Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Days passed without anything of relevance happening. After leaving attorney Chris' apartment in a hurry, Val hadn't spoken to him nor did attorney Chris tried to contact her as well.

It wasn't until Tuesday that Val finally decided to resume to office. After having been addressed by Maggie regarding Mark’s fate and the new policies of the company, Val went back to her office to put in some ‘work’. Though, she was slightly glad there wasn’t much issue even after having taken so much days off.

Citadel's had returned to its usual outlook of excellent business activity, and it seemed like the missing Laguna teardrop incident never happened.

The employees worked diligently alclients came in and left with satisfied expression worn on their respective faces.

She had raised the issue of her holding an exclusive key to her office and the other managers held the same attitude. Most of the directors had tried encouraging Val as well with words of apology for having not trusted Val.

Callie and Ashley shared their purview regarding the matter, and as to why they had no choice but to stand behind and be spectators during the unfortunate event.

Val kindly took their apology, not minding it was coming quite late. It was all over, and Val didn't hold grudges against any of them. After all, none of the things that had happened was there fault.

Getting to her office, Val sighed at the sight of the work before her. Although, it had all been thoroughly worked out and it just required that she added a little more detail and submit it in. Val had learned the ropes of the work quite well so it isn't much of a problem for her now.

It still baffled her why the company had announced that they wouldn’t make a legal action against Mark for what he’d done. She understood it was to divert public criticism away from the company, after all, Citadel’s is a renowned business enterprise.

However, Val intuitively felt that there was something more to this than meets the eye.

She had asked after Kaitlyn from one of the other sales representatives, and was told she had resigned.

Val found all of this to be strange,

It's quite understandable that Kaitlyn probably found it difficult to continue with work after that incident. She might have been overwhelmed by guilt and had thought to quit.

This was a logical reason to everyone. But Val thought it wasn't all that simple.

The fact that Kaitlyn had kept stressing that she hadn't helped Val out of pity or compassion towards her was what baffled Valerie. Instead, Kaitlyn had stated that she'd done so for personal reasons.

At first, Val had thought that Mark had a fight with Kaitlyn or had done her wrong in a kind of way. But it was even stranger that she would go to such extent for revenge.

' Perhaps, someone paid her to do so?' Val thought. But the question was, who would pay to have her vindicated from such a situation.

Bob was arrested by the police being suspected of murder, and attorney Chris was with Bob. Val couldn't think of anyone else who could do such. Could it be that there was someone else who had other purpose within the company?

Or could it be that the whole Laguna teardrop incident was a mere threat by Maggie and Courtney to her, while the aim was to get Mark and his corrupt accomplices laid off.

After putting all her thoughts into it and without being able to figure it out, Val shrugged thinking it was just a premonition that probably didn’t amount to anything and continued her work. In any case, it's over now. But henceforth, she had to be careful.

…

Kaitlyn rummaged through her closet as she packed every of her cloth unto her bed. She tied her long brown hair into a ponytail as she frustratingly checked and just jumbled the clothes into the suitcase.

At several occasions, she would raise each cloth to check before throwing it in the pink suitcase.

Her room was a total mess as it seemed as though it had undergone a recent ransacking by burglars. Kaitlyn had taken away every item of importance and had left the room looking shanty.

Only the white bedsheet, the tall night time lamp on the bedside table, the milk curtains and the dark blue painting of the walls remained as the decor of Kaitlyn's minimalist room.

Kaitlyn straightened her back when she was done and heaved a deep sigh of relief. It was kind of hot for early autumn since it was an especially sunny day. She wiped the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead off of her pretty face and thought to take a shower since her flight wasn’t until later in the night. She turned around to head towards the bathroom,

“ Aaaa!” Kaitlyn screamed out loud in fright as her soul almost jumped out of her body seeing a figure standing by the door to her room.

She had left the door to the room open, but she found it even odd how she hadn’t heard a single footstep all this while. Her legs became weak as the nightmare she’d been having these past few days was about to become a reality.

Kaitlyn subconsciously moved back, step after step, until she hit the back of her leg on the bed frame, causing her to jolt back to her senses. Val shuddered in fear knowing she was cornered. There was no room for escape.

