Kai’s POV
I sat by the window with a cigarette on my hand as i stared out from the window, quietly waiting to see if any vehicle pulls up outside or the gate goes open. It was already 7:00 in the morning and there was no sign of her yet. Maybe leaving her in the middle of nowhere was a wrong idea, she was just so annoying and was being to get on my nerves. In my whole 28 years, i have never had anybody disrespect me as much as she has. Sometimes i feel like putting the gun through her fucking head, but i just can’t get myself to do it. I left the window and picked up my phone, i have been trying to stop myself from send guards in search of her. i dialled carlos number again, and he immediately picked up.
“is she back yet?” i asked, my voice too composed for what was going through my mind
“no boss, but i’ll give you a call once she arrives” he said while i nodded and remained silent for a while, contemplating if it was best for me to send out the guards in search of her, or just wait a few more minutes. I don’t want her to begin to think she is someone special.
“tell her to come see me as soon as she arrives” i said after a short silence
“yes boss” carlos said before hanging up
Restless, I paced around the room, the cigarette now a stub in the ashtray. The events of the past night replayed in my mind, each moment adding to the growing frustration. She was a complication I never needed, and yet here she was, stirring chaos in my carefully controlled mind.
I wondered what the hell was taking her so long. A part of me, the logical part, told me to let it go, to focus on more pressing matters. But another part, a part I hated to acknowledge, felt a strange discomfort, a nagging worry about her safety.
I lit another cigarette, the smoke curling in the air as I took a long drag. It was irritating to admit, but she had managed to crawl under my skin, disrupting the detachment I prided myself on.
As the minutes ticked by, I heard the distant sound of a car engine. I stiffened, my eyes narrowing as I focused on the gate. A black sedan pulled up, and she stepped out. I took one last drag from the cigarette and stubbed it out. As i waited impatiently for her to come upstairs. It took a while, but the door opened, and she walked in.
“carlos said you wanted to see me” she said as soon as she walked in
“where were you all night?” i asked as I leaned back in my chair
“where you left me. where else could i have been?” she answered with a glare
I studied her for a moment. She looked…fine to me, she didn’t look like anyone who’s been through a rough night.
"watch your tone," I warned, my voice low and controlled.
She scoffed, crossing her arms. "else what? You'll leave me stranded again?"
I stood up and took slow strides while she took few steps back. I stopped just a few feet away from her, our eyes locked.
“the more i try to stop myself from killing you, the harder you try to make me commit murder” i said as i grabbed her hand roughly
She tried to pull away, but my grip tightened. "Let go of me," she hissed
“get out” i said as i let go of her. she shot me an angry glare before storming outside.
As soon as she left, I felt a surge of frustration coursing through my veins. The encounter had left me seething, and I couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling she provoked. i walked to the drawer by my desk, my hand reaching for my pills. I popped one into my mouth, washing it down with a swig of whiskey. people never defy me, and they certainly didn't get under my skin the way she did.
I returned to the window, the cityscape spread out before me. The rising sun cast long shadows, and for a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in the hypnotic play of light and dark. The chaos in my mind quieted, if only momentarily.
The telephone began to ring, breaking the temporary calm. I picked it up with a sharp motion. "What is it?" I asked, my voice sharp.
"Boss, the shipment is ready for inspection," Carlos's voice came through the line.
Amelia’s POV
The curling iron hissed as i pressed it against a strand of hair, the metallic scent filling my nostrils. Ever since i got back, i’ve been trying to keep myself distracted, but Kai's father's offer kept echoing in my mind. His proposition was tempting, but it was risky at the same time. But his father did not give me any option, it was either this or i’ll have to face the consequences which to me, should not even be an option. I was so distracted that i did not even realize that my hair was burning.
The acrid scent of burning hair jolted me back to reality. A wisp of smoke curled from a section of my hair near the roots, i yelped, dropping the iron onto the plush carpet with a clatter.
I stared at my hair from the mirror, assessing the damage. The burnt patch was noticeable, but not catastrophic. With a pair of sharp scissors, i carefully snipped away the singed ends, blending the shorter section into the rest of my hair. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. it was almost 6:00pm, so, i picked up my bag and headed out. As i made my way to the parking lot, i couldn’t help but regret my actions earlier on, i am supposed to pay a visit to my mom today, but with the way i acted earlier, i doubt if kai would still let me see her. maybe i should have shut up a bit longer until i have visited my mom. Because, even though he had approved of me seeing my mother today, i was sure he’d probably have changed his mind just to get back at me. i got into the car and shortly after i entered, kai joined me. he still looked pissed, and he didn’t even bother to spare me a glance. For some reason, Carlos wasn’t driving today, he was driving himself.
