Chapter 14
The echo of the elevator chimed, cutting through the thick silence that hung between them. Kairen froze where he knelt, chest heaving from exhaustion, his eyes still fixed on the coffee now splattered across Sebastian's lap. Sebastian, seated like some smug deity awaiting a sacrifice, shifted in irritation, his trousers stained in the worst possible place his groin and the outline beneath the fabric leaving nothing to the imagination.
The elevator doors slid open.
Two higher-level secretaries stepped out a sharp looking woman with an Asian cut-glass face and neatly tied bun, and a man in a sleek navy suit, clipboard in hand. Their gazes moved first to Sebastian, tracing him head to toe before inevitably landing on the dark, wet patch across his trousers. Then their eyes flicked down to Kairen, still on his knees, hands trembling as if he'd been caught mid act.
Silence. Only the faint hum of the elevator cables remained.
The woman arched a brow. "Are we… interrupting a session?"
Kairen's face burned hot. "Yes!" he shouted, desperate for them to save him from this hell.
"No!" Sebastian barked at the exact same time, voice sharp with denial.
The contradiction hung in the air, damning in its own way. The secretaries exchanged a look, suspicion tightening the corners of their mouths.
But they waved it off with professional restraint, moving briskly to business. "Mr. Cross, you had a board meeting scheduled for ten o'clock. It's now eleven-thirty. The board has been waiting for you."
Kairen blinked, stunned. Ten? He had seen the schedule. He had tried
Sebastian adjusted in his chair, covering the front of his trousers with his hand. "My assistant didn't tell me."
That was the breaking point. Kairen's exhaustion cracked into anger, his voice shooting out before he could stop himself. "That's a lie! I tried to read it, but you wouldn't let me"
Sebastian's head turned slowly, those hazel eyes sharpening into blades, promising violence. Kairen knew he had signed his death sentence, but his mouth refused to close.
The man secretary frowned. "This isn't the attitude your father described this morning. Mr. Victor said you were finally taking this role seriously. Do you call this serious?"
Sebastian's jaw clenched. He tried, "Give me a minute"
Kairen, his voice thin but laced with bitter sarcasm, cut in sweetly: "My lovely boss can go. I'll take care of things here."
The woman secretary nodded approvingly. "Good. Then, Mr. Cross, with us. Now."
Sebastian rose stiffly, each movement betraying humiliation. He straightened his jacket as though composure could be stitched back into him. But before he left, he turned his head, eyes cutting through Kairen with a single, wicked glare wordless, but heavy with promise. A promise that this wasn't over.
And then he was gone, swallowed by the elevator, the secretaries flanking him like guards escorting a prisoner.
As soon as the doors closed, Kairen collapsed where he stood. His body sagged against the wall, the weight of fatigue crashing through his bones. He pressed the back of his hand against his damp forehead, eyes fluttering shut.
All he wanted was for this day to end. To drag himself home, curl into his bed, and forget that he had been made to climb stairs until his legs gave out, only to look like he'd been kneeling at Sebastian's feet.
The silence of the corridor returned. Kairen let out one long sigh, heavy and broken, the sound of someone who had nothing left to give.
---
Ms. Jo nearly dropped her mop when she found him.
"Kai!" she gasped, rushing over, her rubber shoes squeaking against the polished floor. "What in heaven's name? One minute you're crying in the restroom, next minute you're sprawled on the stairs like a corpse. Do you want me to faint and join you there? You scared me half to death!"
Kairen let out a weak laugh, the sound more like air leaking from a balloon than amusement. His smile was thin, tired, but polite. Words wouldn't form.
"Don't you smile at me like that, nuh-uh. You're too young to be dying of stress. Don't tell me this fancy job is already eating you alive. I told you, this place doesn't feed it chews!" Ms. Jo rambled on as she hooked an arm under his, surprisingly strong for her small frame, guiding him down the corridor. "And what is it with you pretty ones? Always thinking you can handle more than your bones allow. Eh, I should call your mother right now. Or your sister. Or both. Let them come slap sense into you."
