Page 31

Arielle

I successfully limited my contact with Mikhail to mostly emails, and only attended to him physically when there was someone else in the room with him after the incident in his office.

My weakness embarrassed me, and I scolded myself endlessly for almost putting my son in danger. While I still harbored some feelings towards him, mostly guilt and chemistry, I didn’t expect a heated fight between us to quickly escalate into a near make-out session. If Antonio hadn’t knocked at the time he did, there was no telling how far things would’ve gone between us.

“You look like a pwincess mama,” Jason said with the brightest smile as he walked in on Annalise adding final touches to my makeup.

“And you are my Prince Charming.” I beamed back at him. School was doing him well, and interacting with kids his age and older had improved his speech. He was home with something new to chatter about, and he asked questions about everything and anything.

“Can I follow you?” he pouted, batting his eyes at me.

“No baby, it’s a work thing, and it’s for adults,” I replied, holding out my arms for him.

“What’s adults?” he followed up immediately, and Anna let out a small laugh.

“An adult is someone who is up to eighteen,” Anna replied, handing me a mirror to look at myself. Her English session with Jason slowly dulled into an echo in the background as I watched my reflection. I had grown so accustomed to being brunette that I might feel like a fraud if I ever returned to my blonde hair.

A sudden urge to tap into my original self seeped into me, and I reached out for the makeup wipes on my vanity. I cleaned off the nude lipstick I was wearing and reapplied my signature blood-red lip stain. A small feeling of freedom settled into me, and I had to fight the urge to take out my contacts.

“Red is definitely your color,” Anna exclaimed, and Jason gave me the tiniest thumbs up.

“I’ll be home by ten, try not to give Aunt Anna any trouble,” I said, picking up my purse and placing a kiss on Jason’s forehead.

He let out a tiny giggle and planted a very sloppy kiss on my cheek. “Bye, Mommy!”

“Bye, sweetie,” I replied, making my way to the door.

“Let loose and have some fun tonight, and if you can’t make it home, I’ve got him,” Anna called after me. I ignored the double meaning behind her words and walked out the door. She’s been hounding me to get a man since Jason turned two.

A smile touched my lips as I heard Jason ask her what it meant to let loose. I hope she never finds her way out of that one.

****

“You look stunning,” Antonio said, planting a soft kiss on my hand.

“You don’t look bad yourself,” I replied with a polite smile.

He’s been trying to get my attention for a while, and I lost count of how many times I’ve had to decline his not-so-subtle date ideas. He was conventionally attractive, and I might’ve given him a chance if circumstances were different, but there was a brooding Russian who was currently shooting lasers through him as we spoke.

“So, is this a regular thing?” I asked, gesturing towards the luxurious decor. The entire reception area was transformed into some sort of ballroom. There were elaborate flower arrangements, a live band in the corner the receptionist usually occupies, and a buffet of every exotic dish one could ever think of laid out to the right.

“Not exactly. It is a recent addition by the welfare team. They believe an annual employee award gala, one different from the generic Christmas dinner, would give the employees something to strive towards and encourage healthy competition amongst workers.”

“That’s a great idea,” I concurred, sipping on my mocktail. “Were you nominated for any award?”

“Nope. I was hired at the same time as you.”

My brows shot up in surprise at the revelation. “Could’ve fooled me.”

He blended so seamlessly with everyone and even knew the workers by name that I assumed he must’ve been here from the very beginning.

“So, since we’ve been together all night, eating and drinking, can I call this a first date?” He asked with a lopsided smile, and I rolled my eyes playfully.

“You don’t give up easily, do you?”

“I’m a project manager. If I gave up easily, this whole thing would be ruined,” he replied, and I found myself laughing at his cocky remark.

I returned my gaze to find him staring at me with a soft look in his eyes.

“Will you dance with me?” he asked, and I looked around to find most of the employees swaying their bodies to the melody from the live band.

I offered him my hand with a nod and we proceeded to the dance floor. It was either that or I stand awkwardly in the corner and watch everyone have a great time.

“Is this the part where I tell you my best color and let you in on some embarrassing childhood story?” Antonio said as we gently swayed to the sound of the music, and I found myself laughing again.

I was certain everyone on the dance floor was wondering what was so funny with how much I was laughing, but I couldn’t manage a poker face with him if I tried. He was honestly so hilarious with his comments about other employees and his stories.

