I arrived at work early, hoping for a quiet moment to collect my thoughts after the whirlwind that had been my life lately. The office buzzed with murmurs as I walked through. People were talking—about me, of course. I could feel the whispers trailing behind me like a shadow, the scandal about my supposed "return" to the Williams family plastered across every gossip column. I could almost hear them:
"Isn't that her? Kiara Williams?"
"She's back in the family?"
"No, no, she was disowned. But now… I don't know. You saw the news, right?"
I clenched my jaw, ignoring them. I didn't care what they thought. This was my plan, and I wasn't about to let anyone rattle me. I headed straight to my office, but as soon as I walked in, I froze.
Jo was there, packing up his things. His desk was already half-empty, files scattered in an uncharacteristic mess. He looked up when I entered, flashing me a warm smile.
"Hey, congrats on the promotion by the way, by next week you would fully have this office to yourself," he said, though there was a hint of sadness in his tone. "You deserve it."
I blinked, surprised by how casual he was being. "You're really leaving?" I asked, glancing at the box of belongings he had already filled.
He nodded. "Yeah, my contract's up. Time to move on."
I bit my lip, feeling a strange pang of guilt. Jo had always been a constant here, the steady, reliable coworker I could talk to when everything else felt like chaos. Now he was leaving just as my life was exploding again.
"Thanks for the congrats," I said quietly. "But the promotion... It's not really the celebration people think it is. Just more stress."
Jo raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely curious. "So, is it true? You're really a Williams?"
I sighed, feeling the weight of the question. "Disowned Williams," I corrected him. "It's a complicated situation."
"Doesn't mean they don't want you back," he replied, leaning against his desk. "Families are messy like that. Who knows? Maybe they're hoping you'll come back and clean up their reputation."
I smiled faintly, shaking my head. "That's their mistake, then. They don't get to decide whether I come back or not."
Jo chuckled softly. "Fair enough. So... what's next for you? Back to the family mansion or still fighting it out here?"
"Still fighting," I said firmly. "I don't need them. Never did."
Before Jo could respond, there was a knock at the door. I turned, and my stomach dropped when I saw who it was.
Gabriel.
He stood in the doorway, smiling, looking just as smug as ever. "Hey, Kiara," he said, his voice oozing with charm. "I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch today."
I frowned, my mind racing. Does he know? The news had been everywhere—my supposed reinstatement into the Williams family. Gabriel hadn't mentioned it to me yet, but that smile told me he was definitely plotting something.
"Sure," I said, forcing a smile. "Lunch sounds good."
Gabriel's eyes flicked toward Jo, and for a brief moment, there was something sharp in his expression before he quickly masked it. "Great. I'll pick you up around noon, then."
I nodded, watching as he left. The door clicked shut behind him, and I turned back to see Jo giving me a knowing look.
"So," Jo said, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on between you and Gabriel? You two seem... close."
I hesitated for a second, weighing how much I should say. Then, deciding I had nothing to lose, I shrugged. "We're dating."
Jo's eyes widened, clearly taken aback. "Wait, Gabriel? The guy who keeps everything about his life locked up tighter than Fort Knox?"
"Yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. In our past life—well, he didn't want anyone to know about our relationship. He said it would impact his job. But now I didn't care about what he thinks or wants.
"Really ? This is such wonderful news Kiara. I wonder why he didn't say anything though and all along here I thought he was dating Jessica."
"He liked to keep things private, but now…" I smirked. "Now I just want us to be open about our relationship."
"Not bad Kiara. Gabriel is good…just be careful. I hope it leads to marriage."
I wanted to scoff. I hope not.
"Thanks," I said dryly, grabbing a file. "I'll need it."
Jo chuckled. "I can see why they promoted you. You don't play small, do you?"
I smiled. "Never have."
Jo looked like he wanted to say something else, but before he could, my phone buzzed. I glanced at it, seeing a message from Gabriel confirming our lunch plans. My stomach twisted again, but I kept my expression neutral.