 We drove to the warehouse, thankfully, Kai didn't spend so much time in there, the inspection was swift and tense, and in no time, we were done and got back in the car and drove off. We sat in silence, kai on the steering while i was sat next to him, staring out the window. I really wanted to ask him that i want to see my mom, but i didn’t know how to say it. It was already late, and we were both heading to the mansion, it’s now or never. What’s the worst that can happen? Kai disagreeing or giving me one of his deadly stare and ignoring me. He definitely would not put a bullet in my head just because i made a request to see my mum, would he?. With that, i decided to ask.
"So," i started cautiously, "about my visit to see my mom, you said you would let me see her today"
Kai's eyes remained on the road, his expression unreadable. He didn't answer immediately, the car humming along as he seemed to contemplate his response.
"her address" he finally said
I blinked, surprised by his unexpected agreement, i never expected it to be that easy. "what?" I asked almost inaudibly, unable to conceal the disbelief in my voice.
He shot me a quick sideways glance, “her house address, that’s the only way we’ll get there” he said while i quickly gave him the house address before he changes his mind. The drive from Brookeville to New square was approximately an hour drive, and in no time, we were in front of my mother’s apartment. I picked up my bag and stepped out.
“you have 5 minutes” kai said, leaving me in shock. 5 minutes? Really? Does he think i’m just here to drop a package or what?
“5 minutes will not be…..
I started to speak but he cut me off swiftly “4 minutes and 50 seconds left” he said checking his watch. shit! I should have known better when he agreed to let me see my mom without any fight, this man was determined to make me miserable. I was tempted to ask him not to wait but i was just too scared of being left alone, i don’t know why, but whenever i am on my own, i always end up in trouble. I hurriedly made my way into my mom’s apartment, hoping that she would be home and would also be in the right mental state to see me. i gave a soft knock on the door, but when i didn’t get an immediate response, i opened the door and walked in, i did not have all the time in the world to keep on knocking until she decides to respond. Opening the door, i met her on the dining table eating alone, there was no power, the only thing lighting up the room was a lamp and few candle lights. She turned to look at me as soon as i entered and for a moment, her eyes flashed in shock as she stared at me.
“amy?” she asked in shock. My heart melted at the sound of her voice, i have been wanting to hear her speak for a while now. Even though my mum had a mental condition and could be quite brutal with her words sometimes, she usually have some fluctuation of symptoms and could be very sweet on a good day. Luckily, today seems to be one of the very few good days when she’s willing to receive me. she walked over to me and gave me a smack on my head, making me wince.
“you prodigal child! Where have you been all these while” she asked giving me a smack on my head
“i’ve been around, but i got a new job and i have been too busy to come visit. Sorry about that” i said. I had no plans on telling her that i got kidnapped and was working against my will.
“mum, you didn’t pay the electrity bill again, did you?” i asked and she gave me a glare as she walked back to the dining to continue eating
“who pays for utility bill when God has given us free lightening, water and good weather, yet the government still make us pay” she said with a mouth full of sandwich
I nodded as i watched her eat, i am glad she is fine, that was all i wanted to know, although there was just a little improvement in her condition, i am still glad she is doing okay, “mom, i’ll be leaving now. Take care”
I was about leaving when ran towards me and dragged me, “you’re not leaving until you eat dinner with me”
“my boss is outside, he only gave me five minutes to see you” i said, that was a statement i immediately regret as she stormed outside, heading towards kai in the car
my heart hammered against my ribs as my mother marched out of the apartment, her voice echoing through the hallway. i raced after her, the threat of Kai's ticking clock hanging heavy in the air.
"Mom, wait!" i called out, but she didn't stop. She flung open the car door, unleashing a torrent of words on an unsuspecting Kai.
My mother headed straight for the car. Kai rolled down the window, a cold expression fixed on his face. She leaned in, staring directly at kai
"You must be the boss," she said, sizing him up. "My daughter never brings men home. What's your name?"
Kai met her gaze, unfazed by her directness. "Kai."
"Kai, huh?" She grinned as she grabbed kai by the collar "Well, you are lucky you’re handsome, i would’ve smacked the hell out of this pretty face of yours”
Kai stared at her, shock and confusion written all over his face, his eyes moved from my mother and then back to me, his gaze was questioning. I quickly held my mom’s hand, pulling her away from kai before she does anything stupid, but she pushed me away and i fell on my butt.
“amy, tell me if this boss of yours treats you well” she asked, her eyes not leaving him
“he does! He’s very nice and pays me good! Can you please let go of him now?” i said pulling unto her. a smile crept unto her face as soon as i said those words.
“kai, since you’re are a good boss, why not join us for dinner, huh?” she asked still holding unto his collar,
“no mom, my boss is too busy for that, he has a meeting to……..
“shut up, amelia, no one asked for your opinion” mom interrupted me with a side glance
Kai, seemed to be stunned into speechlessness, I could also sense a hint of annoyance in his eyes. Eventually, mom let go of his collar and opened the door.
