**Zahra**
The chatters and murmurs were suffocating as we strolled inside the reception. I couldn't place my finger on anything as the deathly stares of every staff were eating me up.
"Hey! Shut up! Have you forgotten the law of this company? Or do you want to be sacked?" A murmur escaped into my ears and I paused just so I could hear another word.
A law? Since when?
"I…did you hear that? Is there a law in this company which I'm not aware of?" My eyes went back on Javon and he forced a tight smile.
"Not really Miss Kaplan…they're just cheap gossips!"
"Umm…about the research project of the A&F enterprise, I'm finding it hard to come up with an analysis. I hope you will check it out?" Javon said as we entered the elevator and I couldn't comprehend why he was so tense.
Suppressing a sigh, I raised sceptical brows at him. "A&F enterprise? Is it the one I know?"
"Yeah, that's huge, huh? I think I'm the lucky star, you know," he tried to be jovial, but I'm not in for that now.
"Anyways, let me check it out. Probably, there's something you're not doing right," I suggested as he banged the door behind him, the moment we got inside the office.
"Ooh, this is your desk too, huh? Let's get to work then," I added as I stared at my own working space wordless.
Fragments of images clouded my mind and I couldn't help it but wonder. I parted my lips to speak but there was a soft click on the door.
"It…seems there was a change in…the decorations. Am I right?" My voice came out low as my eyes darted around.
"Umm…yeah. I hope you love it by the way? I will get the door," he said as he hurried towards it.
The next word I heard was a name that sent signals throughout every fibre of my body, and I was at a standstill.
"Mr Waltz ordered me to bring this to Miss Kaplan," a thin voice rang in my ears and I tilted my head to stare at the person.
"Okay, it's fine, let me have it," Javon said.
"Your breakfast has been replaced as promised," he spoke as he spun towards me, and I swiveled slowly on my chair.
"Enjoy, okay? Meanwhile, how's the project as you're scanning through?"
I leaned my elbow on my desk and my chin rested in my hand as my mouth curled into an unconscious smile.
"Umm…there's a lot of ambiguity and mistakes here. It needs thorough editing," I spoke as my fingers ran fast on the keyboard.
"Wow! I now understand why Mr Waltz wouldn't stop talking about how competent you are. I'm pretty sure this contract is ours, then. Congratulations to us in advance," he blabbed, but my only interest was one thing.
My mouth fell open and I stared at him baffled. "What did he say about me to you? Not just you but all the staff; could that be the reason for that weird stares?" I enquired as I dropped the mouse and was ready to hear everything from him.
"Nothing so personal other than you being his best staff in this company, and it's obvious to me now," he replied but as though I was expecting to hear something else.
An hour later, as I've been working tirelessly on this project, I was about to draw the curtains down. There's no way he would have something to say about this one.
I rose fluidly from the chair and Javon's eyes swept over me. "Mr Waltz's office, huh?" He threw a question at me.
I stood motionless in the middle of both desks as panic rooted within me and I didn't know what to do.
I nodded and took a quick deep breath. "I'm sure Mr Waltz will love it as well as the CEO of A&F enterprise," he uttered as he glanced through it too.
As I crawled out, it wasn't long before I found myself in front of the CEO's office door. Before I could raise a hand onto the doorknob, soft murmurs escaped into my ears, and I stood still.
The air was thick and my heart fluttered wildly. Is that his wife's voice?
"We had a deal, Evander, and there's no way I would have you look at any woman again! Especially, Zahra! Never!" Her voice was vibrating in the entire office and the rage was evident.
"A deal you see? That was only orchestrated by you and I wasn't in support of it. I hope you remember that clearly? It was nothing but a fucking lie!"
"You promised never to have sex with that bastard you were forced to get married to! Now what happened?!"
"You went against all that and even had a son for him. Not just that you gave him that damn name, we both discussed giving our first son. How the hell do you explain that?" Evander's voice was all over the office, too, filled with emotions.
Wait a minute. What does she mean by, "especially, Zahra." Do we have a history together or something?
I stood there baffled and wordless. I couldn't help but wonder what caused this rift.
Am I the one? Oh my goodness!
"Really? We promised each other to let go of our partners after three years of marriage and we did just to be together! It's a mutual decision and you know that."
How crazy is that? Does that mean they were both married to different partners but filed for divorce just because of a stupid promise?
Wait! They didn't even give a shit about how their partners felt! This is indeed selfishness!
What the fuck! How could they be this heartless?
"I don't know why you're overreacting now when it's obvious that you're at fault here. I saw how you were staring…and you even have the guts to lay blame on me again!" His wife's voice was cracking.
Meanwhile, it was as though my breath had been cut off when my mind kept telling me I was probably the cause of this rift, and the guilt kept hitting me.
I stood there as I blinked at the doorknob, and my world shifted as I felt a shiver crawl down me.
"Check this! Who the hell is Brian's father?! Anyway, it's no longer important. I wanted to surprise you with this! But I think it was a bad idea in the end! Watch me as I do my worst, Evander! Is either she's out of this company like we agreed earlier? Or I leave with my son! Period!" as she spat those words, I heard thundering footsteps towards the door, and I hid around the corner of the corridor.
I was in the middle of the small corner, and I felt like the ground should open up and swallow me. My heart jolted when she banged the door behind her and stomped straight into the elevator.
For a moment, I couldn't even forgive myself but wondered why there was a tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach when my eyes met his.
Someone's husband? This is unlike me.
Something in his manner soothed me but I couldn't place my finger on anything and why it's so. When he got near me, the pull was stronger and the very air around him seemed electrified.
Am I actually losing it now?
I didn't seem to miss his obvious examination on my face too.
As I checked, and I was sure she might have left, I want to do what I was here for. I pressed on the doorbell and within a twinkle of an eye, this devilishly handsome man was standing rooted to the ground in front of me.
I was taken aback, and before I could process anything, my heart was thundering in my chest.
The walls, the door, the floor, in fact, everything began to melt away, and it was as though my reality was here.
"I…edited the…umm…," My mind was numb; I couldn't understand anything as he leaned in closer to me.
I could feel his own breath against my skin. I could perceive the sweetness of his perfume and everything in me yearned to kiss him, to lose myself in this moment.
How crazy, right?
"Come in, please," his husky voice affected me deeply and my heart danced with excitement.
Despite his closed expressions, I sensed his vulnerability towards me and how he stared at me like this feeling was actually mutual.
But…! He's someone's own.