"Well, I should go finish up the last of my stuff," Jo said, picking up his box again. "But hey, if you ever need a drink after all this... mess, give me a call."
I nodded. "Thanks, Jo. I appreciate it."
He smiled, giving me a nod before walking out of the office, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I glanced back at the door, feeling the tension creeping in. Lunch with Gabriel. Public appearances. The web I was spinning was getting more complicated by the day
****
The elevator doors slid open, and there they were—Gabriel and Jessica, side by side. Jessica was rambling on about something, her voice annoyingly cheerful, and Gabriel was laughing along, his hand resting casually on her arm like this was some kind of joyful reunion.
I stepped in, pressing myself against the wall, keeping my face impassive as the elevator began its descent. Jessica didn't even bother acknowledging the tension that hung between us. She was too busy smiling like a Cheshire cat, her voice filling the small space with her relentless, giddy rambling.
"And you know, Kiara," she said, turning her wide eyes to me with that fake sweetness she'd perfected, "I was always like the baby of the group, wasn't I? You always took care of me. Oh, the memories! I was always so clueless, but you—" She let out a high-pitched giggle. "You were the responsible one."
Gabriel chuckled, looking at her like she was the most amusing thing in the world. "Yeah, Jess, you were always the one getting us into trouble," he said, shaking his head fondly. "But somehow, Kiara managed to keep us all in check. Right, babe?"
He shot me a look, clearly expecting me to play along with their little act. I met his gaze with a flat stare, my arms crossed, not saying a word. The cold, heavy silence that followed was deliciously satisfying. I wasn't about to indulge them, not after everything. Not after the lies, the betrayal.
Jessica, oblivious to the tension or maybe just choosing to ignore it, kept going. "Remember when I was trying to cook that dinner for you and Gabriel? I nearly burned the kitchen down!" She laughed again, looking between us, searching for a reaction. "You saved the day, as usual. Gabriel was so mad, but you? You were always calm. I still think about that."
My jaw tightened, but I kept my expression neutral. Calm? That wasn't the word I'd use. Controlled, yes. Calculating, absolutely. Calm? Only because I had no choice. The rage, the betrayal, the pain—I had bottled all of it up, and now it was ready to explode. But not yet. Not here.
Gabriel nudged her playfully. "Yeah, Jess, you were a disaster in the kitchen."
She giggled again, leaning into him, while I stayed pressed against the wall, watching the entire display with icy indifference. They were putting on a show, and I wasn't interested in playing my part anymore.
Jessica turned to me, her voice softer now, dripping with fake sincerity. "I've really missed this, Kiara. The three of us together. We were such a good team, weren't we? I mean, you were always looking out for me."
Looking out for you? I wanted to laugh. I'd been looking out for myself, trying to survive while she plotted behind my back, all smiles and fake friendship. But now? Now she wanted to reminisce about some imagined past where we were all one big happy trio?
I finally spoke, my voice flat. "Things have changed, Jessica."
Her smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered, her fake enthusiasm not quite as strong as before. "Oh, I know! But that's the fun part, right? We can start fresh. Gabriel and I were just talking about how nice it would be to, you know, spend more time together. Like old times."
I stayed silent, eyes locked on the elevator doors, waiting for them to open so I could get out of this suffocating space.
Gabriel, ever the performer, grinned. "Yeah, Kiara, I think we should all reconnect. It'd be good for us."
Reconnecting? My lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk. They had no idea that I had no intention of "reconnecting." I was here for something else entirely. And if they thought I'd be the same naive girl they manipulated in our past lives, they were in for a rude awakening.
Finally, the elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. I stepped out first, not bothering to wait for them. Jessica's voice trailed behind me as she continued to chatter on, and Gabriel laughed along, but I was already mentally checked out of their little charade.
This lunch was going to be very interesting.