Chapter Nineteen
Kyle’s POV
I checked my watch for what felt like the tenth time in the past five minutes. The meeting was supposed to start twenty minutes ago, yet the people I was waiting for still hadn’t arrived. My patience, already thread–thin, had worn down to the brink of breaking. My jaw clenched, fingers tapping restlessly against the smooth surface of the conference table. The large, floor–to–ceiling windows filled the room with light, but instead of brightening my mood, they only aggravated me further.
me
I hadn’t slept well the previous night, and the frustration and anger from my restless night had followed into the morning like a shadow I couldn’t shake off. My employees felt it too. They moved carefully – as if walking on glass, speaking in hushed voices, as though one wrong step might set me off. Maybe they weren’t wrong because even I could feel the heat of anger boiling inside me.
Lilian’s shell had finally cracked last night. Maybe not entirely but enough for me to see a different side of
her.
Her calm and all–too–sweet exterior, the one she had worn so effortlessly since meeting me had cracked a little. If I’m to be candid with myself, it had started cracking long ago after she gave birth to my son, but last night was the moment it gave way for a little see–through.
“You never hold him,” she had said, standing in the middle of my home office, our son cradled in her arms
I had just poured myself a drink, but her words, which trembled with anger, I tightened my grip on the glass. “You touch him when you think no one is watching,” she continued, her voice hardening. “You stare at him like he’s a puzzle you can’t solve. But you don’t hold him, Kyle. He is not a stranger but your son.”
I hadn’t responded. Because what could I have said? That she was wrong? That she was imagining things?
She wasn’t.
She had seen through me when I thought no one would. She had noticed the fleeting moments when I’d brushed my fingers through Neo’s soft hair, traced the tiny curve of his hand, and adjusted his blanket in the dead of night when he stirred. But I had never held him. Not since the day he was born and after the night of his arrival celebration.
And the worst part? I didn’t know why.
I wasn’t disgusted by him. I didn’t feel indifferent. If anything, I cared too much. But there was something terrifying about holding him in my arms; something that made my chest tighten in a way I couldn’t explain. It was as if holding him made everything real. Too real. Like enjoying the light weight of him in my arms would pull me under, forcing me to face the mess I had created.
It felt like a betrayal to Ava.
It was absurd. No one would understand because even I do not understand. And yet, I couldn’t shake off the
feeling.
Lilian’s words had followed me into the night, biting at me even long after she had walked away, leaving me alone with my guilt and a bottle of wine.
And now, I was here, in my office, letting that frustration seep into my work, and then taking my anger out on
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everyone.
I checked my watch again and muttered under my breath, “Where the hell are they?”
Anne, my assistant, straightened in her seat and glanced at her wristwatch. “Their secretary called ten minutes ago. They’re on their way.”
I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. “I don’t have time for this.”
No one dared to respond. They knew better than to say anything when I was like this.
I leaned back in my chair, willing myself to push aside the lingering frustration. It was easier said than done. Everything irritated me today, from the late clients, the way my workers walked on eggshells around me, the distant sound of city traffic outside, and even the sun penetrating through the wall mirror. I just wanted this meeting to be over.
Minutes ticked by, stretching longer than they should have, until finally, the glass doors of the conference room opened.
I turned my head sharply, irritation at its peak, ready to cut them down for wasting my time.
But then, I froze.
The woman who entered first wore something almost identical to what Ava used to wear. The color, the cut, the way the fabric hugged her frame was surprising. Even her hair… was honey blonde.
For a split second, my mind betrayed me, playing tricks on my vision. My breath hitched, my pulse stuttered, my vision blurred at the edges. It was like seeing a ghost.
Then I blinked, and reality slapped me in the face. Of course, it wasn’t Ava.
How stupid of me.
How foolish of me to get so rattled at the sight of the replica of a dress Ava used to wear. There are lots of people with honey blonde hair too.
My jaw tightened as I dragged my gaze to her face, my heartbeat hammering painfully against my ribs. The lady looked uncomfortable under my scrutiny, shifting slightly as if resisting the urge to step back.
