"Miss Sara," Kairo's voice was calm, too calm, carrying an edge she couldn't place.
"Welcome to Novacore."
Her spine straightened. She forced a neutral smile, her voice steadier than she felt. "Thank you, Sir."
She looked down, avoiding his eyes. He walked closer with that same dirty smirk, the kind that made it clear he was ready to ruin her life. He extended his hand and said,
"Nice to meet you. Again."
Sara froze, her heart racing. She didn't know how to respond. Her stomach twisted with nerves and disgust, leaving her uneasy. His sharp gaze stayed fixed on her, but before he could speak again, his secretary entered with the contract in hand.
"Excuse me, sir," the secretary said, pulling both their attention.
"Yes?" Kairo looked up.
"The contract papers, sir." The secretary handed them over.
Kairo smiled as he took the file. Turning back to Sara, he said, "So, Miss Sara, there's just one last step left in the onboarding process. This is a two-year, no-release contract. Usually, we sign such agreements with employees we consider highly talented to secure their skills for a set period within our organization.
It benefits both sides; you'll have job security, along with extra perks and salary hikes. And since you're one of the best candidates we have right now, we'd like you to sign this contract."
Sara looked at the papers in his hands, suspicion flickering in her eyes."This is my first day here. I haven't even started anything yet… how do you already know I'm talented, sir?" she asked politely, though her voice carried a sharp edge.
The secretary flinched at her directness toward the director.
Kairo only raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Of course, your work history, your academic record, and your interview performance. That's more than enough."
The secretary exhaled quietly, relieved. Sara's eyes dropped back to the contract, hesitation written all over her face.
Kairo caught it instantly. Without breaking his smile, he gave a small signal to his secretary to push things forward.
The secretary smiled faintly. "Miss Sara, don't overthink it. We don't exploit our employees. This is just one of our policies to secure good talent. Come with me, I'll explain all the perks you'll get if you sign this contract."
Sara glanced at the secretary. His face looked honest, almost reassuring. For a moment, she let herself believe it. Two years wasn't that long, after all. Her job would be secure, her baby boy would grow, and she wouldn't have to juggle daycare and endless worries.
She let out a slow sigh. "Okay."
Both Kairo and the secretary smiled. The secretary slid the contract toward her and guided her to sign.
Her instincts whispered that she should read the clauses carefully, but they rushed her. Trusting the company's image, she told herself they wouldn't possibly do anything wrong. So, she signed.
The moment her pen left the paper, Kairo's smirk deepened, turning darker.
The secretary smiled and said, "Come, I'll show you your desk."
Sara nodded, forcing a small smile as she followed him out of the office.
The door clicked shut. Kairo leaned back in his chair, his eyes falling on the contract. Her signature stared back at him, bold and binding.
A slow, cruel smile curved his lips."Welcome to hell, Sara."
A week passed, and Sara slowly found her rhythm at the new workplace. She poured herself into every task, determined to prove her worth. During lunch and coffee breaks, she would rush to the daycare to check on her little boy. She always ate with him, feeding him between her own bites, soaking up the comfort of his presence.
By evening, Zayn usually napped, and thankfully, he hadn't been too fussy, perhaps because Sara made sure to visit him often. It gave her peace of mind.
For the first time in a long while, Sara felt a little relief. She didn't even have to face Kairo much; most of her assignments came through his secretary or other team members, since she was still under training. Each day, she finished her work on time, picked up Zayn, and left for home with a quiet sense of satisfaction.
But little did Sara know, Kairo had his eyes on her, on every move she made. He noted the exact time she logged in, the minutes she spent on breaks, and the moments she slipped away to the daycare to see her child.
More than once, he fought the urge to follow her there. But he never did. He didn't want to see the child's face. Hatred brewed inside him, not for the boy himself, but for what he represented. To Kairo, the baby was living proof that Sara had moved on, that she had given to another man what he once believed was meant only for him. The thought of her carrying someone else's child, of her building a family without him, made his blood boil.
Every evening, as she left the office with her baby bundled tightly in her arms like a stuffed toy, Kairo watched from the shadows. And the more he saw, the deeper his resentment grew.
That evening, Sara hurried to wrap up her work, stacking the last of her files neatly on the desk. Her phone buzzed, and a smile spread across her face as she answered.
"Hey, Nora."
"Woah, babe, you actually sound happy," Nora teased.
Sara chuckled softly. "Maybe I am happy."
"Really? Thank God, finally. So, how's the new office? And how's little Zayn doing?"
"It's good. Zayn's at the daycare… I'm just about to pick him up," Sara replied, glancing at the clock.
"Ohhk," Nora said quickly. "Babe, since you're done for the day, why don't you come over to my place? Let's celebrate your new journey."
Sara's lips curved into a real smile. "Sounds good."
As she spoke, Kairo happened to pass by. Her voice caught his attention, pulling him to a slow halt.
"Okay, bring Zayn too. I missed him so much," Nora chirped.
"Yeah, sure. Even he missed you." Sara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll leave in ten minutes."
"Perfect. Love you, babe."
Sara's voice softened. "Love you too."
And Kairo heard it. His blood boiled at the sound of those three words, Love you too, directed at someone else, not him. He hated the smile that accompanied them, hated how those words had once been his alone, and hated that she was now happy in a life he wasn't part of.
A storm of fury built inside him. Her peaceful, domestic happiness was unbearable. He wanted to shatter it.
Without another thought, he stormed off and called his secretary. Within minutes, the man arrived, sensing the tension radiating from Kairo.
"I want the last ten years of marketing analytics, immediately."
The secretary's eyes widened. "B-but… why, sir?"
Kairo shot him a sharp look. "I need it. Assign this to Sara. Tell her to prepare a report, and I want it on my desk by tomorrow morning."
The secretary swallowed nervously and went to find Sara.
Sara was just about to leave when he stopped her.
"Miss Sara?" she turned.
"Yes?"
"There's… an urgent task," the secretary said, his face tight with worry.
"What is it?" Sara asked, confused.
"The boss wants a report on the last ten years of marketing analytics. And… It's due tomorrow morning."
Sara blinked. "What? It's evening! You know how long that will take to prepare?"
"The boss has an important meeting. We need to be ready. Please cooperate," he pleaded.
Sara hesitated. "But… my baby—"
"Please, Sara," he interrupted softly but firmly.
She sighed, the weight of responsibility pressing on her. "Okay… I'll try my best."
The secretary nodded and smiled. "I'll send over the required documents."
Within a minute, a towering pile of files landed on her desk. Before she could protest further, the secretary was gone.