His reply prompted Carissa to touch the scrunchie and she flushed as he nodded in confirmation. A smile parted her lips.
'He remembered this then he might still feel something for me,' Carissa happily thought.
She didn't expect her less than a minute of happiness to be crushed in the next minute.
"You…got it for me, you remembered," she muttered.
He arched a brow before a frown appeared on his earlier gleaming face. "I got you the file?" His voice became thicker and his tone cold.
"N…no. You…"
"I was talking about the file, Ms. Draven."
"Oh." Carissa's elatedness deflated like a burst balloon, making her feel disheartened. "The file, I unintentionally left it at home yesterday after going through it, so that's why I brought it today."
"You really need to be punished then," he tersely said, checking the papers in the file.
Carissa gulped and thought of an immediate apology. "I am s-"
"Whatever. Just take off that thing on your head," he ordered with a grimace.
She stared at him and blinked uncontrollably as he pointed at the scrunchie and commented, "It looks childish too."
"But…you gave it to me," she gathered some courage to reveal as she avoided his gaze.
"Me? I can't recall. I know it's a lie too because," he arose and leaned forward, giving her a firm look, "I give those I cherish or appreciate gold and other valuable items and nothing cheap." He sneered. "I don't remember giving anyone that." He sounded distant and it crushed Carissa. She had thought wrong earlier but she didn't expect his next utterance.
Walking over to her, he whispered as he stopped behind her, their bodies just a few inches away.
"You know, a girl pleased me so well some nights ago. It was great sex we had." His voice became coarse. "She pleasured me exceptionally and that's why I gifted her a diamond ring. She was a prostitute but she's worthy of me than some two-faced bitch."
Was he referring to her? A lump formed in Carissa's throat as she felt a tinge of guilt. She couldn't dare to imagine him making out with someone else and denying they had a thing. It was demeaning.
Tilting her head and locking her gaze with him, every fiber and nerve in her body was trying to push her to reveal the truth of their tragic past to him. There was nothing more she could want to do at that moment that clear him about everything but his guts and hurtful words made her do otherwise. She felt it was pointless.
Holding back her tears which were threatening to roll down, she took a step back and excused herself.
David shut his eyes momentarily after Carissa shut the door behind her in a manner he felt was violent. Snapping them open, his mind flashed back to the day he got his first salary from Carissa's father. He had pushed some necessities aside to use part of the money to get the scrunchie for her.
Recalling how she has swept him off his feet by giving him a kiss as appreciation. It was actually his first kiss back then. As her smiling beautiful face then flashed in his memory, he banged the table surface with his clenched fist.
Smirking, he scoffed, "This is just the beginning, Carissa. You've not seen the worst of me yet." Recalling her expression earlier, he was certain his words and fabricated story of making out with a prostitute had sent arrows into her heart which pleased him. But deep down, he felt contemptible. He has never once thought of hurting Carissa in the past and then he never imagined times would come when he would deliberately crush her heart with his words and actions.
"She deserves it anyway," he said, pushing over his guilt to have solace. His phone rang, forcing him to cast an annoyed look at the device lying on the table. He grabbed it like he was going to crush it and answered the call.
"Who the heck is this?"
"I guess someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, so great," hearing the sarcasm, David hissed and went back to his seat.
"Nikki, what's it?"
"Hey, speak to me nicely. I'm not one of your workers. I'm your only sister who cares a lot about you."
He shut his eyes and let out a pent-up breath.
"Good, release it. How are you doing?"
"I…"
"Don't tell me. Judging by your tone, I know you're not doing good at the moment." She chuckled. She knew her brother too well and didn't want to talk much to get on his nerves. "Straight to the point, I want to come to L.A."
"What? No. You're not coming here," he kind of reprimanded with a stern expression.
"Tsk. Why? I want us to have dinner. I had planned that and wanted Mrs. Keaton to come too but she's somewhere in Africa touring and won't like to be bothered."
"You think I like to be bothered?"
"Gosh. No. But you're my only brother. That's why I decided to come over there and save you the stress…"
"You're in New York, I will come meet you and breakfast would be better."
"But…"
"See you tomorrow." David quickly hung up and tossed his phone to the table before letting out a deep breath as if he had averted a disaster.
Maybe Nikki was one of a kind.
The following day, around 8 am, David was sitting across from Nikki on a long dining table, both having breakfast.
"I can't believe you came all the way here to see to my request."
"It's honestly better than hosting you," he jested in a mutter, making sure she didn't hear it.
"Why don't you want me to come over to Los Angeles?"
"You're a big distraction."
"What?" She dropped her cutleries and chuckled. "Me? Would you say the same for Natasha?"
"She is," David paused and stared at her. "Don't talk about her. Hastily, he checked the time on his Rolex watch and dabbed his lips with a napkin. "I'm done. I need to leave now. See you some other time." He arose.
"Hope you've not met that bitch." Nikki vehemently stabbed a toast on her plate with a knife as her question made David stop right in his tracks.
She turned on her chair to meet his gaze with a serious look. "I'm talking about her. Carissa." Her voice was thick with hatred and even standing a bit far from her now, David could still perceive her contempt for Carissa.
He tried to act indifferent but he couldn't. It was as if Nikki's indignation for Carissa troubled him. But it actually did and he was trying his hardest not to seem affected. But it made him feel hurt and he couldn't stop himself from reprimanding her a little.
"You shouldn't talk with so much hatred, especially about her."
Sensing his sudden troubleness, Nikki arose, giving him a skeptical look. She folded her hands and stood before him.
"What? Why are you acting this way over that?"
"What do you mean?"
Nikki narrowed her eyes, giving him an you- think- I'm- a fool look which made him stoic.
"Nikki, do you think I'm still in love with her after everything she did to me?"