As Ford scrolled through the stack of documents on his desk, he knew he needed to find an assistant—and fast. He had fired the one he previously had, and finding the perfect replacement was going to be a difficult task. The workload was piling up, and handling everything alone was becoming increasingly overwhelming.
As he meticulously arranged the documents, aligning them into neat piles, his mind drifted to something—or rather, someone—else. He couldn't stop thinking about Sia's sudden return to the States. Why was she back after all these years? What had brought her here now, when he had finally moved on without her? A tangle of emotions stirred inside him, but he quickly pushed them aside, forcing himself to focus on his work.
Then, out of nowhere, he sneezed—again. A wave of lightheadedness washed over him, making him pause. Frowning, he reached for his handkerchief, dabbing at his nose as he tried to make sense of it. How had he even caught a cold? He hadn't been outside much, and yet, here he was, feeling the symptoms creeping in. Perhaps he had left the air conditioner on for too long.
Suddenly, a hazy memory flickered at the edges of his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to grasp it, trying to pull it into focus. It was faint but persistent. He remembered the sensation of a hand caressing his face—soft, warm, and impossibly gentle. He also recalled something cool pressing against his forehead, soothing his fevered skin. His brows furrowed as he struggled to remember more, but the details slipped through his grasp . He couldn't remember.
Frustrated, he reached for the glass on his desk, filled it with water, and downed it in one go, hoping the cold liquid would help clear his thoughts. And then, all at once, it hit him.
His eyes widened as realization dawned.
"Elena," he whispered.
A rush of clarity surged through him. He could remember how he had felt under her touch—the warmth of her hand, the quiet concern in her voice. He could even hear the words she had spoken to him, though they were slightly muffled in his memory. A flush of embarrassment crept up his neck as he fully grasped what had happened.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.
Elena had seen him in one of his vulnerable moments—during one of his episodes. The thought sent a sharp pang through his chest. He wasn't sure whether to feel grateful or mortified.
He had nightmares most nights—dark, suffocating dreams that clung to him even after he woke up in a cold sweat. It was something he had grown used to over the years. He always made sure to lock his door at night, knowing that at any moment, he could slip into one of his unpredictable episodes. Sometimes, without warning, he would become aggressive, his body acting on pure instinct, destroying anything within reach.
The medication helped—at least to some extent. It kept his outbursts in check, but the nightmares remained, haunting him relentlessly. They had started after the tragic death of his mother in the airplane crash. That night had changed everything. He had undergone extensive therapy, spent years trying to heal, but some wounds refused to close.
There were nights when he wished he had died alongside his mother, that fate had taken him too. But life had other plans for him. And as if losing his mother wasn't enough, his father had wasted no time in bringing another woman into their home, replacing the warmth and love that once existed. It had shattered what little remained of his world. But as the years passed, he had learned to adapt—to grow stronger, to face life on his own terms, and to carry his burdens alone.
Suddenly, the sound of his door being pushed open jolted him back to reality.
"How have you been? I heard about your dad showing up at the company," Kelvin said as he walked in, casually seating himself without waiting for an invitation.
Ford barely spared him a glance, his focus returning to the documents spread out before him, the ones that had been giving him a headache. "And where have you been? I was expecting your call that day," he asked, his tone even but laced with curiosity.
Kelvin scrolled through his phone, deliberately avoiding eye contact. "I had things to settle," he replied vaguely.
Ford narrowed his eyes slightly. "Settle? Hope all is well. You know you can count on me if you need help," he said, his voice calm but laced with concern.
Kelvin offered a small smile. "It's alright," he assured him. But as he sat there, he couldn't shake off a nagging thought. What would Ford think if he ever found out about his relationship with his sister, Lily?
Lost in his thoughts, Kelvin barely noticed the world around him until Ford abruptly kicked the table, jolting him back to reality.
"Are you sure you're alright? You know you can tell me anything," Ford said, finally tearing his eyes away from the documents in front of him to study his friend, who was acting strangely.
Kelvin's behavior had been off since he walked in, and Ford couldn't help but notice. There was a stiffness in his posture, an unusual distraction in his demeanor.
"Or is it girl problems?" Ford added with a teasing smirk.
The moment the words left Ford's mouth, Kelvin reacted instantly—almost too quickly. He started coughing, gripping his phone tightly as if it were a lifeline. His fingers clenched around the device, his knuckles turning white.
"N-no… girl? No, it's not girl problems," Kelvin stammered, shaking his head a little too forcefully. "I'm fine. Stop pulling my legs." He hurried to compose himself, forcing a smile to mask his obvious anxiety.
Ford chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Don't mind me. I just know that if there were a lady in your life, you wouldn't hesitate to tell me. Just make sure to introduce me to her when the time comes," he said, grinning before returning his focus to the documents in front of him.
An hour passed in silence. Ford remained buried in paperwork, flipping through pages, while Kelvin kept his eyes glued to his phone, pretending to be engrossed in whatever was on the screen.
Then, suddenly, a string of notifications flooded in. The phone in his hands wouldn't stop beeping.
Kelvin tensed, his pulse spiking. His fingers fumbled as he hurriedly tried to mute it, his hands slightly trembling. He didn't need to check the messages to know who they were from.
Lily.
His heart pounded as he fidgeted with the device, struggling to compose himself before Ford noticed his distress.
All these notifications. It had to be urgent.
Before Kelvin could fully process the flood of messages, his phone suddenly began to ring. His eyes darted to the caller ID.
Lily.
Her name flashed on the screen, saved under My Love.
Panic surged through him. He tightened his grip on the phone, shielding the screen from Ford's view, and immediately declined the call. His heart pounded as he tried to act natural.
Ford, who had been watching him, chuckled. "Looks like it must be important. You can take it, don't worry. It's not a disturbance," he said with an easy smile.
Kelvin shook his head almost too quickly. "No, it's unnecessary," he replied curtly, his voice a little strained. Without another thought, he switched off his phone entirely, cutting off any more potential distractions.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady himself. He knew, deep down, that he couldn't keep hiding his relationship with Lily forever. He had to tell Ford the truth. And soon.
Because Ford wasn't the type of person to be kept in the dark for long. If you didn't tell him something, he had a way of finding out on his own.
And Ford finding out on his own? That was not an option.
But no matter how much Kelvin told himself he needed to confess, he just couldn't summon the courage. The tension in the room was beginning to shift, and he could feel it.
He noticed the subtle change in Ford's demeanor—the way his once-relaxed expression had tightened slightly with concern. The air around them felt heavy, unnatural. If he didn't do something to change the mood, Ford would start asking questions.
Grasping at the first distraction he could think of, Kelvin forced a smirk. "Speaking of girls," he said, leaning forward slightly. "Tell me, how come your new wife is living with you now?"
Ford's head snapped up. His sharp gaze locked onto Kelvin, his brow furrowing slightly.
"How did you know that?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with curiosity. "I never told you anything about Elena moving in with me. I've actually been waiting for you to visit so I could fill you in on everything." His eyes narrowed slightly. "So, tell me, how exactly did you find out?"
Kelvin swallowed, realizing he might have just walked himself into another problem.
Right then, Kelvin knew he had fucked up.