It had been a month since Belvana launched. And somehow, Vector was already playing dirty, trying to tangle its way into Novacore's success.
Kairo sat at the head of the long rectangular conference table, sleeves rolled up, his sharp green eyes scanning the reports spread in front of him. His team members sat in silence, tension filling the air. Sara was there too, calm and attentive.
One of the sales team leads stood nervously, presenting the recent sales chart."Sir… it may look like a small drop, but it started right after Belvana's launch," she explained, her tone cautious.
Kairo leaned back in his chair. "Is it just because people are curious about the new brand? It happens, right? When something new hits the market, everyone wants to try it first."
The woman nodded slightly. "That's one of the reasons, sir. But… there's something else happening on social media."
Kairo's brows lifted. "What is it?"
She hesitated, then spoke, "Since Belvana launched, a lot of influencers are reviewing their products. But instead of just reviewing them, they're making comparison videos, Belvana versus Novacore."
Kairo's jaw tightened. "Comparison videos?"
"Yes, sir. And most of them… lean in Belvana's favor."
Sara's attention sharpened at that, her eyes narrowing slightly as she listened.
The marketing lead continued, "These are a few famous influencers with huge followers, and these videos are going viral. People are getting influenced to try Belvana's products. Here are a few examples."
She played several short clips on the screen. Each influencer appeared dressed in both Novacore and Belvana clothing, jeans, tops, and dresses, pointing out "quality differences" and calling Belvana more "affordable and stylish."
Kairo's expression stayed unreadable, but his eyes darkened as he watched.
"They've launched jeans and a casual wear line so far," the woman added, "but they're already planning to expand into party wear and luxury styles. And because Belvana is backed by Vantare the Luxury brand, people are associating it with that brand image, feeling like they're buying something high-end at an affordable price."
Kairo gave a small nod, processing every word.
"It could seriously impact Novacore in the future, sir," she said carefully. "The current generation is obsessed with luxury, more than affordability. And Belvana's playing both sides, luxury in affordable packaging."
Kairo let out a slow breath, then stood, his voice calm but firm.
"Alright. Keep tracking the trends. Focus on the next collection's design launch and marketing campaign. We'll deal with this."
Everyone nodded quickly as he dismissed the meeting.
The room emptied one by one until only Sara remained, quietly observing him. His shoulders looked tense, his steps heavier than usual.
She followed him out, walking back to her cabin. But when she entered, she found him already there, sitting comfortably on her couch, with little Zayn on his lap, giggling in his arms.
Her stern look softened instantly.
"You came here?" she asked, closing the door behind her.
"I missed my son," Kairo said simply, kissing Zayn's cheek. The baby giggled, making Kairo smile wider.
Sara sat beside him, brushing his hair gently. "You okay?"
"Of course," he smiled, but his eyes told a different story: tired, heavy, shadowed with thoughts.
"Don't lie," she said softly. "You look exhausted."
He chuckled lightly. "That's normal for a working man, darling. Not a big deal."
But she could sense it; it wasn't just work.
It was Vector. The one man Kairo despised most is now playing games in the same field, on purpose.
Sara leaned closer, placing a soft kiss on his hair. Her warmth calmed the noise in his mind, and for a second, he allowed himself just to breathe.
Then, suddenly, he looked up. "Let's go," he said. "Let's end the day here. I want to spend some time with my family."
She looked at the clock. "It's 5:30, Kairo. My shift ends at 6."
He looked at her. "I'm the boss here, and I'm telling you to end the day early."
She laughed lightly. "Exactly, you're the boss. And if the boss starts favoring one particular employee, others might get suspicious."
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. If that's the problem, tomorrow I'm going to announce to everyone that you're my wife and Zayn is my son."
Her eyes widened. "What?! Tomorrow?"
"Yes," he said bluntly. "I'll have to do it anyway. Why not tomorrow? Actually, no, let's do it now." He stood, taking her hand. "Come on."
"Kairo! Are you out of your mind?" she gasped, pulling her hand away.
He grinned mischievously. "Then pack your things and come to the parking lot. I'll be waiting in the car."
"You can't even wait thirty minutes?" she said, half amused, half annoyed.
He tilted his head. "No."
She glared.
He chuckled, giving in. "Okay, fine. I'll wait. But you'll have to kiss me to help me survive these thirty minutes."
She gaped at him. "What? Behave, asshole! Your demands are life-threatening, do you realize that?"
He laughed quietly. "What, baby? You're not coming with me, and you're not kissing me either. What's a man supposed to do?"
She sighed and handed Zayn to him. "Stay here for thirty minutes and play with your son. I've got work to finish."
He stared at her pouty. "I'm the boss here. Why are you giving me orders?"
"Because you're the boss only to the world, not to me," she muttered, turning to her desk.
Kairo sighed in defeat, then looked at Zayn. "Mommy is so heartless, my son," he whispered.
Zayn blinked up at him with wide eyes, then giggled, showing his tiny toy to his father, talking gibberish.