The rest of her team hurried in behind her, and I made sure to glare at every single one of them.
“Mr. Banks, I sincerely apologize for our delay.” A short but fit man in their team, the only one who looked somewhat composed, stepped forward. “We ran into…”
“You’re late.” I cut him off with a sharp glare, watching his boldness flatter under my glare.
The man swallowed, visibly thrown off by the hostility radiating from me. But he attempted to regain control.. “We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us today. If we may begin….”
I barely nodded, my focus drifting back to her, the woman who had thrown me off balance, if only for a
moment.
She was at the head of the room now, hands clasped together, and her posture stiff. Her colleagues mirrored her nervous energy, shuffling papers, and avoiding my gaze
The moment she started speaking, I knew this was going to be a disaster.
Her voice wavered. She stumbled over her words. The presentation was dry, lifeless, lacking confidence. Even
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Chatte Nineteent
the visuals lacked effort. I could feel my patience snapping, my exhaustion and frustration boiling over
Normally, I would have tolerated it, pretended to care for the sake of professionalism. But not today.
Hleaned forward, cutting her off mid–sentence with a raised hand.
“This is a waste of my time.”
The room fell into stunned silence. All eyes turned to me.
She froze, eyes wide, face paling in humiliation. Her team members shifted uncomfortably Even my employees looked horrified.
“This is what you came up with?” My voice was low but sharp. “You show up late despite needing this deal more than I do, and then present this?” My voice was cold as intended. My glare fixed on the lady. I don’t know if I was more upset about their delay or her presentation or the fact that she had rattled me up more by wearing that dress and her damn hair,
The lady swallowed hard, her hands trembled slightly as she pulled a strand of hair from her face, I can
explain…
“I don’t need an explanation. I need competence. And clearly, you and your team don’t have it.”
A sharp inhale echoed across the room. I had gone too far.
But I didn’t care.
She lowered her gaze, her shoulders tensed, her lips pressing into a thin line, and for some reason, in that moment, my mind flashed back to Ava.
To the way she had looked at me that last night. The pain in her eyes when I shattered her world. It was almost the same look this woman wore now.
My heart leaped
The semblance hit like a punch to the gut.
I pushed back abruptly, standing so fast my chair scraped against the floor. “This meeting is over.”
Without another word, I strode out of the conference room, tearing my tie loose as I went.
By the time I reached my office, my breath came in short, uneven gasps. My hands trembled as I leaned against my desk, pressing my palms against the cold surface, trying to calm myself.
What the hell is wrong with me?
The presenter’s expression wouldn’t leave my mind. The way her face had twisted, as if I had broken her. Why did I explode like that?
It wasn’t just because of their incompetence. It was her.
The dress. Her hair. The brief moment of déjà vu. The painful reminder.
And then, when I shut her down, the way her lips trembled, the way she held back tears, it was too familiar Too much like that day with Ava. However, the lady and the rest didn’t deserve my bitterness. None of them
did.
A heavy knot of guilt twisted in my stomach, suffocating me. I clenched my jaw, the veins under my skin
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Chalter Nineteen
taunts as I tried to shove it back down where it belonged.
Suddenly, I grabbed the phone on my desk and pressed the intercom. “Anne”
“Yes, sir?”
“Reschedule the meeting,” I demanded
A pause. “Sir?”
“Just do it. And tell them to do better next time.”
I hung up before she could respond.
Then, I exhaled sharply, running a hand down my face.
This doesn’t make sense, me snapping at a client during a presentation and asking for another meeting. especially when I know they would benefit from me more than vice versa, doesn’t make sense.
None of this makes sense anymore.
And I hated it.
I hated how Ava’s absence still controlled me.
I hated myself. I hated everything.
The oddluna
I want you all to understand that the pain is still fresh for both Ava and Kyle, maybe not as much for Kyle. It would be too easy for them to develop a backbone so soon without showing their struggles. While Kyle may seem like a pushover, he is also going through a difficult time. Let’s wait and watch as they grow together. Thank you!
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