Chapter 80: Chapter 80
Kael
My newest partner, enthusiastic about our collaboration, suggested celebrating this achievement. I agreed to the idea and welcomed the distraction that a glass of whiskey could provide. After all, dealing with Sarah's rejection wasn't easy, and knowing that she worked with Bianchi only heightened my anxiety.
We left the automotive company's office and drove separately to a traditional pub in London, known for its live music and delicious snacks. Although physically present at the location, my thoughts kept taking me back to Sarah and the complexity of this situation.
"What's going on?" Ryan asked.
Ryan took advantage of the fact that the two executives with us had headed to the restroom to ask with curiosity.
"Why do you think something is happening?" I tried to evade my perceptive assistant.
"I know you've been with Sarah," he revealed. "I thought that after you two sorted things out, things would calm down."
"The problem is exactly that," I said. "We didn't sort things out."
The truth was that I needed to talk to someone, a need I had never experienced before, but one that was present at that moment.
"Why don't you confess your feelings for Sarah, Kael? Don't you see that all this pride isn't doing you any good?"
I smiled without humor because Ryan couldn't be further from the truth.
"I told her I loved her! I asked her to come back with me, and what did she do? She chose to stay here, working at Nessyscar alongside the idiot who preferred to leave with Rachel and leave her alone at the nightclub yesterday!" I recounted.
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, even more interested in the story.
I told Ryan everything about what happened the previous night and the conversations this morning, realizing that my behavior was completely different from the usual, all because of the love I felt for Sarah.
"I understand Sarah, and I even admire her for finally understanding that she shouldn't put others' desires ahead of her own."
"It's not about my interests," I protested. "Isn't it the case that when you love someone, you want to be together, or am I mistaken?"
Ryan couldn't answer my question as the two men returned, diverting our attention. While they changed the subject, I chose to focus on swallowing another shot of whiskey and asked the bartender to refill my glass.
Each sip of the drink seemed to increase my anger, but when the two executives decided to leave and Ryan called our driver to the car, I could only think of one place I wanted to go: wherever Sarah was.
"Are you sure we should leave you here?" Ryan insisted when the car stopped in front of the address I gave him.
"I'm not drunk, nowhere near it, Ryan."
That was indeed the truth because I was fully in control of my desires and knew what I was doing. Of course, I preferred Sarah to be with me in my hotel suite, but something told me that if I asked her to come to me, she would find an excuse not to.
She's been avoiding what we feel for each other, and now it's time to fight for the woman I love.
"I'll ask the driver to wait for a bit. If Sarah welcomes you, we'll leave," Ryan suggested.
I decided not to push the issue further and got out of the vehicle. I walked up to the house's entrance, rang the doorbell, and a few moments later, the door opened, revealing Sarah's friend, whom I already knew was Hillary. Upon seeing me standing there, she instantly seemed tense, her eyes wandering nervously inside the house. This immediate reaction raised a red flag for me, and I furrowed my brow suspiciously.
"Hello, I'm Kael Graham," I tried a friendly smile.
"I know who you are. I work at Cecati."
I was already aware of this information, so I just nodded in acknowledgment and tried to keep a cordial smile on my face.
"Can I speak with Sarah?" I tried not to let the discomfort of the situation show.
Hillary took a step back as if considering closing the door and responded unconvincingly, "Oh, Sarah... she's not here at the moment."
The information caught me by surprise, and I raised an eyebrow, not buying the flimsy excuse.
"She didn't tell me anything about going out," I lied. "I need to talk to her."
"Um... she changed her mind," Hillary insisted on the weak lie. "It's better to return at another time, Mr. Graham."
"I don't know what you're trying to hide, but I assure you I won't leave here without speaking to Sarah," I said coldly, determined to follow through on my threat. "Now, let me in to talk to her."
I believe my voice echoed through the hallway, and shortly after, Sarah herself appeared in the entryway, showing surprise at seeing me there. Our eyes met, and I could see the concern on her face.
"Kael..." Sarah murmured, clearly frightened by my presence.
"Sarah, we need to talk," I said without leaving room for refusal.
Hillary, who was still standing next to Sarah, tried to interrupt, but I ignored her and stayed focused on Sarah.
"Please, can we talk privately?" I asked, looking directly into her eyes.
Before Sarah could give me an answer, a new person arrived in the hallway from the corridor, and it was impossible to disguise my surprise and anger at Lorenzo Fiori's presence in the house, connecting all the tension points from the moment Hillary first answered the door.
"What is he doing here, Sarah?"
"I think I can ask the same question of you, Sarah," Lorenzo said, unimpressed. "What is Kael Graham doing here and why is he talking to you like this?"
Sarah
I looked at the two men standing in the hallway without understanding how I got myself into such an embarrassing situation. And I had no idea what to do to navigate it. Still, I noticed that Hillary seemed as lost as I did. To think that my only plan for that night was to sleep and wake up the next morning!
I had come home feeling extremely tired after an exhausting day at work, both physically and mentally. The lack of sleep the previous night and the fact that I had woken up very early contributed to my exhaustion. Moreover, I couldn't get Kael out of my mind all day.
When the doorbell rang for the first time that evening, I chose to ignore it because I wasn't expecting any visitors. I let Hillary answer. However, not long after, she was in my room, looking at me expectantly.
"What should I say to Lorenzo? He insists on talking to you, Sarah," she asked me again.
I sighed, feeling resigned. At that moment, I wasn't emotionally prepared to talk to Lorenzo, but I knew his visit was expected after Rachel told me I was the reason for their breakup.
"Alright, I'll talk to him," I reluctantly conceded.
I entered the room and looked at Lorenzo with a heavy heart. What a mess I had gotten myself into! Now I had someone who was in love with me, and I didn't deserve that feeling at all.
"Hi," I said hesitantly.