The conference room was empty.
Kashi remained in her chair.
Files still covered the table. Half-finished glasses of water sat abandoned beside legal documents. The screen at the far end had gone dark minutes ago, leaving only her reflection faintly caught in the black surface.
A year.
It had been a year since she had last stood in the same room as Damian Grey.
She had expected something. Anger, perhaps. Bitterness.
The old humiliation rising ugly and hot beneath her skin. Anything.
Instead— nothing.
Kashi leaned back slowly. She felt nothing at all.
No ache.
No rage. No ridiculous urge to ask why. Just a man she used to know sitting across from her discussing percentages and ownership structures.
How disappointing.
Her hand rose absently to her hair. Dark strands slipped between her fingers. Then her hand stopped.
Black.
Kashi stared at the section curled around her fingers. Her expression tightened slightly.
The door opened. Dante entered first, Zach behind him.
"The car is ready, Miss Saints."
Kashi let the strand fall.
Zach approached the table, already checking something on his tablet. "I'll handle the rest of the Grey deal with Legal, ma'am. You can go home and rest."
Kashi looked at him. "That sounded suspiciously like an instruction."
"It was a suggestion, ma'am."
The corner of Dante's mouth twitched.
Kashi caught another section of her hair around one finger and twisted it slowly. "Zach."
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Book me an appointment for hair therapy."
That got his attention. He looked up and wisely, asked no questions. "Yes, ma'am."
He reached for his phone immediately and moved a few steps away, already making the call.
Dante said absolutely nothing. Which somehow said enough. He stepped closer and held out his hand. Kashi looked at it for a moment before placing hers in his.
He pulled her smoothly to her feet, then reached for her jacket and slipped it from her shoulders.
Kashi let him take it without comment.
They started towards the door, Zach's voice following behind them.
"Yes, I need the earliest available appointment for Miss Saints…"
Kashi ran her fingers once more through the ends of her hair.
Apparently, she had more serious problems.
💜~~~~~~
Two days later…
A knock sounded at the door. Kashi shot off the sofa.
Finally.
She had returned home a while ago and had been expecting him. She crossed the room and pulled the door open.
A hand appeared, holding a flower. Kashi stopped, a single white rose hovered in front of her as she simply stared at it, her gaze travelled down.
A nine-year-old boy with brown curly hair stood on the other side of the doorway, arm stretched stiffly towards her, doing a terrible job of pretending his cheeks weren't turning pink.
Kashi blinked. The boy stared determinedly somewhere around her shoulder while the rose remained extended.
Slowly, Kashi took it. Her face softened. "Oh, geez." She brought the flower closer, inspecting it with exaggerated appreciation. "Thank you, kind sir."
The boy straightened. "Hello, Miss Saints."
Kashi laughed. "Hello, Lucas. Your father isn't here. Neither is my grandfather."
Lucas entire body deflated, instantly. "Oh, thank goodness." The transformation was immediate as he launched himself at her. "KASHIIIIIII!"
Kashi doubled over laughing as he crashed into her, immediately wrapping both arms around him.
Lucas clung to her. "I missed you!"
She ruffled his hair. "You saw me last month."
"That was years ago."
Kashi laughed and squeezed him tighter. Movement near the driveway caught her attention. Dante was approaching from the car with Lucas's bags in hand, looking considerably less enthusiastic about the reunion than the child currently attempting to merge himself permanently with Kashi's torso.
Kashi glanced at the luggage. Then at Lucas. "How long are you staying?"
Lucas pulled back. "I packed essentials."
Dante stopped beside them. "He packed three bags."
Lucas frowned at him. "They're essential, Uncle Dante. Easy with them, please. One contains toys."
Kashi pressed her lips together. Dante looked at her and she lost the battle as a laugh escaped.
Lucas turned back towards her and froze. His gaze travelled upwards, mouth dropped open with a gasp. "Oh my God, Kashi. YOUR HAIR!"
Kashi instinctively touched it.
Without the constant black dye, her natural red hair fell freely around her shoulders.
Lucas stepped back as though proper inspection required distance. "It's RED." He tilted his head one way, then the other. Kashi endured the examination. His eyes grew enormous.
"Were you secretly red this whole time?" Lucas reached cautiously towards one strand.
Kashi lowered her head enough for him to touch it.
He rubbed the hair between his fingers, fascinated. "Why did you make it black?"
Kashi paused. "Because I wanted it black."
Lucas considered this extremely complicated answer. "I like this one." Kashi looked at him. He gave the strand a tiny bounce. "It looks cool."
Something warm flickered across her expression. "Thank you, darling."
"You look like a villain."
It vanished. A suspicious sound came from Dante.
Kashi slowly turned towards him.
He was suddenly extremely interested in the luggage.
Lucas, completely unaware that he had committed an offence, continued inspecting her hair. "Like a really pretty villain, though."
Kashi looked back at him. "Like a badass one, but super hot?"
Lucas grinned and nodded so vigorously his head threatened to detach.
"Alright. Inside, little runt." Dante guided him through the doorway.
Kashi shook her head, still holding the white rose. The sound of another car reached her and her attention shifted.
A sleek black Porsche rolled through the estate gates and slowed across the way. The car stopped outside the property opposite hers. The door opened and Chaos stepped out.
For a moment, neither of them moved. His gaze found hers immediately.
Kashi stood in her doorway, white rose in one hand, her natural red hair loose around her shoulders.
Chaos stared, the distance between the two houses suddenly felt considerably smaller than it was.
"Kashi!" Lucas's voice exploded from somewhere inside. "WHERE'S MY SURPRISE?"
Kashi closed her eyes.
Oh boy.
She looked back at Chaos once. His gaze was still on her.
Kashi said nothing. She turned and went inside before Lucas could begin dismantling her kitchen in search of things.
"Hold on, I'm coming."
The door closed behind her.