Andrea eyes scanned the building that faced her, she was still confused on where she was but she didn't ask a word.
"Come on" Before she could respond, Kayden already moved ahead of her. He still felt himself stiff with anger, he couldn't believe she closed her fucking eyes after pouring someone, a man for that matter, water on his face.
The elevator dinged, bringing him out of his reverie. Andrea's eyes scanned the brightly lit atmosphere, not noticing that Kayden was staring.
"Wait, is this your house?" Andrea's eyes shot to Kayden, who quickly looked away. Kayden cleared his throat, not answering Andrea as he walked deeper into the dark blue house.
"Come in. We need to have a talk" Andrea walked into the house, the coldness and strictness in Kayden's voice when talking to Marcus had returned.
"Why the hell did you pour water on your manager and fucking close your eyes? You were about to fucking get punched" Kayden was surprised at how his anger had shown to the point that his voice was raised.
Andrea stared at the brown haired guy in front of her. She never had someone get angry on her behalf, and she didn't live with her siblings long enough to understand such affection.
"I was tired. And that is personal" Not yet. He can't know she had no other option after her dead agency. Not yet.
"Tired? Dead agency pulling on you, tired?" The hiccup came, causing Andrea's eyes to widen as she slapped her hand over her mouth, as Kayden smirked.
There was silence. No one spoke. Kayden's eyes scanned Andrea like he was looking to fix a puzzle. Each second Andrea stood here, she felt her hand tremble, and she felt naked, as the intensity of Kayden's eyes increased.
"Don't lie" Low, soft, addictive, Kayden's voice filled the air, as he closed the gap between him and Andrea. "Tell me. What's going on?" Andrea felt like dying. Her heart couldn't take this. Kayden was caring for her, or was this manipulation, like Marcus?
This was exactly how Marcus convinced her to sign with Evergreen Stars. His voice was so convincing that guilt ate Andrea when the thought of refusal played in her mind.
"Why? I don't know you. And you…why am I here?" Kayden froze. His eyes met the floor as he searched his brain for answers, but the truth was that, he didn't know why he brought her here.
He wanted to take her somewhere quiet, but then he found himself on the road to his house.
"I…I'm sorry. I didn't–" Kayden's face turned in confusion as Andrea knelt on the floor, her sobs filling the air.
Kayden was the only one that saw through Andrea's facade–not that she had a lot of friends, but he still noticed, and still cared to ask.
Her heart felt so heavy. It had only been days since she heard of her company's closure and her life is shit. Her rent is due is two weeks and if she was to renew, she'd be spending every money she would actualize from the glamorous clothes sale.
"I…I'm so tired. I regret signing with them, and now I'm stuck in a fucking contract for the next three years" She wasn't bothered about protecting her world anymore.
Was would be worse, telling him now and get help directly from him, or continue pretending and be seen as a bartender, being his waitress?
Andrea knew she wouldn't survive if the second incident happened, and even if she did, she didn't want that kind of face-dirt.
When she broke down, something softened in his chest that he would not have expected. He stood and offered her his hand without thinking. "Come. We'll eat, then you tell me."
He made lunch while she sat at the black glass table with her fingers wrapped tight around her fork. The clink of cutlery kept the silence honest. When she finally spoke it was small, steady, the kind of truth that had nowhere to hide: the agency was gone. The contract still held. The rent was due.
"Well, as you know, my agency is dead, and this has put me in a…tight corner. But I'm still figuring things out. I'll be fine"
Andrea nodded, not trying to convince Kayden, but herself. She didn't know whether to hit her head on the wall for that last line, or be proud about her positivity. But let's be honest, she wasn't going to feed off positivity, so the urge to hit her head suddenly increased.
Her eyes met Kayden's blue ones, that once again, studied her, and still, once again, she felt small, but curious. Why did he always stare at her?
"Is–"
"You're beautiful" Idiot, idiot. Kayden scolded himself, when he saw the flustered look on Andrea's face, and her wide eyes.
He glanced at her trying to know how exactly she felt that made her flustered.
He already knew that her hiccups came when she was surprised or when something unexpected happens or is said. But the flustered look? Kayden had only seen it once, when she saw Daxton for the first time.
Andrea blinked severally, as she regained herself. "Uhm, thanks for lunch. See you next time" Without waiting for a response from the confused but defeated Kayden, she rushed out of her apartment.
Her eyes widened in shock when Kayden's voice played in her head. You're beautiful. Andrea had heard that compliment many times, but the sincerity behind his voice, the affection…
No! She was losing it. She was flustered by Kayden but then immediately reminded of how useless her attraction is when she's desperate for money.
"Is that Andrea?" A voice jolted her out of her near self-sabotage. Andrea turned to see Lila, another model in her company that was signed months after her.
Lila competed with Andrea in everything–projects, photoshoots collaboration, she wanted everything Andrea had. And this baffled and annoyed Andrea the more when she saw Lila dipped in diamonds and expensive clothes.
"Lila!" Andrea was more shocked than pleased. Was she the only one suffering this bankruptcy, or she was no better at managing her good pay?
"Oh my God. What's….you looked so unrecognizable. You really are losing weight, sweetheart" Lila's eyes scanned Andrea's, not out of concern, but comparison.
She wanted to see how the star model was doing after the ripple effect caused by their company, and she was highly pleased in seeing Andrea in basic clothes.
"Oh, sorry. Sensitive subject. Anyway, see you later…oops, we are not working together anymore. So maybe not?" Andrea remained silent, as the tears in her eyes welled up and began leaking.
So many things are making her realize that maybe she had hit rock bottom, and this made ideas start entering her head. A rich old billionaire? Quick money. Andrea shivered at the thoughts, her tears still dropping profusely.
She had always imagined what her marriage would be like, and an old billionaire didn't fit it. But maybe Kayden would? The thought of him made her cheeks heat up.
She didn't realize the sudden attraction towards the cold faced man. She had dined with so many men of that caliber, but her eyes didn't even stay hooked on them, but someone she met when her world began to crumble, played in her mind like a broken record.
But again, she reminded herself of her situation, as the elevator door to her floor dinged open. She cemented, yet again in her head that she couldn't afford any distractions, heck she couldn't even afford shit.
And this realization hit deeper when she saw the red stamped paper that was underneath her door. Quit Notice. This wasn't supposed to be. She thought she had a week or two. She had a day, else she would been thrown out.
Andrea closed her door, and laid on the floor, her face wet with tears. She was confused. Where was she going to start?
Her mind raced on if she should call her family to borrow some money, but the shame?
Andrea didn't know if she could bear it, but maybe it's time to put her pride aside.