Realizing there was no escaping the situation, she asked out of fear,

“ w-what are you doing here?” She very well knew he still had the spare keys to her apartment so she didn't ask how he got in, instead, she inquired his purpose. She looked to her side and saw a hanger piece amidst the lump of clothes on the bed. Kaitlyn quickly grabbed it to protect herself. Her whole body stood at alert as her eyes reddened in fright and unease.

“ I wonder how we became like this” Mark spoke calmly with his hands tucked in his black hoodie, his tone deep and resonated in remorse. ” We used to be lovers, but now we're enemies of one another... What has gotten into-“

“ Answer the damn question Mark!” Kaitlyn couldn’t bare with all the drama as she was already losing it. She raised the cloth rack hanger, ready to swing it at Mark if he made an attempt to harm her.

Mark shook his head and detached from the wall he leaned on. Kaitlyn got alerted and drew back, the hanger being her only item of defense.

Mark moved towards the sofa in the room, a step after another without minding Kaitlyn's threat, and sat. Kaitlyn who had moved to face him stared incredulously. She seemed to realize that Mark meant her no harm but she still wasn’t letting her guard down.

“ You see, after I was released from custody... I had realized something… I only thought it was right to apologize if I’d done you any wrong before you… leave” Mark said sincerely looking from the pile of cloth on the bed to the pink suitcase with a melancholic expression worn on his well-sculptured face.

The room grew silent with Kaitlyn being unable to really register Mark’s word over the sound of her heart pounding loudly in her head. She stared at Mark as if he’d grown two heads while making effort to not let her guard down. All her thoughts was focused on defending herself if Mark tried to pounce on her out of nowhere.

After all, they're alone, and there wasn't anyone around to help.

' JUST LEAVE!' Kaitlyn wanted to scream but she didn't. She found it hard to make a complete sentence even now. She only acted instinctively without much thought to any of her actions.

“ I know you wouldn’t do this any time, not any day… But I haven’t been able to sleep well without these questions popping up in my mind. But in the end, I find myself with only a word... Why?” Mark leaned forward in his seat with his elbows placed lifelessly on his knees, he looked up at Kaitlyn with pain evident in his gaze.

Kaitlyn was silent, she shook visibly in place before blurting out “ W-what was I supposed to do? You would’ve ruined Val’s life if I hadn’t done what I did…You should Blake yourself not me! plus, plus… we’re only fuck buddies, a-and I have only used you. I saw an opportunity and I took it. No feelings attached right? Mr Macho!” Kaitlyn stated her resentments in a long sentence. She jumbled up all the excuses she'd made to convince herself that she wasn't at fault for having set Mark under the bus back then.

Yes, she was selfish, and though she did what she'd done because she needed to, Kaitlyn still felt bad about it. She had to come up with faults in Mark to ground her reasons on.

Mark was awestruck... He opened his mouth to speak and closed it, only to repeat this again. He couldn't find the right words to say.

“Was it Maggie?”

Kaitlyn visibly froze and subconsciously widened her eyes. She stared at Mark with evident shock.

“ Thnak you…” Mark needn't more from her to confirm his question, her reaction already did enough. Just as he'd thought, Maggie was behind everything, and had made Kaitlyn stand against him.

Mark didn't show remorse as he just stood from where he sat. He got what he deserved after all. However, that didn't mean he'd go down just that easily.

“ And goodbye” He turned to say in an heavy tone before shutting the door behind him as he left.

Kaitlyn stared at the door to her room in a lost daze until she heard the sound of his footsteps growing farther and farther away.

Kaitlyn let out a huge sigh of relief when she heard the faint thud of the main door to the apartment being shut.

Her legs gave in and she fell on her knees. Kaitlyn lowered her head and cried her eyes out. She had been so scared just now, she had felt so naked and bare before Mark.

The fear that he'd come for her in sought of revenge had overwhelmed her earlier, it wasn't until after he'd left that her emotions started to kick in.

Kaitlyn felt really bad.

' I have to get away from all of this!' With tears still streaming out her eyes, Kaitlyn rose to get her stuffs tidied. She couldn't stay one more night in San Francisco.