“step out now” she said with an authoritative voice and surprisingly, kai did as instructed, although, begrudgingly. My mom held him by his hand and led him into the house while i followed them, unable to do anything. Embarrassment washed over me as we got into the house and my mother made kai sit on the floor while she hurried to get sandwich in the kitchen. I also joined kai on the floor, sitting in front of him. Kai glared daggers into me, if his stares could kill, i am pretty sure i will be 6 feets below already. There was no doubt that he was angry and uncomfortable.
“i’m so sorry, my mom has a mental condition, but i swear, she is not always like this” i pleaded with him, but my words did not seem to faze him. I couldn’t even put in the right words to save my life, God! I’m cooked! Kai was about saying something when my mom walked in with three plates of sandwich.
“here you go, kai” she said as she placed one plate of sandwich in front of kai, one for me and one for herself. Kai stared at the sandwich in disgust and was about standing up when my mom pointed a knife towards him.
“sit, young man” she said with the knife pointed towards kai, while he sat back down reluctantly
“now eat your sandwich” she said and kai hesitantly picked up his sandwich, taking a small bite, not without giving me another ‘you’re dead’ stare. The sandwich felt like a lump in my throat as i watched kai chewed with a scowl.
“that’s enough mom, we’ll get going now” i said and was about taking kai’s plate when my mom slapped my hands and pointed the knife towards me.
“even though you’re my daughter, i can still put this knife through your throat, you know?” mom threatened as she placed the knife close to my eyes. Great! Now we were both hostages. Silence stepped in as we ate without saying a word, but my mother spoke out as soon as she was done eating her sandwich.
“so, kai” she started while kai looked up almost immediately “what do you do for a living?”
Kai remained quiet for a while and then answered, “business”
“what type of business? Furniture? Real estate? Tech? or drugs? i want to be sure that this disobedient brat is not working for a drug peddler” mom asked, making be sigh tiredly
“dru…
Kai was about answering when i cut him off, i knew what he was about to say and i knew it’ll get me in trouble
“kai has a clothing brand” i interrupted while kai stared at me blankly, my mom stared at kai with a wide smile
“really? What brand is that?” she asked, i was about answering again when she shot me a glare, signalling me to shut up and let kai answer. Kai paused, probably thinking of a way to screw me over. I picked up my glass of water, taking a slow sip and waiting for his disastrous response.
“Kai and Gabbana” Kai said. I nearly choked on my water as Kai's response hit me. ‘Kai and Gabbana?’ was this man being for real? I tried my best to suppress a snort, managing to turn it into a cough as I took another sip of water.
"Kai and Gabbana, you say?" she repeated, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Kai.
Kai, to his credit, maintained a straight face, his eyes meeting my amused gaze for a fleeting moment. He was a terrible lair? Because what the fuck was ‘kai and gabbana?’ I decided to play along, curious to see where he would take it.
"Yes, Mom," I chimed in, "It's a new, exclusive brand. Very hush-hush. Limited edition."
My mother nodded approvingly, as if the name made perfect sense. "Interesting. I've never heard of it, but fashion is always changing."
“so, i hope you pay her well?” mom asked another uncomfortable question, how do i possibly tell her that i don’t even get paid at all?
“yes, i do” kai said while my mother nodded happily
My mother beamed, seemingly satisfied. "Well, that's wonderful, Kai. You're dating a fashion mogul, Amy. I never thought I'd see this day."
I almost choked on my water at the word 'dating,' and Kai shot me a quick sidelong glance, his eyes glinting with shock. I gave him a look that said, ‘i’m sorry’. When did i ever mention that i and kai were dating? And how did we even
go from talking about work to a completely unrelated topic?
The dinner, if you could call it that, continued with my mother chatting animatedly about her theories on fashion, occasionally throwing a question Kai's way. He managed to navigate through the conversation with a surprising amount of ease, fabricating details about this imaginary clothing brand. As the night went on, kai seemed to be getting more relaxed at each passing second.
Eventually, my mother declared that it was getting late, and we needed to leave. She hugged us both tightly, giving Kai an extra squeeze. "You take care of my girl, Kai and Gabbana. Fashion world can be ruthless, you know."
Kai nodded solemnly, my mom was about letting go of me when her eyes met with the bandage on my neck
“what happened to you here? How did you get hurt?” she asked, her eyes darting between me and kai. Her eyes finally settled for kai. Kai stared at her, not knowing how to respond. My mom grabbed his collar again when he was unable to reply.
“you better keep my daughter save, if she ever gets hurt while working for you. i promise, i would kill you, understand?!” she threatened as she held him by his collar.
Kai hesitated for a while before he answered, “she won’t get hurt again, i promise” kai said, his gaze fixed on me. it was over for me, he’ll definitely kill this time.