The air was thick with the promise of rain, heavy clouds crawling across the late afternoon sky like a living shadow. The streets glistened with leftover drizzle, reflecting the neon and amber lights of the city in streaked, fractured patterns. Thunder rumbled in the distance, low and ominous, like the echo of Kael Navarro's own mounting fury.
His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were stark white, his jaw clenched in a rigid line. Hazel eyes, sharp and unyielding, burned with every thought of her. Every memory, every misstep he imagined Amara had taken, fuelled the storm that churned in his chest.
"The house is almost ready," his grandfather's voice had said earlier, replaying in his mind like a relentless drumbeat."Two weeks from now, I expect you to move in and live with Amara for six months. It's time you both give this relationship a proper chance."
Kael had frozen when he first heard it, disbelief coursing through his veins like ice. Live together? With Amara? Madness. Pure, unadulterated madness. But then, anger took root, spreading like wildfire. She had done this. She had manipulated him once before, with the rumours at work, humiliating him in front of everyone. Now she had schemed behind his back again, and his grandfather—his naive, well-meaning grandfather—had fallen for it.
"She thinks she can corner me," Kael muttered under his breath. "She thinks she can force me into this? Over my dead body."
The luxury car screeched to a halt outside a newly renovated apartment on the outskirts of the city. Its pale walls gleamed against the darkening sky, flowers neatly arranged in perfect symmetry, lights glowing softly from within. Anyone else would have seen warmth, home, and a place to start anew.
Every step up the stone path felt heavier than the last. By the time he reached the front door, his chest heaved, a storm of frustration and fury threatening to consume him entirely. Without hesitation, he shoved the door open, the sharp creak echoing through the quiet halls of the home.
Meanwhile, across town, Amara sat on the edge of her sofa, a faint glow from the streetlights painting her apartment in muted gold. Her hands rested neatly in her lap, but her mind was elsewhere, a tempest of worry and sorrow. The past two weeks had been unbearable.
Kael hadn't spoken to her—not a word of kindness. At work, he ignored her presence entirely. If their eyes met, he looked away immediately, as though her very existence was an irritation he could not endure. And the whispers at Navarro Corporation hadn't abated; if anything, they had grown louder, sharper.
She drew a shaky breath. Damian had been the only constant, quietly bringing her meals, listening without judgment, offering small, unspoken comforts. His presence was a lifeline, but it could not mend her heart. Not when Kael's rejection lingered like smoke in her lungs.
And then the knock came. Harsh. Insistent. Abrupt. She barely had time to rise before the door burst open, a violent force that seemed to pull the air out of the room.
"Amara!"
Kael's voice tore through the apartment, sharp as lightning. He filled the doorway like a storm incarnate. Hazels eyes, fierce and unforgiving, locked onto her, and every step he took radiated accusation and rage.
"Kael?" she whispered, trembling. "What… what are you doing here?"
"Don't act innocent," he spat, cutting her off before she could even speak. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Amara froze, confusion twisting into fear. She had never seen him like this, his fury so palpable it seemed to shake the very air around them. "I—I really don't… Please, Kael, just tell me what's wrong."
"Stop playing dumb!" His voice rose, sharp as a whip. "You've been scheming from the start, haven't you? First the rumours at work, humiliating me in front of everyone… and now, you've convinced my grandfather to trap us in this ridiculous arrangement!"
"Arrangement?" Amara echoed, voice trembling.
"Don't pretend!" he snapped. "He told me today. Two weeks from now, we're supposed to move into one of his houses… together… for six months!" He stepped closer, and she instinctively took a step back. "You really think this will make me fall for you? That if you trap me under the same roof, I'll magically care for you? You're deluded!"
Amara's mind spun, trying to grasp the truth. Live together? Two weeks from now? Her memories of Mr. Navarro's gentle plea surged back, but before she could form words, Kael's storming gaze cut through her.
"Enough," he hissed. "I won't play along with your games—or his fantasies. That house is nothing but a joke."
Kael's eyes bore into her, hazels sharp and relentless. "And you? No matter what you do—change your hair, your clothes, even your entire personality—it won't matter. You'll never have my affection. Ever."
The words cut deeper than she could have imagined. Every fragile hope, every dream she had built around him, collapsed like fragile glass under the force of his fury.
Kael turned sharply, his departure decisive. "Stay in that house if you want, Amara. Play house by yourself. Don't expect me to be part of your little fantasy."
The door slammed behind him with a deafening crack.
Amara stood frozen, trembling. The room felt impossibly still. Then, slowly, she crumpled, sinking to her knees. Hands pressed to her face, she sobbed violently, each tear carrying seven years of love, longing, and silent devotion. The rain outside mirrored her sorrow, hammering against the window like a mourning drum.
Hours passed in silence. Her body exhausted, she eventually forced herself upright. She couldn't stay there forever. She would honour Mr. Navarro's request, even if Kael refused to step into that house. Six months. She could endure six months. But at what cost?