?"
Oliver steps into my personal space, his eyes wild with anger.
"I built my own business from the ground up—I could have given you a far better position in my company if you were desperate to climb ladders without getting down to this level. You could have been my wife. Instead, you're sitting here acting like his mistress."
Snap.
The word barely leaves his mouth before my hand flies across his face.
The sharp, loud strike echoes down the pavement.
Oliver's head snaps back.
A second later, his eyes ignite with pure, unbridled rage.
"You fucking bitch!" he roars, swinging his hand back and slapping me across the face with brutal, crushing force.
The impact sends me stumbling sideways, the world spinning as cold air hits my stinging skin.
Before I can regain my footing, Oliver steps up, his arm raised to strike me again.
"You deserve—"
A shadow blurs across my vision.
Before Oliver can strike again, someone slams into him, sending him crashing to the pavement.
Oliver hits the pavement with a sickening thud, and before he can even react, Kai is on top of him.
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat.
Kai doesn't say a single word.
His face is pale, his jaw locked in a frightening, hard line as he rains heavy, merciless punches down into Oliver's face.
His strikes are brutal, each one driven by terrifying force.
Oliver frantically tries to cover his face, squirming and groaning, but Kai's hands are relentless, beating him into the concrete with dark, unbridled fury.
"Hey! Stop! Stop it!"
Two security guards come sprinting out from the main lobby doors, throwing themselves into the fray.
It takes both of them pulling with all their strength to finally drag Kai off.
Oliver lies on the ground, groaning and bleeding, pointing a trembling finger at Kai.
"I'm filing a complaint! You're going to jail for assault! You hear me? I'll sue you into the ground!"
Kai doesn't even look at him.
His chest heaves in heavy, jagged breaths, his dark hair messy over his forehead.
He strips his hands away from the guards' grip, his eyes wild and desperate as they sweep across the pavement until they land on me.
He looks completely different—distressed, furious, a terrifying side of him I have never seen before.
He steps around the guards, striding toward me.
His knuckles are raw, scraped, and red.
Reaching out with trembling hands, he gently cups my jaw, his thumb lifting my chin to check my face.
A deep, dark frown carves into his brow as his eyes fixate on my reddening, warm cheek.
"Annie," he breathes out, his voice thick with raw distress. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you anywhere else?"
Oliver is still screaming threats and names in the background as the guards pull him up, but Kai is completely deaf to it.
His attention is fixed entirely on me, as though Oliver's threats have ceased to exist.
"I'm fine," I whisper, my voice shaking slightly as I nod. "I'm okay, Kai."
Without another word, he wraps a protective, unyielding arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his side, and guides me quickly through the lobby doors and straight into the private elevator.
[ *** ]
The moment the apartment door clicks shut behind us, Kai's composure shatters.
"We need to get you to a hospital," he says urgently, his hands moving anxiously over my shoulders as his eyes scan every inch of me. "Or I can call a doctor to come right now—"
"Kai, no," I say softly, catching his wrists. "I don't need a hospital. I'm okay."
He doesn't listen.
He rushes into the kitchen, wraps an ice pack in a clean towel, and gently presses it against my swollen cheek.
He then hunts through the bathroom cabinets until he returns with a first aid kit.
Sitting me down on the marble counter, he opens a tube of antiseptic.
It’s only when his fingers carefully touch the corner of my mouth that a tiny sting shoots through my lip—I hadn't even realized Oliver’s blow had split the skin a little.
"He touched you," Kai mutters, his voice dangerously low, his hands trembling slightly as he dabs the ointment on the small cut.
He fusses over me, his attention fixed on every mark and bruise.
"I should have broken his neck."
"Kai, relax," I say gently, taking a slow breath. "I'm going to file a police report later and get a restraining order against him. It's handled."
He stops, his hand lingering against my jaw.
He searches my eyes with intense, agonizing seriousness.
"Are you really fine, Annie? Tell me the truth."
"I am," I say softly, offering him a small, reassuring smile. "I promise."
I reach out, taking his bruised hands in mine, my mind briefly drifting back to when he mentioned that he used to box.
I take the antiseptic cotton from his kit and begin gently cleaning the scraped skin over his raw knuckles.
The moment my fingers touch his hands, the tension in his shoulders begins to ease.
His harsh breathing slows, his dark eyes softening as he watches me tend to his wounds.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs quietly, his voice laced with sudden guilt.
"I lost my mind. When I came down to meet you after our call, all I heard was his voice... and then that hitting sound. I was so furious when I saw him lifting his hand to hit you again."
He looks up, his eyes filled with a painful, regretful vulnerability.
"Did I scare you?"
"A little," I admit truthfully.
The guilt on his face deepens instantly.
He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, then covers his face with a heavy sigh.
Before I can say anything, Kai drops to his knees between mine, taking both my hands in his.
He leans forward and presses soft, desperate kisses against my hands, silently asking for forgiveness.
He promises he will never lose control like that again.
A soft, breathless laugh escapes my lips despite the sting on my lip.
"You don't need to apologize to me, Kai. It's okay. I was just... surprised. I've never seen you so angry and violent before."
He rises slightly, placing his hands on either side of my waist.
He leans in, pressing a series of soft, lingering kisses to my reddened cheek before moving up to my temple, his breath warm against my skin.
"No one can control me when it comes to you, not even myself, Annie," he mutters against my skin, his voice dropping into a low, possessive rumble.
"Except you. Anyone who harms you or makes you uncomfortable will suffer the consequences—and not necessarily physical ones. I mean it."
A faint pang of confusion ripples through me at his words, but before I can process what he means, Kai's mouth finds mine again, kissing me with almost desperate hunger.
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