“I’m certain we can find time for your childhood—”

A cold hand pressed into the small of my back, ultimately silencing me, and a dark voice I’d grown very accustomed to pierced the playful aura, “I’m certain Miss Kincaid would be delighted to hear stories of your diaper days, but right now, there’s some mail I need her to attend to.”

“Oh,” Antonio muttered, taking a few steps back as his eyes darted between Mikhail and me.

I could feel the blood roaring in my ears, but I tried my best to maintain a calm demeanor. “I’ll see you shortly, Antonio,” I said, walking out of the reception without sparing a glance in Mikhail’s direction.

“What mail couldn’t wait till Monday?” I queried the moment we stepped into Mikhail’s office.

“None.” He replied in a cold voice and casually proceeded to sit behind his desk.

“So you pulled me out of a party and took me to your office for nothing?”

“Yes.”

I massaged my temple to dissipate the pressure that was slowly building behind my eyes. I wasn’t going to let him ruin the night for me. If he wanted to be miserable, he could be miserable on his own.

“Romantic relationships between employees are against the company policy. I was merely saving you from a summon from the HR.” He shrugged casually, and every bit of control I had gathered fell to shut.

“Was that what you were doing when you tried to kiss me weeks back?” I asked, my eyes burning with rage.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he said with a dry chuckle, “I didn’t try to kiss you, Arielle. The way I remember it, you were all flushed and panting, and if Antonio hadn’t had wonderful timing, I’m sure you’d be dripping over my cock if I let you.”

His statement hit me like a slap in the face, and I reeled back from the weight of his words. “You know very well that wasn’t how it happened.”

“Really,” he sneered. “So, you didn’t want to kiss me then? Was it a part of your Oscar-worthy acting skill?”

“Mikhail,” I tried to stop him, but he completely ignored me and continued with his accusations.

“And while we’re on the topic, I’d also love to know if your moans and repeated orgasms were a part of your job description, or do you whore yourself out to every man you had to spy on?”

Regret flashed through his eyes as soon as the words left his lips, but it was too late to take it back. It hit me straight in the gut and cut through every protective wall I’ve built to protect myself. I could feel tears prickling at the corner of my eyes, but I held them in.

I couldn’t find the words to fight back with, partly because he wasn’t entirely wrong. I’ve had to resort to unethical means to guarantee results for my work, and I always told myself if sacrificing myself for the greater good was all it would take to make things better, then it was a small price to pay. I just didn’t expect it to hurt this bad coming from someone else.

“Arielle,” he said softly, standing from his seat and walking towards me. “I didn’t mean it that way. I was just very angry. I am angry at a lot of things.”

He lifted his hand to touch me, but I flinched, taking a few steps backward.

He let out a soft sigh and continued his speech. “I’m angry at your deception. I’m angry at how easily you’re moving on despite wrecking my life. I’m angry at how you can still laugh and dance with other men when I can’t even stand the sight of another woman, and most importantly, I’m angry at myself for still caring about who you’re dancing with after all these years and what you did.”

His anger was valid, but words had been said, and they could not be taken back. I straightened my spine, gathered the last shred of dignity in me, and walked out of his office. He didn’t try to stop me, and I didn’t wait for him to.

Once I was out of the building, I finally let the tears run down my cheeks. I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked walking down the streets of Milan at night with tears running down my eyes and my mascara probably smeared all over my eyes. I was in so much pain, and I just needed to curl into my bed and cry till I couldn’t produce any more tears.

Some passers-by whispered amongst themselves, pointing fingers at me as I crossed to the opposite side of the road, and I made no attempt to hide my face. Mikhail had already broken every last fight in me, and today would be my last day at work. To hell with him and his employment clause. He could take me to court if he wanted to, but I would never set foot in that building again.

My hiccups slowly subsided, and I found myself in the low-lit alley leading to the train station. Immediately, my senses heightened, and that’s when I saw a male figure from the corner of my eyes, lurking in the shadows. His silhouette was not distinct, but his intentions were crystal clear.

Before I could react, I felt a damp cloth cover my mouth and nose. Panic coursed through my veins as I fought against the chloroform’s suffocating grip. My legs buckled, and the world spun into a thick blanket of darkness. The last thing in my mind as I felt my consciousness slip away was my son. What would happen to my sweet boy?