Chapter 59
NAOMI
I take a step back from the door now hijacked by Charles, my eyes widening as I gaze at the man standing before me.
I feel like I’m in a dream, a nightmare that I can’t wake
up
from.
Charles Dickson, the man I thought was possibly human, is a shallow, one–dimensional fraud.
His superficial charm and pretentious smile make my skin crawl. I can’t believe I was blinded by his facade, that I thought there was depth and substance behind those piercing eyes.
But now, seeing him for who he truly is, I’m left with a sense of disgust and disappointment. Even my wildest dreams couldn’t conjure up someone as vacuous and self–absorbed as this
“Excuse me?” |
“I say to Charles and he sighs and walks away from the door.
“I didn’t mean to do that. I just, I just don’t want you to leave here misinterpreting what just happened between us
I’ve had it
“Fine” I breathe out
“You’re interested in me. You fancy me” I fold my arms and watch his expression
twist in astonishment as he watches me.
“Then don’t mind me asking what part of me you fell for. Because I know for a fact something must have tweaked your interest” I say and he sighs.
* like every part of you Jasmine” He begins.
“Right” I scoff
“This is stupid Charles, I have to be honest, and what you did was more than stupid and juvenile. I’m leaving this place, and I am never coming back and 1 do not wish to see you too
“What? For just a kiss!” He looks famished
“Yes. For just a kiss” 1 deadpan
“I’m sorry, I take everything back.” He steps in front of me.
Geez.
“I’m sorry but you’re acting weird” I scoff
I walk towards the door and walk out of the room in haste.
I make a swift exit from the conference room, my mind reeling from the chaos that just unfolded.
I tune out the murmurs and stares of my colleagues, my focus fixed on escape.
I push through the doors, my heels clicking on the floor as 1 hasten my pace.
The elevator feels like an eternity, but I finally make it out of the building, gasping for fresh air.
Thail a taxi, my hand shaking slightly as I open the door and slide in
“Just drive” I tell the driver, not caring where we go, as long as it’s far away from this madness.
What a day, indeed. One for the books.
And what crazy thing these ears of mine have heard.
I instruct the taxi driver to drop me off a few blocks away from the McCain mansion, seeking some solace in the brief walk to clear my mind.
As I step out of the cab, the cool breeze hits me, a welcome respite from the tumultuous emotions churning inside.
I take a deep breaili, feeling the tension ease slightly as
as I begin my stroll
The trees lining the sidewalk cast dappled shadows on the ground, a gentle reminder of the world’s beauty amidst this Churles Dickson fucked up
Clupter 39
I spend a few minutes ourside, enjoying the day’s glassy sun before finally walking inside the house.
As I enter the living area
ving area in
our wing of the mansion,
I’m abruptly halted by Circenn who starts to sternly gare at me.
His eyes, usually grim but encouraging, now bore into me with a deep disappointment, as if he’s beholding a stranger.
The weight of his disapproval settles upon me like a heavy mantle, making my heart sink and my feet feel rooted to the spot. The air seems to vibrate with unspoken words, his silence more eloquent than any rebaike.
Great,
He’s back and this is what I get first.
There’s nothing to expect from him
I am about to walk past him when he calls me in the most gruesome way ever.
“Where have you been?” His voice is demanding as usual,
I turn around to look at him.
“Oh, you’re finally talking to me? I thought we still have that silent treatment thing going on”
“This is not a joke Naomi, not everything’s a joke” He squints angrily.
I scoff.
“And you think I’m joking?”
“Where the hell have you been?” He asks………..
“I don’t understand, since when do you have the right to ask me that?” I say through my teeth.
“This is not fucking about that!” Circenn yells.
The maids, usually bustling with quiet efficiency, now scatter like frightened birds, their eyes darting anxiously between Circenn and me.
They sense the palpable tension, the unspoken conflict, and instinctively seek refuge in the nearest shadow.
Like leaves blown by a heavy gust of wind, they disappear into the nooks and crannies of the opulent living room, abandoning their tasks and secking escape from tension.
Even I want to take refuge from this place.
I don’t understand why Circe is so livid when he started this.
“What the fuck is this?” He seethes.
With a fierce gesture, Circenn flings a handful of papers in my direction, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and disappointment.
The papers flutter through the air, scattering at my feet like confetti.
As I gaze down at the scattered sheets, my mind struggles to comprehend the significance of the chaos unfolding before me. And then, it hits me – the papers are actually pictures.
I carefully squat down and take each of the pictur
pictures to look at them.
My eyes dart rapidly, like a hummingbird’s wings, as I take in the incriminating photos scattered before me
The images, frozen in time, reveal a moment I thought was private – Charles lips pressed against mine, our faces inches apam, the conference room door shut behind us.
The memory, still fresh in my mind, now taunis me, a harsh reminder of my mistake.
wasn’t m
my mistake to begin with. But it can be tagged as slightly my fault since I stupidly showed up there.
My gaze flicks from one photo to the next, each one a damning testament to every nook and cranny of the brief kiss I had
“Where did you get this? I look up at Circen.
“ho year’re not even going toodeny it!” He asks.
11:42 AM
Chapter 39
I look down at the outfit I am wearing, which is the exact one in the picture and scoff
“There is no denying the truth, of course this happened but how did the pictures reach you so fast and who the hell took these pictures”
My gaze returns to
The p
photos, and I feel a wave of nausea wash over me.
The brief, fleeting kiss we had appears to be a passionate embrace, frozen in time, like we kissed for more than a decade.
The camera’s angle, the lighting, everything seems to conspire against me. And then, I notice something
hing odd some of the images seem off
The shadows are wrong, the colors slightly skewed.
My mind races a
ces as I realize that some of the pictures have been manipulated, Photoshopped to make the moment appear far more intimate than it actually was
A cold dread creeps up my spine as I wonder who could be behind such a malicious act, and what their motives might be.
“Naomi. I’ve said this over and over again, to stay away from Charles, but then you go over to kiss that man?” Circenn’s voice sounds rigid.
I shake my head, because this is scary as hell.
“That’s not what I care about. What I care about is who took these damn photos. It’s like I’m being stalked and this photographer was waiting for the perfect time for me and Charles to happen. Who sent this to you?”
“So you’re literally going to ignore my words and just ask yours?” Circenn’s voice sounds defeated
“Look, I can explain. But I just want to know who took these damn photos” I seethe.
Circenn sighs.
“If these photos get our Naomi, it’ll be bad for us, especially me.
- e. You and Charles are not old news. This showed up at the mansion in a box from an anonymous source. And it came with a threat that we either break apart or these photos are going to get
“Anonymous?” I drop the photos in my hand.
circulated
“This is why I told you to stay away from that blood sucking bastard. It can be anyone you like but him!” Circenn yells.
“I do not like him” 1 shake my head. “I was called at the office for a trivial office matter only to be kissed out of the blue by him” I scoff.
“Naomi please, I’ve seen the way you look at him and take his sides. It’s fine to admit you like him.” Circenn rages,
“What are you on about?” I scoff
“Heaven knows what you’ve both done aside from this silly kiss that was captured.”
The moment the words leave Circenn’s mouth my body stiffens
Does he think Charles and 1 are a thing?