Kairo's heart melted instantly. He started playing with him, entertaining Zayn, his earlier worries forgotten, as Sara finished her pending work.
6:00 PM
"It's six, come on, pack your things," Kairo said, standing up with Zayn resting on his arm.
"Five minutes," Sara murmured, still typing rapidly on her keyboard, eyes glued to the screen.
He frowned. "No more minutes. Come on, your shift is over."
She chuckled softly without looking up. "Just five minutes, baby. Let me update the task planner."
"Update it tomorrow," he said, walking up to her desk and tugging her hand playfully. "Now I want my wife."
"Let me at least shut down the system, idiot," she laughed, half-standing as he pulled her hand impatiently.
As the screen turned black, Kairo swiftly slung her bag over his shoulder, holding Zayn tighter in his other arm.
She looked at him, amused. "Are we going like this?"
"Yes. What's wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"It's six, Kairo. Everyone's leaving. If we walk out together, they'll see us." Her voice lowered in a hush.
He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "You and your rules…" then giving in, "Fine. Come to the parking lot. Five minutes. Not a second late."
He handed Zayn and her bag back, his voice mock-stern.
She smiled, nodding. "Yes, boss."
He smirked and walked out quickly, disappearing from her cabin.
Two minutes later, Sara logged out, straightened her desk, and made her way toward the elevator with Zayn in her arms.
In the parking lot, Kairo sat in his car, fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel. His eyes flicked toward the elevator every few seconds, waiting for it to open.
When it finally did, a crowd of employees spilled out, chatting and laughing as they walked toward their cars. And then he saw her, Sara. His face instantly softened into a smile. But that smile faded just as quickly when he noticed who was beside her.
Selena.
And she was holding Zayn.
Kairo's jaw tightened as he watched her pinch Zayn's cheeks, making the little boy giggle while Sara smiled politely beside her. He leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment.
Great… here we go again, he muttered under his breath.
He stayed quiet, trying to keep his calm, but his patience was hanging by a thread. From inside the car, he could see Selena still talking, laughing, and refusing to leave. His eyes locked on her every move, especially when she kept squeezing Zayn's cheeks. His fingers clenched the steering wheel. If she does that one more time… he thought irritably.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Selena handed Zayn back to Sara, kissing his cheeks one last time. Sara smiled politely, said her goodbyes, and turned toward the car.
Kairo exhaled sharply, his irritation fading the moment he saw her walking toward him, holding Zayn close.
She finally opened the car door and slipped inside, the cool air filling the small space between them. Kairo was already glaring at her from the driver's seat, his jaw tight.
Sara glanced at him and couldn't help but smile. She knew exactly why he was sulking. "What happened, baby?" she asked softly.
"You're late," he said flatly, still glaring.
"I'm sorry," she replied quickly, hiding her amusement. "Selena started talking in the elevator, and I couldn't just walk away."
His brows furrowed deeper, looking at Zayn. "Why was she squeezing my baby's cheeks like that?"
Sara laughed under her breath. "Ohh.. come on, Kairo, not again. She was just playing with him. Don't take it so seriously."
He took Zayn from her lap, kissing his cheeks gently, "Look at his cheeks, they're red! She squeezed him too much," he muttered, sounding more like a jealous dad.
Sara shook her head, still smiling. "Oh, God, you are really making it serious, Kairo… leave it."
He ignored her completely, still focused on Zayn. "Does it hurt, baby?" he asked softly, caressing his son's tiny cheeks.
Zayn blinked up at him, then shook his head, "No."
Kairo's face dropped in disbelief, his dramatic concern instantly deflated. Sara couldn't hold it in anymore; she burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
Kairo shot her a glare, which only made her laugh harder. She took Zayn from his arms, settling him safely into the backseat before leaning toward Kairo with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Stop acting like a jealous brat. Now you're the one wasting time."
He exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing with playful irritation.
"Start the car," she said.
But he didn't move.
"I need compensation," he said in a low, serious tone.
She turned to him, puzzled but smiling. "Compensation? For what?"
"For making my blood pressure go up," he replied without blinking.
She smiled and tugged him closer by his shirt, their faces just inches apart. His eyes dropped to her lips.
"Say that you want to get kissed, fuckboy" she teased, her voice soft and daring.
He smiled, no hesitation this time, before leaning in and capturing her lips with his. The kiss deepened instantly, heated and hungry, Kairo completely leaning over her, removing her glasses, almost consuming her.
In the backseat, little Zayn blinked in confusion, trying to peek through the gap between them, but his parents were far too close for him to see anything clearly.
Then—
A gasp.
Sara froze. Her eyes darted to the windshield, and her heart nearly stopped, to see the person standing right in front of the car, mouth wide open in shock.
She shoved Kairo away in a panic. He leaned back, breathing heavily, brows furrowing in confusion before following her gaze. The second he saw who it was, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply, frustration written all over his face.
"Selena…"