Kairen just kept smiling faintly, chuckling when her sharp tongue hit too close. The sound of her voice nagging, relentless was oddly comforting, like a tether pulling him out of the fog of exhaustion.
By the time they reached the employee section, heads were already turning. A janitor half dragging the new PA like he'd just run a marathon? People whispered. Ms. Jo didn't care. She practically announced his state like she was airing laundry.
"He scared me, oh! Crying in the restroom like someone broke his heart, then lying down on the stairs on the last floor like a dried fish. Who does that? You see this boy?" she said, shaking her head.
That was when Julian spotted them. He abandoned his files on the desk and strode over quickly. "Ms. Jo, let me take care of him."
The janitor gave Kairen a sharp little pat on the cheek, half-scolding, half-affectionate. "See? A good man. When you finally dump that boyfriend of yours, consider him. Don't be wasting your beauty on nonsense."
Kairen smiled again, helpless, while Julian's ears went hot red. He didn't argue, just slipped a steadying arm around Kairen's waist. His hand hesitated there for a breath too long, then tightened, careful but firm. Even drenched in sweat, Kairen smelled faintly of something clean and sharp, like rainwater. Julian tried not to notice.
He guided him to a chair, fanning him with a folder while reaching for a bottle of water. Kairen gulped it down greedily, throat moving as though it were the first real relief he'd had all morning. Around them, coworkers had started peeking, whispering like schoolchildren spying on new lovers.
Elodie, never one to keep quiet, leaned on a desk and eyed them with mock suspicion. "All right, enough with the Florence Nightingale act. What exactly happened? Why have you been running back and forth like a delivery boy all morning? And of all things using the stairs?"
The question hung there. Kairen stared down at the empty bottle in his hands, chest still heaving, and for the first time in hours felt the burn of tears at the back of his eyes again.
"I want to kill him."
The words slipped out of Kairen's mouth so raw and flat that the entire employee section froze.
"Huh?" came a chorus of startled voices. Chairs squeaked, pens stilled, and even Elodie's gum popped in her mouth mid-chew.
Julian leaned forward immediately, his hand half-raised like he could physically catch the words before they spread. "Kairen, don't say that." His voice was low, urgent. "You don't know who's listening"
But Kairen didn't care. His face was pale, his eyes rimmed red, his chest still heaving from exhaustion. He repeated it, firmer this time, like an oath he wanted carved into stone.
"I want to kill him."
Gasps flew again. A few coworkers exchanged wide-eyed glances, already itching to whisper about this later in the restroom.
Elodie, never one to miss the scent of drama, leaned forward in her chair, eyes gleaming with nosy hunger. "Who? Tell us who. Don't be shy." Her voice was syrupy, coaxing, like she was about to scoop his pain up and turn it into entertainment.
Kairen's lips parted, but instead of giving her what she wanted, he steadied himself. Slowly, carefully, he pulled away from Julian's supportive hand. He straightened his back, smoothed his shirt, and forced a polite smile toward Julian.
"Thank you," he said softly, almost formal. He dipped his head in gratitude, then turned on his heel and began walking toward his office.
Elodie's jaw dropped. "Did he just snub me?" she whispered dramatically.
Julian rolled his eyes, still watching Kairen's retreating figure with concern. "Rest, Elodie. You were giving him attitude first anyway."
"Don't side him," she hissed, flicking her hair. "That would hurt me." But her voice wavered, more pout than conviction.
Kairen kept walking, the murmur of the office fading behind him. His footsteps slowed as he whispered under his breath, the way Dr. Haynes had taught him: affirmations, reframing, turning the urge to collapse into something steadier.
Sebastian has drawn the battle line.
His throat tightened. He could still see Sebastian's smirk, feel the sting of his words.
I can't beat him. Not like that. Not by force. But I can endure.
He took a breath, clutching his files tighter.
Persistent. Consistent. I'll show him. I won't let him break me. I'll make it through.
His lips pressed together in a thin line, but his steps grew firmer. To anyone watching, he looked like a man simply walking back to his desk. But inside, Kairen had set a vow as sharp as a blade: he would not crumble.
Not for Sebastian.
Not this time.